Ok so I'm W9R2 and have doing this on a treadmill, with no previous expierence with running on rubber or ashphalt. I feel like a complete moron because 1 run away from "graduating" and I realize today that I am not running a 5k yet and actually I am NOWHERE near running a 5k!! Today my distance was 1.48m which is like 2.4km!!!
I have registered my 11 yr old and I in a 5k run June 11th... Feeling very discouraged!!😞
I don't believe that distance on your treadmill. Walking pace is 6-10km per hour, so you'd expect at least 3km in 30 minutes.
I guess I'm just not going to know for sure until I map it out and get outside..!:/
I know you feel frustrated, but you're obviously not a moron, Bbunch . No point beating yourself up.
If you're a run away from graduation, it's clear to me that your fitness must have increased dramatically since you started.
Im sure i read on here that the program really should be called couch to 30mins but it doesnt sound right. The point is the main aim is being able to run for 30 mins and not the distance or the speed
Right. You're now running for 30 minutes. Even if the treadmill is right, could you do that 9 weeks ago? Probably not. So, you've made huge gains in fitness. Yes, the proof will be in running outside, quite different from a treadmill but far more interesting and lots more to distract you. Few people can run 5 k in 30 minutes at the end, so don't set your hopes too high. Running faster takes a lot more time and practice and there are many much wiser than I on this forum who still can't do it. I never have and probably never will. 5 k run on June 11 th- no problems. You can run for 30 minutes or for a little longer if you can and walk the rest. You will not be alone and, unless you were hoping for a podium position, you're still doing better than all those left on the couch!
Oops, I sound a bit fierce! Don't mean it. You're doing great. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it and you wouldn't be here! And we all have wobbles. (In more ways than one!). Well done on getting so far. Graduation is just the beginning of a long journey so don't rush!
Good luck. And let us all know how the run goes in June.
I run on the treadmill while watching "Netflix"
only way I could keep motivated
You are absolutely right though!! When I started I was counting down the seconds until my 90sec walk break!
I guess I had tunnel vision and became fixated on my goal😄
Really appreciate the reality check! Thank you
Hi Bbunch, @Slinkyminky has got it absolutely correct , it is really not important that youre not reaching 5k in 30 minutes. The purpose of the programme is to run for 30 minutes non stop not to reach 5k distance .
Maybe they called it Couch to 5k because Couch to 30 minutes doesn't sound half as catchy, so please do not think you are " a moron " at all , youre not !
There are not many people doing this programme that reached 5k in 30 minutes at the end of Week 9 . Reaching 5k distance is something you could possibly work on after Graduation, but there is no time limit at all . You just need to concentrate on running 30 minutes each time for the Week 9 runs, and don't worry about your distance !
Good Luck ! xxx
It is remarkable at many 5k runs how soon people start walking, so you won't be alone if you can't run all the way. I wouldn't be surprised if you find on the day that you can actually run the distance. I would recommend that you get some outdoor miles on those legs before the day. Regardless of whether you run all the way or not you will do much better than you would have done prior to doing the programme.
Don't be disheartened and keep up your running for your own health and as a brilliant example to your child. What setting did you have your treadmill set to?
Thank you for your kind words! For the first 8wks I was walking at 4mph and jogging at 6mph until I was ready to totally give up!! My husband said that was what he runs at so naively I thought that's what you do.( evidently he has never passed week 3! ) when I would take a break I would hop on the sides for :30 secs and then hop back on. It never occurred to me to lower the speed until w8r3 when I got thinking about when I run outside I'll never be able to keep a constant speed...and I don't think that's logical. 💡 Then it clicked if I lowered my speed maybe I wouldn't need the breaks!!
that was a major break through for me. It's been a roller coaster of feelings since then.
I generally start now my runs at 5mph and increase speed by .2 every so many mins. I've been finishing at 5.6mph today and Monday past.
If you're doing those speeds you HAVE to be doing at least 2.5 miles in 30 minutes. And that's not too bad.
Tell you a secret. I think most of us graduates do so a long way off 5k. I managed 3.3 k in 35 minutes today, and I am well chuffed with that.
You're doing great! Race day just give it your best shot with a smile on your face. We have folks that walk the entire thing, so you go out and do whatever you feel like. And post back afterwards!!
I will go back and read your post on race day to pump me up thank you !
Racing is all about you. Doesn't matter if you're first or last, it's a major accomplishment and a great way to celebrate graduation. Even if you walk nearly the whole thing. On my first race I pictured all the people of the forum I had been chatting with that had been supporting me and running through the program with me. I thought of how far I had come from that first run. It felt great. I even got a little teary eyed. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I did mine.
My graduation run was 3.7 km ie no where near 5k. It sometimes irritates me that I'm snailrunning, but that's how it is, and I am enjoying it immensely.
Hi Iben, how are you; are you finally off the IC? 
Not running yet, but walking without a limp. I might be getting off that couch before we leave Greece.... I'm still dreaming of just one little run in these surroundings, but won't do it if it prolongs my stay on the IC.
Well, global warming permitting, Ithaca will stay there for the foreseeable future; even if you cannot manage a run during this trip there will be other occasions.
It's pretty common not being able to reach 5km within the programme or even for a few week after it; it is called "Couch to 5km" but it should really be called "Couch to 30min". So don't worry about the distance; it will build naturally over the next few weeks.
For what concerns your run on June 11th, just take some walking breaks when you need it and you'll get to the end without any problem. Actually, you might even surprise yourself.
Download endomondo or another tracker app and get outside. I tried running on my brother's treadmill and it wasn't even close to the distance I was covering outdoors.
Very few of us manage 5K in 30 minutes at the time of our graduation (I didn't) but c25k is the start of your running journey, not a destination of a gauge or ultimate performance.
We have runners on this board who can run 5K in around 20 minutes and others who take 45, some love to push themselves to improve times with all sorts of gadgets which measure cadence, heart rates and stride length whereas others just like to get out and run without any thought of speed/pace and just enjoy the benefits of being off the couch.
Regardless of what type of runner you are, or want to be, just try to enjoy running for the time being. Running non-stop for 30 minutes is something that most people just can't do and if it is performance you are looking for, just compare where you were 9 weeks ago and think where that level of progress will take you in another 9 weeks.
I finished Couch to 5K in August 2015, and have yet to run 5k in 30 mins! I can however run for 59 minutes without stopping now though! Speed doesn't matter but what you've achieved and the progress you've made is by far the main thing. Be proud of yourself! Xxx
I Bbunch - I have just finished W9R3 and I don't do 5K in 30 minutes either! (My current time is around 40 mins.)
As has been said below, the main thing is to get some outdoor experience before the race - running outdoors is more interesting anyway, and you can map your run afterwards with Google Maps or MapMyRun to see how far you got. If you have any information about the course you will be doing on 11 June, perhaps you could walk it one day before the race so you feel more comfortable with it?
Also, don't worry that you won't be able to run the whole way - I think most people do at least a bit of walking, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are some contestants doing a lot of walking. Wishing you luck!
I thought this was supposed to get easier?
W8R2 - I never even thought about this before I started but...................
I just had to Run !!!
A bit deflated,my runs are not what I thought they were :(
So close I can smell it - W9R2
