Timb113

Thanks. I actually did suck it up and go out. I ran through some subdivisions so the wind wasn't so bad. I did it!! W6d3!! Whoo hoo! On to week 7! Feeling a bit intimidated, but I know I can do it. Slow and steady. I'm the only one in the race, so I always win.

You can do this. It's important to set your mind to be healthy not skinny.

Shannon, I think you'll find a lot of great motivation on these forums. I started the C25K program (for the third time) this summer and completed it for the first time, running my first two 5Ks in August. I moved on to the 10K program, and though I did not complete it, I used some of the principles to build my own training program for my first 10K, which I completed yesterday! I like to come on here to see the success stories, and see where people are struggling, because we all did (in the C25K program and in life). I'm quite an introvert, but I feel like I have a different voice here, and I hope you find yours and all else that you're looking for. Best of luck!

Noah, like Azatol said, you'll be surprise by what your body can do if you put your mind to it. If you've made it through the program to this point, your body is ready to run 20 minutes in one stretch, you just need to get your mind on board. Will you be tired? Sure. Will you want to walk at some point? Sure (and if you do, that's fine), but you CAN DO IT! We have faith in you. Let us know how it goes.

Heather, good luck. Try to make a schedule to keep yourself on track. I work at a university and started the program during the summer, when things were much lighter. Once school was in session again, it made it much harder to keep on pace. If you can set exactly which days you are going to run/lift/cross train/etc., and work it into your schedule, that will help, I think.

Oh no! I hope you recover quickly, but take your time getting back. The last thing you want to do is try to get back to quick, compensate for a sore ankle and injure something else. I just tweaked my knee this morning on my final training run before my first 10K on Thursday. I'm hoping I just need a day and a half of rest of be good to go!

Jay, it happens quite a bit. Getting started can be the hardest part, but it's like any exercise, your body needs to adjust and grow stronger. Keep doing day one until you can complete it, then move on to day two. This might happen during a number of the weeks throughout the program, but there is nothing wrong with that. Just keep working at it! Good luck.

As 2014 comes to a close in the next week, I feel the need to reflect on some major accomplishments that I owe all to the C25K program by ZenLabs.  I started this journey back on April 14, 2014 with some motivation from my wife and family.  Running was never something that I was jealous of, really, never understood why someone would just "run" on their own.  After starting the program, I had signed up for my first 5K race.  It was a Father's day race, which was fitting, seeing that I am a father of 3 under the age of 5.  My goal was to finish the race without injury and have a baseline for the rest of the year.  Finished that race in 26:41 with an 8:36/mi pace.  Blown away!  I finished the race and faster than I could have imagined.  Maybe I have something here, was a thought that I had racing in my head.  Maybe this running thing could be for me.  Will I ever finish first, no, probably not, but is that the goal?  The goal to me, was to finish at a faster pace/time than the race before, even if it was just a second faster.  Now, I needed to get the understanding that I may not be faster than the previous race because each course is different and some may be faster or more flat than others.  This has been an internal struggle with me because of my nature and not wanting to fail.  Fast forward to today.  I have completed six (6) 5K races with the last being my best race of the season, running a 22:16 at a 7:10/mi pace!  I have also thrown in a 10K in the middle of September which was run at 52:59.  Upon posting this I have logged 304 miles which includes the C25K program at an overall pace of 9:05/mi.  The most impressive thing for me is the amount of energy I have and how I feel if I don't "get a run in", the fact of the matter is that I have become one of those "runners" and I can not thank ZenLabs and their C25k program for getting me there.  Oh, my scale thanks you too, dropping 20lbs and a full pant and shirt size in a mere 8 months!  
 
Looking forward to 2015 and my first half marathon!

w5d3 has been staring me down for a while looking like a 20 foot tall frightening beast. I repeated w5d1 and d2 twice to build endurance. Tonight I went for it. I decided that the best way to slay the beast was to establish a conservative pace that maybe didn't get me two miles in distance but got me thru twenty minutes in time. End result, I did 1.8 miles in 20 minutes and slated Goliath on the clock. Didn't stop once in the 20 minutes and according to my meter kept a pretty consistent pace. My legs aren't shot. I feel pretty good physically tonight, mentally I feel very good about myself. I'm quickly going from a "never ran" to an "I can do this".
 
I'm staring week six in the eyes and for the first time since starting I don't feel intimidated.

Azatol, Great job so far. The program does an amazing job of having you ready to take the next step, and W5D3 was something I was dreading for about three weeks leading up to it, but it's also the most accomplished feeling I've had in the running I've done over the past six months. I felt more proud of finishing that 20 minutes than I did my first 5K. It's a huge milestone, and one that I will not forget. Keep up the good work!

Everyone is different from my studying. All the guides I read say run as slow as you possibly can. Build endurance and speed comes later. I know I'm a 6 foot tall man and my jog is 5.45mph with my walking phases at 2.9mph. I have a very short inseam. All I know is it's working for me. I don't gauge things on what the books say. If I can lift a little more or run 2 feet further than yesterday(ok, 2 days ago because I always take a rest day but it just doesn't sound as cool as "since yesterday"), I'm making forward progress and as long as you're making forward progress, you win. My doctor once told me "It took you over 40 years to get in the condition you're in. You can't expect to reverse that in 2 weeks".
 
To sum it up. I say keep doing exactly what you're doing. If you make progress, WIN. Else you can re-evaluate and make adjustments as needed.
 
I'm sure KellyAnn will weigh in with the voice of experience and wisdom. Mine are just thoughts from the overactive mind of a newbie.

Rose, I run in the morning, when the temp here is usually in the mid-30s (F). I find that just getting something that keeps the cold air off the skin is best. It doesn't need to be really think or bulky, or that just becomes restricting. Once you've gotten 10-15 minutes into you run, you'll be warmed up from the exercise anyway. A key for me is a hat to keep my head warm, and that's something that easy enough to carry for the remainder of your run if you become too warm.

I started the program three times in the past year and completed it just this past week. I didn't think I'd get through the 90-second runs, and then the greatest obstacle became the 20-minute run in week 5. Finally, the 30 minutes of running and running in my first 5K. I've walked a few 5Ks and earlier this summer I walk/jogged one, but this morning, I ran the entire 5K, placing eighth of 21 in my age group. That wasn't what mattered -- it was the great feeling of not giving in to the urge to walk at any point (which came about a dozen times). I set a time goal, which I beat by more than a minute, but that didn't matter as well. Doing it, seeing my clothes fitting better, and losing weight are what has made it worth it. Knowing that I'll be able to live longer and spend more time with my kids made it worth it. And now, knowing that I'm going to move on to C210K and step up to the next level is making it worth it. I always hated running. I played sports in school like golf and baseball -- because we didn't have to run. Well, you can officially call me a runner. And I'm loving the path it's taking me down!

You will quickly find out that pushing yourself to do more, and go farther, is addictive. Just get a few weeks in and you'll continue to want to do more! Good luck.

I must be doing it wrong. I get up and get my run done and then eat about an hour after. I tend not to be able to run on a full tummy

And first 5K....FINISHED!
 
Pretty decent time, I wasn't too worried about it. Goal was to keep going the whole time and finish. Only point I walked a little was near a water station, to pour some over my head and swig a small amount.
 
TThe feeling coming around the corner and seeing the finish line was pretty cool!
 
Can't wait for the next one!

C25K helped me start my running journey!  Since becoming a graduate of the C25K app, I have since completed the 10K app and will be starting the half marathon app as well. I have completed 4, 5K's and logged MANY miles on my own since the beginning.  I have lost 45 lbs. and  have never felt better! I'll be turning 50 next year & will also be doing my first half marathon, cannot wait for this!  Thank you so much Zen Labs for creating these programs for someone like me who was new to the running world ~ I am forever grateful!!!