C25K at 374 pounds? Am I setting myself up for failure?
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RLDeShazo
Posts: 356 Member
I would like to start jogging. I know I will need to ease into it, given my weight. I was thinking I could spend 2 or even 3 weeks on each "week" to give my body time to adjust to the huge strain. Has anyone else done it at my size and been successful? Right now, my top speed on the treadmill that I can do for any length of time is 3mph, and that is for like 15 minutes.
The reason I want to do this now is that I want to play soccer (scary, I know!) It has been my goal to play next summer, because by then I will have lost enough weight and be in much better physical shape than I am now. But I would REALLY like to play before then, if possible. But I don't want to even get out there on the field if I can't at least jog a little.
The reason I want to do this now is that I want to play soccer (scary, I know!) It has been my goal to play next summer, because by then I will have lost enough weight and be in much better physical shape than I am now. But I would REALLY like to play before then, if possible. But I don't want to even get out there on the field if I can't at least jog a little.
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Replies
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I think your idea to spend some time on each level is a great idea. Listening to your body will be the best thing you can do while doing C25K. I tried to go faster on it then I should have and got shin splints and it set me back a lot.0
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when i started the c25k program i was apx 235 lbs. some weeks were harder than others, so i repeated them. the best 2 pieces of advice i can offer are: 1) see your dr 1st, to check your blood pressure, heart rate and other things that could affect the speed at which you attempt the program. 2) go slow, i tried to jog to fast and got nowhere. when i slowed down things became easier, so if you can walk at 3.0 then jog at 3.0. It's not about how fast you go but the motions are different and take getting used to. I'm sure you can do everything you want, just remember that things take time and don't get on yourself if things don't improve as fast as you'd like them to. Best of luck!0
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I'm in the middle of C25K(Just did Week 3 Day 2 this morning) and I think you will be fine.
One thing I suggest if you are comfortable/able, is to run outside instead of on a treadmill. I did one session on a treadmill, and while it went fine, it was a pain in the *kitten* to keep switching between the two modes every few minutes. Running outside allows me to be more "free" and makes running feel more natural.0 -
I so want to do the C25K, it's one of my goals... it will have to wait a lil bit still now that I'm nursing a leg injury from pushing myself too hard yesterday. Very cool goal Robin, I know you will accomplish it. I'm rooting for ya!0
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I'm in the middle of C25K(Just did Week 3 Day 2 this morning) and I think you will be fine.
One thing I suggest if you are comfortable/able, is to run outside instead of on a treadmill. I did one session on a treadmill, and while it went fine, it was a pain in the *kitten* to keep switching between the two modes every few minutes. Running outside allows me to be more "free" and makes running feel more natural.
I will be doing it outside, because I don't want to put the gym's treadmills through that much punishment! LOL0 -
I'm 376, started the C25K 3 weeks ago, but it's been getting in the way of my trail riding, so I've slacked off due to recovery. I typically ride 20-30 miles of mountain bike trails on the weekends, and trying to do the C25K during the week made my weekend rides hell, and I enjoy riding a whole lot more than that foreign crazy art of running. But it is still a goal of mine to eventually be able to do both, comfortably and to be successful on both. Good luck!0
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You can definitely do it!! I think it's very smart to be realistic and slow down the program like you said. Also, try to run on softer surfaces (grass, a track, sand, dirt, etc.). Compression clothes will also help a lot with the overall comfort while you're running. I hope you decide to give it a shot and I can't wait to hear about you getting out there and playing soccer!!0
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Go to Google and look up "400 pound man runs marathon"... he's an ex sumo wrestler who completed a marathon and ran the whole way through at 400 +/- pounds... if he can do it, I'm sure you can too! I'm 320lbs and I want to start running too... every time I tell myself I can't, I remember that man and it motivates me.
Good luck on your journey and I wish you the best!
Love and Alohas,
Ihilani Kapuniai0 -
Well, I got started last night. I was really sore this morning and my ankle was a little tender, but it is already feeling better. I was able to make it through the full time for the jogging parts. I am awesome!!!!0
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you will struggle with the sprinting portions of C25K at that weight and could cause damage to your knees. jogging is not sprinting, and C25K requires you to sprint. If you can't sprint for the intervals needed, you're not doing the program. At that weight it is very important to stick exclusively to low impact forms of exercise. Swimming is the best. Takes water aerobics classes if you can.0
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Wha? Couch to 5k preaches going at a slow pace and working on building endurance, not speed. No one getting off the couch should be sprinting the program.0
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you will struggle with the sprinting portions of C25K at that weight and could cause damage to your knees. jogging is not sprinting, and C25K requires you to sprint. If you can't sprint for the intervals needed, you're not doing the program. At that weight it is very important to stick exclusively to low impact forms of exercise. Swimming is the best. Takes water aerobics classes if you can.
I can't take a class. but thanks for the vote of confidence. I have every intention of only doing as much as i can. I may have to make some alterations to the program to fit me, but at least I am trying.0 -
Just looked over the schedule. I don't see any sprinting.
The schedule
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Week Workout 1 Workout 2 Workout 3
1 Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
2 Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
3 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
•Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
•Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
•Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
4 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
5 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
•Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
6 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 22 minutes) with no walking.
7 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
8 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
9 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).0 -
Hmm, I could have sworn the program had intervals of jogging into sprinting in there somewhere. Guess I was wrong. In any case, my only concern is for people's safety. There's been a growing trend in fitness lately gravitating back toward people doing super-high-intensity, high-impact workouts as was popular in the '80s. And although the people who went through those programs back then saw great results at the time, they found out a few years down the road that their knees were totally destroyed because of it. It didn't work then and it won't work now. In about a decade or so, you're going to see all these people saying they saw great weight loss results doing programs like Insanity getting knee surgeries done. What I want to know is, why don't people learn from it the first time around? They found out in the late 80s/early 90s high impact exercise totally destroys your knees when done by significantly overweight people. So why are we going back to it now? Where is the logic there?0
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There's no sprinting. Cool Running mainly talks about working on building up your time or distance running, not your pace. The NHS podcast I use likes to remind listeners to not start off too fast at the beginning and to slow down if you have to towards the end.0
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Don't let your size stop you if you want to start jogging. If the first day of C25K proves to be too much for you, start out with just plain walking or google a pre-C25K program. (They exist!) If you want to ease in to it, you could make each day a week - for example, do W1D1 for a week, W1D2 for the next week, etc.
As a side note, don't worry too much about speed when you're starting off as well. I've seen loads of people crash and burn from trying to go too fast! If it's faster than you can walk, I'd say it counts.0 -
Hmm, I could have sworn the program had intervals of jogging into sprinting in there somewhere. Guess I was wrong. In any case, my only concern is for people's safety. There's been a growing trend in fitness lately gravitating back toward people doing super-high-intensity, high-impact workouts as was popular in the '80s. And although the people who went through those programs back then saw great results at the time, they found out a few years down the road that their knees were totally destroyed because of it. It didn't work then and it won't work now. In about a decade or so, you're going to see all these people saying they saw great weight loss results doing programs like Insanity getting knee surgeries done. What I want to know is, why don't people learn from it the first time around? They found out in the late 80s/early 90s high impact exercise totally destroys your knees when done by significantly overweight people. So why are we going back to it now? Where is the logic there?
I understand your concern. If you could have seen my "jog" last night, you wouldn't worry about it being too intense. LOL
Carrying around the weight I have now will also do damage to my knees. Surprisingly it hasn't yet. I don't plan to run any marathons any time soon or even run a 5K. I just want to be able to play a little soccer, and when coaching, at least be able to show them a little bit of what I'm talking about.0 -
Well, I got started last night. I was really sore this morning and my ankle was a little tender, but it is already feeling better. I was able to make it through the full time for the jogging parts. I am awesome!!!!
You ARE awesome!! Keep it up! I say go for it and it you don't have a 5k scheduled than you can take your time repeating weeks and taking an extra day off if your body says too. Or alternate in some just plain walking days could be helpful. I found it helpful to schedule a 5k with friends out a ways so that I could take my time but I couldn't back out. I scheduled my 5k 9 mos out at the time I did it and now it's 2 mos out and I'm finishing week 7. Good Luck!!0 -
It's a question of risk percentages. As weight goes up, risk goes up (risk of overdoing it, risk of orthopedic injury, etc). Risk describes groups, not individuals.
So any individual is free to test the odds. You can do things to lower the risks--slowly progressing, proper footwear, listening to your body, lower-impact surfaces, etc.
At your weight, I don't think anyone can honestly tell you "sure, you can do it", even though many will. (I certainly can't--and I think I'm in a position to know).
But I would never say "absolutely not", either. Physiologically, there is no reason why doing a lower-impact, lower-intensity activity now while initially losing some weight, would have ANY negative effect on your long-term goal. So, right now, there is no NEED for you to try to run.
However, if that is something that you want to do, and that will motivate you, and there are no health reasons (hypertension, etc) to prevent you from doing so, then, yeah, give it a try. From your other comments it sounds like you have a realistic outlook on what it will take, and how you might have to modify things. Good luck.0 -
I started at 364 and I have been doing c25k and I take each workout a couple days but now I am down to 284 and I am on week 7 of a 12 week program. Started in October. I also signed up for a 5k each month to keep me motivated. It is a journey because I my size at first it was difficult to even walk 30 minutes. But I pushed my way and most the time I have to repeat each workout 3/4 times during the week.0
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