4 months ago and £200 with the best gear!!! And week 3 I failed. On week 3 day 2, I kept putting it off during the day as week 3 day 1 was so difficult for me. Yet I'm 48 year old male, a natural muscular athletic body, but lungs just seem to be poor (or is this an excuse!) anyway new plan as read a few on here. I'm not interested in getting there tomorrow, however I am interested in getting there. So new plan.
I'm doing each week twice to build up gently. So week 1 I will do for 2 weeks and week 2 for 2 weeks etc so 18 weeks or however long it takes.
If somebody had of said back at the beginning of July, do this & by end of November (NOW) you will be running 5k I would have snatched their hand off with agreement. But I just thought I can never do this but I forgot in the word compromise.
So this is my CC25K Compromising Couch to 5k Good luck me 🤞
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Antdan
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Good luck Antdan. You're obviously determined to do this so that is already a great start. I started C25K back in September and a that time I thought 'Great, I've never been a runner but in 9 weeks time, I'll be able to do a park run'. Then I started W1 R1and changed my mind completely! After a couple of Week 1 false starts, I found this community, read the faq's and numerous posts, the re-set my mindset. I am going to complete C25K, and I know that despite the title, I don't expect to be running 5k, but will be capable of running for 30 minutes (distance & speed can come later). I am also going to complete this in my own time and if that means repeating weeks or even dropping back one (or more) to further build my stamina and (more importantly) re-build my self-confidence, then I will do. I am also not going to move on to a following week until I have successfully completed 3 runs of the week that I am currently doing (including rest days), as I see no point in fooling myself into thinking I'm doing better than I really am, that will only bite me in the bum later on! About a month ago I got as far as completing W4 R1 (after a couple of 'practice' attempts), but then didn't get out for over three weeks. I'm currently working my way back through Week 3, not finding it easy, but it's going and in two runs time I will hopefully have completed it and will move on.
For me I am sure that the challenge is 75% mental and 25% physical. The biggest lesson I've learned (and keep re-learning) is to slow down (and then slow down some more). I know know why I struggled when I started this, I was trying to run way too fast!
Luckily for me I have no problems getting put of bed in the morning so on my running days I just get up an hour early, go out & run, get home, stretch, cool down, drink water etc. then have a wash and get dressed ready for my day. If I ran in the evening after work it wouldn't be as convenient, plus I am sure I would have too much time to think of reasons why I couldn't go out tonight, I'll do it tomorrow (and tomorrow never comes). After my little break I just need to get back into the habit of going out automatically on my running days, whatever the weather and work through the programme. I already feel the benefits both mentally and physically and am really looking forward to other improvements the further I get into this.
Thank you for replying, all I can say is I can relate to all of this. The best for me though is to keep the habit going, which means I have to go for walks on the days that I'm not running so it's a constant. I can't do every other day in anything my mind just doesn't work like that! I do believe in routines and patterns and science says now it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit and pathway forming in the brain. So at least if I can get to week 9 (probably officially week 5) I should be there in habitual form.
Where are you? Perhaps ou can find someone to run with? Extra encouragement? Someone to ring the emergency services? Remember, C25K is a misnomer, the first goal is to run continuously for 30 minutes, NOT run 5k! That's my second goal!
You have hit the nail on the head when you talk about ‘habit’. 😄
There is a sensible balance between discipline to run on your planned run days and listening to your body for the occasions that you are ill or injured and therefore it isn’t a good idea. It took me a while to learn this.
Having said that, if I am well & injury free I never, ever ask myself
“Do I feel like running?” because sometimes I would get an unhelpful answer! 😂
Good luck, if you post how you are doing, we will cheer you on! 😄
For what it's worth, I'm a 49 y/o reasonably muscular male (was still 48 when I started) and I can completely relate. The thing is not to get hung up on times, distances or paces. In the C25K alternative universe "week" is just a convenient shorthand for "the time taken to successfully complete each set of 3 runs". When you think of it like that, it only ever takes 9 "weeks".
Like everything, if you haven't done it before, you have to learn the skill and discipline of running; it's so much more than just putting one foot in front of the other at speed. Irrespective of how fit (or otherwise) a person might be, they still have to get used to doing something that their body isn't used to doing. Once you get the hang of it though, it's surprising just how much it can take over. I graduated in May. Since then I've done 48 5ks, 15 10ks, two 10 miles and one half marathon. You could say it I've become a bit obsessed.
You're doing grand. Just do it your way in however long it takes you. It all adds up to same amount however long it takes.
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