Go slow, listen to your body, and you'll be amazed at how quickly you can transform your body when you run. I listen to Podrunner and Groove Electric podcasts to keep me going. And you can make your own interval music mixes using your own music and iTunes - let me know if you want the details.
Chris from Little Black Dress Fitness Tips
I have been debating starting this, and think I may need to just do it. So Evie - I'll keep track of you and you can keep track of me when I start!
Anybody know where I can get (or how I can get) just a voice over that I can play along with my own music? I don't like any of the podcasts I can find. Or if anyone know where I can get like a 80's podcast - that would rock too
I haven't started c25k but I was playing around with the music over the weekend. I was reading a blog that was talking about this and got some helpful information from there.
I ended up using audacity since it was already installed on my computer anyway and one link mentioned in the link above http://www.creativexposurephoto.com/running/ dealt specifically with setting up intervals in audacity.
For voiceovers, I used at&t's text to speech demo page at http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php to create the countdowns (a period = pause so I used 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. instead of just entering the numbers so the computer voice wouldnt rattle them off too quickly). The site let me save them as .wav files that I added to the music with audacity.
It took a while to put all that together (especially cause I changed songs with each interval) but having the built in intervals with my workout music is nice. I can even use them on the machines at the gym.
I also noticed in the apple store that there seem to be apps for c25k where it sounds like you can add your own music. Though I have a nano so couldn't try them to see how well they work!
Somni - Thanks for the info. As for the podcasts, I have 2 nanos adn a shuffle so no apps for me. Haha, maybe if I combine all of them I'll get to something I can use the app with!
Did W1D1 today. Found out what shin splints feel like. Haha, they are not cool.
This is what I learned! I am still working on the running thing, but I can jog even if it is slow. If I go faster I get too out of breath and can't go far...so now I am just trying to jog at a slow pace, walk then slow pace jog again. I get so much farther and feel more confident about that than trying to run a marathon right away!
Thanks for confirming this!
thats awesome!!! i totally agree, and i agree its comforting to know this!!!
i downloaded the free podcast by this guy called Robert. i'm looking forward to checking it out, and i dont mind the music too much. i just needed something to tell me to walk and then run. as looking at my watch i find really distracting and cumbersome!
Quote:
Originally Posted by marbear24
Somni - Thanks for the info. As for the podcasts, I have 2 nanos adn a shuffle so no apps for me. Haha, maybe if I combine all of them I'll get to something I can use the app with!
Did W1D1 today. Found out what shin splints feel like. Haha, they are not cool.
awesome well done on doing week 1 day 1! i'm planning on doing it tommorow
and i know shin splits are a killer!!
i hope i do okay tommorow. but like the great advice given, gonna go slowly at my own pace.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Onederchic
Thanks Echo
you're welcome !
***************** EDIT
Well I am just about to go out and go for my first couch to 5k programe.
i am abit nervous hehe, hope i do okay!
thanks again Evie for starting this thread ! :-)
*********EDIT******* I did it! i did week 1 day 1 !! it was great! a little hard at the end, but i pushed through it.
I am probably the biggest fat chick in this thread. I went to the running store and got fitted with the Brooks Beast for men. Which fit and feel incredible. I can run now without knee pain. I am alternating half hour run/walk intervals with longer walking sessions the next day. When I started I could barely pick up my feet and just shuffled for a few seconds. Now I am up to 5 intervals, adding up to 11 min of running out of 30. It is really really hard. It is still quite hot and very humid here, even in the mornings. I keep fast stuff on my 'pod. One thing I found that helps me keep going, is I repeat to myself " I am a runner". I found that wearing real workout gear helps too. I feel more serious. I got a very basic spports watch with a stopwatch so I can start it when I start running, and stop it when I stop. I am still not picking up my feet too much, feel like I need to learn form better, but I am getting out there and enthusiastic.
I am probably the biggest fat chick in this thread. I went to the running store and got fitted with the Brooks Beast for men. Which fit and feel incredible. I can run now without knee pain. I am alternating half hour run/walk intervals with longer walking sessions the next day. When I started I could barely pick up my feet and just shuffled for a few seconds. Now I am up to 5 intervals, adding up to 11 min of running out of 30. It is really really hard..
It does get easier... keep in mind the more you lose the easier it will get at your weight it might be hard to increase the intervals much at first. I think I was 230 when I started last year (and 240 when I restarted this summer) even though like you I was over 300 at one time... keep at it you'll get there. I never ran in my life before... and I just did 6 miles this afternoon and I'm doing a 15k race in Nov. Let me tell you all the hard work is SO worth it in the end. It's very freeing.
Reenester, you are SO correct--wearing real "workout gear" really does make a difference. I bought some of those spandexy running capris and when I put them on for the first time, I felt so silly; like I was an imposter or something. But now? I feel like a RUNNER. I've also started wearing a Champion stretchy (but tight) bra OVER my normal athletic bra because I'm kind of chesty and that makes a big difference; I don't have to worry about the girls flopping around when I'm jogging down the street.
And Idealmuse is right--it gets easier as the pounds drop off. I just checked--I was 222 pounds when I started running in May. I'm now around 198 and running is a LOT easier, only 25 pounds down. So keep on running!
Reenester, you are SO correct--wearing real "workout gear" really does make a difference. I bought some of those spandexy running capris and when I put them on for the first time, I felt so silly; like I was an imposter or something. !
I second the vote for running capris especially for those who have lost a lot of weight. I love my Danskin ones! It holds in any loose skin issues you have and keeps down the jiggle overall. You want something with slight to moderate compression. I still can't run in Tri/bike shorts in public.
Also cotton shirts are pretty blah if your sweating a lot. They get heavy and wet and can cause chafing issues because of that. Need something more breathable that wicks moisture.
If your start increasing your mileage and have blister issues also think about running socks. Same thing goes... cotton = bad in most cases.
If your start increasing your mileage and have blister issues also think about running socks. Same thing goes... cotton = bad in most cases.
I've got the wicking tops to wear but still haven't made myself spring for the fancy socks. I'm not running too far yet (less than 2 miles normally) but my cotton socks seem fine right now. I wish the running socks weren't so expensive! I am terrible at keeping sock mates together and I worry that I would wear them once and then the mates would forever be separated. I've been lucky so far,no blisters.
This a.m. ran for 13 min out of 31
Feeling more optimistic. I love hearing from other women who have been doing the same thing I have been doing. I don't know many people my size, when I tell most (not many) people that I am running, they are horrified, and think that I will die of a heart attack or destroy my knees. I have done a lot of research, and read everything I could get my hands on ( I work in a library) and know to take it slow and listen to my body. The fact that I am making some progress cheers me up, and makes me want to do more. I love hearing other people's stories about how they began and what they do now.
I am another C25K lover! I can't say enough good things about it. I think I was still close to 250 when I started (give or take a few) and the first 60 second intervals were HARD. Now, I can run 3 miles without stopping! I run S L O W L Y but...I'm running and that still amazes me!
I used some of the free podcasts for a while but missed having my own music so I bought the $2.99 itunes C25K app for my ipod touch and loved it!
For those of you on the fence about starting, I say Go For It! If I can do it, anyone can!
For those of you just getting started...Bravo!! And keep this thread alive! I subbed to another C25K thread here and it was part of the reason I kept going, I think. When that voice in my head was telling me it was okay to just stop running...that I couldn't do it anymore....I thought about how great it would be to come here and post my progress and I would keep running!
it was great! a little hard at the end, but i pushed through it.
