I started the C25K program about three weeks ago. I ran into your usual problems....

~~I am obese, and running is not a 'natural' thing for me.

~~I hurt my knee and hip by not getting good shoes. (corrected)

~~Ran into stamina problems from not being properly hydrated.

I worked through Week One. Enter Week Two. NO GO. I can not finish the 90 second intervals. I back track and decided to do some WEEK 1 and Week 2 combinations... after all I AM running --just not progressing.

I have now built WEEK 2 into such a ferocious week in my head I am scared to try it and fail again.

I don't know what I need... positive self talk? A butt kicking? A new attitude?

But something shuts down in my head as soon as I even think about going for more than 60 seconds at a time.


Anyone have some sage advice for a newbie runner? I REALLY want to do this. But I am scared.

Why be nervous? You have nothing to lose, only fitness to gain. No one is judging you, there's no penalty for going slow. Do week 1 for a couple weeks. Then do week 2. Take it slow, listen to your own body. You can do this. Don't be afraid. You've already made the difficult step of buying good shoes and deciding to run.

It helps me to find some good tunes. Maybe you'll distract yourself to run longer than 60 seconds by getting into the song? You can do this.

I totally agree with RC. The C25k IMO does too much too fast. I did week one and then 2 was tough and 3 was like NO WAY.

I finally just started doing my own intervals. I'd warm up a few minutes, then go fast as I could, then go back down til I felt ready to do it again. It's slow improvement but it's there

Here's my take. I think you need to build your endurance first by cross training. That means doing some cardio that you can handle at your own pace. That may be a brisk walk of increasing distance, Spin cycle classes, biking outdoors, elliptical machine, etc. Once your endurance builds for those types of exercises then try intervals like the above suggestions.

I tried C25K. I had a good cardio base to start with so I began with week 4. Week 4 went fine but I hit a block with week 5 when they throw in a 20 minute run. I found I had been trying to run too fast. I slowed my pace and found I could run a full 5K without even completing the 5K program. Now I'm working on speed.

I really like intervals. I can run for a full hour by breaking it up this way: Run 8:00 walk 2:00 minutes. I know my 2:00 minute break is coming and it keeps me going. I also find that breaking it up this way keeps me more interested. The time goes by much faster.

I'm also taking multiple weeks to get through each "week" of C25K, because my knees....well, they're crap. I started back in March, I think, and I'm on week 5 now. But I can run so much longer (and easier!) than when I first started. And I definitely recommend listening to a C25K music podcast for motivation. I use the ones called podrunner intervals at http://www.djsteveboy.com/intervals.html

It's great that you WANT to do it, so you're 95% of the way there already.
However........ it takes ages to be 'a runner' and the more impatient you are the more likely to get injured you are.

I'd say look at the program (disclaimer - i've not actually seen it) and for the moment do the same amount of running it says - but don't do it all in one hit, do it in your own time. If it says 90 secs intervals then do whatever interval you can, then walk for a bit, then do a bit more, then walk a bit, and by the end of the session do the amount of running it says, but you're doing a lot more intervals than the program says. And try to increase the interval time NEXT WEEK, not next session, perhaps by 10%.

So if you can run for 30 seconds now you'll do 3 more intervals than the program says. Next week try to run for 35 seconds........ etc. You just need to modify the program so you're taking small steps of improvement

The longer you take the 'safer'. You've got the rest of your life, and running is great, i love it. But if you try to progress too quickly you'll hate it and get injured....

Also make a note of how many seconds you can run now, so that you can look back and see how you're progressing.

Thanks for all the advice everyone!

I am about to head out for my morning exercise and thought I would check the thread to see if anyone replied...

I will absolutely try all of your suggestions. I have not been crosstraining in between cardio sessions. I bet that would really help. After all a 3 mile 'speed' walk isn't your typical stroll! And I have been wanting to add in some strength training. I guess the time to start that is now.

I won't be ashamed to be creeping through the program now.

Thanks~~

Good for you, parkedout!

I love the program, but 1 thing to consider is just not timing yourself, maybe if you aren't looking at your watch the 90 sec. will go by faster than you thought, something about watching the clock makes me stop before I'm truely ready. I jog on a treadmill and go further when I close the timer and distance window.

Have fun!