2008 - C25K program :) WELCOME!!

[If U Had Wings]

I did my second day of week 2 today and it went great. Again the 5th interval was the hardest to get through, but not impossible. I was getting a bit warm by the end of the run. I wore long sleeves and it really wasn't necessary.

I'm really amazed at how much I'm enjoying running. I would never have guessed I would. I just wish that back in high school when they forced me to run they would have worked us into it like this program. Maybe I wouldn't have hated it so much back then if I felt like I could actually do it.

 

[scrump]

W4D3 today.

Wow, I enjoyed today's run very much, and am so surprised at how natural it felt. I'm amazed at how quickly the body adapts. I'm looking forward to the W5 runs!

 

[cwnhokie]

Scrump, See I told you week 4 wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. I spent week 5 dreading that last day.

If U Had Wings, good job sticking with it. I'm still not really enjoying it yet, I hope that comes soon.

I repeated Week 6 Day 1 today without the stroller, still was very difficult but I did it.

 

[If U Had Wings]

Scrump, See I told you week 4 wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. I spent week 5 dreading that last day.

If U Had Wings, good job sticking with it. I'm still not really enjoying it yet, I hope that comes soon.

I repeated Week 6 Day 1 today without the stroller, still was very difficult but I did it.

I just hope I'm enjoying it as much when I'm running for more than a minute and a half.

 

[scrump]

This thread is so great! Thanks everybody for your encouragement!

It's been raining a lot here in the Northeast, so haven't been able to run in several days, but today was W5D1 for me. I am amazed at how comfortable a run it was. I never would've thought that I could run 5 minutes straight. In fact, the first time I looked at my watch, I was already at 4min30sec!

One thing I did notice is that my ankles are sore for the first several minutes of the run. I assumed it was for the lack of a warmup so I am trying to be diligent about stretching before my run, but the first 2-3 minutes are still somewhat painful. Anybody else experience this? After about 4 minutes, I'm pretty comfortable and continue to be so for the entire duration of the run.

Anyway, to you guys for your runs this week!

 

[If U Had Wings]

Thanks to the lousy weather here in CT, and a crazy schedule this weekend I never got in my 3rd run last week. I meant to go on Sunday morning, but I woke up, started the crock pot for a family dinner, and then fell back asleep.

I wanted to sleep for another 1/2 hour and ended up sleeping for nearly 3. I guess my body was trying to tell me something. By the time I woke up it was pouring and I had to run a few errands and get ready for company.

Now I'm not sure what to do tomorrow. The rain isn't supposed to be bad tomorrow so I'm hoping to get my run in. I'm debating on repeating week 2 again, or trying week 3. I don't want to just do the last day and throw my schedule off for this week. Anyone any thoughts? I had a relatively easy time with my two runs last week so I wouldn't need to redo them because of running difficulties.

Decisions, decisions!

 

[cwnhokie]

Scrump, my ankles and shins always seem to be tight for the first few minutes, then they seem to loosen up.

If U Had Wings, you could do day 3 and then three more days, making your training 4 days this week, or just move on and see how you feel. I'm trying to get myself to do more days than 3 because I am supposed to be moving on to 25 min runs now and I just can't do it. I think I need to train more days a week to me able to get to that.

 

[If U Had Wings]

Scrump, my ankles and shins always seem to be tight for the first few minutes, then they seem to loosen up.

If U Had Wings, you could do day 3 and then three more days, making your training 4 days this week, or just move on and see how you feel. I'm trying to get myself to do more days than 3 because I am supposed to be moving on to 25 min runs now and I just can't do it. I think I need to train more days a week to me able to get to that.

I think I'm going to play it by ear later. See how I feel before the run. I don't know what is up with me this week, but I've been dragging around all week completely devoid of anything resembling energy. I've even tried getting to bed earlier, but it hasn't been helping. I can't even imagine going out for a run right now, so I'm hoping I feeling a bit better by the time I get home.

I had my weigh in day today, and no loss this week. Ugh! I was hoping that running would help me drop some pounds. I keep trying to console myself by thinking that my fat is just converting itself over to nice heavy muscles in my legs.

 

[If U Had Wings]

Last night I ended up running W2D3 instead of skipping it and moving on to W3D1. I was feeling pretty unmotivated yesterday, but still made it through the workout without any problems. (Again interval 5 was the toughest - no idea why). It's always funny to look at my Nike+ graph and see all the little spikes from the running intervals. Interval 5 is always about 1/2 the size of the rest of them.

It's amazing to me that after only 2 weeks doing this I can feel the changes to my body. When I first started those 60 seconds felt like ages, and I had to keep finding things ahead of me to aim for. I'd tell myself - just run to the next fence poll. The 60 seconds will have to be up by then. If I got there and the 60 seconds weren't up yet, I'd pick another point. If I wasn't able to get to the next street sign I'd let myself start walking. I'd keep doing that to try to force my body to keep going on. This week I haven't had to resort to doing that. I just run, and then walk when the podcast tells me to.

I know that I started this program to be able to run a 5k, but honestly in the back of my mind I think I believed I'd be the person this couldn't help and I'd be forever gasping for air after 60 seconds.

I'm both nervous and looking forward to week 3. I definitely feel like I'm ready to move on, but the bump up in running time seems big to me.

Torsie how did your first week go? Have you moved on to week 2? Let us know.

 

[CoMickey]

Last night I ended up running W2D3 instead of skipping it and moving on to W3D1. I was feeling pretty unmotivated yesterday, but still made it through the workout without any problems. (Again interval 5 was the toughest - no idea why). It's always funny to look at my Nike+ graph and see all the little spikes from the running intervals. Interval 5 is always about 1/2 the size of the rest of them.

It's amazing to me that after only 2 weeks doing this I can feel the changes to my body. When I first started those 60 seconds felt like ages, and I had to keep finding things ahead of me to aim for. I'd tell myself - just run to the next fence poll. The 60 seconds will have to be up by then. If I got there and the 60 seconds weren't up yet, I'd pick another point. If I wasn't able to get to the next street sign I'd let myself start walking. I'd keep doing that to try to force my body to keep going on. This week I haven't had to resort to doing that. I just run, and then walk when the podcast tells me to.

I know that I started this program to be able to run a 5k, but honestly in the back of my mind I think I believed I'd be the person this couldn't help and I'd be forever gasping for air after 60 seconds.

I'm both nervous and looking forward to week 3. I definitely feel like I'm ready to move on, but the bump up in running time seems big to me.

Torsie how did your first week go? Have you moved on to week 2? Let us know.

I had all of these thoughts and went through exactly what you all are experiencing now! I really wasn't sure that I could do or that I would be motivated to stick with it. I freaked out thinking about the first 20 min. run - never in my wildest dreams thought I'd be running 3 miles BUT I did and I am doing it! Last night I was really unmotivated and did not want to go out to run - it was hot still at 8pm and I was tired but I went with the thought that the least I would do was walk up hill for awhile. Well, I walked up the hill for about 15 min. and then decided to run for awhile...once I got started I kept going and I ran for 3.2 miles! I kept telling myself to run for 30 min. then when I looked at my watch I had run 37 min. so I thought run to 40 min. my longest time to run in the past so I ran but for 43 min. I then told myself why not run a couple more min. for 45 min. For me it is becoming a mental game because I am finally not gasping for breath the entire time and my legs feel good for the most part. (I have a strained muscle in my thigh but once I start running it loosens up). The hardest part for me now is mental and believing that I can run longer.

You all are doing great! I am here cheering you all on becasue I really know that you all can do it!! It's not easy but it is very rewarding and you'll be amazed at how quickly your body does adapt!

 

[cwnhokie]

I'm struggling right now. I was not able to do the 20 minute run on week 5 and I did Week 6 day 1 but not day 2. So now I'm trying to figure out how to progress from here. I'm thinking about doing several 5 or 8 minute intervals with less time walking in between and at least a couple time per week just running for as long as I can. I have also been trying to get out to do something every day, even if it is just walking.

 

[scrump]

I'm struggling right now. I was not able to do the 20 minute run on week 5 and I did Week 6 day 1 but not day 2. So now I'm trying to figure out how to progress from here. I'm thinking about doing several 5 or 8 minute intervals with less time walking in between and at least a couple time per week just running for as long as I can. I have also been trying to get out to do something every day, even if it is just walking.

I did W5D2 today and the 20 minute is run is next for me. I am thinking of delaying myself, because today was a struggle. Today's was my hardest run yet, and I'm not confident about moving forward just yet.

I'm glad to hear that it's normal for the shins and ankles to be a little tight for the first several minutes.

 

[If U Had Wings]

Seems to be a lot of struggling going on lately. I went out tonight to do W3D1 just to find that I had never loaded the w3 podcast onto my ipod. I didn't have a watch with me, so I just decided to do w2 again. Now I had already done the workout 3 times with no problem, but today was just really tough. I chose a slightly different route, but if anything this route was flatter than the one I've been doing. I really struggled to get through the intervals today. While I wasn't gasping for breathe, I was having difficulties with my breathing and got really warm quickly today.

I'm wondering if today was maybe a bit more humid and that was affecting me. I have a really mild case of asthma that usually starts to bother me in the spring and early summer. (The time around the 4th of July is the worst time of year for me). I'm just thinking that the asthma may be starting to be a factor. I think it's just going to take me awhile to acclimate myself to the summer weather.

Since I've already spent 2 days this week running the previous week's plan I'm going to just go ahead and run one more day of week 2. Maybe one more day will help. Then I can start week 3 on a fresh new week.

 

[robinb]

Hi everyone! I just started C25K this week. I ran too fast on W1D1 and was out of breath and could only do every other interval and walked the rest. I did W1D2 yesterday, slowed the running WAY DOWN (as was suggested over at the C25K forums) and I made it .
I was training in secret because I didn't want to tell anyone I knew that I was doing it until I thought I had a shot at completing it. After yesterday's success I told my DH and challenged him to run a 5K with me in about 3 months. I know that August is a bad time to do it, but I want a goal that is not too far away.

 

[If U Had Wings]

Hi everyone! I just started C25K this week. I ran too fast on W1D1 and was out of breath and could only do every other interval and walked the rest. I did W1D2 yesterday, slowed the running WAY DOWN (as was suggested over at the C25K forums) and I made it .
I was training in secret because I didn't want to tell anyone I knew that I was doing it until I thought I had a shot at completing it. After yesterday's success I told my DH and challenged him to run a 5K with me in about 3 months. I know that August is a bad time to do it, but I want a goal that is not too far away.

Welcome! I did the same thing when I first started. Now I'm running really, really slowly. Really slowly. It does help though.

 

[cwnhokie]

Hello everyone,
I went out Friday night with a friend and we just ran as far as we could. I forgot to time it, I'm not sure if we got to 20 mins, but I went out and miled it the next day and we did 1.6 miles! That's the longest for me yet. I have about 30 days to double that before the Race for the Cure. Now I'm trying to decide if I'm going out now or cleaning the house.

 

[robinb]

Yay! Week 1 is complete . I finished the first week with a 1.59 walk/jog in 30 minutes. Not a land speed record by any means, but it's in the books and I didn't feel out of breath or tired. BTW, I bought runkeeper for for iphone and it seems to work just fine. It had some initial problems finding the GPS signal but the route map it showed was pretty close to the actual route I walked/jogged ... except it had me in the lake for a few steps, LOL.

 

[liznboys]

Hi all! Well I am less than a week now from my first 5K! Yesterday we went to the course and I did a "test run" lol. I did what we think is the course (or close enough to it anyway) in 33m 15s. It'll be interesting to see what my time is for the real thing this Saturday...I hope I don't get caught up with the other people and go too fast/lose my breath and have to walk! That's still my challenge when running outside....not going faster than my lungs can handle.

cwnhokie, scrump, & If U Had Wings~ Hang in there you guys, you're doing great! Just keep on going, even if you have to repeat some weeks, you will get there!

Vicki~ it sounds like you've officially graduated, huh?!?

Robin~ Welcome! Congrats on finishing week 1!
I have the free version of Runkeeper on my iPhone and it was working ok enough in the beginning, but then it was starting to be really messed up with my speed so I've stopped using it. But when I was using it I would turn off the 3G and the Network first. And then I would go to Maps and locate myself so that it would be ready to go once I turned on Runkeeper. My dh's iPhone is horrible as far as the Runkeeper showing his path...it has him all over the place. Mine would still show an accurate path even though it was messing up my speed. Oh and we could never get the distance to be completely accurate. It said the 3.1 miles I do (which we drove with our car) was anywhere from 2.9 to 3.07 miles.

 

[scrump]

I did W5D3 two days ago and boy did I STRUGGLE. It was supposed to be the 20 minute run, but I ran 10 minutes and then ran and walked for the rest of the time. I was a little bummed, but overall happy that I at least ran more than the 8 minutes from the previous run.

Anyway, I decided to repeat the 20 minute run for the week, so I went out today and ran it! The weather helped, as it was a crisp and comfortable day. I'll just keep doing 20 minutes for the rest of the week and see how I feel by the weekend and assess whether I move on or not.

Woo hoo!

 

[CoMickey]

Hi all! Well I am less than a week now from my first 5K! Yesterday we went to the course and I did a "test run" lol. I did what we think is the course (or close enough to it anyway) in 33m 15s. It'll be interesting to see what my time is for the real thing this Saturday...I hope I don't get caught up with the other people and go too fast/lose my breath and have to walk! That's still my challenge when running outside....not going faster than my lungs can handle.


Vicki~ it sounds like you've officially graduated, huh?!?

Liz - Good luck on your first 5k this weekend! I am sure you'll do great and you might even run faster do to the excitement of the day! I'll be looking forward to reading all about it! I am trying to find a fun 5k to do here this summer. I can always do the Disneyland 5k over Labor Day but I want to do one before that. We'll see...

Yes, I have officially graduated! I am now running 3.1+ miles regularly but I have not run for 4 days (this is the longest I've gone between runs since starting) so I'll probably not do 3.1 miles tonight.