I completed the Couch to 5K running program today with an official 5K race! The course was brutal. Very hilly without a flat stretch in the whole course. And the one hill was about a 60 degree angle and I had to do that TWICE.

Official results:
Time - 43:36.
Placed 23 of 40 in my age group

I'm so freakin' happy and proud of myself I just want to cry. When I started C25K I couldn't even run for 60 seconds. I've never been athletic and I've never run before in my life. But I persevered and I kept pushing myself and...wowza....today was such an accomplishment!

Awesome!!!!! My first is coming up Sept.12 and I am on wk 8 of c25k and feeling doubtful that I will finish without walk breaks.

Wow that is great!!!! I am still on the couch. I keep thinking I want to start training when the weather gets a little less humid around here. What age group were you in? When did you begin running? What was your fitness level prior to beginning the couch 2 5k program?

Awesome!!! I'm going to be starting this soon, I've started before but stopped because I got pregnant. Now I am so nervous about it, and not sure why. It's nice to see that it can be done! Congrats!

Rochester, I am SO proud of you!!! Going through C25K myself while you have has been an AWESOME little experience! I'm so glad that you ran this race and totally kicked butt!!!

Congratulations!!!!!!!! That's awesome and seems like a really good time to me. I am on W5 and about to do day 3 tomorrow the full 20min run...scared of that one.
Amazing accomplishment.

You have done SOOOO well. I am trying to run at the moment and I can't imagine actually being able to ever run 5K. I hope you have done a whole heap of happy dancing. It shouldn't be a problem for you to do loads of happy dancing as you are the definition of fit now!

Awesome!!

Well done!! I completed the C25K without having an official race - it would have been nice.

But my first proper race was a 10K - that's your next goal!!

And yes, you CAN do it. If you can run 5K, you can do 10!

You're fab!

You are in the perfect position to begin training as you are at a low weight and therefore have less to drag around with you.

I didn't start running till I hit my first goal. I subsequently only lost about 3 lbs but dropped a size from a US 6 to a US 4.

My fitness level was ZERO.

Get some decent running shoes and a good sports bra and get out there and run - you won't regret it I promise - the C25K rocks!!

Way to go Rochester!! We are proud of you!!
I am still struggling with Week 4 but I promess myself that I will finish the program no matter how long it takes me...

Caribbean Girl

That is awesome! My wife and me did our first one today!!!

Thanks I think I'm gonna try it

Best of luck to everyone who is hitting the road and planning races! Running is AMAZING!

Thanks for all the inspiring comments!

By the way, hills do torturous things to the thigh muscles. I haven't hurt this much the day after since Week 1 of C25K! Yowza.

@Diana - I agree...and I can't wait to hear about your first 5K.


My fitness level was lower than zero. I literally got off the couch and started running. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea...but I'm glad I did! It has been the most phenomenal experience to discover what my body is capable of and to tap into this 'I won't quit" fighter mentality.

I started the Couch to 5K running plan on June 1. (It took me 12 weeks to complete instead of 9 weeks because I had to repeat a few weeks...partly for fitness reasons, partly for other reasons.)

I competed in the 40-49 age group. Thank goodness not all the runners were the skinny teenagers who can run a 6 minute mile or I would have felt like a total loser.

You did it!!! I am so excited for you, WTG Rochester!!!

Had you trained on hills at all? Yesterday I tried hills and they totally kicked my ummmm, thigh muscles.