Hello! 😊
I started the couch to 5k challenge with my other half recently! We start week 3 tomorrow!
It’s going really well and I am enjoying myself! (Never thought I’d say that haha) but I’m interested to find out people’s success stories because even though I’m really enjoying doing the challenge, I can’t help but feel anxious about the future runs. They seem so difficult and I feel I’m never going to be able to finish it! 😞 so any encouragement will be appreciated!
Thank you
Hayley x
I did my first week 3 run yesterday. I was so relieved! I’d been very worried about being able to do 3 mins and was pleasantly surprised. It was ok! Legs a bit jelly like afterwards but totally manageable. I’m going to try not to look too far forward at future jogging times and just keep my eye on the day to day goals. I’m 50 and overweight and have never been a runner so if I can do it you can too!
Welcome. This is a brilliant place and c25k is an amazing programme. If looking ahead to future runs worries you then don’t do it 😀. By the time you get to any worrying runs you will be ready. The way to do this is one run at a time, at your own pace. If your partner is quicker than you (or vice versa) don’t try and keep up with each other just work out a toing and froing method. Repeating weeks and taking longer than 9 weeks is fine.
If you can see the full website version rather than just the app you might be able to move around the site more easily. No worries if you can’t. There are loads if inspiring posts here just move around them all. There are sections dedicated to each week under Topics too. But just relax, employ your inner snail 🐌 and enjoy. We’re all hear to encourage, cajole, help and generally join in with your journey. All you have to do is keep going and keep posting.
If link be,ow doesn’t work look for FAQ in the pinned posts on the right.
I felt exactly the same, I graduated in August, I can remember finishing each week on a Friday and having a little look at the following weeks runs and needing the weekend to convince myself it is was doable, I am still running 3 times a week, still have a bit of self doubt when I increase distance , just remember to slow down if you need to, I found slowing the breathing down also works, don’t worry about pace, you can do that post grad 
hang in there, take one run at a time,you can do it, this is life changing ! Happy running
Hi haylstonee
Try not to worry about what is ahead too much (We all want to know what's coming up try and stay focussed on the program. I just did w8r1 this morning. I'm mid 50's, very overweight and not run since school. Stuck to the program to the letter and here I am running 28mins non stop.
I'm not going to lie, it's hard but achievable and lots of it is in your mind. There have been lots of times when I wanted to stop but didn't (Just a bit further) and I now look forward to my runs.
Read some of my posts and you'll understand my journey but it has all been worthwhile
Loving life at the moment thanks to c25k
Good luck to both of you in your running journeys 🏃♀️🏃♂️
Welcome.
Well done to both of you getting started. The first weeks are by far the hardest... the fact that you’re enjoying the challenge says you’ll keep going. I started this stupidly unfit, I put my last cigarette out the night before, and run 1 nearly killed me (felt like it anyway) 8 times. I then injured a knee (not on a run) and lost two weeks as my other knee went on my in sympathy. I started back in knee braces and then finally got them off... and I haven’t looked back since. Graduated two weeks ago and have done 5k since in my 30 minute runs. My 12 year old daughter did this with me, ended up ahead because I was injured, then waited so we could run the last one together.
I did this... she did this... we’re nothing special... you can do this, so can your other half.
You cannot fail if you don’t give up. If you can’t do a run, come back and try again. There’s a run that scares everyone in the middle, when you get to it you’ll doubt yourself, but you’ll be able to run and at that point you will know that you can do this whole thing. Keep up the good work .
Here’s a success story for you!
I’m a 54 year old, 5’3 short strided snail 🐌who hated (strong word, but I’ll say it again - HATED) running with a passion until the morning of June 11th this year.
That same morning I started C25K just to try it out, and boom. I graduated on August 10th and I’m now a runner making my way to 10k (8k coming up this week!)
It’s an amazing programme, the people on here are incredible and the support you get is second to none. 👍🏃♀️
Hope you and your partner love it too! Tell us how you get on. We’re nosy! 🏃♀️🏃♀️👍👍
Well done ! I started in June and graduated in August and am currently at 7.6 km, going to try and break the 8k barrier tonight, this is the best thing I have done in years hopefully will still be running 3 times a week next June
Still unsure where I am going with it, slowly increasing distance but concerned the further you run the more you are committing time, do you have a plan ?
Don't be anxious, you can do this! It will be future you running the later runs, not you now. Future you will have built up the necessary stamina to run those runs, so leave the worrying to future you, too! The programme is so carefully crafted, that each run, and slight step up, is perfectly manageable.
Past me would have spat my tea out laughing if you told me I would run 10km in the future. Current me is running 10km regularly now.
You can only run one run at a time, the one you are on. Take it super slow and have faith in yourself my lovely. You will be fine. Oh, and if current me could give some advice to past me, I would tell myself to start core strengthening exercises right away! It really helps. xxx
Trust the plan. It works, each step up is at the right time and you can do it
Hi. The idea is to trust the programme. I am now about to start week 9 and like you from the beginning you think you cant even do 5 mins let alone 20. believe me you will do it. I don't know why but I sleep better now, feel better and just am filled with 'I know I'm going to do this ' attitude. I smile and laugh now on my runs when I think about those first weeks. enjoy this journey you will surprise yourself and feel great.
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