how is it that so many people seem to join up and just do week after week with little or no problem? i guess they must be fitter to start with. anyone would be fitter than i was to start with!... last week. or i guess we don't hear about their issues. or i guess millions of peeps do this without joining the forum... maybe some don't make it but we never hear about them. i guess you wouldn't necessarily be posting all over a forum if you dropped out after week 1??? i couldn't do it at all, i don't think, without this invaluable place of refuge (though i have been proven wrong about a lot in this last week lol) ! i am very in awe of these peeps who seem to have fewer struggles stamina wise than me if i am honest. i am so relieved i don't have to run today i could cry, haha. but on monday when week 2 starts i will be in a terrible state mentally cos of what i feel almost sure is to come. my first 'having to repeat runs'. 'well, it's better than sitting down' and it's supportive of my general fitness to keep having a go at it (well it must be)- and i must NOT think i have failed, cos i am an all or nothing peep, and am the type to throw the towel in if i have to repeat a run. so i won't do that cos i am aware of that pattern in my behavioural profile. but i see these peeps post week after week from week 1 to 10k and i just think their bodies must be different to mine ...well, they must be. if it were going to be 'walk for 5mins, run for 90secs, walk for 2 mins once' i could probably do it. but it's not and there is the rub. i don't want to quit. i love it here. but i keep reading 'it was so much easier than i thought' and 'i could have gone on running when jo told me to stop' etc etc. i have my mouth wide open. and my eyes stretched too. i really staggered to complete those runs on week one. everyone has their limits. i want 'no problem' too. i wanna be dying-to-change-with-no-problem. 
ps. thank you for having me. this is a really invaluable forum. i haven't read a negative or bad word on here. what a refreshing change. i am a peace person.
no problem: how is it that so many people seem... - Couch to 5K
no problem
Don’t worry, you can do this! Just make sure you keep hydrated and take it as slowly as you need!
i will use that as another mantra! x thanks david
i took it so slowly the other day i think i was slower than normal walking!
That's okay. It's fine to run slow. It's still running. 'Proper' runners use slow running as a way to develop the muscles without overstraining them. You might be tempted to think that because it's as slow as walking it can't be doing you any more good than walking would, but slow running really does build your body up to help with gentle jogging and then running with more pace, eventually. Also slow running burns more calories than walking at the same pace.
In C25k I had some easier-than-expected runs, and I also had some runs which I only finished because I knew my sister had finished them and I didn't want her to 'beat' me. And one very ignoble day when I felt near to collapse with 40 seconds to go but pushed myself to run through to the end because it was a run I knew she hadn't managed first time and I wanted to beat her. It's likely you'll have good and bad days too, I hope you enjoy the good days enough to not mind the bad too much.
You're getting fitter as you go through the programme, but as it asks more and more of you you'll find it getting harder before it gets easier, but it really does get easier. The trick is to slow down. Yes, even slower! It stands to reason: no 'proper' runner would start a long race at the pace they use for short distances, they'd start out slower.
a great reply, thank you x
is it possible i am already a little fitter than i was before i started the programme after only one week? i feel it.
cos knowing that would be really encouraging...
Possibly! You are feeling more physically confident at the very least!
yeah i mean stamina exhaustion or no, i did run 8 minutes not one but three times last week...thats no mean feat is it? i thought i would die but hey i didn't, i know that cos here i am 
i really am, yes
Yes! Every run helps towards your fitness.
No one in here is better than anyone else. We all struggle and fight ourselves, trying to put on the right mindset, pulling each other ahead week after week, getting better and stronger week after week. So don’t look up to those who seem stronger, they have their own gremlins to put aside, keep looking forward, the new you is waiting to meet you. Good luck.
what a brilliant and inspiring way to look at it... thanks for sharing x
actually, that's one of the best posts i ever read on here. so really... thanks !
Thank you for your kindness. This forum is great, my friends here made me bring my 23 years old smoking habit to a halt. They also built up me confidence so I could run for 10 miles non-stop some time later. Just try to imagine the gremlins along the journey from having a heavy pumping heart when getting off your own bed to 135bpm at end of 10 miles off-road run. This forum made it real to me.
wow! x
Very well put Tony 👍🏻
yes. 'very well put tony' does put things brilliantly, i agree x
We
Want
You
To
Succeed 👍
thank you. i want that too. more than words can say. i just suspect my body's not up to 9 minutes of running. but i am going for it. i am not quitting. i just read someone years ago describing week 1 as a 'breeze'...it made me want to burst into tears. when i so want that graduate badge and to experience the REAL JOY of running, not just the stamina agony! lol
To enjoy it, I think you need to stay relaxed as you can! Easy to say I know, but keep your shoulders down, relax your body and you will start to enjoy it more
yes i am very bad at that. you know me well ! boom boom!
The ability to get that graduation badge is definitely within you 👍
ooh... drooling.... ! lol
Oh you would be surprised if you knew everyone's back stories! Repeating runs is fine if you don't manage to complete a run, however hard it is! Feel no shame or sense of 'failure' please, ever! Many people on the forum have had their struggles believe me!
You say you are an all or nothing person, well try not to be tough on yourself and try not to think ahead! Just one foot slowly in front of the other, in the moment, is the way to do this. Slow as you like, you are not aiming for records!
We can all tell you stories of feeling like we're failing, or when the mind games start, believe me! We are not all fit super heroes, we are just ordinary people falling in love with running. The strength in your legs will build slowly and if you stick at it, you will be able to run for 30 minutes. That might not be 5k, but it will be 30 minutes. Keep at it!
thank you so much, you are always so kind to me !
We are all kind to one another on this forum. I don't think I would have carried on without the support of everyone! I'm nearly 61 and have never run and have arthritis in my knees, but am now an absolute convert and love my running. Bore everyone silly with it too! Anyone who starts the programme is a super hero in my eyes!
'you are not aiming for records!' you hit the nail on the head. that's it, i always am. in everything in life. and with this, i have to be one of the ones at the back cos i am just not fit enough. but i am falling in love with the desire to run for 30 minutes three times a week. deffo.
Gosh that's really struck home with me. about wanting to win prizes etc...it's so me. note to self, examine this.
i am so tempted to have a sneaky go at ONE 5 min warm up then a 90sec run today to see if i can do it for monday... but that's bad girl stuff isn't it?
Very bad! If you ran yesterday, DO NOT run today! Go for a walk - but in shoes or boots that you can't be tempted to run in!
right ho! got the message x lol haha
ooh and by the way... after week one i had lost an inch and a half from my waist... eating a healthy diet too but still... isn't that great!!!! tee-hee
Hi there dying-to-change. 😄
I have been using this forum for three years and I have seen many posts from people who have struggled to start the program. I can think of people who couldn’t do W1 and spent many weeks walking until they were ready to begin to start jogging. The important thing is that you, like everybody else, are trying to improve your health and fitness – and that puts you miles ahead of everybody who is still on the couch. 😄
Expecting yourself to never repeat a run seems to me like shooting yourself in the foot and expecting yourself to hop for the whole program! All runners, of all abilities, have runs which don’t go well – we all need the ability to think to ourselves “That was a practice, I’ll try that again.” Every single run, including the practice ones, strengthens your legs and cardio.
When I began W1, I truly believed that I would never reach W2!! - I was wrong! You too will succeed if you persevere. 😄
Finally, have you looked at “Japanese slow running” clips on YouTube? They show very clearly just how “slow” running slowly and gently really is. It was a revelation to me at the beginning of the program. Realising how slowly I could go transformed my ability to run. 😄
a brilliant post. yes. thank you. yes i am trying to do japanese slow running myself... i look a bit strange but there you go!
A few more runs and you won’t care what you look like! When I started the programme in May, I was running in Lycra shorts. They were figure hugging! And I’m 66! I ran early so nobody would see me. Now I just don’t mind at all. I used to run really slowly. Still do, sometimes! I am, in fact, the Queen of Slow 😊! I imagined that if people saw me, they would think I was training for a marathon! Now I can’t run early anyway, because it’s too dark. I always wear a sun visor, rain or shine (keeps the rain off my glasses) but I just wave at anybody I know and once I tell them the distances I’m now running, their jaws drop in surprise! I never thought I would graduate. I never thought I would reach Week 2! But - here I am, still running and loving it! I didn’t have to repeat any runs, but sometimes it was close, usually if I set off too fast. You can do this, too! You’ve got the hardest week behind you. Believe in the programme and in yourself. You’ve got this!
Elfe5 is spot on, and we've both been knocking around on this forum for a few years now.
Read a few first posts and you will see that you're absolutely not alone.
That said, don't compare yourself to others, only compare you to you.
As to what you look like...I used to go in the dark, now my neighbours must wonder how many pairs of bizarre funky leggings does that woman have 🤣.
thanks jell x
Hiya....lots of people on here have experienced what you're feeling. It's only natural...this is a BIG challenge for many of us. And we're all starting at different ages/fitness levels...I had a real crisis of confidence on my last run and completely forgot how far I've come from W1.... You're not alone with those feelings....and you're not alone in this community...the support is incredible isn't it😁. I might have been tempted to stop on a couple of occasions....but I logged on and listened to others stories and suggestions. We've just got to lift one foot after the other...as slowly as we want to....I've learnt BIG time that snails are just as fabulous as Hussein Bolt. Take all the advice you can....and don't beat yourself up...that's where I let myself down on my last run. You're doing incredibly well.....keep going. All the very best🏃♀️🏃♀️👏🙋
thank you for reading me and thank you for your thoughtful encouraging reply x
It is really tough at the start and you do read posts about others finding it easy but we are all different ages, shapes and sizes and have different lives. I found every run tough and i had to repeat week 5 but that’s ok. Right now I’m watching all the people who I graduated with going on to achieve 10K when I’ve been struggling to stay at 5k due to a very busy job, caring for an elderly parent and injuring my ankle. But my journey is my journey and right now I’m doing what is right for me. Just take it one day at a time and do what you can. If you have to repeat so what. If other people seem to be better so what. This is your journey and it’s all about what is right for you. As long as you are enjoying it (sort of despite the aching legs 😂😂)
Keep posting. There is as much encouragement as you need right here 🤗
i will keep posting....i am sure i bore everyone to death with my various and endless ramblings and fears but i need it and everyone is so lovely... i really need this forum! x
We get it. We’ve all been there 🤗
Thanks for understanding x
My biggest problems were in weeks 1 and 2 - after that it really did get easier! Week 2 Run 2 made me think I was never going to do it, and I sat down with my feet up and a cushion under my knees for most of the rest of the day.
That was mid-June - and I have now got my "ran for 60 minutes" badge on the B210K forum - so honesty, it can be done - don't, whatever you do give up -it's worth it!
thank you for your encouragement, it means a lot to me
Aww lovely!... I suspect you are way too hard on yourself!... and I mean WAY too hard on yourself!
If you read my posts I probably go overboard on the waheyyyyyy, Yipeeeeee, woohooooo and everything else but that was probably thru sheer disbelief that I would do it! Trust me... I was not fit.. I read 60 seconds running and was so smug but wow how quickly that got wiped off my face!... 20 seconds in I was struggling!
I literally couldn’t run for 60 seconds week 1 and I made the fatal mistake of reading thru the whole C25k programme - I wasn’t as lucky as you in that I didn’t find the forum until week 5 ( just in time as I had carried angst about W5R3 since week 1! 🙈🤣)
This forum is phenomenal and kept me going! Your running family will cheer you on when you feel positive and will wrap their arms round you and give you a ‘runners hug 🤗 when you are being too hard on yourself...
We don’t ever use the F word ... ( Fail is one of them but I often thought of others! 🙈)
It’s your personal journey and you do it at your pace!.. repeating runs is more than acceptable..
(I’m sending you my slack cutting scissors ✂️... you need to use them to cut yourself some slack)
I learnt quickly that it’s as much a mental challenge... who knew 🤷♀️
I constantly battle with my inner competitive Annie .. I think the score is 20/10 to me!... she knows her place now but she can still push my buttons! 👺🙈
Go slower than slow... I mean turtle or snail
🐢🐌
I promise you when I say we all felt exactly the same... the struggle is real but the sense of achievement is like a drug! You will feel super proud of yourself.
You got this.... but in case you’re in any doubt... we got you! 💕
An inspired a huggable post many many thanks x
I will watch your posts and wait for you to have the moment of reality when you realise you are doing this..
Feltip was similar to you and was so hard on herself... maybe she can add something that I’ve not...
you will do it 👌💕x
thank you x
i read every single one of her posts... thank you for pointing her out to me...
She’s an inspiration 👌💕
Here you are spreading your love and joy TT 😊🥰
Have faith changing-woman trust the program and continue to post on here, you wont find a kinder place
I'm having a doubtful moment and checked back in here as I know it's the best place
Good luck
You got this lady! 👏👏👏👏
I’ve replied to you
Those gremlins got you singing the post grad blues but the good news is
You DO come out the other side, even more determined, singing some of your favourite running tunes 🎵 👏👏👏😀
AND ... I just knew you would be able to throw some words of advice too 👍
SEE!.... we need you!
💕x
You’re v kind x
😘
i am at w2r3 and not enjoying it at all (apart from when the runs are over) and really want to, cos i am not giving up. i have grave doubts about week 3 too. any words of wisdom. i love your posts. <3
The only advice I can give is based on what was given to me and what kept me going to the end,
1) slow down and when you think you cant go any slower slow down again
2) trust the program, it works.
3) have belief in yourself, you are stronger than you think
4) post on here
The kindness of strangers on this forum continues to overwhelm me.
I knew the feeling of euphoria at the end of each run kept me going. I got into a routine of posting on here as soon as I got home, while I was still in the happy state of finishing my run.
I would often read previous messages on here prior to running of I was in a doubtful mood and I have spoken allowed to myself on my warm up walk too (I should say I run on a field early in the morning 🤣)
Remember why you started this, what you want to achieve
I know I'm not going to run marathons, nor do I want to. I'm very overweight, and felt extremely unfit during the height of lockdown, so my aim was and still is to just run 30 mins 2 or 3 times a week.
I absolutely know this whole experience has helped my fitness mentally physically and emotionally
Good luck on your journey 🥰
thank you for that motivational post x
I will x I can’t do it without the forum!
Dont worry, your prob sick of hearing that, but i'm sure most of us on here, struggled with the early weeks of c25k, even those that are now, doing 5k, 10k, and more! Just trust the program, it really does work, keep it slow, if you have to repeat runs, thats fine, you will get there, and look back at your early worries, and laugh.
You've got this!!! 😀😀😀
Bless you for that x
Thank you to every single person who contributed to this post, it’s helped a lot x
Everybody’s journey is different, and while I confess that I had no issues from weeks 1 to 5, I struggled from that point on with aching muscles and injuries thereafter. I had two weeks sitting on the injury couch due to this.
You will make it, and it doesn’t matter if you have to repeat a run or two, or how fast or slow you are. There are loads of people out there faster and fitter than I am, but I’m not in competition with anyone but myself so it doesn’t matter.
Just relax and enjoy, you will get there in your own time 👍🏻
thanks !
i've got the upstairs stamina and determination , it's the downstairs stamina that's the trouble! i don't know how i got to the end of run 3 week 1. and that was just week 1 
if i can't get to the end of week 2 run 1, i promise myself i will keep trying to do week 1 again. so i am 'in there'. i won't throw the towel in. i will repeat week 1 until i can do week 2. even if it's a month. a year. or more. i won't quit. at all. ever. (not now i have bought new running shoes and a sports bra. lol )
This is your couch to 5k, not anybody else's. Take it at your own pace and don't compare yourself. I suspect that you are filtering out other posts to fit your image of your abilities because I've read loads of posts saying things like, 'I've just graduated after the third time of starting couch to 5k'. And some of those gazelles who whizz through the programme can be found on the Bridge to 10k forum asking for advice about injuries and complaint that they've lost their running mojo. 🤷♀️
It really doesn't matter how many times you repeat runs, weeks, or even the whole programme. Nobody fails until they give up.
I don't know whether you've already had this advice, but check out Japanese slow running on YouTube, it saved many of us in our early weeks.
Good luck 👍
thank you for your thoughtful kind reply speedy x yes i am a japanese slow runner!
in fact my running is so slow i wonder often whether i am running at all ! my treadmill is nearly on its lowest setting, nearly but not quite !
last night i dreamed i was running... so easily... and faster and faster...and with energy spent seemed to come more energy... and i was so free and happyyyyyyyyy
I can’t add anything more than what everyone has already said 😊
This is your journey and only yours, I can assure you that everyone on here has had their own battles and you mustn’t compare yourself or compete with anyone ☺️ It really doesn’t matter if you have to repeat a run, and remember you only need to repeat one if you don’t complete it and if that happens, the first or second or third etc... try is a practice getting you ready for completing that run. It’s not a race and you must take as much time as you need. You really can do this.... slow and steady 🐌🐢 W2R1 tomorrow 💪
thanks cazza!
OMG this post is HUGE! i just this second noticed.
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