recovery is going well, I think :iol: I don't feel a lot of pain or discomfort but mostly I just want to be active, which is amazing considering I haven't been doing this a whole year even. I went and got some shoes today for the next several weeks and the shop assistant was surprised at how well I was doing since the operation was only Friday

I had Morton's Neuroma and had the "neuroma" removed.

Hi Windchime,

when my husband and I started C25K, we couldn't even make it through the 60 second intravals of week 1. Neither one of us had run in over 10 years so we were comfortable with repeating week 1 until we could complete it. We are just know finishing week 2 but when we were able to move in it was a huge NSV. We realized that if we moved on before we were able to comfortably complete a week, that we could be setting ourselves up for a big failure later. Good luck!

Hi, C25K-ers!

I found out about C25K from this board, months ago. I set a goal to start doing it in the fall - I am amazed at how out of shape I have become recently and this seemed like the kick in the pants I needed.

SO - I started about 2 1/2 weeks ago, using a treadmill to start so I can keep track of everything. It truly is a great feeling to be doing it!!

I recently read through *all* of the posts in this thread. I found out that I was running waaaaay to fast to sustain at my fitness level. As someone else said here, I was sprinting! For the first week, my runs were at 6 mph (10 minute miles!) But 60 sec at a time is pretty much the maximum I could do at that speed.

Week 2, runs were at 5.5 mph. Again, pretty much at my limit for 90 sec.

Week 3, I'm comfortable at 5 mph for the 3-minute runs.

Who knows how slow I'm going to have to go to get through 5, 8, 20 etc minutes.... but it was such good information that slower is better to build endurance, then work on speed later.

The other thing I found useful is noting that Couch-to-5K is kinda misleading. Unless you end up being able to run those 10-minute miles, you aren't going to be running 5K in 30 min at the end of the 9-week program. That is my ultimate goal, but really I just want to be able to get out and keep moving for 30 min at a time.

For a late 30s chickie who NEVER been a runner, this is a truly empowering program! It gave me some much-needed structure and a PLAN

Thanks for all the info so far. Hope to stay in touch with everyone else who's doing this. Any Week 3-ers out there?

Hey you guys!
Everyone having a good weekend? I had a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad food day yesterday with an impromptu bonfire. But I did do my W1D3 so I guess I am onto W2D1 on Monday! It is going to be difficult for me!

EmmaD - So glad someone else is new!

PinkyPie - Hope your recovery is going smooooothly still!

I am feeling hung-over after too much wine last night. Plus I made the mistake of doing a Body Pump class yesterday and it hurts to even move (mostly upper body pain, thankfully). I am dragging and I can't imagine that I have to go and run *5 minutes* straight soon...

I just have to make myself do it slow and steady.

It's so great to hear other peoples' experiences here - it's totally what has given me the incentive to do this!

ETA: I did it!! W4D1. The last 5-minute run was bordering on brutal but I kept my eye on the timer and made it through. It was a big jump from 9 minutes of running (total) last week to 16 minutes this week. I stuck with 5 mph for the runs.

I cannot believe that this is working. I have always wanted to be a runner but never made it - maybe this is going to be what it takes! yay, yay, yay

@Emma D:

I'm about to redo a couple of days of Wk 4 starting 2moro bcos I dropped out of c25k for the past week or 2. I remember the last 5 minute run of W4D1 WAS brutal... not really because I was sooooo out-of-breath, but more because my body just felt exhausted like it couldn't do anymore... but it's amazing what our bodies can do!!! I'm hoping I won't find Wk. 4 too terrible having not exercised for a bit... <fingers crossed>

Good luck!

Wow I can't even think about Wk 4 yet. I am still on Wk 1, although this is my second week on Wk 1. I didn't feel like I was ready to move on to Wk 2 just yet. I agree though, this program is very empowering. I hadn't exercised in so long before I started this so I was surprised I was able to make it through all the 60 sec runs without stopping. Good luck! You Wk 4 ladies will be my inspiration!

Did Week 4, Day 2 yesterday and it wasn't any better than Day 1. I *did* it, but just barely.... I was off schedule, having to run earlier because of a dinner party later, and I probably didn't eat enough before running ... who knows. Hoping Day 3 will go better.

So - I am thinking ahead to NEXT week when I will be away from home for the whole week. I will be at my sister's house (she has a treadmill) and grandma's house, and I am trying to schedule my runs when I am at the house with the treadmill. Don't think I'm ready for the "real world" yet so I don't want to be negotiating grandma's town with whatever late November weather.

Not sure yet if I am going to repeat Week 4 or try to move on.

The only reason I am pushing myself to stay on schedule is that I waited till the last possible week to start that would finish by the end of the year! I didn't reach my other end-of-year goals (weight, waist size), so this is the only one left that's attainable - lame, I know

W4D3 completed!

Funny thing is, I started out on W5D3 (I use an iPod, which has audio and visual cues) .... after the warm-up, when it said "start running now" I glanced at the screen and it was 20 MINUTES!!! It was horrifying! I can't imagine I am going to be trying to do that in another week...

Anyway, did my 3-5-3-5-minute runs. Overall, it didn't feel much better than the previous days, in fact, it started out feeling worse. But I suppose the last 5-minute run was a tiny bit easier to complete.

Much of the advice from earlier in this thread was running through my head - listen to your body, don't let your mind talk you out of it, believe that "I am a runner." It all helps.

BTW, this thread is appropriately titled - I'm not sure if I am going to move on next week or not. Week 4.5 is starting to seem like a good idea.

I'm amazed that you were out shopping for shoes so quickly after your surgery! My sister had the same surgery recently and had to take 2 weeks off work completely, with another week of working part-days at home for the 3rd week. Thankfully, she's fully recovered except for a toe that's kind of numb!

@ EmmaD
I'm on W4D2 for the second week and it's still hard, although to be fair, I upped my speed. I feel like I could probably do 8 minutes (on W5D2), even possibly 10 minutes if i really push myself... however the idea of 20 minutes in the next week, seems laughable right now... we'll see though... I'm going to bite the bullet and start W5 probably Thursday...
I'm glad there's someone else here who's at the same place in the program that I am...

Toastedsmoke: I thought that 20 minutes sounded laughable when I was facing it, too. (I probably would still have trouble with it today, to be honest). But I made it through. I was doing my running on the high-school track at the time and I just went really, really slow and somehow made it!

I re-joined the gym the other day because it's just getting too cold here to be able to breathe outside (while running)with my asthma. So the day I joined, I did my running on a treadmill and I found it kind of difficult. There is no way to just intuitively slow down for a few moments without adjusting the treadmill and it seems like a lot of concentration is needed for that. So I've got a little adjusting to do before I will be able to run for a decent amount of time on the treadmill.

Running outside seems better for me, just because there is the feeling of accomplishment of actually GOING someplace as I am running, LOL, instead of staring at the TV in the gym and trying to keep my mind off the ticking clock.

@Windchime,

Thanks for the encouragement! Its good to hear that it's not just me that feels like this at this point. I was considering doing Wk 4 for a 3rd time just because the way I feel by the 2nd 5 minute run, its like I would never be able to do 20mins, but if everyone feels like you said, maybe I'll move on to Wk 5 and just give it a go... I can always repeat W5D2 a few times. Did you finish the program yet?

I agree the treadmill is getting painfully boring; I try to schedule my gym time with when my favourite shows are on so that I'm not feeling every second as it passes...

Ok so tomorrow is my first attempt at W5D3 for me with that 20 minute run. <cue music: dun dun duuun>... I don't see how I'm going to do it and was thinking of repeating W5D2 a few times but I'm like you know what? I'm going to give it a go... I mean its not like my legs are glued in a running motion, I can always stop and walk a little worst case. I think I'm just going to jog as slowly as possible... slow enough that its basically a "boosted walk" in the words of (the amazing) Leslie Sansone.

Hello runners!

I am on my 4th week of running. Surprisingly enough, I wasn't aware of the C25K when I started, I just ran until I needed to walk, and did that for about 20 minutes. Interval training, so to speak.

So, while I'm not quite doing the W4 stuff, I find I am about at the same pace as week 4 says to be. Today, I ran for .5 miles, three times. Took me about 6 minutes each time. (I have the treadmill set to a 12 minute mile, slow pace but I can run it)

I find, that if I set the treadmill to level 1 incline, it's actually easier on my shins. I can't listen to music, or watch TV, I'm still trying to concentrate on RUNNING at this point. Getting my breathing and stride all in synch.

And, seeings as I'm 43, and the mother of 5, I'm quite proud of myself, and ALL of you, for attempting this!!