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Couch to 5 k?
I am overweight and out of shape. I feel intimidated by this board because it seems that it is full of marathon runners and major atheletes, and not anyone who is like me and just starting out in basic fitness.
I started the Couch to 5 k program, and it's going well. I just finished week one and I found I was able to do it, but looking ahead it looks like by week 3 there is a huge jump in what they expect you to be able to run. I keep telling myself to at least try it when I get there, but I just can't see my 200 pound self being able to run for 20 minutes straight in a few weeks when right now I am burning after 1 minute.
Has anyone done this program and have any encouragement or advice? I have a feeling I will have to repeat some weeks a few times, and that is so discouraging.
Re: Couch to 5 k?
I would say just try your hardest. Do what you can, and push yourself, but don't KILL yourself. Any exercise at all is better than sitting on the couch, and even if you have to run, then walk, then run some more, you are still burning calories, and making your body and heart stronger.
I just started running again in february after a 4 year hiatus, and i progressed after than i thought i would. I just kept pushing myself every day, and soon, the minutes and miles on the treadmill didn't seem so daunting.
Congrats on deciding to make a change in your life, and work on your fitness! And Don't be intimidated, everyone has to start somewhere!!!
I just graduated from C25K on Saturday. When I started week 1, I could barely jog for 60 seconds straight. On Saturday, I ran a 5k in less than 35 minutes. Trust the program; it works. If you need to repeat a week (or two or three) do it, but don't give up. You will get there. I remember being amazed when I ran for 3 minutes, then 5, then 8, then 20 - all in a few short weeks. One thing to remember is to take it slooow. The only reason I could run for 20 minutes straight in week 5 is because I forced myself to keep a nice steady pace.
I lost about 30 lbs before starting C25K, so wasn't overweight when I started, but I was very very out of shape.
Good luck! You can do this. Honestly, when I started C25K, I didn't believe in myself. I thought I would quit. I can't tell you how amazing it feels to have proven myself wrong.
I'm in week 4. It took me since December to get here and I've been on W4 for probably two or three weeks. I've been doing the tough days a few times before I move on to the next. I'm learning a hard lesson in patience and sticking with it.
You can absolutely do this. I'm 227lbs right now and was probably in the 240s when I started.
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You can totally do it! There are plenty of non-super-athletes around here, and I'd say many of us started right where you are at the moment. Don't be intimidated.
2 things about C25k:
1) Go get proper running shoes, from a proper running store
2) Running is not sprinting, it's a mistake that almost all new runners make - running too fast. My husband started running at a 16+ min/mile pace, it felt super slow to him, but you do get faster. Now he runs at a 9 min pace very consistently. So don't worry about speed. Get through the intervals, worry about distance, then increase speed.
I started C25k when I was 220lbs. I went slow. I repeated weeks when I needed to, but I never stopped. I did 3 days every single week.
I started in January and ran my first 5k in April at around 210 lbs. Ran my first 1/2 marathon in October and now I'm training to do my 2nd 1/2 marathon at 16 weeks pregnant (exactly 1 year from my first 5k).
You'll be fine. Don't look ahead. Just take it day by day. If it's too hard, repeat it, but stick with it.
I agree with everyone else, you can totally do this!
I completed the program about 5 years ago now and it totally changed my life. I struggled with it at first because I tried to go too fast, like pp said. Only when I slowed way down was I able to complete the runs and enjoy them.
Don't feel bad if you have to repeat weeks, lots of people do, so you're not alone.
Also, there are some totally amazing athletes on this board, but I know for a fact that many of them didn't start out that way.
Take it slow and build yourself up, you'll get there.
I'm over 200 lbs and I'm on week 8. You can do this!
I repeated week 4 because I didn't get all the runs in that week and I didn't want to advance if I wasn't ready (ready to me meant I made it through each week's program). Repeating for me was the best decision I made, becasue when I advanced to week 5 I had no issues. Don't let repeating discourage you if you have to do it.
Also, I've come to figure out that while there is the physical training aspect, a big part of it is mental. I've had to continually encourage myself mentally that I can do this and to keep pushing. I mean this in the nicest way possible, you need to change your frame of thinking (i.e. stop thinking you can't see yourself running 20 minutes, you'll have to repeat, etc.)
Stick around here for advice and encouragement. You can do this!
Adventures in My Kitchen
You can totally do this! I started the program in February of last year and by April ran my first 5K ever in under 35 minutes. Not super speedy or anything but I ran the whole thing, I couldn't have been more proud of myself. By last summer I was up to running 5mi, but then a non-running related back injury put me on the sidelines. I picked up running again just last month and did a modified C25K program to get back into it. I ended up running my first 5K of the year last weekend and did it in just under 33 minutes. Trust the program, it works!
When I started the program, I was a total non-runner. Hated it! Hated running my whole life, but wanted to try something different for once. Now? I actually enjoy running. I know that I'll never be super speedy, but I get out there and challenge myself each and every week.
Kelly Monaghan's 5K - 5/15/11 - 3rd Place in AG
Walk the Talk 5K - 5/18/11 - 31:12 PR
Ridley Run 3.1 - 4/14/12 - 1st race of the year, 32:45
I'm in my 4th week and still stuck at week 1. Plus I'm overweight, old, and things hurt! I say just keep on trying and trying and trying. So what if you have to do week 1 over and over and over again? You are out there trying to improve yourself, not sitting on the couch! I'm sure at some point I'll be able to add in more running and less walking and so will you. I'm thinking of entering a few fun 5k races with a friend. I'll probably end up walking most of the time but who cares. The thought of getting a race t-shirt and maybe a medal makes me excited. I don't care about winning but I'm pretty sure I won't be in last place. So I say just try, have some fun, and laugh at yourself along the way.
Also, kudos to you for trying to run! I was over 200 pounds a couple of years ago and probably in the morbidly obese category. The thought of just walking a 5k would not have even crossed my mind back then. Heck, I've lost 50 pounds and I still think I'm a little nuts for trying!
I was 255 lbs when I did C25K last year, I am 235ish lbs now and since then I did 2 5K's, a 5 mile race, and I have my 1st half marathon next weekend. I am not a fast runner, but I can tell you that I started out at a 4.0 on my treadmill during C25K and now I can run at a 5.0-5.5 for at least 2 miles.
You can do this!
I haven't done C25K, but I have gone from completely out of shape and 227 lbs, to training for a half marathon and 168 lbs. And even when I was starting this all, out of shape and obese, I was hanging around here. I didn't necessarily post much (still don't), but I hung around. There is so much to be learned, and there actually are people of all different levels, abilities, interests, backgrounds etc.
I started out alternating running as much as I could with walking. At first, I could literally only run (jog) for 20 seconds before I felt like dying. I just kept at it, and eventually got myself to the point where I could run 5k. I did a couple of 5k races, a 7k this spring, and now I am training for a half marathon in June (and another in September). My long run is currently at 6.2 miles (10k), but it increases a mile a week for the next several weeks until I taper before the half marathon.
Trust me, if I can do it, ANYONE can do it. I failed gym class in 8th grade because I dreaded it so much I would skip all the time. No show = no credit. So yeah, it was that bad. And now I am a "runner"! It's kind of a miracle.
You will do great - just don't give up!! Even on the hard days...never give up!
First, there are a lot of athletes and long-distance runners on this board, but there's also a lot of others who are beginners and working on weight loss.
Couch to 5k can seem daunting if you look ahead. Even the weeks where I started to have to run 20, 22, etc minutes all at once, I felt overwhelmed, BUT I did it. And once you are able to run those 20 minutes, 22 minutes, etc., you will feel so amazing! I started the program when I was about 230/235lbs, so us "bigger" girls can definitely do it! I just ran my first 5k last weekend and it was awesome
Thanks for all the encouragement! I can't believe how many bigger girls are on this board, and how many beginners too! I've lurked for a while and just felt like everyone here was a size 2 who ran a marathon in spandex before breakfast every morning, haha.
For those of you who have lost a lot of weight - good job! I hope to be there too one day!
Southeastern Cycling
My Nest Bio and Cycling Advice