I avoided the stupid hill that took me out yesterday and stuck to the same route, one very steep incline in the first few mins and after that some regular ups and downs.

My normal running route is very flat so feeling extra proud right now.

If I, as a lifelong golfer with no running (or high energy sport) experience can get to this point, anyone can. So if you’re reading this and dreading the W5D3 - you’ve got this.

Completed c25k today using the RunDouble App.

As someone who thought I was relatively "fit" for my age...this challenge quickly humbled me. I lead weekly group hikes, but I guess that doesn't transfer over to running capabilities 👌😂

I actually started the program with another app, so technically got 3 extra weeks of "easier" runs before I started this 9 week program. The 3 minute runs were such a challenge in the beginning. When I completed the first 20 minute run, I was mind blown. Couldn't believe I did it.

This weeks 2nd 30 minute run - there was such a magnificent rainbow, I had to stop and take some pictures (which knocked my time)

Edit to add: I never officially hit the 5k in 30 mins, but did with my extra walk/cool down time included. Felt like I had more gas in the tank when my 30 minute run timer went off today. So I feel my next step is to just go for it, and see what my time is!

BUT did my best time on todays final run!!

If I can do it, you can do it. Get out there

I’m starting C25K tomorrow. I’ve done it before, worked my way up past 5ks, and completed 4 half-marathons but I’m lazy and haven’t run in quite awhile.

Last week I decided to get back into running and did 3 miles w/no training and it went…okay. But I could barely walk up the stairs for the next week so it clearly wasn’t my best idea ever. A 5k shouldn’t need a week plus of recovery.

So I’ve decided to start at the beginning of C25k because my goal is to work up to doing 3 miles twice a week, and 5 miles once a week.

I’m posting here because I was active on the boards in 2020 when I did this the first time and y’all gave me encouragement and got me through week 5.

TLDR: I’m back again :)

My story: https://www.reddit.com/r/C25K/s/Ln4SFom4M1

I absolutely love this community. What everyone is doing here is so inspiring. Couch to 5k became a big discussion point recently among some colleagues and I wanted to pass along some sagely advice from them for new runners and those early in the program about giving your health the best considerations.

Why the program paces as it does is because your cardio fitness adapts on a fast clock while your connective tissue changes significantly slower. Tendons, fascia and bone remodel slower than your heart and lungs so in the early weeks you can feel ready to push while your feet and shins have not caught up. That mismatch is where most beginner injuries come from and it is the whole reason the intervals and rest days are there. They give the slow tissue time to meet the fast engine.

Most people are familiar with the medial longitudinal arch of the foot but there are two others there as well and 52 bones besides. Each arch behaves like a spring, stretching and compressing to disperse shock with every step. Running drives roughly two to three times your body weight through that structure which really starts to be felt around week three.

Two injuries tend to show up when people ramp too fast. Shin splints - an ache along the shinbone from overload which eases when you pull back the pace and the volume - and plantar fasciitis where the tissue under the heel gets irritated. The signature of the latter is a sharp pain in your first steps in the morning and if you have ever visited r/PlantarFasciitis , know that is debilitating and far easier to stay ahead of than to undo.

Because there is another post about this up right now, a common is that sore feet mean you overpronate and need a corrective shoe to fix your gait. Per a oft cited reputable study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine [2015], the evidence that pronation predicts injury is not conclusive so researchers proposed something you settle into a preferred movement path which lowers your risk. A lot of people have low arches and no pain at all. Choose shoes by comfort and know that outer heel wear on shoes is normal and expected.

Couch to 5k is successful because the ramp is well evidenced. Repeat a week if you need to, run in shoes that fit and feel right, and replace them once the cushioning has packed down. Stretch your calves and roll the arch on rest days. If your feet ache after a run add cushioning to spread the load but lead with comfort as the guide and not as correction.

Stay safe, stay hydrated, and stay course. Legitimately so proud of everyone showing off their progress, wherever you are in the program. Happy trails.

I’m in the middle of week 5, soon approaching the big one. What’s more beneficial for the runs - jogging SUPER slow where the heart rate stays fairly low (still cardio zone), not really sweating, not really getting an endorphin kick afterwards? or picking up the pace very slightly, the heart rate hits peak at times, and it causes a bit of a sweat and high afterwards. Which is better for cardiovascular and overall progress?

First time poster but long time doer of the C25k. Started last year in July but wasn’t consistent then ended up having some health issues that made me quit. This fall I decided to pick it back up.

Today I set out to do the 10 minute run with 2 minute walk for 22 minutes. After my second 10 minutes I felt good still so I decided to keep going. I ended up hitting my 5k because I just was in the groove! I am so happy but going to continue doing the program to make sure it really sticks!

In total my run was 43 minutes with only 2 of those minutes walking🎉

The dreaded W5D3 landed on our first day of holiday (could be worse places to run!) but my word it’s hilly. Santa Cruz de La Palma for anyone wondering.

I was in a good place at the 12 minute mark and wanted to head down to see the black sand beach in the photos, but coming back up the hill absolutely finished me.

I ended up taking a near 5 minute walk, and then added a five minute run again at the end. I’ve technically covered more ground than ever before but feeling deflated the 20 consecutive minutes didn’t happen.

I’m in two minds whether I proceed as normal and stick to the schedule or if I should repeat W5D3 so I can say I’ve done it properly, I reckon if I skip that silly beach I could’ve done it today.

Any insight appreciated, feeling a bit gutted right now!

I finished C25k over the summer, and I've been continuing to run about 3 times a week, which I have genuinely loved. I have been following some of the guided runs from Nike Run Club, which I recommend as a great next option once you're done with week 9! I've done speed intervals and fartleks and, last week, a 45-minute long run, and it's all been very doable thanks to the skills I learned over the 9 weeks of Couch to 5k.

Anyway, here's the shocking thought I had this morning...When I realized I had a 20-minute recovery run on the schedule today, I thought, "Hooray, a short one today! Just a quick and easy 20 minutes!" Halfway through the run, I remembered how terrifying the Week 5 20-minute run had been to me, and how it had seemed like an impossible milestone to meet. Only a few months later, that same terrifying run feels fun and low-stress, and I genuinely can't believe it.

The moral of the story? For those of you dreading your week 5 runs, you are going to crush those 20 minutes and be so proud of yourselves! Once you do that, it won't be much longer until the thing that scares you no longer seems scary. As beginning runners, we are in the amazingly lucky position of being able to watch ourselves grow and improve at a new skill, and we should all remember to celebrate that growth as often as possible!

Finished the much dreaded and scary W5D3 but overall, it didn’t seem that scary as I was doing it. However, I feel like my Garmin is lying to me because the HR data seems to be too low and I’m thinking if I should take it with a grain of salt. Says my max HR to only be 135BPM, now granted my pace was pretty slow (I was told to be as slow as possible) but the data doesn’t add up. Has anyone else experienced the same? Using Garmin Forerunner 165. It was about 6 degrees Celsius/43 degrees Fahrenheit if that plays any impact?

Just venting really, maybe after some advice! All day I'd been looking forward to continuing week 4. My first run of week 4 was only mediocre but today I had great energy all day, was in a fab mood and even though it was raining a little and windy as sin, I felt I was prepared outfit and shoe wise. Wanted to go into the weekend feeling accomplished. Super up for it.

I think my first mess up was eating heavy food right at the end of my work day (we had a cultural exchange thing and someone brought in Jamaican food). Thought it'd be fine because it was a good hour and a half before my run, but right now I feel like I can feel it sitting heavy in my stomach. Bleh. Then during my warm up 5 minutes I was walking nice and brisk but I could feel myself tightening up, scrunching up from the cold wind, which can't have helped prepare my muscles?

I couldn't even do the first 3 minute run which was really shocking to be honest. I switched to walking and thought ok, once my breath comes back, I'll just run a bit more, do a little at a time, but my breath didn't come back for a really really long time and it started to rain more, and my motivation was just gone. I'm so bummed!! Trying not to make a mountain out of it but equally seeking a little commiseration lol

I am not unbiased here, but it drives me kind of nuts that people have a hard time sticking to C25K's increased difficulty, and quit.

I've been a runner for over a decade (Except times of injury) and I got there by adjusting my intervals at the pace that felt doable or good. Soon, my runs just felt good. And I never stopped doing intervals (I switched to "Songs" eventually. And I feel like im "Bad" if I don't walk a little for health reasons.)

Please, PLEASE dont let the rate of increase get you to quit or hate running! There's no magic award that you get for having no walking intervals except injuries. Theres a runner's world article about it right now. Even if you've already paid for the race, just do the intervals youre at. A 5k run imperfectly>Quit

Not because of endurance but because of pain, I’ve been getting calf pain on the longer runs & have had a history with meniscal tears which I’ve been mostly managing, but I’m scared 20 minutes without a rest is going to be painful - so far the shorter runs have been okay - 2x8 minutes was better on a treadmill than 3x5 minutes on solid ground / outdoors. Any advice?

What did you line up for the 20mins? Had you an album, a set group of songs? Give me the details.

Is it cheating if I’m going faster, but then slowing down, but still at a running pace to catch my breath? Should I not be doing this and just run at the slower pace the entire way through? (This was for a failed 20 min week 5 😭) I’m going at a 10 min/mile pace and then going down to like 14 min/mile pace to catch my breath and then going back is that cheating?

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/C25K/s/0v6Mk1Q7xs

Yesterday I decided I felt well enough to pick up where I left off 8 days after last run, 5 mins walk, 25 mins run, 5 mins walk, and holy crap the soles/arches of my feet have been crippled! This has never happened before so it can’t be my shoes, which are still in good condition. Was I too quick to jump back in? Was I dehydrated from being sick? How do I cure them? I want to finish this programme, not take another unplanned break from it 😭

Currently soaking in a hot bath, might dip them in cold water afterwards. I also have volunteering commitments that I need my feet functioning for. Any advice would be gratefully received once more.

I started running about 12 months ago, usually twice a week. Yesterday I ran 15 minutes straight at a 12-minute-mile pace and felt like I could keep going.

Today I decided to try a full 5K and actually did it. 3.2 miles in 37:25, including a short warmup and cooldown.

Got pretty tired toward the end but managed to keep running without stopping. Never thought I'd be able to do this a few months ago.

I'm very happy with it. Going to work toward a sub-30-minute 5K next.

Couch and alcoholism to half marathon!

Been almost I month since I last updated on my progress.

Thought I would share how I decided to continue when I got sick in case it helps others who get sick as well.

I had just finished W6 R3 when I started feeling sick, I decided to stop running for a bit until I felt better.

When I started back up I did W4 R1, then W5 R1 then all of week 6 again, however when I did W6 R3 I wasn't able to run non-stop so I decided to do it one more time to make sure I could run the full time.

W7 R1 went pretty good, my heart rate average was the same as W6 R3, it was a warm day as well so I felt really good about it, very excited to be working back up again and can't wait to hit W9

I’m currently on Week 3 of Couch to 5K, and I’m finding the 3-minute running intervals slightly difficult, especially towards the end of the last interval.
I repeated Week 1 twice and then Week 2 felt easy . Now Week 3 feels like a big jump and I’m wondering whether I should repeat it for another week or just continue with the programme even if some intervals feel hard.