Our previous thread was getting giant-sized and maybe intimidating for newcomers, so here’s a new thread dedicated to Dopers who want to try the Couch-to-5k running program. Go from sedentary to running a 5k in 9 weeks, give or take a few.
I’m on Week 6, and if I can do it, so can you. Seriously.
So, come on in, the running’s fine!
I did couch to 5k last fall, and completed my first ever 5k in November of last year. I just finished the Columbus 1/2 Marathon last weekend! I’m in the best shape I’ve been in since high school, and it all started with the C25k program.
Good luck to all of you who are getting started!
From the previous thread:
Yes, I think that’s part of it. The other part is that I didn’t feel the transition from 3 minutes to 8 minutes was nearly as difficult as the one from 8 to 20 minutes. After about 10 minutes, I thought “I’m only halfway through the 20 minutes?” and my next thought was how am I going to 40 minutes at once, since my speed for a 5k will not be any better than that, I fear.
I’ve had to skip 3 days in a row. With the colonoscopy today and back pain for a couple of days, I have to wait until tomorrow to run again. I think I’ll rerun Day 1 of Week 6 and see how it goes. I’m also going to cut out alcohol and modify my diet and see if I feel any better physically, which will keep me motivated, I think.
What you’ve just posted helps so much. It’s exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you!
Just want to point out to anyone planning on doing this program that the colonoscopy is not part of the deal.
Damn, I was looking forward to the colonoscopy.
I don’t really know what to call what I’m doing, here. I did Week 1 and Week 2 without any problem, but day one of Week 3 nearly killed me. I have dropped back to Week 2, and I’m going to continue to do it until I feel I can progress to the next week.
I also will mention that my knee feels like burning death due to the weather (drizzly and rainy) but I’m pressing on.
Be careful of that knee. I haven’t run for a week (a week!) because it got to the point where both my knees were just filled with outrage and pain.I’m going to try to get back out this Friday, but I’m not sure if I should pick up where I left off (Week 9 Day 2) or move back a week.
I hobbled around for almost 2 weeks. The knee pain gets better.
this is me subscribing to this thread too so I don’t miss anything. 
Every time I go to to do Week 5 Day 3, I’m crippled with leg cramps.
Dammit, I will do this today. :mad:
I guess I should mention, I did an extra 2 minutes run during my ‘cool down’ time, then walked the two minutes longer. So I know that I can run at least two minutes without death, and in a few days I’ll try for three, then five, independent of the plan.
I believe I have been infected with some kind of madness, perhaps fungal in nature. I did week 5 day 3 yesterday, and I had today off for weird circumstances. Intended to go absentee-vote-in-person, saw the line around the block, went home, and almost had to physically restrain myself from running another 20 minutes! Even remembering how much it sucked! I had to keep telling myself that the program scales back for a few days and has rest periods for a reason, and that I’d regret it if I tried it, and that you only get better at it when you’re not running, etc., etc., etc. There’s definitely something wrong with my brain, because when I’m actually doing it I hate the hell out of it.
I had planned on doing another W5D1 today, but when the time came to walk after 5 minutes, I decided to see if I could to the 8. I did it. And then did it again. 
I really don’t feel like I can do D3 yet, so I’ll do another D2 on Wed then see how I feel about D3 on Friday. I had to talk myself into going to the gym tonight, but rewarded myself with a wee slice of cheesecake that my boyfriend bought me for my birthday. Yes, I’m home alone with an entire cheesecake. This could be bad…
I Frakkin’ finally did it! Week 4 day 1. I’ve been trying for 2 weeks to make it through. I did the whole thing with no cheating… at 5.6 MPH no less.
My only variation was that the program calls for runs of 3-5-3-5… I found it easier to do 5-3-5-3. Between the run and my shot, I feel like dead man walking. Just took a couple of advil though, so I know I’ll feel good soon.
Yay Fugazi! I got my speed up tonight to about 3.8 mph so you are smoking me!
I’m with you! 3 months ago, I hated running, but today I soo wish I could run everyday, maybe even two times a day.
It’s addicting!
I almost made it: at 10min I had to take a break and stretch and walk it out for a minute or so. I was able to continue just fine after that, even sprinting a bit as my husband drove in from work. I’m unsure whether I should go on to week 6 or not. Opinions?
Are any of you still doing the push up challenge? I thought about y’all last week during my torture/work-out routine. The teacher had us do 100 pushups, in 4 sets of 25, mixed in with 4 minutes of planks (1 minute each, four of them).
I did them (knees on the mat, though)!! In fact, I was the one yelling and keeping count, lest she decide to torture us more with extra push-ups.
Thankfully she doesn’t repeat the same work-out every week. OTOH, that fact always have me dreading what is her evil plan for that day.
Where do your knees hurt? If it’s on the outside of both knees, then you probably have inflamed your IT Bands. If this is the case, you should be icing them, taking ibuprofen, and–if the pain doesn’t subside–scheduling an appointment with a sports med doctor.
I would also recommend getting http://www.thestick.com/
I have major IT Band problems, and believe me–you do not want to ignore that problem!
Me, too. Yesterday, hurting after trying to run on this one gravel trail, out of breath, tired, sweaty and a wee bit spooked due to running in the woods alone, as I got to my car, I thought–hell, let’s go again.
WTF is wrong with me? I’ll be running my “short” run tomorrow around the neighborhood. Hoping to do 1.9 miles.
Moi and I did Week 4 Day 1 today. It was 43 degrees, which is a mite nippy for these parts. I felt good about it and felt like I could go further. I’ll pick up the pace for Day 2.
I’m still working on the pushup challenge, but not as hardcore. I suck at pushups and improvement has been slow.