completed W5D1 again. I felt MUCH better running today than yesterday. I had energy, pep in my step and it didn't wear me out.

Tommorow and Thursday I hope to complete D2, take Friday off and do my 5K on Sat.

Annita - I initially started this program to train for a big local 5k in early may. I started 2.5 weeks before the race figuring at the very least I could walk it. The running bug bit me and I signed up for another one about a month later. Now my third one is on sat. Hopefully soon I'll be able to jog the whole thing.

iamerican - I usually run 5-6 days a week. I've kept this schedule up through most of my progression through the program. This is my only exercise. Though I wont hesitate to take a few days off if I feel really sore or feel like I need a day or two off.

Thanks everyone for sharing your regime. Right now I am doing 3 days a week of c25k with 2-3 days extra of lighter exersice like walking or biking.

Added some new music to the mix and ran W5D3 last night with no problems. This is such a mental game. I wanted to quit running around 10 minutes for no reason. Realized that my body was still fine, and it was just my brain, so I kept on going. Kept my pace steady the whole time and didn't even think about bumping it down. Now that I know I can run for 20 minutes solid, the 25 minute runs don't scare me nearly as much anymore!

Annita - sounds like you are rocking out on this running thing. Great Job!!!

Good morning everyone. It's already morning here.
yesterday run wasn't terrible but I could say it was a bad day.
I did W6D1 again, but I was only able to run 5 minutes, not the whole 8 minutes. I ended up walking quite a lot.
Anyways, I blamed the lack of eating and sleep.
Today i'll take a rest day, and start again tomorrow.

@SusanMay: thank you, and you sound like you're rocking the program as well :D

Got W7D3 done! Bring on the 28 minute runs!

I am SO proud of myself. Just did w1d2 - why I am proud is because I woke up early to do it. Haha. That's to be called a miracle. But loved it better than my first evening run, it's quiet everywhere and the woods are just great with the sun coming through them.

Also the tip: focus on the breathing because your legs will know what to do that I got from this board was GREAT. I really have to learn to breath proper so it takes a lot of attention while I run but because of that I am constantly amazed that my 60seconds are over already. Hihi. And I just applied it to my bikeride to work also - that has been taking me 30minutes and always with a break halfway through because I thought I was so tired. And now I just did not focus on my legs but on my breathing when it got tough and I got at work in 25mins, without a break! Yay!

Hi, I'm new to C25K--just did W1D2 today :D

You ladies are awesome! It's so inspiring reading your posts, and you are all improving everytime you post :)

Hey there, yossarian! Glad you found C25k - you'll love it!

Also...I have to ask (being a lit teacher and all...)... is your name a reference to Catch-22?

Welcome yossarian!!

i did w2d2 today. It went really well!!!

Originally Posted by kariatari:
Hey there, yossarian! Glad you found C25k - you'll love it!

Also...I have to ask (being a lit teacher and all...)... is your name a reference to Catch-22?

Yes! :D maybe I'll be able to run like him by the end of C25K... Lol

Today, my legs didn't hurt at all. :D After my first day, my hip flexors were a bit tight, and after my run last night my legs felt really heavy, but no discomfort today! :D Looking forward to getting W1D3 out the way tomorrow, and on to W2 on Monday!

Had W4D1 today. It felt good. My body was completely capable of everything I was doing, and if anything I just got bored of running. I think I may have to switch to a podcast or something that talks to me that isn't predictable because I get so bored of staring at myself in the mirror while I run.

Week 4, Day 2 on Monday! (Sunday is my day o' rest). Bring it on!

W2D3 complete. The first two days of week 2 were A-OK. But today, this sucked. I dont know why, but it was so hard for me to complete. I did it, but now I am so worried for Week 3.

That's WK1 complete... still a long way to go, but feeling good. Honestly, today wasn't as easy as the others. My legs were tired, and it seemed to make the minutes drag :(

When did everyone start to notice a real difference in their running ability?

yossarian: My workout today was harder than the others too. Weird when we are the last workouts had been the same. I wonder why that is?

I should have done my c25k w1d3 run friday - but the weather is so horrid here. I am gonna go NOW. And I am posting this to be a little bit accountable because I am in slacking mode.

i've been re-do W6D1 for a few days now and managed to rock it.
But today i couldn't finish it. Probably due to many reasons but I guess i just am in slack mode for the most part. (Only able to finish the 8 minutes then I walked back home).
And the fact that my mp3 player is broke again...
I'm moving to w6D2 tomorrow.
Or I'll just run 25 minutes and get W6D3 done....I'll see how I feel tomorrow.

I just finished my 3rd 5K.

This HUGE event included over 2000 runners, a band, blow up slides, tents everywhere and the whole shebang. It benefited wounded warriors and a TON of service people ran it. The course went by the ocean; fire trucks hosed runners, and bagpipe and brass groups also played music as you ran by. There were a lot of service people with missing limbs and in wheel chairs doing the race, which certainly motivated me. It was by far the biggest and best event I've participated in. I enjoyed it greatly.

1st 5K = 5/21, 38 min 216 lbs

2nd 5K = 6/18 , 35 min 204 lbs

3rd 5K = 8/7, 37 min and 30 seconds 196 lbs

I am disappointed with my time but I ran my best race yet in terms of pacing myself and emptying the tank. I literally almost puked at the finish line. I never felt more drained after running. My drenched clothes clung to my dizzy body. I jogged practically the whole race. I kept jogging after mile 2 and only took 2-3 short walking breaks after that. I ran for at least 25 min straight making it my longest run yet (previously 20 min).

I stopped running for about 2 weeks leading up to the race. I only managed to get 3-4 training runs in beforehand. Also the weather was really humid. Other runners said they felt like puking and had disappointing times also. I'm going to chalk my time up to a fluky race and build on the positives. I KNOW I'm in much better shape than 3 months ago. Also this race pushed me to get back to running and not let 2 weeks off turn into 2 months.

I just started the C25K a couple of days ago and so far I am enjoying it. Today will be my W1D3 and I plan on trying to get a good walk in on the "off" days. Also, I am keeping my calories between 1300-1500 a day. I am anxious to see if this will also boost the weight loss. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Scarlett: Nice job on your 5K. That one sounds really fun! 25 min straight is a great accomplishment. Do you have another one planned in the near future?

Annita: Sorry your MP3 is broke. That sucks! Nice job rocking the workout.

Today I did W3D1. Ummm....Killer. those 3 minutes sucked. Tomorrow I am taking a day off... maybe a walk, but letting the body rest. HOpefully then on Tues D2 will be a bit easier. Happy Sunday All!

Thanks so much iamerican. Your doing great. The beginning of the program is the worst. It just takes time to get over the "beginners hump" you can do it!!

I plan to do

5 mile race - 9/24

10K - 10/30 - a Halloween race - It'd be fun to run in a costume :D

When I determined this schedule, I planned on having "graduated" by today. I'm going to stick to it though…doing races before I'm "ready" pushes me. At the very least I can walk parts of them. I'd like to do another 5k or 2 somewhere in there. Need to find a some good ones :).

YAY! W2D3 completed :D
So - when could I do my first W2 run? Is it a big step? The week1 was not so hard, but also not easy for me!

Also, I've been doing my first 2 runs in the woods/the park here close by. I know I could fall over treestumps and such, but it's good coordination practice to just pay attention to where I am running. And I find it easier than worrying about traffic or people. But because it's evening now I just went along a big road, so it was all paved. And my legs (calf/ankle/shin) feel like they hurt a bit. Is that because of the hard surface? And would you guys consider soft surface or does it not matter? I've had some joint issues in the past which is why I am super careful with the high impact stuff.

Well done Scarlett! You're really an inspiration!

W2D1 done today, and I struggled. I went straight from my 8 hour shift at work :( My legs felt like lead from the first run, but I pushed through. I don't know if I was just a bit demoralised as I had my day off taken off me tomorrow as my job-share guy called in sick. GRR.

Hopefully, I'll do W2D2 before I go to work on wednesday, and I'll see how it goes.

W3D2 done. Way better than yesterday. Now a couple day break. I might add an extra day of Week 3 if I see fit. been icing the ankle since its been a little sore. Feeling better today.

Scarlett, that run sounds so fun! I've gotta find a fun run like that one!

I just ran W8D1 and ended up covering 2.6 miles in 28 minutes, which I think works out to about a 10:45 pace. That's great because I've cut it down from 11:15-30 last week. (I think the lower temperatures are helping big time in that department because I haven't really consciously been "pushing" myself to run harder.) My first 5k (since the last one I ran two years ago anyway!) is going to be near the end of September, so I'm hoping by then I can cut my pace down to right around 10:00 min miles. :)

Originally Posted by yossarianlives:
When did everyone start to notice a real difference in their running ability?

Once I got to the 8 minute intervals, I really started to notice a difference in my endurance run. It was at that point that I noticed my breathing was noticeably easier when I was going up the four flights of stairs to the office. I used to be a-huffin' and puffin' by the time I got to the top, but that totally stopped with C25k!

I have been doing the C25K for 3 Weeks now. I was never a runner, but I thought I would give it a try on this weight loss journey. I allowed my self the 1st whole 3 weeks to feel comfortable enough to move onto session 2. The 1st week I kept staring at the timer (I use the iphone app) and could barley wait for the ding... I run Mon Wed and Fri and last week I was feeling good with it. I could not believe the 60 seconds just flew by. But I have to say I am battling with shine splints which is not making it easy. Today being Mon I decided to move on to session 2. I did great but boy where my legs hurting and the shine splints are just not going away. But my goal is to participate in 2x 5k runs this year so I need to keep going.

Originally Posted by zookeeperof04:
...But I have to say I am battling with shine splints which is not making it easy. Today being Mon I decided to move on to session 2. I did great but boy where my legs hurting and the shine splints are just not going away. But my goal is to participate in 2x 5k runs this year so I need to keep going.

Hello Zookeeper!

Shin splints do happen, but they have a lot to do with having the wrong type of shoe for your natural gait. Having a shoe with the appropriate amount of stability will make a world of difference. If jogging is something you really want to do, going to a running shoe store and have someone help you pick out a shoe that works for you may help.

The best part, in my mind, about going to an actual Road Runner-type place is the return policy. You can wear the shoes for several weeks and if you hate them, return them for something else. No questions asked.

Good luck and keep on truckin'!

My W6D1 has been pushed back to tonight. Thursday night work-out didn't happen due to a terrible day, and I toned the Sunday night work-out down because I wore some heels on Saturday night that I hadn't worn in forever and they blistered my toes up pretty bad. On a high note though, I did 35 minutes on the elliptical Sunday with on the interval setting with the resistance maxed out, and I didn't feel like I worked out at all. I hopped on the treadmill for and additional 10 minutes afterwards and ran 8 of those minutes without issue. I guess I need to run now to get a good work-out!?!

philana: I'd definitely keep surface in mind. My legs feel noticeably worse when I run on pavement than when I run on the dirt track nearby. I do my best to not run on pavement if at all possible because it's so hard on the joints.

I did w5d1 yesterday and it was not so bad, even though I was also running at a slightly faster pace than I did in week four. I'm kind of nervous about the eight-minute intervals tomorrow, but I think I should be able to handle it. w5d3 is what's REALLY scary - I'm honestly not sure I'll be able to do it. But I'll give it my very best effort, and if necessary I'll do week 5 over next week.

W2D2 complete! A bit easier than D1... I think it's actually the boredom that I can't stand when I'm doing it on the treadmill. :( I figure I'll stay on the treadmill until I start week 3, and see how I feel about it. It's actually delightfully rainy here just now, and I'd love to go running in it with my doggy. I got new trainers too !

How does everyone else deal with the treadmill boredom??

Hi all. I am so glad to have found this thread. I can hold myself accountable to posting in here every other day.

I am actually on W3D2 tonight. I will post when complete later!

Nice to meet you. I have read every post in here and have learned so much and am so INSPIRED. I enjoyed the past 3 weeks, but now it will be even better, because there is someone out there other than myself doing this.

yesterday, w6d2 was easy as a pie.
today, w6d2 wasn't as good. I managed to run until the 5th minute of 2nd running interval, then end up walking - running alternatively for the last couple of minutes (around 2-3 minutes walking then changed to running and so on).
I had side stitches and my legs couldn't move either.

But anyways, it still was a good workout. Wasn't the best, but wasn't the worst either.

I'm planning to work on w6d2 a few more days...I am not in the mood to run the whole 25 minutes right now (w6d3),
It's not really about I don't think I can do it. It's rather about i've been feeling down lately and running doesn't seem as fun as few weeks ago. Changing playlists didn't help either. Maybe I should change my route or something. Running the opposite side with the one i'm doing right now..

It is raining and storming so much here. It is really crazy. I thought I'd be way further along in my runs before autumn starts. But there's just no summer this year.

W6D1 done last night with no issues. I'm actually looking forward to being done with the intervals and just running. Very soon now!

Thanks for all the support guys :grouphug:.

I got back to running today, although I still felt a little sore from Sunday.

I attempted W5D3 (20 min, 2 miles), got a little bit past the one mile mark and pooped out. My HRM slipped and I ended up going out too fast. I mapped out a nice 2 mile course around my neighborhood. I'm going to keep at it until I can complete it a few days in a row. I'll give my road course another go tomorrow :)

W8D2 attempted, but not completed. I got 13 minutes in and was just not feeling it, so I walked 3 minutes, ran 6 more, and then walked the rest. I'm thinking it could be because I've been pretty much living off of potato chips and hamburgers the last few days. Oh well...Back on it tomorrow!

kariatari - haha, eating junkfood does not help. I notice I really am physically less capable when I haven't eaten clean foods. Weird how that works! But OMG. You are at week 8. I just can't even image getting there ... as in.. EVER!


My biggest onbstacle really seems to be getting out there. I wanna run in the mornings but I just can't drag myself out of bed when it rains. So I tell myself I'll go in the vening, but then after a long day of work I again don't want to face the wind and the rain. When it's sunny I am out there instantly. Looking forward to the WINTER, it will be dry then. Just cold but running makes you warm anyhow. This is really the crappiest summer we have ever had here in The Netherlands. Really.

W3D2 completed last night. I love being accountable to check in. I was so excited to be able to shout it out loud.

philana, you'll get there! I never would have thought I'd get to week 8 either. It feels great though!

I totally understand about the weather. We've had some crappy weather too - I'm talking high heat and high humidity combining for days where the temperature is 100+ but paired with the humidity feels like 115+. UGH! Thankfully we just started having some cooler weather (just 77!) with absolutely no humidity that makes it a pleasure to go and run. It's got me excited for the cooler, crisp autumn weather!