Jeshi

We're here for each other! If you'd like, you can strength train/cross-train on your rest days. Squats and lunges don't require extra equipment, but are good for warming up your legs. Foam rolling after warm and then stretching are good ideas, too. I'm not sure about the Garmin, sorry.

Yay! How did your run go, Sean?

Awesome, Orlando! Cheering for you!

Sorry for this delayed reply. Your runs should ideally be slow and easy. Most of the world's elite runners train at a slow pace to allow themselves to run further and run for a longer time. Your pace should be comfortable. As long as you continue to run, your body body will get stronger and the runs will get easier. Try to run at a pace you feel like you can maintain indefinitely. This will keep you from feeling miserable and prevent injury while building bone and strengthening your muscles.

I don't do detoxes in the traditional sense (with pills or only drink/eat this one thing). I maintain a continuous detox by drinking green smoothies most mornings. If I feel like eating something solid in the morning, sometimes I will drink these for lunch. I rotate my greens: 4 cups of kale, swiss chard, spinach, romaine lettuce. I'll add up to a cup of each fruit depending on how sweet I want it to taste: pineapple, mango, or one banana. 1 tablespoon of black chia seeds. 2 cups of rice milk (extra cup of water, if desired). I also add a scoop of rice protein powder which keeps me fuller and makes this smoothie a great morning, post-run recovery drink. I also add 2 drops of grapefruit seed extract (although I'm not sure I've been seeing benefits from it, so I may cut it out or use it up). I buy frozen pineapple and mango, so that works as the "ice" component in the drink. I run it in the vitamix and after everything is going, I pour in the protein powder. Note: the protein powder has a slight taste/smell like uncooked oatmeal. It'd been nice to consider that before purchase, but the added fullness I feel is worth keeping it in my drink. Bottoms up for your health!

Hey, Speedingsloth, how are your runs going?

Shenanwall, how did Week 1 Day 1 go?

Hi, Sean!

Anne, how are you doing? Are you still swamped at work?

AWeJo, you are doing great! 15,000 steps is a lot. There's no need to be embarrassed. I hear you on the arch pain. I had so much arch and foot pain when I first started. I also couldn't run. I ended up doing jogging motions and was still in place no matter how much I tried to lean at my ankles. It takes time! I stayed with the program and managed my intake (not too MUCH, and not too LITTLE) and my body composition started changing. It took a while before the weight went down, but the lessened foot and arch pain was one of the first things I noticed (after lessening of shin pain).

Rebecca, try recording your run with MapMyFitness or MapMyRun (not sure how they differ from MapMyWalk -- is there a speed limitation-- but, the other two apps I mentioned have worked for me). You can start them when you start your warmup from c25k/ZenLabsApp or when you start your run.

Go, Ruthie!!! The first 5k run is SOOO exciting!!!!

Welcome, Qiana. So glad you can join us. Take a breath and jump into Week 1 Day 1. Let us know how it went!

Go, Caz! You're doing great!

Free2bme, glad you are sticking with it and asking questions. Question are great! From reading your posts, I would recommend repeating Week 1. 1. How fast do you guys walk the walking part? Do you speed walk? Walk at a comfortable pace. Pretend you are in the house and need to go to the grocery store. Walk the same pace you would normally walk to your car. (Not speed walking, not leisurely stroll). 2. I feel like the w2d1 i struggled and walked the run. [...] Im wondering if the next one will suck or if i can do it comfortably. This program was designed to start your body running. When you repeat a week until it feels comfortable to you, you're using the program to help you. When you follow the "Weeks" in the program on a timetable and struggling, not only does it lead to frustration and misery, but also injury. You are not less because you repeat. Your body is improving each time you run (whether you advance in program or not). tldr; whether you run the next workout or repeat one, your body is still improving. The difference is that repeating reduces your chance of injury and gives you a confidence boost of mastery. 3. In the last nine days ive run every other day. Should i put more days in between? Try Day 1 Run, Day 2 Rest, Day 3 Run, Day 4 Rest, Day 5 Run, Day 6 Rest, Day 7 Rest. P.S. glad you resolved the weight-on-the-right-foot thing. I had that same issue when I started. While that's no longer the case, I still have to remind myself to move my left leg/foot closer to my body when I run.

12/20/15 Sunday I ran my first 5K!!! It wasn't an official course. I just ran in the neighborhood, but prior to this day, I hadn't run more than two and a quarter miles. I ran a total of 3.86 miles in 59 minutes! I finished my first 5K (3.1 miles) in 47:37. Add on my warm up and cooldown for a total of 4.34 miles in 68 minutes. I also climbed 6 flights of stairs afterwards because I wanted to see all those green completed bars on my fitbit It felt great! As I was finishing my first 'course' (to a certain set of speed bumps and back), I thought to myself, "I could do that again and end up around 2.5 miles, then run a bit and back to get to 3.1 miles. I'm gonna try it!" I was a little embarrassing running on the same section of road 6 times, but if that's what I needed to do, that's what I was going to do. It's pretty difficult going on side streets or even continue along the same road very far because the roads are hilly and steeply banked. I ended up passing one walker 3 times. The first two times went pretty well. I thought I was running slower the second time, but the gps said I was going consistently. At the start of the third run, I decided I didn't want to keep looking at my phone to run 0.3 miles in one direction and then turn around to end at 3.1 miles, but instead would just try to complete the course a third time and if I got tired after finishing 5k, I'd walk it back. Well, I made the 5k and wanted to run all the way back. I even got some kind of feeling that I wanted to run as long and far as I could and see how long that'd be. But I stopped at the end of the third course for a 3.86 mile run! It was rough going from the 5K to the end of the run, but well worth it. Even though I was wearing my running socks, my left instep became painful. I tried stepping down lighter; didn't help. I finally remember to bring my left leg/foot toward the center line, and then it felt like I was pushing backward and pulling forward (like those gazelle machines at the gym) and felt A LOT better. I think I had been running with my left foot to the outside of my body. When I got home, I saw a blister on my arch where the insole of my shoe meets the side wall. I really need to watch my foot form. I was reading online, something about one hip being strong and pushing the opposite foot out from the center line (runners who ran too narrow and had ankle issues solved them by strengthening either their hips or abductors or both?) Anyways, I think I just need to be more conscious about my leg/foot placement and don't have an issue with supination/protonation as my shoes are wearing evenly. Thank you all for your support and encouragement!

I'm sorry I haven't been logging on, posting much, or investing into your threads recently. I've been 'down' lately and busier, but I still about you! I've been keeping up with running about 1.25 miles 3 times a week, and strength training when I can. Thank you for continuing to read my thread and encouraging me. I'm sorry I wasn't there on your journey with you.

Thanks, I've read a lot of conflicting articles about fruit. One side states that all the sugar in fruit isn't good for you. The other side states that the sugar in fruit eaten in its natural form doesn't affect your body the same as extracted, refined white sugar. I've seen several health practitioners recommend 12 servings of fruit a day for diabetics!! I don't eat that much (2-5 servings on weekdays). I suppose I should spread it out throughout the day, but putting it in my smoothies has been the easiest method of getting in good nutrients. I am soooo thankful for my fitbit! I always fall into the trap of "that wasn't a very good workout" when it was, and "wow, I burned so much" when I didn't. Case in point: I did a shortened boxing session yesterday and based on the time, thought I'd burn 500 calories, but only saw 300 when I was finished. It made sense (there wasn't as much of a cardio component yesterday, and the trainer kept asking us to switch stances which equates to less calories because it's so awkward). Had I not had an objective measurement for that day, I wouldn't have been able to adjust my intake appropriately. I know it seems like I'm too focused on numbers, but I think the values bring it into perspective for me. 12/14/15 Monday Since I went boxing yesterday, this morning felt rough. I checked my pace as I run and it was slower than Friday. I started at 3.9 mph and went down to 3.8 mph at the end of the 1.34 mile run. Again, I thought I was slacking off because I wasn't going as fast, but the graph showed my heart rate was in the upper cardio range. Yay! I also weighed myself and saw the average of the 4-pound range was lower than the average of the 4-pound range on my scale was last week. So, that's good news, too. The only concern I have now is why do my 20-minute runs feel so rough (other than boxing the day/night before)? I'm trying my rice protein powder for the first time. I've gotta say that it smells/tastes like grains You know, when you mix oatmeal into your smoothie...I hope it keeps me from getting hungry. Thanks for reading guys; hope you have a good run!

12/11/15 Friday This morning's run was rough because I went boxing last night. I was feeling weak last night, so I turned the session into a cardio workout and just focused on breathing. Today, I started my fitbit counter when I started running (instead of at the beginning of the warm up.) I only ran 1.28 miles but I did it at 4.1 mph. Since I have a limited amount of run time in the morning, it's been nice to challenge myself to speed up. Also, since I've changed my workout program, it feels completely different doing a short, speedy run with sore muscles compared to a longer, slower run with rested muscles. I guess this change up is nice--keeping my body guessing. Thanks for reading, guys!

I just bought Nutribiotic's rice protein. I'm going to skip whey right now because milk allergies run in my family and I get really itchy when I consume too much dairy. Right now, I'm doing the cardio thing with some strength training mixed in. I'm going to attribute any weight fluctuations in water weight. I've been keeping my calorie deficit between 0-1000 calories each day--with most days closer to 1000; I'm not eating more than I'm burning, but eating enough to fuel my body. I haven't cut good fats: omega 3's (fish, olive oil, chia seeds), but I've pretty much cut out all trans fats (fast food), hydrogenated oils (many packaged, processed foods), and a good amount of saturated animal fats (still eat it in moderation). While I do eat some grains (whole wheat and rice), I've reduced the portion down (usually about half a serving per meal). I start my weekday morning with 2 cups fruit and 4 cups of leafy vegetables. If I have an opportunity to consume cooked vegetables at any point in the day, I'm all over it. I think I just need to trust that I'm doing everything I can to get healthy and it's going to take time.

Welcome, Free2bme! I'm so glad you joined us. I was in a horrible place before I started c25k; honestly, it changed my life. Open the app 3 times a week and do the program to the best of your ability and it will change your life, too. Feel free to open a thread in the "Accountability" section and post your updates. You'll find a lot of encouragement and support on this forums. I want to hear how your first session went: Week 1, Day 1.

@Anne and Ruthie, awww shucks! I'm not advanced! Paying attention to small details helps me make adjustments to improve. I think it's the only thing that's keeping me semi-sane because I'm unable to tell if I'm improving via scale & mirror. Fitbit came into my life at a great time because it's made me aware of how I burn calories and the amount. One of my biggest problems is learning straight facts, but the processing part of my brain has trouble internalizing and utilizing the knowledge. For example, my run only burned probably 206 calories, but the amount I'll burn over the day is more than if I didn't run. I've read that multiple times before. But I've never translated into "I need to also increase food intake to fuel my body and repair muscles." This keeps me eating enough so that my body doesn't shut down my metabolism because there's not enough calories. Also, when I'm more aware of my calorie needs, I'm better able to plan my meals. This not only ensures that I don't overeat, but also that I'm eating at the right times (and not going too long between meals and becoming ravenous/low blood sugar). It really helps me to have a rough timing for meals because I'm not very good at listening to my body's hunger signals. First, like many others, I have trouble distinguishing food from thirst. While I normally intake a lot of water, I've been eating a few salty meals this holiday season, which for some reason has caused me to drink water less = more thirsty --> mistaking for hunger --> not able to eat correctly with hunger cues. I was logging my boxing workouts at 270 calories because I thought "I wasn't doing much because it's a bag workout" and my friend kept saying I didn't work as hard as he did because he was "Sweating like crazy," it really wanted to make me give up. I checked my calorie burn before and after kickboxing and saw that I burned 750 calories! So, it was effective and I am doing something good for myself. Back to answering your question, Anne, am I having fun and doing things to help myself? Yes, this is definitely good for me. I was so disheartened because I've been doing this workout for over a year (starting with 6 days a week, tapering down to 3 days a week, and finally giving up) because my size and weight were increasing. Now that I understand my intake needs and have that under control, I think I'm finally on the path to success. I started c25k because I was out of breath when bending over to tie my shoes. I was sooo sleepy after lunch and felt like napping through the second half of my workday. I hate purchasing clothes, but they were all tight and I got pushed from being pre-diabetic to slightly diabetic. It was all just too much. Reducing fat, building muscle is my goal and I understand that my weight may stay the same or increase due to muscle weighing more than fat, but I keep hearing that "just loosing 10% body weight can improve your diabetes" blah blah blah. @Azatol: thanks for the recommendation regarding the Myotape. Do you use/have any recommendation for protein powders? I want to add one to my morning fruit/veggie smoothie to keep the hunger at bay. 12/9/15 Wednesday I got my Swiftwick socks yesterday and couldn't wait to test RUN with them today On the walking warm up, they feel like normal socks. When I first started to run, they felt like thick nylon tights. My feet slid inside my shoes a bit and I had to really stabilize my ankle and make sure my feet were moving in a front-back motion without any lateral movement or twisting. After I got used to it, they were fine. I didn't have any pain/rubbing on my left instep!! Woo hoo! I pushed myself to keep moving in my run today. Looking at the graph, my heart rate roller-coastered and was lower than my last few runs because I was SORE from kickboxing on Monday. Worth it! No Regrets. I am going to change my boxing nights to Tuesday and Thursday for two reasons. 1) I enjoy boxing more than kick boxing -- hard to balance lift heavy lower body for kicking, but much easier to use large muscles for powerful punches. Running has really added muscle to my lower body. 2) I think it'd be better to do some type of workout each day rather than stacking cardio and strength training on the same day. I'd still have 36 hours between run and boxing so it's not like I'm not getting a rest day in between. It's just going to be rough running 12 hours after strength training. Oh well. Thanks for all your encouragement! Happy running!

12/7/15 Monday The left heel felt like it was going to slip this morning when I started, but after I got into the run, I didn't notice any slipping. I feel like my runs are getting more fluid (my body is moving in the correct motion and planes) with each week's run. Today, I did little loops with my hands. On my right foot down, I slightly turned my right shoulder, hip, and hand forward. I brought my hip and shoulder straight back, but my hand did a little drop and then pulled back toward my side. I repeated this on my left side. This felt like a natural stride with my whole body moving as one. (I don't think I could keep both hips pointing forward during the entire run and just swinging my legs forward and back . I can't really tell if I'm getting thinner or not (so many fluctuations throughout the day, week, month that it's hard for me to tell by eye and the scales are wonky (digital and non). I'm just going to keep up my regimen of running 3 x week, 3 x week heavy bag boxing/body weight exercises, adjusting my calorie intake per activity for each day, and get enough water and sleep. That's all I can do. It's a bit strange for me to vary my intake based on my activity. Previously, I wasn't aware of my body's calorie burn patterns and I'd end up eating way too little on weekdays and too much on weekends. I hope adjusting my intake will level out my cognitive function. Due to my schedule, I run in the mornings and strength train in the evenings. I'm going to try to strength train on the same as my runs so that I'll have a full day to recover before I run again. If I run and strength train on alternate days, I'll be sore when I run. Does that make sense? I think my fitbit has pushed me to run at a higher cadence with a bit more lean, speeding up my pace, and working my heart and lungs more (even if my sessions are shorter).

12/4/15 Friday Words cannot describe how thankful I am for my Fitbit, While MyFitnessPal told me the calories of foods I was consuming, it couldn't tell me the calories I was burning. For a while, I was running a 1700 calorie deficit most days until my body forced me to eat a "heavy" day (800 calorie deficit) each week. I couldn't think, I was cold all the time, and I couldn't regulate my emotions. I read about a study where men were reduced from 3200 calories a day to 1600. I felt a lot like those guys. I ate more yesterday and felt amazing this morning. I looked really bloated yesterday morning and saw a big difference today. I'm aiming for an actual 1000 calorie deficit now. Scale budge or no budge, as long as I keep up my running, sleeping, and eat right, I'm going to enjoy my fat burn. Running 3 spread days a week really, really helped! I felt like this was my fastest run yet! It's hard to tell from MapMyFitness because I recorded my warm up and cool down, but even with that, it's one of my faster times. I also used the Fitbit map to track my time/distance and it's showing that I got up to 4 mph, averaging 3.8 mph (including walking warm up). Great, great, great! I only ran for 20 minutes, but those 20 minutes were more quality than my normal 30 minute runs 4 times a week. Bonus: 34 degrees outside today! I purchased some running gloves yesterday (just to cold to run bare-handed with Reynaud's), but my fingertips were still freezing! I am definitely going to stick with 3 runs a week for now. My boxing membership came up and I didn't renew, so I'll have to do body weight exercises on my own, if I can get myself to do them (will be something I do if I feel weak). My forearms, they look impossibly thin for myself compared to my much larger upper arms. Also, since I was half a dollar free shipping for Amazon's add-on item, I researched and picked up Swiftwick Aspire Zero socks, at Azatol's suggestion. I also got the free pair of Thorlos socks. Was that your suggestion, Anne? I didn't get running ones, though. Anne, were you the one that mentioned it was difficult to breathe with your nose covered? Or was that you, Ruthie? I find that NeilMed NasoGel Saline Nose Gel keeps the inside of my nose from hurting while running in cold, dry weather. That is, when I remember to use it. Apply with Q-Tip.

No holes. https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/womens-ua-speedform-apollo-running-shoes/pid1245955