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Being over 40 years of age and around 260 lbs on the wrong side of scale had completed the C25K program 3 weeks back. Infact did a local marathon for 5K where same was completed in 55:07 mins:sec last year and current was completed in 36:04 mins:secs. And today I am 210lbs and definitely faster due to the app. Though didnot lose the entire weight due in the time using C25K app but definitely accelerated the weight loss. Had never believed that I would be able to run/jog entire 5K ever in my life and was able to do so and surprised a lot of people. Now the next goal for next year is sub 30 min 5K and a 10K.

Hi everyone! I'd like to post my experience on being an absolute beginner to running and getting to the 10k mark. I found it very difficult in the beginning, and wanted to share some things I've learned and some tips that will hopefully help others. I started off doing the Zenlabs C25K and moved straight up to their 10K app. My fitness level was average, and all my running was done on a treadmill. It took 12 weeks and I'm 47 yrs. old. When I first started out it was hard. I mean, OMG I really wanted to get each running session over with. I hated it, complained to myself all the time, and didn't enjoy anything about the whole process! It was a tough trudge and I wanted an excuse all the time to get out of it. I had NO concept how anyone could even remotely enjoy it, never mind really look forward to it every day. Well... I actually went from feeling this miserable and negative to really enjoying running and actually experiencing that "runners high" that I'd read about. I'd like to share my experience for those who are at the beginning and feeling as disillusioned and dejected about running as I did. TIP 1 When you first start out, it's gonna be hard. There's no way around that, BUT it's pretty short lived. If you follow a structured program like the C25K, you progress at a nice rate. I ran every other day. 12 weeks later, I'm in a very happy place. TIP 2 Music. There is no way in hell I could have got to the 10K mark without a GREAT playlist of music that has a fantastic beat. This was an absolute must for me. I learned to quickly get rid of songs with beats that didn't work, and add more songs that I loved and that had beats that really kept me going. TIP 3 The beginning of a run is always tough. I assumed the more I progressed that this would go away, but it doesn't. Even at 10K, that first 4-6 mins is like getting over a hill - it REALLY sucks! I assumed it's just my body suddenly adapting to going from a stationary state to a running state, but whatever it is, the beginning of a run is like a challenging hump to get over. That leads me to the next tip. TIP 4 When you get into a schedule and get better at it, you really want to get over the misery of the "run start-up." I did a lot of research into this and went to a local running store. The consensus is that the beginning of a run is always tough. Always the optimist, I was determined to try and make it easier, so I started researching supplements. Now... I'm a really healthy person. I eat 100% organic, vegetarian, no processed food at all, and only pasture-raised dairy, so the thought of supplements wasn't top of my list. But I did learn that caffeine can really help with that tough part at the beginning of a run. I don't drink coffee at all, and the fact my office co-workers are addicted to their caffeine fix make me have zero interest in coffee! BUT, I wanted to make my run easier so I tested out 200mg caffeine (in supplement form) 30 mins before a run. Damn, it really helped...! I hate to admit it, but now that tough beginning to a run is so much better. I'm really hoping that as time passes by I can phase out the caffeine, but right now, I'm sticking with it :-) TIP 5 Always spend a couple of mins stretching before you get started. I do 3 simple stretches. 1) rag doll, bending at the waist for 30 secs to give my hamstrings a good stretch, 2) quad stretch, bending at the knee and holding my ankle behind me against my butt to stretch my quad for 30 secs, and 3) holding knee into my chest to stretch my glute for 30 secs. If I DON'T stretch, I notice the first few mins are tougher and more challenging to me. TIP 5 KNOW it's going to get easier. For me, that didn't happen until 10K. It just didn't, and that was 12 weeks. That's not to say it was all tough, but I never felt that "oh, this is a breeze!" feel at all. When I reached 10K and stuck to that 3-4 times a week, I started feeling good about it. My music list was full of energy and awesome beats, my body had adapted, and I really started to enjoy it. The first few mins is still tough, but the caffeine helps, so that's ok! TIP 6 This may not apply to everyone, but I found using a treadmill to be a life saver. I did the "interval" setting where you could set two speeds, one walk and one run, and it made it so much easier for me as I toggled between the speeds. I also like to have the company of people around me in a gym. I tried several times running outside and failed - I'm not sure why, but I couldn't get in to it. Being at a gym somehow gave me more accountability and put me in the right mental state. I really needed all the help I could get, and I needed the treadmill. My summary is that I went from absolutely HATING running in the beginning to suddenly looking forward to doing a 1/2 marathon. I mean, to me that's shocking that I went from one extreme to another, but I did! Hopefully these tips can help others because they are what I found was the most helpful for me :-)

Check out the article on our blog with great tips from an expert on proper body form when running. These tips will help reduce the risk of injury, as well as help you get the most out of your workout! http://www.zenlabsfitness.com/learning-proper-running-technique/ Comment here in this post if you have tried these techniques, and what has worked best for you.

Week 1 day 2 Yesterday I did day 2 of week 1 on my elliptical. First I didn't want to do it because I'm not a very sportive person but I am glad that I did it. I want to finish this program on my elliptical. Maybe when I lose some weight and my body is in better shape I will going to like sport but for now it's still difficult. I feel like I have no energy. But I will finish it. And I'm trying to eat as healthy as possible. Well tomorrow I will do day 3. Kamille.

Downloaded the app about a year ago. Started the C25K got sick and quit, no excuse. Started it again after Christmas and finished. Moved on to the 10K and I just completed one this morning, very happy I did it now I have to work on my time. At 11 min miles and know I need to improve before running one with others. Anyway new to the forums. So hello and any tips would be welcome

When I am absolutely craving sweets but want to avoid them, I eat fruit (frozen unsweetened fruit and some kind of milk, put in a blender is delicious). Also, I discovered that really good snacks are things like sunflower seeds, almonds, and other nuts and seeds. You can put some in a snack bag and carry them in a pocket. Then you've got something to snack on so you won't get so hungry that you ravenously eat all the donuts and candy bars and sodas you can.

Hello, Just checking out the forum. I have always loved going to the gym and working out but the last year or so has been rough... anyway I'm just starting to get back into working out from home now focusing a lot on pushups and core exercises and hope to get back into running if this Wisconsin winter ever ends. I also started to cut soda out of my diet and that is going ok. Not perfect, but much better than how it used to be. Now I need to find a cure for my sweet tooth...

Welcome. It sounds like you have a great plan. One thing that has helped me ease out of eating too much sugary foods when they seem to have overtaken me, is to eat fruit (fresh or frozen; no sweetener added). It is still sweet, which helps curb the cravings, but it has nutrients and such in it and seems to wean me away from candy and all the other junk.

I'm not using one, but I have used an elliptical before and I think it's great for someone who has knee problems. I have a knee that likes to give me problems and I've discovered that running is actually strengthening it. The great thing about "running" on an elliptical (or treadmill) is that if you get tired and want to stop, you don't have to walk all the way back home.

Good for you, JaneX, for doing it. I concur that you may need to warm up better. The c25k app has us walking for 5 minutes as a warm-up. If you've been doing that, perhaps you need to walk a little longer (and/or slower) or do some mild stretches, as stretching cold muscles is not necessarily a good thing. (I'm not disagreeing with the previous poster, by the way. I think they are right.) I have also heard that more supportive shoes can help. I don't have experience with that, though, because I wear minimalist shoes, which is essentially like going barefoot except you're protected from the heat and the cold of the ground. This may or may not be a factor, but perhaps you could use calcium or magnesium supplements? I know they help muscle cramps, but I don't know about shin splints. Also, one thing I've noticed for me is that I'm more liable to get shin splints if I'm walking uphill, even if the grade is very low. In other words it may not look like I'm going uphill but I am a little. Totally flat terrain or going downhill doesn't ever seem to do that with me.

I have the same struggle wanting something sweet! I completely cut out everything except black coffee, tea and water as far as something to drink goes... I was a full on Diet Coke junkie lol For snacks I have been eating Kind bars, pistachios and occasionally popcorn that I pop myself on the stove. Every once in a while a little piece of dark chocolate. I use myfitnesspal to track everything. It seriously helps. If you come up with some good ideas, please share!

Welcome aboard! I just finished week 2 after repeating week 1. Tomorrow I'll start week 3 and see how it goes. If need be, I'll go back and repeat week 2. I really want to be successful! Good luck to both of you and let me know how it's going