couch to 5k questions?

Mid October, I started running after a pretty sedentary life. This morning I ran 2 miles...
I have been building up and following my own plan, but it is basically like couch to 5K, except that I sometimes pushed a bit more... I started out first day running 1 minute and then walking 3 minutes or so and then next day 1.5 minutes or so till by the end of the week I was doing 3 minutes running (which is actually around a 1/4 mile!) and 4-5 minutes walking (which, walking, is about 1/4 mile----and that soon became too much walking, which meant I could run 5 minutes and walk 3...). I did walking running for a month, almost exactly, and then realized that when I ran I felt great, but when stopping to do my walking I found it SO hard to start running again and feel good. So the next day I just told myself "No stopping---just slow down" and I set my stop watch and ran the distance I knew I could (1.5 mi) and stopped and looked at the clock and I had run 20 minutes without stopping.
That was last week--- this morning, like I said, I ran 2 miles without stopping.
The most important thing is to get out there and do it. I have a running partner and she wants this as much as I do, so we push each other When I was starting I posted something a lot like you and someone wrote back and said something that changed everything for me... she said "No excuses--just do it" That is the secret to success....
I hope that helps...

I started the couch to 5k in september. My advise is stick to it. I had not run so much as to the end of the driveway before I started this and its only been 2 months and I now run 3 miles 3 times a week and I did my first 5k Nov. 7th
I would invest in the shoes first, for me this helps with knees and my joints. I did notice that I started "chaffing" under my arm pits from certain shirts that was wearing so I have also modified that.

I would also check in your area for 5k fun runs. I signed up in October for the one in Nov so I would not back out.....plus I told everyone I was going to do it so I would hold my self accountable. Setting a goal is key....it was so EXCITING when I did it....I did not care about my time....just that I finished and I did not stop once!

The biggest advice is keep going...you will be amazed at what your body can do even when you want to stop....just keep going.
I promise you will not die and your body will do it!

I finished the c25k program and will be running my first 5k in December. I would say be sure and do your 5 minute warmup walks and stretches before and after your run. Those are very important. And if you need to repeat any of the days or weeks by all means repeat. The program is a guide line but it's not written in stone. Good luck to you. You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish. :flowerforyou: