My primary aim is to lose some weight. I am 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 103kg three weeks ago. On the chart I am well into the 'Obese' range. Milestone 1 would be to get down to being merely 'Overweight' (92kg). Milestone 2 down to a 'Healthy Weight' (76kg).
I am counting calories and eating more healthily, but want to get into some regular exercise. So I began C25K.
* Week 1 was quite difficult and I was not able to complete all of the running segments. I was having shin problems, muscle not bone, and took Hidden 's advice to get a good pair of running shoes. I completed the week, spread over slightly more days than the seven. I decided to repeat W1.
* Week 2 (W1 repeat), I completed W1R1 with few problems on Sunday, and W1R2 today. I am taking the advice to run more slowly and so am able to complete the run segments. I plan to do W1R3 on Thursday, and roll onto Week 2 proper thereafter.
I have been listening to 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running' audiobook by Haruki Murakami for inspiration, and loving it.
PS - His running is in a completely different league, but it's ok to dream.
Bear in mind that you are not going to be burning huge numbers of calories in the early weeks of C25K so do be disheartened if the weight loss is not everything you hope for initially.
Thanks Dunder2004 , going from zero exercise to walking and running moderately should get my metabolism up. I intend to shift most of the weight from reduced calorie intake, but want to adopt a more active lifestyle.
It's good to get out into the park and see the trees coming to life, like me emerging from a period of low activity.
You are going to be fine..just stick to your own pace... weight loss as Dunder2004 says, may not be immediate... but, you will get stronger and fitter and things will tighten up
Maybe as well..think Low carb eating regime...not silly dieting, but good tasty food without the added extra! ( weight)
There are some great recipes in the Michael Mosley Blood Sugar Diet recipes... ( We follow aspects of this as it enhances our Med type eating regime.. husband is Type 2 Diabetic.. genetic not lifestyle) but we don't stick to the carb recommendations.. too low ! And we don't fast..
But.. husband lost some extra weight which was annoying him.. he walks, every day, but does not run Might be worth a look; I just love some of the recipes
I have vastly reduced my carbs, dairy and sugar. I ate a lot of cheese and butter! Not any more. Gone are ready meals, sugary drinks (inc. spoonfulls in tea and coffee), only occassional low-fat cottage cheese and yogurt. Lots more organic (where possible) fresh fruit and veg, 5 a day plus.
I am loving my new diet, trying some new foods, and feeling the benefit already.
I only have artisan wholemeal bread, rationed to one loaf per week.
I like Michael Mosley when I see him on TV, so will check out the recipes. Thanks very much, good health to you and your husband
You'll be fine if you take things easily. Slow is best for the programme. Once you get into the habit of eating/drinking healthily and running regularly you will feel energised 🙂 Just stick to it!
Well done on your run. Keep going, you are doing great!
I have just finished reading this book. Its an intetesting read. Amazing what you can do with running if you have the motivation, time and financies to travel the world. Another good read is 'Fit to Run' .
There's a lot of us who start for the weight loss but continue for the running...
Anyway, the great thing is that even if you don't lose so much as a kilo, you are putting yourself in a much healthier position.
I enjoyed the Murakami (which is more than I can say for one or two of his other works) - wonderfully unfussy, even though hardcore.... and a nightmare as far as I'm concerned, not a dream.
I hope that the running will persist... I am only part way through the Murikami book, and so far so good. I chose it because of the running theme, I read 'Sputnik Sweetheart' a while back, can't remember that much about it, but must have enjoyed it at some level to be prepared to try this book.
Yes, GoogleMe , hopefully I can stick with the new regime and benefit from continued improved health. Thanks for the encouragement.
like you im 5ft9in ,only i weighed in at 113k and to tell you straight dont expect any real weight loss during your 1st 4 wks . in my case most of the segments are all about building your strength and stamina . from wk5 you can expect to start shedding , as the running segments start to become solid blocks of running where i promise you , you will build up a proper sweat . week 5 1st 2 days run build you up the strength for run 3 . just take your time
Hi doubletap , appreciate the heads-up on weight loss expectations. That will help me, I'm sure. I am beginning to realise that I am just building a foundation at the moment, and slow and steady seems to be the best advice.
Looking forward to the full run stages, but that seems a long way off at the mo. Good luck with your running progress and weight loss
Sounds to me like you are on the correct path. Your aim should not be "to go on a diet" , "loose weight" or to "do some exercise" - but should be on "developing a proper diet" and "change your lifestyle to a more active one". It is quite easy to start a diet to lose weight and to start to exercise/run - but it is more difficult to turn these things into lifelong habits.
BTW - as a simple example - whenever I get a bit "peckish" and want to snack, I eat an apple. I have developed a bit of an "apple eating hobby" - there are many many varieties of apples, all quite different and I reach for one when the hungries hit!!
I've lost 20 kms in 15 months - don't let set backs stop you, have a variety of exercise & keep at it - the lighter you become the easier & more enjoyable the exercise becomes! Good luck!
Thanks grog , feeling a bit 'off' today for the first time since this new eating and exercise regime. I also had poor sleep last night, so maybe I'm just a bit tired. I am not easily put off by set-backs.
'The lighter you become, the easier & more enjoyable the exercise becomes! ' - Music to my ears.
Really motivational. Best wishes for future endeavours
Well done 50up😊 you have exactly the right attitude. Tackle each run one at time, enjoy your successes as you progress through the program.
Many of us took much longer to complete the program (7 months for me), but its fine to repeat 'weeks' if you need to and each progression is designed to be challenging but doable.
Good luck. Run nice and slow and steady just a gentle jog is required. Keep posting.😊x
Thanks Bluebirdrunner . Good to hear that I am on the right track. I am enjoying the walks and runs (and the feeling afterwards), and am in no great hurry to get through the programme. It's a shock to the system, but in a good way
Completed Week 2 today. R1 went quite well, slow pace, no major aches. R2 had sore shins below the knee (both legs), probably ran too fast..but still slow, ice packs applied afterwards. R3 conscious sloooow pace, no major aches..phew!
Been cycling a bit as well, so am increasing my daily activity, as was the plan. Losing a bit of weight too (mainly from restricted calories).
Going to cycle over to my local park run on Saturday morning, just to see the course and soak up the vibe. May ask about volunteering to help with marshalling. Planning ahead for post-C25K activities, running in a proper 5k. Some way off, but definitely an aspiration.
Before I did parkrun, I also cycled to it and checked it out. I followed the runners round! Volunteering before you're ready to run would be a great idea too as it will get you "into" the running community, in a way. And hopefully you'll see that - like our forum here - the people there are quite supportive and encouraging of people at all levels.
Congratulations on this New Life, clearly taking root. Keep going.
Thanks AnneDroid (love the name). Good to know that I'm following a tried and tested path. I think that my seed (of wishing for better health) has fallen on fertile ground (overwhelming support generally, but especially on this forum).
I don't want to get too carried away, looking at future possibilities, but mainly want to enjoy the journey and each new experience.
It is so encouraging to read the stories of C25K graduates, see the struggles (which we all encounter) and then the milestones achieved, the new lifestyles adopted and the incidental rewards. Gives us all hope
Great to meet you too. Thanks for the kind words. Also, you were very good to walk me round the course after the run.
I have registered with parkrun now. I won't be doing a run until I have completed the C25K. I will volunteer to help out in the meantime though. Looks like I am busy this coming Saturday, but maybe the following week.
W3R1 went well, planning R2 today. Hope your injury heals soon, and you can get back to the running, which you clearly love.
Since I've been out injured, I've walked after my Parkrun duties are finished, so it was no problem, and my pleasure. And interesting to walk that first part of the course - I wouldn't normally walk it, so having done it with you, I'm more aware of what it's really like now! So thank you!!!
Good job, keep plodding along, every day is one further from your start and closer to your end goal. You are ahead of me in this challenge and well on your way by the sound of it. We are all behind round! Go slow, go better, go always.
Just completed Week 3. R1 and R2 went well with few problems, still running slow as advised. Today's run R3 was more difficult. My legs felt heavy and I was generally more sluggish. It was colder today, so maybe that was a factor.
However, I managed to do all segments and felt better at the end of the session.
R1 and R2 went OK, still not easy though. For R3 I tackled a slightly more hilly route, and struggled more than usual I did manage all the segments though, really slowly.
It was quite warm and sunny today for R3, enjoyed the conditions.
Finally got the app to play my music in between the commentary
I've just been catching up with your progress 50up. You're doing amazingly! And really good to hear you're getting on top of those shin pains. It really is all about running slowly. By week 9 I knew I wouldn't be able to do 5k in 30minutes so I set myself a 4k goal instead. And plenty of people graduate running even less than that. But the important thing is learning to just keep running. And that's what you realise in week 5. All the methods that keep you going, distracting yourself with music, counting your breaths, just getting to that lamppost, no to that weed growing between the paving stones, oh okay maybe a bit further to that grass verge. etc. etc. You will totally get there it's just mind games now Enjoy
I'm only looking as far ahead as the next week for my runs. Otherwise I'll die of fright
I really doubt that I'll manage the 5k in 30 mins at W9, and it's reassuring to hear that this is not so unusual. I'll be well pleased to just sustain a run for 30 mins (yikes!), no matter how little ground I cover.
I'll be relying on my small (but growing) collection of mind games to see me through.
Very few people manage 5k in 30 mins by the end of the programme. And it doesn't matter at all😉
Your programme is going exactly as it should be, and you will amaze yourself with what can achieve each week.
You know the mantra by now.... slow & steady which will make you strong & stable!!!!!!!!😉
Just take a look at the number of posts who say "week 5 r3 - is that possible?!!! And they all come back & say done! And you will too. The work you have been doing up till now makes you ready for it.
Week 5 completed. Really! Can't believe I ran for 20 mins
I did R1 OK. Struggled with R2, feeling the shocks through my knees. No way was I going to manage the 20 min run in W3.
So I set out this morning, a little apprehensive, but with a positive attitude and a determination to run the slowest 20 mins in history. It worked. Took me ages to catch up with an elderly gentleman with a walking stick. I avoided the temptation to run faster, except for the last couple of minutes. I also avoided any large hilly bits.
When my calves were beginning to ache, I slowed and tried to make my upper legs take more of the strain. Don't know if that is actually possible, but the mind game seemed to help, and my calves recovered.
Thanks Davoda , yes you did tell me so Very glad you were right. Plan to start week 6 on Thursday. Will be having a break over the weekend before R2 & R3.
You managed another run since Saturday? Hope your injury is much better.
Week 6 Completed! This was a bumpy ride. I did R1 10 days ago, and as others have said going back to intervals after the W5R3 20 min run was harder than expected.
I then had birthday celebrations, where running was postponed and diet compromised. This was followed by a week of illness (not all due to excesses of parties ).
I did R2 two days ago and it was a real struggle, the gap (7 days) was a negative factor and although I completed it, I felt ill again. Yesterday I was ill all day and wasn't planning to run today, especially a continuous 25 min run.
However, I woke this morning feeling not too bad. I am so eager to keep up the programme, and so I got ready for a run. Once kitted out, I felt more positive. Out I went into drizzly rain, I have got so used to running in sunshine recently.
After the warm-up walk, I started out very slowly as usual. My knees, calves and hips were giving me no trouble at all and my breathing was fine. This was quite strange for me, as I usually have some issue at the beginning of a run! Maybe my body was actually getting used to this?
So, I got halfway through and everything was still feeling good, no way! Slowly the calves started to complain, but I am well used to that sensation and kept going. At the end of the 25, I still felt fresh and decided to run faster, actual strides, for another minute. It felt great
This was definitely a breakthrough run for me. I realise that the next one may not go so well, but I know now that I can do it. Just need to pace myself at the start.
On R1, I only realised that my music wasn't playing after the 5 min warm-up walk and had to reset the session Was ready to run, so I ran through the repeat warm-up and was going to see how I felt in the last 5 mins of the run commentary.
When it came to it, I felt tired but not completely spent, so I pushed on and ran (slow jogged) for the extra 5 mins. By this point I was further away from home than usual and so had a 10 min warm-down walk. I am so slow, but feel my legs getting stronger and generally feeling fitter
R2 & R3 went quite well, although it was very hot. Managed the runs ok though. I am now logging my distance in preparation for the last two weeks of the programme and beyond. I did the last run 25 mins and covered 3.3 km.
I want to see how close to 5k I can get when I start doing 30 min runs.
Did W8R1 10 days ago. With heavy legs and sore right calf muscle, managed 3.6 km in the 28 mins. Two days after that I managed W8R2 without any issues, 3.9 km in 28 mins.
I then went up a mountain (hillwalking with friends) and it was tough. 5 hours of steep walking and scrambling up 900m. My quads were pummelled.
It took several days before my legs were ready for another run. I attempted W8R3 three days ago. My legs were still aching but wanted to get out running again. I probably set out at too high a pace and had to have a couple of short walking breaks after 2.5 km. I finished the 28 mins, but chalked it up to being a practice run.
Today my legs felt recovered and I was determined to run for the full 28 mins. I set out at a slow pace and everything felt good. It was cooler than it has been recently and I managed the first 2.5 km fairly easily. I completed the run and managed 4.0 km.
In week 9, I want to eat into that final km (of the target 5k). However, don't want to set out too quickly and then have to stop for walking breaks
(Edit: Had to revise down the distances covered by 0.2 km due to miscalculation )
I did W9R1 two weeks ago! It went well and I managed 4.1 km in the 30 mins.
Three days later, I did W9R2 and set out feeling good with longer strides. I did 2.25 km in the first 15 mins and 2.05 km in the second 15 mins. This was a great run for me and I was full of enthusiasm and looking forward to my final run (of C25K).
Then a mini-disaster! I got ill for 10 days . Boo.
For the past few days, as I started to recover, I was wondering if I should do some practice runs before W9R3. After talking with a running friend, they said that physically I should be ok to continue as normal.
I got up this morning and was ready mentally for the run. I was not going to be bothered about distance too much, just focus on a 30 min run. After the warm-up walk, I started to run, and everything felt great .
I consciously reigned myself in, not wanting to do too much too soon, and be spent before the 30 mins.
When I got to 30 mins, I continued on for a couple of mins to get to 4.5 km.
My plan for post-C25K is to continue 2-3 runs per week and get to 5 km.
When I finished c25k I only just made it to 4k. So no worries about the whole 5k thing. You ran for 30mins! You're a runner! Speed and distance will come later
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I did manage all the segments though, really slowly.
Week 3!!
C25K Re run .... Week 2 run 2
New runner
Brand new runner
First Run Done!
