2008 - C25K program :) WELCOME!!

[TifffanyD]

I finished week 5 yesterday! That 20min run was tough! I got about 1.4 miles covered during it - not running super fast because I think that's what was hurting my ankles. Scared for the end of next week - 25min!

 

[nkkilala]

I'm so glad this thread was dug up!

I just finished week 2! I"m on to week 3 tomorrow...I'm a bit intimidated by running 3 minutes, but at least I only have to do it twice!

 

[TifffanyD]

I'm so glad this thread was dug up!

I just finished week 2! I"m on to week 3 tomorrow...I'm a bit intimidated by running 3 minutes, but at least I only have to do it twice!

Good luck - I know you can do it! It was hard for me too! If you have to add extra days to a week it's not the worst thing. Are you running outside or on a treadmill?

 

[MomofCKJ]

Just coming by to wish you all the best with this program! I did it last year, started it in Feb/March-ish I believe. I had never run in my life! Last Saturday I did the Disney Half!

It's a great program and this is a great board/thread to find the support on! You can do it!

Allyson

 

[nkkilala]

Ok so I did my first workout for Week 3 and it was great!! I found the running 3 minutes to be easier than the 90sec from the week before!

I'm running inside on a TM right now because we are COVERED in snow and the temps have been chilly (-1 and like a -20 windchill)

I'm loving the program though and getting excited for the Princess 5K

 

[mill4023]

I'm a 37 yr old guy with an extra 50 to 60 lbs.

I just started a C25k plan and I'm loving it. I'm on week 2 and my goal is to run a 5k that is coming up on March 7th. So far, I'm feeling great and even though I'm only on week 2, I can already feel my legs getting stronger and my endurance getting better.

I've tried running in the past, but I think the mistake I made was that I always tried to do too much too fast. I would go out and try to run as long as I could and by the end of it, my lungs would be burning and my legs would be hurting. Then I'd be sore for several days and the idea of running again would be so distasteful that I'd just quit.

The great thing about C25k is that it starts off slow enough that is isn't too painful. And because it isn't a painful experience, I don't mind doing it. Actually, I look forward to it. Although I am only on week 2, so maybe it will become more difficult as the times go up.

The plan I'm following is 3 workouts per week, with a 5 minute warm up walk before each workout:
week 1: run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes, repeat for 20 minutes
week 2: run 90 seconds, walk 2 minutes, repeat for 20 minutes
week 3: run 90 seconds, walk 90 seconds, run 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes, repeat twice
week 4: run 3, walk 2, run 5, walk 2, run 3, walk 2, run 5
week 5: run 5, walk 3, run 5, walk 3, run 5
week 6(workout1): run 5, walk 3, run 8, walk 3, run 5
week 6(workout2): run 10, walk 3, run 10
week 6(workout3): run 25
week 7: run 25
week 8: run 28
week 9: run 30

 

[wildfan1473]

The plan I'm following is 3 workouts per week, with a 5 minute warm up walk before each workout:
week 1: run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes, repeat for 20 minutes
week 2: run 90 seconds, walk 2 minutes, repeat for 20 minutes
week 3: run 90 seconds, walk 90 seconds, run 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes, repeat twice
week 4: run 3, walk 2, run 5, walk 2, run 3, walk 2, run 5
week 5: run 5, walk 3, run 5, walk 3, run 5
week 6(workout1): run 5, walk 3, run 8, walk 3, run 5
week 6(workout2): run 10, walk 3, run 10
week 6(workout3): run 25
week 7: run 25
week 8: run 28
week 9: run 30

I would love to start this program, I've been eyeing it for a while, but until the snow and ice go away, I just have to keep doing just that.

I have a question, though. How do you time your running and walking?

 

[deekaypee]

C25K graduate and thread lurker here! I'm so glad to see this thread resurrected--the program and WISHer support is soooo useful.

About the intervals. I run to music, especially on a TM. I find it easier than timing my intervals with a watch. If you have an iPod, you can dowload free podcasts that tell you when to run/walk. The C25K that is most well-known (and very well done) is Robert Ullrey's. It's available on iTune for free. I'm not a big fan of Ullrey's music, but there are others you can listen to. You could also use DJ Steve Boynett's podcast. I also trolled around the Internet and found a couple podcasts or playlists that had music I was more interested in. (Here's one and another that I liked.)

The good news is even if you're not a fan of Ullrey's music choices (or any of the others' choices), it's just a few weeks before you're running for the length of an entire song and you can switch over to your own music!

OH, one last option: Lestyn Lloyd has a podcast on iTunes, as well, and it just includes a voice that tells you when to walk or run. What's cool about that is that you can customize your running sessions with your your own music (or just listen to the voice if you don't run to music).

 

[Ronda93]

I started C25K this morning. I got Robert Ullrey's week one podcast last night. We have a fitness center at work. I used the treadmill - outside is icky right now. The anticipation of the first 1 minute run was surprising. I made it through and was pleased that I didn't feel as though I was going to die!

My high weight was in the 240s. That was around 1998. I lost some weight - 20 or 30 pounds - in 1999 on the eat less/move more plan. In 2001 I heard about a long distance bike ride from co-workers. It sounded like a fun challenge and I started preparing for it. I was in the 180s by the start of the bike ride. It was 250 miles and my biggest fear was being swept at the end of the day! I made it. It was awesome.

My weight remained steady and while I get some exercise I want to get fitter. My girlfriend and I have been looking for motivation and a plan. I suggested a BIG target and told the story of my ride preparation. She chose running a 5k.

One thing lead to another and now we plan to participate in a local 5K in late April. Of course this enthusiasm has me excited about the possibility of running in the WDW half marathon January 2010.

I haven't been to WDW since 2005 and coming back for that purpose would be amazing!

Success story links would be appreciated!

Ronda

 

[nkkilala]

OK so I have a frustration to post.

I am currently on week 4 and having issues.

I just can't seem to run for the entrie 5 minutes. I always end up stopping on 4 or 4.5 minutes.

My question is should I repreat week 4 (I've done 2 workouts from it the 3rd will be tonight) or should I go onto week 5.

I couldn't find any information related to what you should do if you can't successfully complete a week.

Any info or tips or suggestions would be great!

 

[mrzrich]

Hi guys just starting the program. My dream is to do the 1/2 marathon next January, but I am starting to think that I'll need to settle for the 5K. I am 100 lbs overweight and have never done anything athletic in my life. I am taking it very slow. I did W1D1 and W1D2, and was not able to run the 60 seconds. I plan on just repeating week one until I can.

For those of you using the TM, what speed are you doing your brisk walk at, and what speed are you running at?

 

[Ronda93]

From my one day of experience... the brisk walk/warm up was around 3.5 mph. The running was at 5.5 mph. As I slowed for the recovery periods the walk was 3.7 or 3.8. This was on the fitness center/commercial treadmill.

On my home treadmill the speed readout fluctuates a lot when nothing is changing. I plan to go more with "feel" on that one.

Your stamina should come along quickly. The first walk I took in my neighborhood was 1/2 mile. It was probably a 3 mph pace. I came home with my lungs and legs burning. After a week it was much easier.

When I hit the point that I cannot make it through the running portion I plan to follow the advice on the shampoo bottle: lather, rinse, repeat.

Good Luck,
Ronda

 

[nkkilala]

When I started off (weeks 1 and 2) I walked at 3.5 on the TM. For weeks 3 and 4 I'm walking at 4.0 because 3.5 felt too slow.

I run anywhere between 5 and 5.5

I'm still working on getting the the full 5 minute run! I'll do it tonight without walking!!! (mind over matter)

 

[Ronda93]

Does anyone have motivational podcasts to recommend? Not the interval running podcasts, but ones that you listen to for encouragement? Not Stuart Smalley, but something to break a cycle/pattern of unhealthy behavior.

Thanks for any ideas.
Ronda

 

[corinnak]

Hi guys just starting the program. My dream is to do the 1/2 marathon next January, but I am starting to think that I'll need to settle for the 5K. I am 100 lbs overweight and have never done anything athletic in my life. I am taking it very slow. I did W1D1 and W1D2, and was not able to run the 60 seconds. I plan on just repeating week one until I can.

For those of you using the TM, what speed are you doing your brisk walk at, and what speed are you running at?

I hope I am not intruding. I'm a graduate from 2007 and I completed the WDW 1/2 marathon this past January. It had been my "dream race" for 2 years. In the meantime, I ran many shorter races from 5-15K and really enjoyed gaining that racing experience before the BIG day. Plenty of people have done the half after one year of training, too. 13.1 miles is ambitious, but very doable with adequate preparation.

Regarding the TM, I really feel like TM's are very mysterious. I will tell you what my numbers were and/or are, but it doesn't necessarily translate to your TM or your body or speed running outdoors. When I started, it was all I could do to run at 4.2. Even now, I'm no speed demon, but 4.8 to 5 is a comfortable pace on the TM and I can flat out run at 7+mph. I'm faster outside, for whatever reason.

For the purpose of this program, you do not want to be running flat out - you want to find your happy paces. Walk at a pace that allows you to recover from your run segment. Run at a pace that is challenging but does not leave you collapsing at the end and allows you to finish the segment. You can always increase or decrease during your interval if you don't like your speed.

For someone with extra weight, as I had and still have, it's not going to be realistic to run as fast as someone who is at a healthy weight and is just learning the running. Try not to compare yourself to others - you are doing this for YOU, and what others are doing doesn't really factor.

Repeating the workouts until you can complete them sounds like a great plan. Lots of people repeat a week - sometimes several times before they feel ready to move on. This isn't a race, after all. And you know, for many of us out there on race day, the RACE isn't even a race - it is a celebration of the hours and miles that we have been able to complete.

Way to go, 2009 C25K'ers! Enjoy the program.

 

[mrzrich]

Corinna,

Thank You so much for the encouragement.

 

[Ronda93]

I have tried to download Iestyn Lloyd's podcast - no music, just the intervals. Directly from his site it fails on a bandwidth restriction and from iTunes it simply fails with little explanation. If anyone has it and would share the first couple of weeks with me I would appreciate it.

PM me if you're willing.

Thanks,
Ronda

 

[cwnhokie]

I am going very slowly, but getting it done. In the past when I have tried to start running, even using this program, I've ended up with shine splints and quit. Now I am doing the walking at around 3.5 and the jog at about 4.4 and it doesn't hurt at all, I feel great. So if you have trouble, I would reccommend slowing down, just until you feel stronger. I am only on Week 2.

 

[bellaDisneydncr]

Hi everyone! I just finished my first week of the C25K and I'm loving it! It's gone really well. I don't run on a treadmill so I can't tell you speeds or anything. Good luck to everyone!

 

[Ronda93]

Never able to get the non-music podcasts downloaded, I made some up. All starts are "To infinity and beyond" and all slow downs are Woody's cry of "We did it, we did it!" from the end of Toy Story.

I may lay them over the Millennium music.

I did a couple days last week and got some mechanics/logistics worked out. I'm aligning with the calendar and did W1D1 this morning in my neighborhood. It seemed that I was running faster on the street than I did on the treadmill last week. Does anyone notice if s/he runs faster or slower on one or the other?

It felt great to move. It was cooler than yesterday (70!), but the sun's out, and that counts for a lot.

Ronda