For the last few weeks I have been attempting to go to the gym regularly (3 time per week, currently) and work out. In the past I have generally focused on non-weight bearing cardio activities because of knee and foot issues, but as I lose weight one of my goals is to transition into more regular exercises... like running!
It seems like so many people have had good luck getting into running by following the C25K program, so I thought I would give it a try. However, my first attempt at week 1 day 1, I was jogging very slowly for the first 2 60-second intervals, and barely managed to finish a third... I ended up spending a total of about 13 minutes on the treadmill, with only 3 of those spent jogging. My second attempt was nearly identical, and with a LOT of effort today (3rd day), I was able to push myself into completing 4 60-second jogging intervals... Total time on the treadmill still around 13 minutes though, and I'm going fairly slowly; about 3.2 mph for the walking portion, 3.5 - 3.8 mph for the jogging portion.
I've been stopping at that point due to a combination of feeling extremely over exerted / out of breath and mild leg fatigue. In general, I don't think my endurance is terrible for someone at my (low!) fitness level; I can walk ~3.5 mph for an hour or so without feeling terribly exerted, and I can use my favorite seated elliptical machine for 35 minutes at a decent intensity without feeling any of the same "omg I'm going to die" sort of effects.
I can think of a lot of different things to try to help get me from my current level to being able to complete week 1, but I am uncertain which to try. What strategies has anyone else used to get over similar issues and successfully begin the C25K program? Perusing through some of the already existing threads, it seems like some people might use elliptical machines for the same sort of training. Has anyone had success doing that and transitioning to full-impact running? I'm looking forward to a lot of good suggestions.