C25K Challenge!

Sorry if this is a duplicate thread, but I've searched the forums and there doesn't seem to be a recent C25K topic.

I'm a religious walker, but have never ever been a runner. I used to work out with my mum (I just turned 20, she's 38, so it's not as weird as it sounds), but she moved away a few months ago and left me to fend for myself. Worse yet... I found out she's started running! Traitor! 

So I'm looking for buddies to help me prolong my rebellious-teenager stage... through running!

I did Run 1 of Week 1 this afternoon and am slightly ashamed to say it was a LOT harder than I expected. I felt like a pile of marshmallows as I stumbled home. But a couple of minutes after stretching I started feeling great! An incredible high in comparison to walking.

I'm going to continue walking in my off days and after browsing through some of the old threads may even try the 100 pushups challenge. My upper body is incredibly neglected.

So come join in! It's worth it, I promise!

More info: http://www.c25k.com

Well no replies yet, but one of the main themes of CC is perseverance, so...

I did the second run of week 1 today and found it exponentially easier. Really! I was a bit skeptical about if I'd be able to handle increasing amounts of running so easily but now I'm definitely thinking that it's possible to reach the 5K in 9 weeks. (I know a lot of other factors come into play, maybe I was just a bit off on Sunday, but I like to think of it this way because it's more motivating :P)

As an added bonus, I feel like I'm finally moving off my 3-week-long plateau!

Come ooonnnn guuuuuuuys. Just give it a try, it's strangely addictive. It was raining today and I couldn't *wait* for it to stop so I could get out there!

I wouldn't mind trying it but my ankle doesn't agree with me! I've been trying to get into running for months now doing my own kind of version of c25k (not following the program exactly but doing walk/run intervals increasing every week). Every time I start getting into it my ankle goes bust on me and it takes weeks, sometimes months to get better. I usually continue working out on the cross trainer etc which doesn't aggravate my ankle until I feel my ankle feels good again and have another shot at it. I started again 3 weeks ago. I had a good first week and then my other ankle started giving me problems. I went back to the cross trainer for a week and my ankle has recovered enough that I had another go at running last night. So far so good. I think half the problem is fitness wise, the improvement in endurance since I last tried running is such that I feel that I could do so much more.....its just my ankle holding me back. Frustrating! I'm going to try really hard to take it slowly and not keep going because I feel fit enough to continue and do more and hopefully this time I won't overdo it and upset my knackered ankle again! I did a total of 5mins actual running last night in my walk/run interval and made myself leave it at that. Going to try and do it again on wednesday and friday if all goes well and if all limbs are still intact next week I'll do 6mins etc etc.

I know what you mean about the 'runners high'.....when I do run it doesn't half feel good!
Good luck on your program :)

Probably seems a bit obvious, but have you tried an ankle brace or something similar? Might help a bit with the impact.

Slowly increasing your running time at your own pace sounds like a really good idea, but I'm a little worried about your other ankle starting to have problems! You need both of your ankles for a really long time... maybe running isn't for you? I've had a minor problem with my right knee for as long as I can remember, and every time it starts playing up even a little I stop walking and instead use the elliptical... I have to push the resistance right up and go at a moderate pace, because going too fast can cause twinges in my knee, even with the low impact. I don't start walking again until I'm absolutely certain that my knee's alright. I'm probably a bit overly cautious, but better safe than sorry right?

If you have access to an elliptical, maybe you could use it to build up your endurance and only do the running once a week, that'll give your ankles a nice long rest without having to give up your runner's high :)

Good luck

I just started running and I want to do a half marathon in September. Even though I love running and I am starting to get used to it since I've been running 4-5 times a week for the last two and a half weeks. But I still feel like I'm not getting anywhere getting better at running. So, I'll give it a shot. I start training for the half marathon June 30th, so this should be perfect to get me ready for the training proccess!

Yay! You're right, the timing is pretty much perfect for your training. I hope I was right about how much easier and more fun it got for me the second time, I'm eagerly awaiting tomorrow to see if it's gotten even better. Hopefully I'll be ready for week 2.

No I haven't tried an ankle brace, I did put a support bandage on when it was quite bad which helped a little.

I don't think my other ankle playing up is too much of an issue to be honest, it felt different to when my usual dodgy ankle plays me up. My right ankle (dodgy one) feels more like its in the joint or something. A few people mentioned it sound a little bit like a stress fracture. I should really have had it x rayed but I'm really bad for not going to the doctor. It feels alot better recently apart from the odd twinge and I'm careful not to aggravate it. My left ankle which was causing me pain last week felt more like I'd pulled a muscle or ligament. I was a little bit sore for a couple of days but I layed off the running and its good as new again (so far).

I do use the cross trainer (elliptical) when I'm not attempting to run and I do get a good workout plus the benefit of not hurting my ankle. I work out 6 times a week, 3 days swimming and 3 days in the gym. I don't absolutely have to run to get a good workout but I would like to if I can get past my ankle issue. If I continue to encounter problems then I might just have to accept that i'm not going to be able to run. I'm quite stubborn so I'll try every angle before I relent and give up!

I've known a couple of friends to have stress fractures, you really should get it looked at! Rather than just being an annoying quirk in your ankle, it could be the result of a slight overbalance in posture, or something. Easier to fix the earlier it's caught.

I did the third run of week 1 today and again found it a lot easier, but I'm thinking of repeating week 1 anyway just to give my knee some extra time to adjust. I'm a little paranoid 

*waves pompoms* You can do it!!! Yes you can!!!! You're gonna run across the land!!! Yay you!

lol. Brought to you by your personal C25k cheerleader.

I am doing the final run of Week 6 tomorrow. I know what you are thinking. Will I be able to do it? Oh yes! After the first week, I was seriously wondering what I had done to myself. I know just how you feel.

Go to my blog at http://discoveringlauren.blogspot.com/ and you'll read week to week sometimes how I was doubting my abilities. But last week I ran almost 2 miles in 20 minutes without stopping. Once you get there, its a feeling like no other! Keep it up and good job!!!

Oooh thanks for introducing me to this challenge! I'm going to start tomorrow and continue every Monday, Wednesday and Friday if it doesn't rain! Though my stamina is really weak, it'll be interesting to see if I can make it till the final week!

Cityonfire - Woohoo, another convert! Don't worry, it really DOES get easier if you keep at it... I'm living proof! On Sunday (I'm running Sun, Tues, Thurs) I was slowing right down during the walking intervals to try to get back enough energy for the next run. But yesterday I was keeping a pretty brisk walking pace and trying to work on improving my running speed! This is coming from someone who hated having to run for the bus a few weeks ago. I'm sure you'll do well and feel GREAT - keep us updated!

Lauren... I can call you Lauren, right?  I visited your blog just to see what I was getting myself into, but I got a bit distracted when I saw that you've lost 41 pounds! What an amazing achievement! You look fabulous, and it sounds like you feel fabulous too. That's so awesome for you, yay!!

I kinda wish I'd started this program a few weeks ago so that I could be up to week 6... just thinking about running 2 miles is getting me hyped up! Haha, I'll get there eventually. But for now I still think I'd benefit from taking it a bit slowly, especially since I have hugely important exams for the next three weeks. I don't want to get over-excited and burn myself out! I think next week I'll invent a workout that's half week 2/half week 1, so that at least I'm still progressing a little. I might keep that sort up of pattern for later weeks as well... as excited as I am, some of the numbers still look a bit daunting.

Keep it up, everyone! 

Hey...sorry. I kinda dropped the ball, there. But I picked it up again and I just completed week 6 of C25K today!

I am really excited about being a runner.

I hope you guys have kept up or restarted like meself

holla

Hey guys!

Hope its not too late to join this forum, I was looking for a C25K thread and couldn't find the old one.  I started the C25K in January and made it to week 7 before I fell off the wagon.  I started at 199lbs and when I quit running was down to 179...it felt GREAT.  Not sure why I stopped, guess I felt so great about what I had accomplished that I figured I could take a break and do it again with no problem.  But, I've found its a lot harder to get back into it.  Last time I ran, I knew what I was capable of and I was improving daily.  Now Im a little leary to try...I know I have lost a lot of ground.  But, Im rapidly gaining weight back and I need to do something.

So, if its not too late, I would love to join you all in re-starting a C25K program.  I'm planning my first run for Monday some time - probably at week 3 or so. 

Question: does anyone here run on a treadmill or are you all outside? I have this silly fear that people are watching me and I get distracted and self conscious.  Anyone else have this problem?

Great to meet you all, Im very excited for us to do this together!

I posted a similar topic not but a few days ago!

I'm actually starting on week 5 tomorrow. I don't feel comfortable running outside yet, so its the good old treadmill for me. I'm right with you, mcfrog. I'm afraid of people watching me/looking silly.

mcfrog - call me daring, but I run outside. I don't have access to a treadmill. Week seven for me starts tomorrow. I don't know if I am ready. I feel like if I can't do it though, I will just do week six over again. I had a hard time with my last run. I don't want to stop. I am going to make it work.

willowanimaeris - congrats on week four! and good luck on week five!

We can be runners, ppl. We just have to commit.

Whew..I just finished Day 1 of Week 5 and let me tell you, it was intense. It certainly wasn't as easy as Day 3 of Week 4. Thanks for the encouragement MadameBones! Let me tell you, if I pushed through today, I'm sure you'll own week 7! Even if you do do-over week 6!

Madambones, good luck on your run this week - I know week 7 is intimidating! Its a big jump because there arent any breaks :S  When I did this program last time, I got to week 6 and chickened out...and repeated the week about 3 times.  When I finally got the nerve to try running for 25 minutes, I was very very proud of how far I had come and you will be too.  I can almost guarantee it will be challenging...but once you do it the frist time...you wont be able to wait to do it again :)  Good luck! Let us know how it goes and dont feel badly if you end up doing week six a second time...its still progress as long as you're out there trying.

Willow, its nice to hear Im not the only one who worries about that.  I know its silly...I mean when I look at people running as I drive by, Im not critisizing them - usually im jealous! Once we build our endurance maybe we'll be confident enough to let people watch us....heh when I can run 5km without stopping, I I plan to show off :P

If anyone is interested, there is workout music available for C25K at http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.s html

Its timed to tell you when to switch to walking/jogging and plays up-beat music to keep you moving :)

mcfrog,

Thanks for the encouragement. I haven't run yet cause I overslept and it is humid as a swamp here! (I live in de South) I'm taking day one of week seven around 7:30-ish (it's five now) However, I did bike almost 7 miles to get some elastic for a fun sewing project.

Hopefully I'll be in shape for an unbroken 25 minute jog! I've done it before, no big, right?

whow did your run go? 

It was AWESOME!!!

Better than drugs.

Not quite as nice a s sex.

In fact...it was a bit like ROCK N' ROLL!

Oow!