OK - I am a very old C25K graduate - March 2009 was when I finished, but I have some running tips that work for me - feel free to ignore the ones you have already worked out.

Find a rhythm. I always count every fourth step. So I go:
L R L R | L R L R | L R L R
one........two.......three....etc

I know that at an average running speed it takes 400 counts to run a mile, less if I run quick,er more if I run slower, but on average 400. So then I know when I'm getting to the end of each mile, or quarter mile and it helps me to break it up into manageable pieces in my mind.

Also sort your breathing out if you haven't already. I breathe in on every second step and out on every second step - again, regular breathing helps me cope better.

I have always run outside, the two times I ran on a treadmill when the weather was absolutely atrocious and I had a 10K in a week and HAD to train, I hated it. It was boring and hot and too easy just to stop. Running outside is good for me as you actually go somewhere, and if you turn around and walk home it takes forever - it is quicker to run. I also like the variation of running outside - more to look at.

When I was struggling a while back, my OH made some homemade fudge and I started pinching a couple of pieces before I went running and I found I was able to run without it being so hard - so perhaps a bit of sugar before you go out to give you an instant energy boost.

Don't worry about speed - just concentrate on finishing. You have no one to beat - the only goal is to finish. When you get better at running and can run 5K easily (yes it will happen - I promise!) THEN you can start working on getting better times. But that will never happen if you don't finish.

If you really feel that you aren't ready to move on, repeat a week. But you will probably find that you can do more than you think. I remember finding it suddenly got hard at Week 5 or so - I think it was that first 8 minute run - I was terrified of it. But for some reason it was actually easier than the 5 minute one the week before!! I got into a rhythm and I found my stride and I just went - and I loved it!!

Soon that laboured feeling in the chest will subside and the painful breathing will go and you will find that you can run as far as your legs will carry you, and you'll enjoy it!

Depends on the route - I would check out the route or at least maps of the route before the run. My regular run has 3 hills (I live in a city where roads aren't straight or flat...) so hills don't generally bother me that much but the third hill on my first 5k is killer because it's so late into the run and it just keeps going. I tend to run at about the same stride rate but I take shorter strides going uphill... I don't know if that helps you at all.


Robsia - I'm very impressed that you kept such a close count! I'm pretty sure though, that personally, being an accountant, I'd just get really stressed and annoyed if I thought I potentially missed a number

uber - I've been feeling better after runs... somewhat tired and somewhat out of breath but I no longer have the feeling halfway through my normal 3 mile runs that my body just wants to stop running and start walking. That said, I find weather (especially wind) and my diet really makes a difference. The days I snack on a bunch of crap I feel like crap during and after my run too. There's motivation for eating well lol.

Week 4 is done and have completed W5D1. Hopefully I can get through W5.

W1D3 completed today after a 6 day hiatus from running. I was scheduled to do this workout on Friday but instead waited until I purchased new running shoes (Friday evening) and broke them in. I have definitely NOT been a couch potato since my W1D2 workout on Wednesday as I've done the following activities: 1:15 hours of tennis, 2 mile power walk in 31 minutes, an hour tai chi dvd, 10 minutes pilates dvd (2x), Jillian Michaels Level 1 30 day shred, and another attempt at tennis.

This is all out of order. Thursday night was the attempt at tennis and was my body's way of telling me to STOP. The rest on Friday helped me recover.

Robsia-- you must be amazing at counting! I have a really hard time even counting laps-- I get distracted and my mind wanders.

janehung, I really want to feel that way at the end of my runs. I finally got to where I felt tired but really good at the end of my 30 minute indoor runs, but then outdoors I had the exhausted/wanna barf kind of feeling....

Hopefully, I'll get to the point where I can feel tired but not on the verge of collapse.

Robsi - I've tried to count my breathing like that but I don't think I get how to do it right. Because it takes me a while to completely breathe/exhale... so I get confused on how to count it in rhythm with my steps. I'm probably missing something really obvious, but whatever lol.

And that's sooo amazing. I'm still waiting for the breathing thing to get easier. Every now and then I get a surge of "MAN this is EASY" and I feel like I'm flying. But it's usually brief and not very often. My breathing is my biggest problem. I'm finding that running first thing in the morning helps, as well as carefully monitoring my pace. I'm going to try the sweet thing tomorrow morning, I never thought of that. I have some dark chocolate so I'll have like half of square before my run and see how it goes. Thanks for the tips

Uber - I concur.

Well, I'm a musician so counting in fours comes naturally - I have done it all my life - lol! It also helps me maintain a steady pace. Sometimes I miscount and end up going from 49 to 60, instead of 49 to 50, but my trusty garmin tells me when I hit a mile anyway so I just start again.

It is annoying when someone talks to you when you're out running, and you talk back to be polite but then you lose track of where you were, but so long as no one talks to me I'm fine.

I did try a run once when I didn't count, just to see what it felt like just to go, but it was a bit of a cheat as I picked a route where I knew exactly where the mile points were as I'd done it so many times.

The regular breathing I HAVE to do, otherwise it doesn't work for me at all. I breathe every other step, so every intake of breath goes on a count.
L step - count one - breathe in
R step
L step - breathe out
R step
L step - count two - breathe in
R step
L step - breathe out
R step

It's easy once you get into it - I figured it out about week 2.

My daughter is doing W2D2 tomorrow - she did W2D1 yesterday and it was very windy and she found it difficult but she did it. I've promised her it's much easier when it's not windy.

Can I ask another question... how do you outdoor runners pick a route? I live in a sprawly suburban area... it doesn't seem runner-friendly at all... the road I can't run anywhere from my house-- I live on a short cul de sac off a road that has no shoulders and traffic whizzing by. I do occasionally see people running on that road, but there was too much traffic for my taste....

So far, I've tried running at the high school and running in a local park-- the high school is okay, but part of the route is over boggy grass, the park is also okay, but it's kind of a short loop-- you have to go around and around just to finish 30 minutes....

I live near the sea so I prefer to run on the promenade. I run into the prevailing wind for half the workout, then turn around and allow it to push me back for the second half. If it is too windy to go on the prom, or the wind is not coming from the north or the south, I have a few inland more sheltered routes I have worked out that don't have too many roads.

There is a big park a few miles away which is about 2 miles in circumference - sometimes I run round that a couple of times, there is also a track near it which goes round a golf course which is about 3 miles - I have done that too, but I have to drive to get to those.

It just depends on what the area is like - can you drive to anywhere more suitable?

Robsia- I think I'd like to move new year and run near the sea on the promenade.... sounds like HEAVEN!!

I'm struggling to know where I'll run outside when I get going properly.
At the moment I'm practicing on the playing fields at the bottom of our road, running around and around the football pitches lol.
I found another field when we went away last week which I ran around and around, but I'm getting the urge to actually run SOMEWHERE.
This weekend we are going to visit DH's family who live on the coast so I'm going to try running around the promenade then if the weather is reasonable. I'm excited and scared at the same time because I'm going to try running by song rather than time and see if I can do at least 10mins non-stop this time.
Back to the gym this morning and aiming for another 35min non-stop on the treadmill. Have been upping my time and speed slightly each run. Am now at a low speed of 7.6kph and have managed 9kph for a couple of minutes a couple of times lol. Managed 4.5k on my run on Tuesday so will see what today brings.
Still waiting for it to start to feel easier though....

Robsia - I'm a musician too but I just get a bit stressed when I miscount... lol.

In terms of picking a route - for my regular route, I just picked the 3 mile block around my apartment because there's only 1 traffic light that's usually green on it so that I don't have to stop. I like the hills because it forces me to run hills... plus the hills on this route are all within the first half/two thirds of the route, which helps me.

Because I like to run on roads/sidewalks... when I'm driving around, I'll think "oh, this is a pretty cool route... lots of things to look at, etc etc.

I don't know if this will help anyone... but one thing I've done to help with my pacing (so that I don't speed up and wear myself out) is I've worked out the bpm of a lot of my songs and put them in a certain order based on my route/planned route and run in time to it. It also forces me to run at a certain pace on days when I"m just laaaazy.

Thanks, Jane. Where I live it's really pretty and kind of countrified, but the cars whiz by and there are no shoulders... but I think I'm going to actually go look for a promising route.... even if I have to drive to get there.... I love the idea of the arranging the playlist-- I've noticed that I'm totally susceptible to the music and tend to time my pace to it... but I haven't figure out a good way to know how "fast" I run on any given song. I saw a link somewhere for an app that will actually sort your playlist based on average running speed. Does anyone know what that is?

Regarding breathing, I really don't notice my breathing at all. Is that weird?

LM-- I've been thinking about it, and I've decided that you might be a head case regarding running outside...I do find it harder on hills, but where it's flat, it's exactly like running inside.... I was SO PSYCHED OUT about running outside that I think I have been giving myself permission not to run as far.... I am SURE that you can run ten minutes if it's flat-- I think you can run all 30 if it's flat. Last night, I had to run on the indoor track, and I did 33 minutes no problem, and I felt like my pace was a little faster than before too. We ARE getting better!!!

I think you're right about me being a head case
I've never run on a track, indoor or outdoor, only the treadmill inside or grass outside so far. Grass just seems SO much harder for me than the treadmil because of the uneven surfacel, but I think I'm the same as you with being psyched out about it and letting myself not run as far as I probably could.
Tomorrow is supposed to be a swimming day for me but depending on the weather and how I feel in the morning I might try another outside run instead and see if I can prove to myself I can run for longer.
Then on Saturday I'm planning on trying a run along the promenade when we visit DH's family, so that will be another new experience, running on concrete.
I really think if I can be stubborn with myself outside like I have been with the treadmill and push myself and get to running 30mins non-stop outside soon I will be over the worst and I might start actually enjoying it

Well, you know, the difference between treadmill and grass is probably a bit more. I tried running on longish grass and it was awful... but the difference between treadmill and indoor track is slight-- I think I go a little faster on the treadmill, but the fatigue is the same.... and the difference between indoor track and outdoors is nil. I think when you hit the promenade you'll kick butt. Might I just add.... what is it with you Brits and the promenades... do you know how insanely jealous I am when I hear that???????