Couch to 5K and One Hour Runners

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The "9 Week" Program (Read 500 times)


You Are Beautiful.

    For those who have finished c25k, do you find it was 'juuust riiight' in terms of weeks? How often do people finish in 9 weeks? Which weeks are the hardest? What is the "average" (just like "normal", I'm not convinced it exists) time of completion? I'm at the end of week 6 but I think it's taken about 10 days to get here, rather than just a week. I wonder if that's generally the case...?

    My Storygraph

    It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop. Confucius
    Be patient and tough, some day this pain will be useful to you. Ovid

    You'll learn to let things go. 
     

    Wingz


    Professional Noob

      Yes, generally the case. Most people have to repeat a week or two along the way. Guess what - you're normal! Tongue I think "weeks" is a best-case-scenario description.

      Roads were made for journeys...


      You Are Beautiful.

        Have you finished the program, Wingz? Do you remember what days really threw you for a loop?

        My Storygraph

        It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop. Confucius
        Be patient and tough, some day this pain will be useful to you. Ovid

        You'll learn to let things go. 
         

        jb944


        Chicago RnR 1/2 Marathon

          I made it into a 10 week program. Repeated week 5 and it was a lot easier the second time. A lot of weeks it was more of a mental thing for me. The program really does work - its a slow build up - but your mind sometimes just isn't ready to accept the fact that you can increase the time. I often just went out and tried it. If I was having a bad day, I didn't beat myself up over it - just went out and tried again. If you really want this to become a lifestyle, you need to keep it fun. And, by the way, make sure you can carry on a conversation while you are running. If you can't - slow down some more. And just remember - it does get easier. Big grin


          My Little Pony hair.

            I made it into a 10 week program. Repeated week 5 and it was a lot easier the second time. A lot of weeks it was more of a mental thing for me. The program really does work - its a slow build up - but your mind sometimes just isn't ready to accept the fact that you can increase the time.
            That's exactly why I was thinking I'd need another 1 or 2 workouts from the week 4 schedule. It wasn't until I needed to run without prompts that I forced myself to do w5d1, because I knew I'd never be able to keep a w4 run going without the prompts from my ipod. Alternating 5 minute runs with 3 minute walks is easier for me to mentally track, so I tried it, and it was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be.

            2011 Goals:

            • lose more weight
            • run 1000k
            • be more confident in my running abilities

            Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop. | my running blog | upcoming races

            Wingz


            Professional Noob

              Have you finished the program, Wingz? Do you remember what days really threw you for a loop?
              It was a good while ago... a bit over 3 years and I wasn't keeping good records at the time. (And I have a poor memory!) I know I found something very similar to the C25K program but it wasn't the same thing. I think it was 9 weeks. I think it took me 15. But I'm not really sure. Could have been 12. Could have been 15. Blush I know it was significantly longer than I thought it should be, given that I was 32? 33? um... at the time. I know I was 210 lbs at the time, and had had my ACL repaired a few months prior, and that I was going uber-slow not because of the knee but because I just couldn't do the running. I also didn't know about slowing down. Blush I hope to help others not repeat the same mistakes I made - especially about how frustrated I was all the time, thinking I couldn't run because running was just so HARD!!!

              Roads were made for journeys...

              jb944


              Chicago RnR 1/2 Marathon

                Listen to wingz. She has come a long way and has good advice for beginners. Big grin For what it's worth, the hardest part of this is just getting out the door. The second hardest thing is to go slow - and don't worry about how fast everyone else is going. The third hardest thing is learning to really listen to your body and adjusting when you need to. Your speed will increase as you increase your mileage once this becomes a habit/hobby obsession. Big grin In the meantime, just focus on the current day and don't worry about how fast/slow you are going.


                You Are Beautiful.

                  I hear you about the "don't worry how fast", jb944...I run with my S.O and he runs waaay faster (like 9:20 pace). But he's really good about saying, "well you did good, too." I'll be doing my first 5k next month and I just worry about not getting there. I mean, I could walk parts, there are the what ifs but I know I'm making progress.

                  My Storygraph

                  It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop. Confucius
                  Be patient and tough, some day this pain will be useful to you. Ovid

                  You'll learn to let things go. 
                   

                  jb944


                  Chicago RnR 1/2 Marathon

                    I just did my first 5k last weekend and stuck to the run/walk program I have been doing for the past few months. Nobody really cared that I was walking - I just looked over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't stopping in front of someone.


                    You Are Beautiful.

                      you just did your first 5k? you sure log a lot of miles. are you training for something...hm?

                      My Storygraph

                      It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop. Confucius
                      Be patient and tough, some day this pain will be useful to you. Ovid

                      You'll learn to let things go. 
                       

                      jb944


                      Chicago RnR 1/2 Marathon

                        I'm not all that interested in racing - DH has been trying to get me to run a race with him for quite awhile and I finally did it just to have a race experience. It was fun, but I just don't really get the point of paying to run a 5k when I can walk out my front door and do it for free. However, the idea of running a half with a live band every mile does sound like a lot of fun, so I'm training for the Chicago RnR half in August. My miles have increased a lot this year - I started running every day in March - but the days that used to be my rest days are short and very easy runs. For me, I find that I don't get as tight if I do something every day. I'm also doing a run/walk ratio on every run since it is easier on my body. I'm also doing some low heart rate training - trying to keep my heart rate well below 150 for most runs - which keeps me at a slow pace. And, I adjust my training plan based on how I feel - if anything hurts I do just a really slow 1 mile run. So far it has worked. Note: I do not recommend this for anyone just starting out! You need the rest days and need to work up to time on your feet. It's a slow process. Trust me - I did too much too soon in the early days and paid for it with hours and $$ in PT.


                        You Are Beautiful.

                          It would be lovely if I could go out and do a very slow mile run even if I was achy or didn't feel like it. I look forward to those days...I think they're coming! A mile does feel pretty easy now. But I don't think I could do more than 4-5 miles a week right now. I think my body can handle it (really, I do), I'm just mentally lazy. Like, hmm, should I go run? Nah, let's order pizza. Don't forget the dessert pizza!

                          My Storygraph

                          It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop. Confucius
                          Be patient and tough, some day this pain will be useful to you. Ovid

                          You'll learn to let things go. 
                           

                            The other thing about going your own pace is also to do your own thing, if that's what works for you (and I'm not trying to convince anybody that I'm "anti C25K", it's just what's worked for me). I was stuck on week 3 for the longest time - I literally would poop out, I couldn't take it. When I did finish it, and started week 4, I thought I would die. So instead of following the program, I decided to just run until I was tired. And by run, I should say "slog along, at a very slow jog." Big grin It worked. Before I got benched last summer by a back injury, I slogged my way up to 4 miles, without any walk breaks. Took me about 3 months to get there. I started running again a few weeks ago, and I'm doing 2.5 miles without breaks now, and doing a lot of cross-training in case my back freaks on me (so far so good!). I find too, that the cross-training is immensely helpful. It makes the running a TON easier!! When I stop for walk breaks now, I lose momentum, steam, whatever you want to call it, and when I start running again, I tire out more quickly. So walking, it turns out, is not for everybody. Anyway, that's my 2 cents about going your own pace. Big grin

                            Michelle

                              Hi everybody. Run all you can, and then walk until you want to run again, and keep repeating that. That is the essence of "Intervals". It is also the essence of C25K. My goal is to eventually run from start to finish a 5K. As it is now, I walk as much as run. Don't worry if you are a long time on one week. I was a month Tongue on week 3, but did graduate week 4! Woods Lady


                              RookieRider

                                I had a feeling going into the C25K that I would not be able to comlete it in the 9 weeks planned. I have repeated week 4 and week 5, one time each. I am now on week 6. I will likely need to repeat the rest of the weeks. It's no big deal to me. I just want to run. I want to live a healthier lifestyle than I have in the past. Losing weight would be nice too.
                                2009 goals Complete C25K Run my first 5k Run another 5k Cycle a half century Cycle EVERY week
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