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what to do in between - and what happens afterwards (C25k)? (Read 838 times)


Finished!

    I've just finished W5 and did my first 20min nonstop - it was rewarding when i finished, but I wasn't liking it so much while running :P and yesterday's 8:3:5:3:8 interval was just awful Sad totally lost myself for the first 8 min jog/run portion watching Oprah on Larry King Live and then just couldn't get lost in the running for the rest of the workout - am starting to get a bit performance anxious about the rest of C25k - this week brings my first 25min nonstop on Friday. The wierdness is I'm also getting to the point where my body seems to crave the run, even if it doesn't seem to like the run itself - I was actually looking forward to my "run" yesterday! Anyhow, what do you guys do on your "off days"? are you cross training? are you weight training? doing nothing? I realize I'm not supposed to rush myself into running, allow the body to adjust and all that, so I've been doing 3 days per week as recommended in the C25k program. Once I get thru C25k I'm wondering what I should be doing to continue to build - I definitely need to take my training outside (have started playing with the map tool) and I probably need to start increasing training time (I've been training by time rather than distance) in order to make sure I can cover the 5k distance I'm training for.... TIA for your help and suggestions!
    Walk + Jog = wog.
    I'm trying to Lose 5% at a time
    I support Heifer International - join me by donating via my registry
      While I was doing C25K, I tried to do non-running style training on the off days. So no elliptical even, though they are slightly different. I did either weight training or biking or some sort of cardio based dvd workout. Or sometimes I rested. When I finished C25K, I was only running 2.5 miles, since I also did it by time. And then I just worked my way up to a 5K. And now I'm just sort of increasing my mileage where it feels good. I don't have a major goal. Improve my speed on my 5Ks, run a 5 miler in March, but nothing major. You can do this! And remember, it's not bad to repeat days if you have to.


      Go Pre!

        Walk, walk walk walk walk walk. When I was getting back into running, the walking on off days kept my calorie burning going. I lost the weight needed to 'carry less' during my runs which in turn made the running easier. Also, the walking is a great way to get rid of any lactic acid buildup from the day before. Also, some form of upper body and core strengthening is neccessary. This keeps the body 'balanced' which is neccessary for good running form.
        scrumhalfgirl


          On my off days, I walked. That being said, I only stuck with the three days a week for the first couple of weeks of C25K, and moved up to 4 days pretty quickly. I came from an athletic background, and was used to pretty intense training (former varsity rugby player). By week 6 or 7, I was doing 5 days per week. This has worked for me, but will not work for everyone. Once I got to the 20 minute running continous part, I just dropped the program, and started running gradually further in time. Then I switched over to distance. But again, everyone is different, and you need to discover (slowly and carefully!) what works for you.

          -Jess

          zoom-zoom


          rectumdamnnearkilledem

            I still run for time, mostly because I have to run when DS is in school and I only have--at most--75 minutes to squeeze my mid-week runs in (assuming that I want a shower before going to pick him up after school). It's easy to plan my workouts for time and I've been steadily increasing my time by up to 10% from week to week. I also was only up to 2.5 miles at the end of that program...a 10 minute mile is still a struggle for me... Wink k

            Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

            remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                 ~ Sarah Kay

              Not to worry - I'm on week 7 of the C25K program and I've been on week 7 for about 3 weeks! The first 20-minute session I did was really hard, but it gets easier. And stay on that week until you're comfortable with it. I refuse to go to 28-minutes of running before I'm somewhat comfortable at 25 minutes, hence why I've been on week 7 for awhile Smile I'm only doing about 2 miles in 25 minutes too, I'm slow-paced like Zoom Zoom, but I don't think I was built for speed Smile Hang in there and keep up the great effort! Kimmer
              My goal in life is to be as happy as I possibly can. - Me
                I can't really speak to the C25K program, not having done it (I haven't gotten around to actually looking at it either since it's not right for me, though I know some people that could benefit from it). However, here are some general ideas for things to do on days off (like today for me =-]) Some of these things have been echoed previously in other posts, but they're all good ideas. The first thing is that a lot of times it is a day off from running but doesn't have to be a day off from exercise. A lot of people will use that time to cross-train or do some strength-training with weights of some sort. It's a good chance to work out some of the kinks you might be feeling in your legs. I'd probably do some light cycling instead of walking myself since there's even less impact there and you still can use similar sets of muscles. Calisthenics or weight training is good to build a muscle base, though you probably don't want to overdo it. When using that as a supplement to running, I usually lean towards not quite doing it so much that you're very sore the next day. The important thing is to listen to your body though. Today, my body tells me to basically take the time off, so I'll probably just hang out, maybe lift a little and give my legs a chance for some recovery. It's unfortunate, since there's a basketball game today I was going to play in, but it just doesn't quite fit this week. I'm a big fan of training by time rather than distance, it's what we did in college and it really does work when you stick to it in a good way. It's really great for listening to what your body is trying to tell you, and allowing you to adjust the pace accordingly. It's easy to fall into a trap when you start aiming more towards distance for your workouts. Anyway, good luck!


                ~J


                Finished!

                  hey all thanks for the pointers, Did W6D2 today. was better than W6D1 Big grin so I guess that's good Smile I'll have to figure out what to do exercise wise on the in between days - my body seems to be itching for some sort of exercise, perhaps I'll get back into resistance training - or switch over to the step mill every now and again (even tho I hate the stepmill, it certainly seems to tire me even more than my running training!)
                  Walk + Jog = wog.
                  I'm trying to Lose 5% at a time
                  I support Heifer International - join me by donating via my registry
                    Hello I have noticed that a bunch of people refer to C25K. Do you mind me asking what this is? Google was not much help. Thanks - Taylor
                    Wingz


                    Professional Noob

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