Is it kneecap-area pain? Does it crunch or click or grind and get worse if you run downhill or walk down stairs?
Zsofia, good for you! I may still be crazy, but at least I’m not crazy about this. 
It’s pain under my kneecap (under toward my foot, not under toward the inside). It’s worse when I’m running than walking. It’s not much different going downhill or down stairs. If I twist at all (like when I get out of the car), it’s quite a bit more sharp pain. It’s both knees, but the left one is much worse than the right one.
I’m very encouraged that you and **Zsofia **thought the 3 minutes wasn’t as hard as you thought it would be. I’ll be trying tomorrow.
Have you tried one of those knee braces, Hockey Monkey? I see quite a few people running with those - don’t know if their doctors recommended them or not.
Not yet, but I looked at them this evening. I have to measure my knee to get the right size first. I’m not sure how much they would help, but I’m willing to try.
Week 3 Day 1 is done! Yay! I got up early and everything! You guys were right, 3 minutes IS totally doable. I did it! Twice! Woooo! Knees weren’t as much of an issue this morning, so I’m going to stay on the treadmill until I work off a little more weight. Time for a shower and then 11 hours of sitting in a chair at work. Must make a mental note not to repeat the workout tonight when I get off work, as that’s when I’ve usually been doing it. Habits, you know.
First, yay that you found the 3-minute runs doable!
Second, I don’t know if what you’re describing sounds like what I have (runner’s knee), but I wear a strap right under my kneecap that helps me enormously and was under $10 at CVS or Walgreens or a place like that. You might consider checking it out. You don’t need to buy two, just one. I put mine on and wore it all day and by the next day my knee was noticeably better.
I was able to get through week 4 day 3 without much problem. I actually went an extra 30 seconds on the first 3 minute run. To keep up with where I was supposed to be I cut my walking back by 30 seconds. The next 5 minutes was hard. On a positive note I did get much further this time then day 2. I also got my first comment on running barefoot.
I had pain this weekend in my right knee, but not really the knee but sort of the bone area just below the knee, on the left inside of my right lower leg. I’m getting a three day break this week as I am readjusting my schedule to run with my daughter more often. Her practices are moving up to two a week now, Tuesday and Thursday, and I didn’t want her running just once a week. So we are shifting to M-W-F, which gives her five days of exercise a week (since I’m an old guy I’ll just take 3 days a week, thank you very much). We would have run last night anyway, and then get another two days, but it was raining pretty hard last night. The extra day will probably help my leg a bit. Now I just need to cram in the pushups in the morning. Wish us luck on the three minute runs!
Even though I finished Week 2 on Saturday, I did a Day 4 yesterday. I’ve been doing this on the treadmill at the gym, so I thought I should do a practice run on pavement, since the turkey trot is obviously outside. It’s going to be in downtown Troy, which is flat. I live in a rural area that is very hilly. It seemed like every time he said it was time to run again, I was coming up to a hill. Luckily, the run back was downhill. I only shorted one run and that was only by about 5 seconds.
I have to say, I’m very proud of myself for doing it because it was hard! I did enjoy the last 5 minute walk, since the leaves are almost at peak and it was a beautiful sunny 62 degree day. I just couldn’t enjoy it until the end!
Tonight is the start of Week 3 and I’m very encouraged that some of you are finding it easier than you thought, or at least doable.
week 3, day 1 today… yikes…
I’m getting some pain while running, but not really any later (yet). So, so far so good.
I did 1.9 miles today. I was supposed to do 2.3, but I had a little come to Jesus talk with myself over the weekend.
I’m getting sucked into competition(this is not the right word, but I can’t find the right word) here. NOT because of anyone here–you all have been very supportive and great, but because of my stupid need to not feel like a failure. I was starting to resent running/think about quitting because I feel like I’m falling behind; not getting faster, better, stronger. Well, that is just nonsense.
Note(s) to Self:
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Everyone runs at their own pace and desire.
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Progress is being made–Rome wasn’t built in a day. (this is the hardest thing for me–I want to be able to go out and run 2 miles w/o stopping just like that).
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No matter how far or fast you go, whether you walk or jog or run, you are still out there, doing something. That matters. That IS what matters, longterm.
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I am 46, not 22. I have circulatory problems and a bone spur. I am not going to be super fast or Ms Endurance.
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I (apparently) have issues. So what. Get out there and run.
IOW, I have decided to not worry (so much) about how long, how fast, how quick etc. I would probably do better in a structured program like most of you are doing. But since I am not doing well in other areas of life right now, I am not about to set myself up to fail in this by trying to adhere to a program. As it is, I cannot run the rest of this week–I’m going to try Wednesday after work, but I don’t expect much. I am working Wed, Th, Fri, Sat and Monday. :eek: I will run on Sunday.
I will continue to run my 1.9, increasing the amount of time I spend running it.
I’m doing the best I can. I need that to be ok. Someone tell me that is ok. Thanks.
It’s better than okay, Eleanor. It’s what I aspire to. You’re inspiring.
I quoted those bits of your post because I wanted to let you know that you are not the only one who gets sucked into some sort of competitive mode.
Case in point–I always say I run to stay sane. But when I started timing my runs, I veered into la-la-land and not in a good way. My husband suggested I ditch the watch :eek: which I really did not want to do. How was I going to know if I made progress or not?!? Then I realized that my running was making me crazy. So a month ago, I ditched the watch. Running is more a sanity thing for me now.
As to point number 4 on your list, the fact is you aren’t 20 any more. Neither am I and it absolutely does affect how well we do, how quickly we get back in shape–everything. This morning I got passed by three other women runners. Very discouraging BUT I like to think to myself that at 48, it’s likely I could be their mothers.
Finally point 5–YES YES YES. Just go do what you can. In two years when you are my age, you’ll be in far better shape than if you quit entirely today.
eleanorrigby, you are one of the most inspirational people in this thread. I am usually a very competitive person, but I’ve managed to put that aside for this. I am only doing it for ME. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone but ME. For me, just getting up this morning and doing the program was a huge accomplishment. On all of your points above, you are entirely correct. Do this at your own pace, but don’t give up! My friend at work that was doing this with me quit this morning, so now she isn’t going to want to hear about my progress. You guys are my support group now.
Doing the best you can is more than OK. We wouldn’t ask for more than that!
I stunned myself by getting out the door and onto the pavement on another Monday morning. Stunned, I tell you! I wish I knew where this level of commitment was coming from, so I can nip it in the bud next time. Er, I mean, use it to further my personal goals. Yeah, that’s what I mean. 
More seriously, I did get out again today. Since I’m 42, 270lbs, and way out of shape, I still can’t get through week 1 as written. Therefore, I’m doing my week zero until I feel I can actually do a week 1. And I’m not letting it discourage me like I usually would.
I continue to improve. I again attempted to run only on the odd numbered intervals, giving me longer to recover between run attempts. And I actually completed ALL FOUR INTERVALS today. Now, the last one was more stumbling than running, but I didn’t give up until the friendly voice told me to slow down. It was somewhat painful, but more of the burning, tired muscle variety, not that “OW YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG!!!” kind.
New for this morning was some running socks I picked up over the weekend (I call them my spaceman socks since they have this sci-fi like grid printed on them), and tying my shoes more loosely. I didn’t get the pain across the top of my feet this time, but I did feel the heel sliding up and down. That bothered me, but less so than the pain did, so maybe I’ll try that again Wednesday.
My plan at this point is to repeat what I did today for the next two sessions and hopefully by Friday my fourth interval won’t be so stumbly. If I can get through Friday’s run without feeling too tired, I might pick up another interval on next Monday.
1.9 miles is already fantastic. Don’t try and compete here, even if it’s your nature, some folks are going to be faster, some slower, it’s just the nature of things. The only prize is achieving your goals. I sometimes find I have to go a bit slower, but I know, more or less, what I can handle. I’m being patient with following the plan with weeks and running times. Any speeds or distances are estimates. I don’t want to push too fast, too soon and burn out (or injure myself and then be out of the picture for a while) in the process. Already my body has thrown out a few little reminders that I’m 46 years old and not as thin as I was in my youth.
What’s cool is finding out that I can run a little bit longer than I could just a week before. I think if you’re patient and buiild up a little at a time, you’ll be successful. When you were 10 you wouldn’t have run against the 25 year olds, and now that you’re 46 you shouldn’t gauge yourself against them either. The only good yardstick to measure yourself against is you.
Congrats! Sounds like progress. May I make a few suggestions:
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I have been stopping mid-way through the warm up walk and stretching out, then stretch again after the cooldown walk. I stretch my calves, hamstrings and quads, for 30-60 seconds in a static stretch. I have not had much muscle soreness after the running, and pretty much none by the time the next day is due.
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Make sure that your shoes a) fit and b) are snugly tied but not overly tight. If your foot slides in your shoe you will eventually get blisters.
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Once you can do the four intervals, start to add some more in. Push yourself, if just a bit, so that you can keep making progress. You’ll probably surprise yourself, even if you can only add an interval every week.
As noted, this is not a race or competition, just stick to what you can achieve, but do try and stretch your boundaries a bit. If it is too much then back off, but do try.
Awesome. ShibbOleth gave excellent advice, so I’ll just cheerlead over here. Rah!
I just ended Week 2 and am only running/walking that distance in the 29 minutes AND I’M ONLY 38. So you’re at least doing better than I am, if that helps. I’m not going to be concerned about distance, since my main focus is just following the program. I increase my speed little by little when I feel I can handle it, so the distance will gradually increase, too.
You’re doing fine!
Thanks, and please do!
Yeah, I’ve been thinking about adding some stretches myself, more to prevent long-term injury than prevent pain (mostly because after the first couple of days, all I’ve felt is a bit of stiffness in the two days after the exercise). I do need to learn how to do them right, though. I never seemed to feel what people tell me I should be feeling when I did stretches in High School PE, so I figured I just didn’t know what I was doing. Until I started C25K, I didn’t worry about it. Maybe it’s time to figure this stuff out.
That point between snug and too tight will take some time to locate, I think. I suspect I have odd-shaped feet because no matter the brand I always have to tie them pretty tightly to get the heel from rubbing.
What my jocularity may hide is the bizarrely awesome feeling I’m having actually sticking to this beyond the first day. I can never stick to anything like this beyond the first couple of days (other than NaNoWriMo), so why I’m able to this time is supremely puzzling, but still a cause of celebration. I push myself a little each time, and am happily making progress. I expect eventually to complete the program, but am completely okay with it taking significantly longer than the 12 or so weeks the program is supposed to run. I’m thrilled just to be doing something positive!