Good job diamondgeog! and Yes, I have a sportline HRM watch with chest strap, but the chest strap also conveniently syncs with both my treadmill and my recumbent bike, so it's definitely possible your Polar is syncing with your treadmill.

Hi C25K-ers!

I started C25K in December (started at Week 3 or 4 because for a year prior, I had been occasionally doing Weeks 1-4 without ever committing to finishing the program - I did finish it once in 2009). I am shockingly out of shape but I just run slowly and get through it each time. So far things have worked out great in the end!

I have two apps for this [Felt Tip Inc's Run 5K and Zen Labs C25K Free (iOS)], so sometimes I mix up the order. This week I did a combo of Week 6 and 7 runs, building up to the 20' run without stopping. I did 10' + 8', 10'+10' and then 15' + 5'. Today I will do the 20' run (technically Week6Day3 on my program). Then it is 20' + 1', then 22', then 22' +1', then 25', 28' and .... 30'!!!!

For me it is a big psychological barrier about thinking "I can't run for X minutes steady"... a few weeks ago X was 5... now it is 20. Progress!

I have to say - I am slightly apprehensive about ending the walk intervals. I remember when I completed C25K last time (2009), when the intervals ended, I just slowed down SUPER slow because I couldn't gauge how I was going to make it through that much time. It is kind of ridiculous how slow I run, think . Oh well. I made it through once before and I'm gonna do it again!

Great to see other people doing the program - C25K rocks!

diamondgeog - That is great that it sync together. I love what technology can do

I just finished W3D1 and I am so proud of what I was able to accomplish. I repeated week 2 since I didn't think I was ready to jog for 3 mins straight. Well I did it today and it wasn't that bad, I actually could have gone longer if I had to. Two more workouts and I will completed more of the C25K program than I ever have before!

yay Rated!

W2 D1 Done... Finally... I struggled quite a bit with this yesterday so fully intend on repeating W2!

diamondgeog - sounds like sweet treadmill! Enjoy it

EmmaD - Welcome to the thread It's always good to hear from people who are done or nearly done, gives us some extra hope!!

Rated - Nice work! You're rocking it!

Emma,

I thought the walk intervals were essential. I was very apprehensive as well. Turns out it was pretty easy to bridge them. The programs really seem to know how to build you up.

Going from 10 run to 2 min walk to 10 min run then to 20 min run was very doable and my body did it very well.

That's awesome! I'm doing week 2 a second time, starting today. I definitely don't feel up to those 3 minutes just yet, but I'm hoping that when I do it'll be as not that bad for me as it was for you

Keep at it Repeat a week as many times as you need to. I could never run. I am 48 now. The thought of a minute was daunting. Then 3 minutes seemed crazy Then 5 minutes.

Then somewhere along the way the body adapts to running. Now a 30 minute run is much easier than a 5 minute run was at first. It is kind of magical. And it is very freeing to be able to run.

There are so many different exercises. And so many have their place and can compliment running. But something almost elemental about running. I truly believe it also improves your mind, thinking, and just general overall functioning of your body like almost nothing else on Earth can.

I started a C25K program last year in November but I got way too busy to keep it up. I'm hoping February will the the month that I can get back into it.

I also used the Ease into 5K program, because I could put the app on my ipod and add my playlists to it while I ran, and it just verbally reminded me when to run and walk.

Sunday or Monday will mark the first day of my new program with it. I hope I can get up to that level that some of you have acheived, running for 1 min straight was a pain in the butt!

YES that is what I was thinking... 3 and 5 were particular mental barriers for me. (who am I kidding? 8 and 10 were too )

Well, I completed the 20' run! Not gonna lie - it was hard. But do-able, super slow. And the "half way" prompt helps with motivation. Actually the 2nd half of the run went far better than the first half. Probably takes me that long to get warmed up

I definitely had to have a few conversations with myself: "You can't do this"... "YES you CAN" etc. I'm pretty sure I could not do it without music - I just keep rhythm with the beat to keep moving...

W2D2 Done! Struggled a bit at the end with some stabby feeling in my ribs but pushed on and made it to the end! Continued for another 15 minute walk after that too! Woo!

Chelainabear - Welcome!

EmmaD - 20 minutes wow!! That's so awesome

I started W3 today. ughhh it was so hard. I'm enjoying it though, it's definitely good to feel like I've accomplished something I could never do before!

Woo!! Well done kate79!!!

Hi all, ive started an unofficial couch to 5k 3 weeks ago. im now up to walking first 5 then running 4/walking 2 for 40 minutes. Im not finding it difficult really and i could probably push more - do you think run 5 walk 1.5 would be a good next step?

Hey Rechyl - if you only started 3 weeks ago, you are already ahead of the official program! The program I used had 2' and 3' runs (2' walks in between) for 20 minutes for Week 3. Sounds like you can totally handle 5' runs! and plus you are used to a longer time... my program maxes out at 40' (30' run plus two 5' warm-up/cool-down).

Kate - YES that's how I feel even though I am in my 7th week Hard but I ALWAYS feel accomplished once I finish...

WELL - today I did the 22' run. Had some glitches along the way. I set up my playlist to be *exactly* as I wanted it (yes the music is definitely what keeps me going). When I started running, it kept shuffling the songs, so after every song I stopped and paused the running program to fiddle with my iPhone to turn off Shuffle. Then when I went back to the app, "Resume" set it back to Week 1, Day 1. AAAAARG. So I had to scroll over to Week 6 Day 3 and forward it to how many minutes I had already run. Happened like 3 times. I actually googled "How to stop shuffle on iPhone" in the middle of my run! hahaha So once i figured it out, I'm not sure how long my steady run was - at least 20' but maybe not 22' (though it could have been as much as 30' total). Think I'll repeat 22' on Monday.

OK, music problems aside, the running was NOT easy! Not to be a Debbie Downer here, but the 4+ years I have been following C25K threads, it seems like everyone breezes through the last stages. Not me. I do it but often feel like I am struggling every step of the way. I'm definitely not giving up, I want to build cardiovascular endurance, but anyway there it is - maybe someone else out there struggles the whole time too.

One theory I have is that this time (and the only other time I completed C25K) I am/have been at or near my maximum weight, which OK isn't that much - 15 pounds or so, but it is 15 pounds of fairly recent extra weight, compared with many folks who have been successfully losing weight. If I can ever manage to lose these 15 lbs, maybe running will feel easier. I've always been quite non-athletic - though I did work up to running 3 miles in 30' in my 20s, so that's what I'm aiming for again.