Yay! I haven’t done more runs this week (being on duty plus a slight damage on Monday night has kept me on check).
Tomorrow afternoon I plan on doing D2… then D3 and D4 this weekend!
And unlike you, I think I’ll stay at w3 until my speed improves somewhat.
I guess I forgot to mention, I did Week one, Day two yesterday. I am not dead. I am on my own now, as husband thinks riding an exercise bike for 30 minutes is just as good. And frankly, it doesn’t matter if he’s doing that rather than walking around the track when I’m running. We only had a few minutes at the start and at the end where we were walking together, anyway.
Also, him riding the bike will help him get his fitness level up just as fast, and he can do it on his own, at home, so we don’t need to leave the boys on their own for the half-hour it takes. The eldest is plenty old enough to watch the little boy, so no problem, but I would rather not make it his job.
That hasn’t been my experience at all, but it’s better for someone to do what they are willing to do rather than nothing! So congrats both on not being dead AND on your husband getting moving. 
I did Week 2 Day 3 today, and honestly I just don’t see how I can make the jump to week 3 at all. I mean, jeez! I did miss a day of week 1, t hough, so I might do a day 4 of week 2 and maybe that will help.
I got this AMAZING app for my iPhone - I’m not sure if it works with the Touch but if it has GPS then it might. It’s called TrailGuru. You sign up on the website, and you get the app for your phone (it isn’t free but it’s cheap) and when you’re running or walking or riding your bike or whatever you just take your iPhone and turn the app on (it has to be in front - turn your music on and then turn on the app) and tell it to start. When you’re done you upload your run to the website and other people can see it if you like. It maps it for you, tells you how far you went, the elevation, your average, fastest, and slowest speed… how cool! I much prefer the Shuffle for running but this thing is so neat that I guess I’ll need an armband for the iPhone.
Quit making me want an iPhone even more than I do already!
I found the Livestong website last night and it has a feature called My Daily Plate that tracks your calories for you. I’m loving the ease of use on the thing. You can also track your activities and calories burned.
Since so many Dopers were having good success with the program, and since someone posted about the podcasts, I figured I’d give it a try.
Well, I must be more out of shape than the people who designed c25k suspected. I can do two jogging intervals (just barely), and only on my second try did I believe I could (and did) keep moving, albeit at a walking pace, for the entire program. I’ve done two days, and after two days of such discouraging progress I would usually be saying “It’s not for me.” I don’t know why, but this time, I’m still interested in getting out there for day 3.
I think my “week zero” plans are to keep trying, three times a week, until I feel I can jog at least seven of the eight intervals, then start week one on the following Monday.
I have a very difficult time holding myself accountable to my plans, though, and my partner is really no help (he’s all for whatever makes me happy right now). So, we’ll see…
If interest and support from a stranger is enough (and I hope it is) you have all of us in this thread pulling for you and wanting the best for you. My “jogging” pace is probably slower than many people’s “walking” pace, so I’m not going to claim to be in great shape!
jkusters, I think my problem being able to do week 1 in previous times was that even though I thought I wasn’t, I was still running too fast. Slow down. Slower. Slow to a crawl with a running gait, and see if it isn’t possible then. (Also, have you tried the podcasts?)
I don’t know how far I’ve been going before, since I only tried the iPhone thing today, but I went 1.7 miles and climbed 889 feet in total (descended 640), which I wouldn’t believe if I weren’t looking at the report with my own eyes. Also, when I shaved my legs this morning there may have been a muscle there that wasn’t there before.
I am indeed using the podcast (the Robert Ulley(?) one), and would not be attempting this without that assistance.
And believe me, I’m running about as slowly as one can, jogging actually, without it being called walking. The reason I can’t run more than two intervals so far is that I start having intense burning pain in the front of my shins and in my ankles. Additionally, when I tried a third interval (after running the first two and skipping the third), my legs were so wobbly I couldn’t jog straight. No kidding!
I’m 42+ years old, and have ALWAYS been sedentary. I had horrible allergies as a kid, so my parents kept me indoors all of the time. I squeaked by with barely passing grades in PE, and the only time I’ve really run was when I was given the flag in paintball once and told to run like my life depended on it. I am not surprised by my out-of-shapeness. I am surprised that I tried this a second day and am expecting to go out for a third day. (For some reason, I seem to be under some urge to actually get fit, an urge I’ve never felt before.)
The wobbly legs is fatigue and nothing to be ashamed of or worried about. That leg pain is more worrisome. I’m no expert, but that sounds like shin splints.
Take a look here for advice.
It feels much more like fatigue than it does shin splints. It’s not a stabby or sharp pain. More like “impending muscle shutdown” pain. But I’ll keep the shin splints information in mind. Thanks!
jkusters
Have you gotten profesionally fitted running shoes? The pains do indeed sound like shin splits and could be caused by wrong shoes.
Besides that, there is nothing wrong with doing a week 0 or even a couple of them untill you can complete week 1. You could for example do the first weeks intervals but alternate walking and walking fast or you could run for 30 seconds instead of 60 untill you are ready to move on.
However if you have not been fitted for shoes in a real running shop where they analyze how you run, I would do that first.
Oh, one more thing that have helped me with aches and generally feeling better while running is to make sure I try and keep a good form, that is to not run bend over, but keep straight, with hips forward and loose arms. I’m no expert, but I think this illustrates it pretty good http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfJVBPqhwyA
I bought the shoes I wear when exercising (which I only wear when exercising) at a RoadRunner sports shoe store after going through their paid evaluation process. If that counts, then the answer would be yes.
I’m wondering why several of you are insisting shin splints when it doesn’t feel like the pain described by the articles I’m reading on shin splints. Is there something I’m not groking? 
What makes y’all think it’s shin splints instead of fatigue? How does one tell the difference?
This does sound like fatigue. Just keep in mind that shin splints are one of the most common injuries for new runners. (Though they can afflict runners at all levels.)
May have been less-than-brilliant. It’s still hurting, I have serious trouble putting my shoes on and negotiating stairs, running isn’t even on the starchart, and there is loose fluid which, if I stand up or sit normally, oozes into my calf and makes it huge and rock-hard. While this admittedly looks badass, it’s not exactly pleasant.
The doctor said to tough it out for a few days and call her if it got worse or my foot got numb.
Sorry about your knee :(. Are your nips any better yet?
Woot! Week 2 day 3 is done and went really well. Bring it on, Week 3!
But I keep wimping out on the pushups and I need a shower before the debate is on. Excuses, excuses.
I was supposed to do Week 6 Day 2 after work, but I ended up getting home later than I thought I would, so no go. I think I need to switch my days from Monday-Thursday-Saturday to Monday-Friday-Sunday. I get home too late/don’t feel like running in the middle of the week, and I work some Saturdays. I don’t like having that giant 3 day gap, but I don’t think I have a choice. Urk.
Week 2 is in teh books, but just barely. I went to the Rays game this afternoon (W00T!) and then my son and I rushed to his game back in Tampa this evening. Picked up some jeyook bulgogae on the way home, munched then ran. A bit daft to run right after dinner, but no worries. Anyway, just into my second run segment, I try to adjust the volume down on my iPod. Big mistake. I inadvertently turn it off. When it comes back on it’s doing the intro to Week 3. I am not great with iPods (just started using for this) and don’t know how to get the light on to see the menu. Crap! So I just sort of guesstimate how long to run, then walk until I am near some porchlights, and sort of walk in place whilst figuring out how to reset to the point I was in the Week 2 podcast. Then I start running again, so I did an extra mini run in there somewhere.
But other than that, no problems.
And this morning’s run was a three-Kleenex run. I only brought two with me so I spent the last 2 miles sniffling. Fun times!