My C25K post generated more interest than I expected and a few of you have even started the program with me! High five! If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, here’s a link to the original post.
I just thought I’d do a quick update on how I’ve been getting on with the program now that I am due to complete the 3rd week tomorrow.
Clearly not me.
The program is designed to ease you from a horizontal position into a world of running and claims to have you running 5k (just over 3 miles) without stopping in 9 weeks. Intensive much?
I’ll start by saying that there are many different versions of ‘running’ and in truth, my running style involves a very slow jog… a canter on a good day. There’s definitely no ‘running’ going on here yet. There have been a couple of points in the program that I have had a sneaky peek ahead at what’s to come and simply thought “no way”. Last week was a prime example. Let me explain…
You start the program in Week 1 by running for 1 minute and walking for 1.30 minutes, alternating between the two for a total of around 25 minutes. At the end of Week 1, I got cocky and skipped through my C25K app to have a look at what the future weeks would have instore for me…
3 minutes running… non stop. Ermmm…. that’s about week 7 right? Wrong. That’s week 3.
“NO WAY!” said me.
“NO WAY!” said my body.
Well, I’ve just completed Week 3, Day 2 and it’s totally do-able, how stoked am I? I’m on cloud 9 and feeling mightily smug with myself. Except for one little thing… I did that cocky thing again tonight and read what the last day of Week 5 has in store for me.
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
I read it three times to triple check and still not believing that the program expected me to really run for 20 minutes without stopping… I went online and checked on the website. It’s not an error.
So… in approximately 5 more sessions, I’m supposed to progress from running 3 minutes… to 20 minutes.
I’m dubious, unconfident and downright traumatised by that thought.
Kinda excited too.
Have you been doing the program? How are you finding it?
HAHA, my boyfriend and I after reading your first post on this program are going to walk briskly first on Monday for 5 kilometers. I don’t think we can run right away, with our bodies mildly atrophied by work in front of a monitor I think we need a gentle start. The walk though is uphill mostly. 🙂
You’re amazing! I hope you’re going to provide us with lots of pics of your svelt new body too 😉
Keep up the good work! I was a bonified couch potato who got breathless running for the bus and after some perseverance I can now run for an hour without getting out of breath! A trick I learned was to warm up (if you run on a treadmill like me) you should put the incline on 10 (very high!) and walk for one minute, then do a very slow jog for one minute (speed 6 for example) and keep alternating for 10 mins. Not only does this BURN calories but I find it gives my lungs such a good blast that once I take it back to a flat incline and speed up I can just keep running and running! Good luck! xx
I’ve done C25K and I just want to tell you that it gets better! Not necessarily easier, but I can tell you that the first time running 3 minutes straight was a lot more exhausting than the first time I ran for 30 minutes straight. Good luck! 🙂
I had to laugh (in a good way I hasten to add) on your posts about this – good on you I really do wish you every success. I tried very very hard to run, infact I do most years, my sister runs and says that when you get good at it, ie running for more than 30mins several times a week it feels like you are flying. So I get the gear and start and it is so hard, within seconds I am panting and struggling, and sweating…aha I think, it is the shoes, now bear with me here, I am I think of reasonable intelligence, I honestly thought (yes honestly) that getting properly fitted for running shoes would make me run like a gazelle…I really did think that. Of course it didn’t and I still run like a carthorse. A word of warning – watch the injuries, I did my knee, running around a woman who was ambling about on my route, result was no more running. I walk briskly now. Good luck with it all – sorry for the essay. Jan x
I’m doing it too, and started around the same time as you so am on Week 3. I think mine is a very slightly different version though. I’m doing it because I have never been able to run (even when I was a lot younger and thin!) but I’m so jealous of my friends who enjoy running and find it a great stress reliever. i think it’s one of those things that only becomes enjoyable once you get past a certain point, and I’m determined to get to that point.
Well done you for sticking with it so far, here’s hoping I can do the same! x
I never found the energy to do it, but I have relatives who did, and trust me, they did run 5K after 10 weeks and even joined a few local running competitions. So I know I should motivate myself and do it, because it would make me feel great, but well…
Awesome! Good for you! I’ll be really interested to hear what you think of the rest of the program.
I’m doing something similar at the moment. Not C25K exactly, but same idea, except that I’m just making it up as I go along! I’m up to 2.4 miles, alternating jogging and walking, and doing much more jogging than walking at this point. Although, like you, “jogging” might not be the right word for what I’m doing! Heh heh.
Speaking of that, I highly recommend the book “No Need for Speed” by John “The Penguin” Bingham. He is a huge advocate of jogging, no matter how slow you go–he’s no speed demon himself, as you might have guessed by his moniker …
I’m half-way through wk 4 and I ran 16 minutes the other night! (3/5/3/5 min intervals!) And I did it and I didn’t die! I’m running on a treadmill indoors though, don’t think i’d be ok with the cold air! But it definitely does get easier..keep going and don’t look ahead..frightened the living daylightrs out of me too!!
Great work! I’ve tried running in the past and I’ve even managed to keep up with it for a while but I honestly think my body is not built for running. I’d much rather walk for 3 hours than run for 20mins. Worse is that my SO loves running. I definitely believe though that if you are running it’s not about how fast you run. A slow jog is better than burning yourself out.
Well done, you’re doing so well! xx
You’re doing so well!! Keep going – you will be amazed at what you can do in a few weeks time. When it gets hard just think back to week one day 1 when a 60 second run was tough!!
x
I just started reading your blog and I love it! Don’t fret, seriously 20 minutes of running non stop is not difficult once you work up to it. I used to only be able to run (gasp) 5 minutes and I would be completely out of breath. I knew I needed a bit of a cardio makeover so I forced myself to run every other day, even though I despised it! Eventually it became easier and I could run longer and longer. Now I can run about 40 minutes without stopping. One thing that really helps me run longer too is to listen to really upbeat music. Without music I get bored on my treadmill 🙂
Well done your doing well, I want to do that, well my head says yes do it, but my body says girl stay on the couch! you know you cant run for a 2 mins let alone run 5k.
You can do it! I started it in June of this year; I could always run but too slowly for my own liking, 2 miles took me about 30 – 35 minutes, and I was always exhausted halfway through. I had a setback in the middle of the Couch-to-5k because I was visiting my boyfriend in Scotland and ran outside all the time, so when I got back on the treadmill I couldn’t run as fast as I had before I flew across the pond. But I’ve been done with the program now for a month or so, and am now working on whittling down my 5k time from 32 minutes to 30 minutes flat. It’s hard work, but I really think the plan makes it doable. Good luck! ps. I love your blog!
You’re doing so well! I haven’t felt brave enough to progress to week 2 yet!
Are you running outside or on a treadmill?
Heres to us both being lean mean running machines soon!
I’m doing it outside… though not out of choice, I just don’t have a treadmill LOL
Good luck! x
I started to go out and jog slowly for a certain amount of time. When you start it is easier to target at the target distance instead of heading for 15 minutes if it is easy to go a little longer if it was difficult to walk to the completion of the 15 minutes. Increase the time until you are up to 30 minutes in addition, be sure to walk or slow jog for 3-5 minutes to cool down and stretch after your jog.
I think very good.