Btw Melissa2013, that's amazing that you're starting out on hills. I run for 10 seconds on a very slight incline and I get out of breath, so good on you for keeping jogging all the way through. We all go slow anyway, and experienced runners suggest going as slow as you need to - it's about making progress and getting fit, not sprinting to the finish. All the best.

HI there!   I just started.  Just finished W1D3 (althoguh I did W1D1 twice with two different smartphone apps to test out both the apps and the route).  I am feeling really encouraged.  It's hard for me, because I am very unfit and somewhat overqweight, but not so hard that I can't do it yet.  I have never exercised or played sports or been active in any way.   The troubles I have so far are doing it in the dark (only time I can) by myself is a little scary...but I stick to the streetlights and stay close to the houses.  I wish I had daylight or a buddy, but it's this or nothing.  My 15yo daughter runs cross-country (don't know where she got *that* from) and she is doing the circuit with me on Sundays.  It's much too wimpy for her, but she is very supportive.  My goal is to join a local race that is scheduled for May.  There are others a little sooner, but I want to gove myself for more time.  Also, they are harder courses (hills and stuff).

I'm happy to have found this thread, it will be nhcie to have a little support group.

I HATE running...I HATE runners...but I have come to the realization that it's all just been jealousy...jealous that I was sitting on my arse and they were actually doing something

So I just did the D1W1...on the treadmill....I dont think I will venture outside to run until I am actually running better. I have a few questions...

How does the phone app know my pace? The app said I did 0.6km but my treadmill said I did 1.87? I was joggin at 3.8 and slow walking at 3.2....Do I have to imput this somewherer on the app?

Cheers and good luck to everyone!

Sherry

I think I will join this group. I will be starting C25K again after 2 successful completions of the program, but due to health issues I had to stop running both times once because of my health and once because of my wifes battle with cancer. Let me tell you if you follow the program it definatley works. Alittle about myself I am 48 and live in Pa, i have a wonderful wife and 2 older daughters anda 17 year old son who tries to keep me young. There is a local 5k on Apr. 21st that I want to run,because it is to raise money for Kids cancer programs. Also a friend of my wifes is sponsering a 5k for cancer awareness as her and my wife are both battling this dreaded disease. So I have lots of motivation this time.  I started on of these threads the first time I ran the program,threads like this deifinately help.   So good luck to everyone and may God Bless you.  Sorry to be so long winded.

                                              Remember Keep Running.

                                                                            Tom

I started C25K on Jan 7.  Last night I completed W2D2 - my first on a treadmill (I prefer to run outside if at all possible).  I am considered obese on the BMI chart (32.6) so part of my motivation for running is weight loss.  I love this program so far!  I love that you can walk and run as quickly or as slowly as you are comfortable - I've averaged about 3.5 mph walking and around 5 mph jogging so far.  I signed up for a 5K on April 21.  I'll be happy if I finish the race, but deep down inside I'd love to be able to finish in around 30 min.  I love the idea of this group!!

Ucongolg -

I think you should go ahead and let your monitor and your gut be your guides and not worry too much about the actual numbers.  I've never seen anything written that tells you what pace you "should" run for this program.  If it's good cardio exercise for you, then it's good cardio exercise for you.  When it's too easy, either your gut or your monitor will tell you to speed up.  Know what I mean?  My walking speed tends to be somewhere around 3.2-3.5mph and my jogging around 4.2-4.5 ish.  I'm doing the program outside and I have no real idea what the speeds are other than the fact that I'm using the android App for this program (which I like a lot) and it tells you how many minutes/mile your average is...sooo....doing the math, those speeds are what I'm coming up with.  The paved trail I'm using is fairly flat with only small, subtle level changes.  I've tried to actually slow down because my breathing is so bad but it feels awkward....so I'm going with that for now...and I'm not planning on trying to speed up at all.  If it happens naturally, great.  If not, and I run my first 5K at 4.2mph, fabulous.  Who cares?  If I get that far, I can always work on going faster later, right? 

Next week I'll be doing the week 1 workout again...for the 4th week in a row.     I guess that should be a frownie face but it really doesn't bother me right now how slowly I progress.  Turns out I have a little bit of cold-induced bronchiospasms issue.  I've been having to do all of my workouts with a scarf around my mouth and nose.  If it gets worse, I'll need to get an inhaler or move inside to a treadmill.  I think between that, the abysmal level of my cardiovascular and muscular conditioning, and the excess weight I'm lugging around, the 9 week program is just way, way, way too fast for me. Oh - and the fibromyalgia.   I've been taking care of everyone else in my life and ignoring my own body for so long...I can't expect to fix it in 9 weeks.  Or even 16.  I'm over the whole deadline thing.  It's a mistake I make every single time I start a fitness program:  Unrealistic expectations in an unrealistic time frame.  Not this time!

For the first time on my 8th w1 workout, I FINALLY felt like I'm starting to recover my breath a little better during the walking periods.  I'm still sucking wind and wheezing enough to sound like I need an ambulance but I'm starting to feel like I'm seeing progress.  I'm happy with that.  My legs however, are a different story.  My legs were much more tired, much more quickly this time than ever before.  I really had to struggle to make myself keep going.  My shins were burning and my legs felt like they weighed 100 pounds each.  Not sure what's up with that.  We'll see if it continues.

But anyway....for once in my life (and I hope I can sustain this because it's very UNLIKE my normal type-A personality) I'm chilling out about the whole thing.  This can't NOT work.  Right?  Even if it takes half of forever, science tells me that this will work.  I will improve.  So it's going to take longer than I want it to.  So what?  I have to put on my big girl pants and be patient. 

I really, really, REALLY want to be one of those people who have the little white oval magnet on the back of their car that reads "13.1", signifying that they have run a half marathon.  I really want that.  I don't know why.  But I don't want to hate every second of those 13.1 miles.  It's okay if I hate the last couple but I want to actually ENJOY running for the most part.  So that means that I need to learn to enjoy running 1/15 of a mile.  Or 1 minute.  SO....if I want that 13.1 magnet, I have to do this.  This is my only job right now...it's all I have to do:  Go out and do the week 1 workout until it feels good.  That's it.  If I go too fast and hate it, I'll stop.  So I don't need to worry about my 5K on 4/20 or my half-marathon someday.  Right now....all I have to worry about is alternating 1 minute of jogging with 1 1/2 minutes of walking 8 times until my body and my heart and lungs say, "Yeah...we're cool with that.  Now you can go on to step 2." 

So be it.  There is where I am now.  It's way worse than I thought.  It is what it is.  Wherever I am in this program on 4/20 is what I'll do on the course for that 5K.