Hi there, nice to have so many brains to pick! I'm really hoping to improve my (currently dreadful) aerobic fitness so am barking on C25K. Have done 3 runs so far, but have to confess to having a sit down half way through today, just for a couple of minutes to get my breath back. Is this counter productive? I suppose it's progress of a sort as the first day I jogged, I sat down more than once - park has plenty of benches which I'm not sure is going to be a blessing or a curse? I'd love some advice. Oh and btw I think under the circumstances I will repeat week 1!!
Cheers
LMH
Written by
lindamatey
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I would keep repeating the run until you can complete it without having to rest halfway through. Then you will be ready to move on.
The beauty of the programme is that you progress at your own pace, repeating if necessary. You are in control, so persevere and in just a few weeks you will be aware of substantial improvement in your own ability to run.
Yes, I concur with the venerable IT. Keep repeating until you can do it uninterrupted, but if you need a lottle sit down at the moment, by all means do. A lottle sit down halfway through your exercise is a whole lot better than staying sitting down on the couch and not exercising.
Begin with a brisk five-minute walk, then alternate 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of walking, for a total of 20 minutes.
"having a sit down half way through" sounds like you're trying to run continuously.
If you are following the programme then follow the excellent advice above. I'll add that the only time I get out of breath is when I'm running too fast. The aim of C25K is to get you running for 30 minutes non-stop, how far (or not) you go in that time doesn't matter. Anything faster than a walk counts as running.
The idea is to build your stamina, mental as well as physical, to complete each run.
You've already got lots of good input on slowing right, right down - think 'running motion' rather than 'run'... and it may help to take your walking back a notch or two or three as well. Take smaller steps if you are starting to struggle, even run on the spot if you are near the end of a run segment and desperate.
As a veteran of many, many, many attempts at the Week 1 session which like yours so far were not fully successful, I suggest a different strategy for when you really feel you can't run any more. Don't stop 'half way through' and then start again. If you need to stop running in a run section, walk the rest of the session (if you can't walk, then that's a very clear sign you were trying to run way too fast). Next time you will have a very clear marker for your progress... you'll want to equal or better last time but you will be reinforcing the idea of keeping going in your head.
Don't be downhearted - Week 1 is necessary but it is all too easy to go too fast... remember you are trying to learn a pace you can sustain for 30 minutes non stop eventually. For me the rest of the weeks of NHS C25K were a breeze compared with Week 1, never had to do another 'extra' session (and it took me somewhere between 12 and 18 attempts at Week 1) But be honest with yourself too... do the programme, don't do extra runs (ie more than 3) of a 'Week' if you have maintained a running motion when you are supposed to, and a walking motion when you are supposed to, however slow, however certain you were that you would die... you'll be ready to move on. But if you didn't - if you walked when you 'should' have been running, or stopped, then it all contributes to your fitness so it isn't wasted but you do need to keep doing it until you have completed it in full.
That is so, so helpful, thank you I currently try to go out every other day and hope that 'magically' it will be easier but progress is very slow. I'm 64 so I don't expect miracles, but my aerobic fitness is very poor even though I'm only marginally overweight and reasonably supple (yoga etc). To know that you also struggled hard with Week 1 yet managed to continue and ultimately graduate is hugely encouraging so I'm deeply grateful.
Just makes it all the more precious when you get there! I'm glad my words have helped... I think it takes a while to find our own way... the programme, ironically, helps us do that but it still isn't always a straightforward business.
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