Hi! I'm really new at this, just completed week two. Never ever thought I would run! But it's still so hard! I push on through, but can anyone tell me when this will start to feel a bit easier? I'm totally knackered every time.
Also, is it normal to get pins and needles in your toes when you run?
And is it normal for your eyes to feel funny after you stop running?
Thanks in advance everyone!!
It is hard but try slow down a bit and take it steady.
Toes... maybe your shoes are too small?
Eyes.... do you feel dizzy? Have you eaten and had enough water? See the docs if it worries you. I normally feel a little dizzy when I finish but it passes quickly
Well done starting!!
Thanks Caroline! No my trainers are new and they're just the right size. Maybe it's the way I'm running, I don't really have a clue what I'm doing. So terrified for week 3 as I've just heard I have to run for 3 minutes... eek!!!
I drink before I go out and then after I get back. It doesn't last long. Maybe my body is just like, what are you doing?? Haha
Take it really slow and easy Minxygirl. It's harder than it sounds though, believe me. Very VERY few graduate on time and with 5K under their belt so please don't stress over 'falling behind' or anything 
It's done by building up stamina, not speed or distance. Those last two will come later. For now you are trying to get your body to work in a completely new way so it's bound to feel a bit weird and be a bit pissed off with you
As for getting 'easier' - yes it does. But there will always be days when even that Osian Bolt guy over there feels like crap when he runs so bear that in mind also Main thing now is to build up stamina slowly and steadily and without injury.
Read the early posts of Graduates - you will see in their we share an amazingly common experience on our journey, same worries concerns and self doubt. But - it really is all about just going out the door and putting one foot in front of the other slow,,,,then slower still.
And then when you Graduate, you will find yourself stressing about not being able to run 5K in twenty minutes or something - just like the rest of us 
Haha! I can't imagine ever even being able to run 5k! Although I do wonder what distance I cover in the half an hour that I'm out, would be good if there was a way to find out.
I do go really slow already... if I were any slower I would be walking lol!!! I can't wait to feel like running for a couple of minutes isn't torture. Oh, wait, I haven't even run for 2 minutes yet!! 
I'm 52 and never run in my adult life
2 years ago I smoked 30 fags a day
Just finished week 4 run 1 , if I can do it anyone can!!!!
Get yourself the free Strava app it will track your route tell you how far you have been and track your times each km etc I'm listening to everyone else and learning to run slow seems to be the key , amazed I just ran for 5 min blocks as only 3 weeks ago it was 60 second intervals and I found them hard in wk1
That's amazing and so inspiring! Thank you Does the Strava app work if its running at the same time as the C25K app? x
You can use also free app Endomondo. There are quire few of those apps. I'm using Endomondo, as it also track many other activities and you can connect it with MyFitnessPal that counts calories.
It's the hardest part of the mental game of running - to really really run slow One of my runs I was a bit bored so I decided to do my thirty five minutes as slowly as humanly possible without actually taking a 'walking step'. It was bloody hard to do! But a bit of a fun break in the usual routine The astonishing thing though - I was not that far short of the distance I usually made at what I THOUGHT had been my 'slow' speed
And I now recall my very first post to this Forum was to ask
'Is it physically possible I am running slower than I walk??!!!"
I was in a bit of a panic back then! LOL
All I can say is that I did graduate, took me about three months and nowhere near 5K when I did but about a month later I ran a 33 minute 5K in my only race so far and yesterday I did my first 10K and took about one hour twenty minutes. I have never had to go on the IC and only got a hint of a Stitch or anything once or twice - so going slow really seems banannas at times, especially the early days but it really pays off over the longer term
Thank you, I really appreciate the advice!! xx
lol I had/have no clue either but this place is fab! And so helpful.
It's hard not to think about the next week and how long the runs get but try focus on the day you're doing and the progress you make at the end. You'll be ready for week 3!
Try to loosen your shoe laces a bit to stop your toes tingling.. Sounds like your hindering the blood flow a bit.
All the best with week 2 😁
Number one your doing fine. A lot of us start off with worries, it's new and scary to start with but trust me it does get less scary each time you go out. I can't promise it will get easier just it won't bother you so much. My hubby asked if I needed to see a doctor after my first few runs as I went a lovely beetroot colour. From a lot of what you've said it sounds possible that you might be a little tense while your out and that can lead to all you are experiencing. Slow down try and shake your shoulders out a bit and take some calming breaths, but not too deep as that can make yourself dizzy. I was once given the great advice of count to 100 in your head, it takes the focus of the run mentally and helps you to relax.
I actually count my strides in my head, quite unconsciously, and it helps me keep a rhythm, predict when a segment is nearly done, and takes my mind off the pain 
If you have pins and needles in your toes try tying your laces more loosely. If you want to know how far/fast you're going so you can see your progress you can download an app like mapmyrun or runkeeper onto your phone and they'll track your exploits. I know it seems really hard now but if you can persevere for just a few weeks you'll really begin to see improvements. Good luck !
Yay well done... maybe loosen your laces a bit??
I found the first 2 weeks the hardest. Then I learnt the hard way that I was actually running too fast. I hurt my calf on the 4th 90 second run of the final run in week two and really thought I wasn't going to finish. But i hobbled on, very slowly and found I could do it and wasn't so breathless and exhausted. Week 3 I ran very, very slowly and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Today I finished week 6 with a 25 minute run! Something I wouldn't have believed possible a few short weeks ago. Take it slow, listen to the advice on here and you'll find that you too can do it. 😀
I have a cup of tea before I run haha
Well done for starting, that is the hard part. I am doing the third run of Week 4 today and can't believe I am managing to run for 5 minutes at a time. I use the word run very loosely, as I am not going fast at all (could probably walk faster), but I am moving and that is what it is all about. The 60 second run of week 1 nearly killed me, as did the 90 of week 2. The thought of doing 3 minutes, put the fear of God into me, but I did it, and then 5 minutes. It is amazing how much stamina you build up doing the 3 weekly runs, and as everyone else has said, the secret is to take it slow and steady and you will surprise yourself at what you are capable of. Yes there legs feel leaden at the start and it is hard work, but then all of a sudden you find yourself looking forward to your runs and become proud that you are making the effort. Keep at it and good luck for week 2.
and to make it even better, I have discovered the feature where you can listen to music... I've been running in silence! Haha x
Silence is impressive! When I run without music, I hear all this heavy breathing, wheezing and thudding all around me. Not sure if I'm making the noises myself, or if it's some sort of localised weather system following me around.
Haha! I know what you mean! Ok, not silence then, just the sound of my panting for dear life
Well done for starting, getting out on the first place is the hardest thing. My advice would be not to look forward to what is coming up in the next week because it can really put you off - I only did it once! Take deep breaths when you are running , relax your shoulders and take a slow steady pace; snails used to wave as the whizzed past me when I started out. It does get easier as you go through the program & by the time you graduate you will look back to when you started & wonder why you thought running for 1 minute was so difficult. Have a look at some of the graduates early posts as Irish- John suggests, we all had moments where we thought we would never be able to run. Keep at it & et us know how you are getting on; this is a very friendly, supportive & encouraging forum & I cannot recommend them enough 🤗
Thank you,, yes everyone has been lovely and helpful so far! How do I look at graduate's early posts? x
Thanks! Still trying to figure this thing out, I'm not the most tech savvy person lol
If you just click on the blue text that says someone's name you can view their profile and previous posts.
I'm at exactly the same stage as you - finished Week 2, Run 3 yesterday, and starting Week 3 tomorrow. I am running on a treadmill at the gym - walking at 4mph and running at 4.5mph. Was mighty relived to have it confirmed that I was miles and not kilometres as I worked out it would take me over an hour to run 5K at that pace! No weight loss so far and I am finding it very touch - but I am determined to keep going. Keep running and posting and I will be your "virtual" running buddy! 😃
Aww that's great! So nice to know someone is exactly where I am! Let me know how you get on with your first run of week 3 Mine is tomorrow xx
Did Week 3, Run 1 this morning on the treadmill. The first 3 minutes was daunting and quite tough but I slowed my pace to 4.2mph (from 4.5mph which has been my pace so far) and managed it. The mental achievement was as exhilarating as the physical - and by the end of the run I felt quite proud of myself - I did it!! Will do the other two runs on Tuesday and Thursday this week and then a couple of days off as I'm away next weekend. I am open to repeating weeks if necessary and won't beat myself up if this is the case. I'm not aiming for a calendar date to achieve this - just to get fit and be able to run for 30 minutes at some point this year. Doubt it will be 5K to start with in 30 mins, but that doesn't worry me either. We'll get there!! Let me know how you get on! X
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