Did not enjoy.

[Iwilltry]

Just done my first run, nearly killed me, feel like poo. Hoping to feel better after the next one!

[Fitat63 Graduate]

That's a shame, hope your experience improves. Did my 1st run this morning and I really enjoyed it.

[Iwilltry in reply to Fitat63]

I am glad you enjoyed it, keep going. 😊

[Instructor57 Graduate]

Welcome to the forum and the program!Sorry to hear the first run nearly killed you !

Sounds to me like you may have tried to run too fast !

Have you read the program guide ?

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Are you running like this ?

youtu.be/9L2b2khySLE(Not working as expected?)

[Iwilltry in reply to Instructor57]

Thank you. I was doing the shuffling jog but couldn't have spoken as too out of breath. I guess I will have to turn it down a notch or two as I am very overweight and unfit, perhaps to a more shuffling shuffle! 😀Thank you for the advice.

[RunDone Graduate in reply to Iwilltry]

Welcome to the forum. I don't know how overweight you consider 'overweight' but I was 18 stone when I started. I found I needed to go really slow - a granny jog - and I've since realised that it doesn't matter at all how fast you go as long as you do the time in the right action, as that builds the strength in your legs. You can get faster later.

Also - I had trouble with my knees until mid way through week 5 (sometimes I needed 3 recovery days) - then they suddenly seemed to be able to cope with it.

Anyway - my point is, to go slow and trust the program, and take extra recovery if necessary - you will see improvement. Good luck!

[Iwilltry in reply to RunDone]

Wow, you have done so well 😊. I am very close the the weight you were, your words have given me encouragement. Thank you.

[Purplefiona Graduate in reply to Iwilltry]

The slower I go the better I feel. Go slowly and feel great

[Iwilltry in reply to Purplefiona]

Thank you 😊

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum and we will do all we can to make you feel slightly less poo-like.

Most people struggle because they simply push too hard.

Slowing down to the recommended easy conversational pace makes it more achievable and for most, more enjoyable.

Say this sentence out loud to yourself as you run "Am I going slow enough to enable me to speak this sentence in one out breath?" If you cannot, you are going too fast for your current fitness level.

An easy conversational pace is the most effective to build your stamina and endurance........faster is not necessarily better.

Read the guide linked to by Instructor57 and just take it much easier next time.

You are not alone in struggling on the first run, but like so many others before you, success is round the corner and you will get there if you persevere and go slowly.

[Iwilltry in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you. I was doing the shuffling jog but couldn't have spoken as too out of breath. I guess I will have to turn it down a notch or two as I am very overweight and unfit, perhaps to a more shuffling shuffle! 😀Thank you for the advice.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to Iwilltry]

You will get there.Countless thousands, if not millions, have successfully graduated from C25K and totally transformed their whole lives.

The plan works, but it is wise to be able to walk briskly for 30 minutes on a regular basis before attempting to jog.

It is all in the guide to the plan.

[Iwilltry in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you for the reply. I may just do brisk walking for 30 mins.

[Ian5K Graduate]

It’s great to see you’re set for the next one. Remember the first weeks as you progress through the programme, it will really show you how far you’ve come.

It’s always tough for new runners at the start. Be strong, be determined. Remember you don’t have to go fast, just do a comfortable pace. Good luck. 🙂

[Iwilltry in reply to Ian5K]

Thank you for the reassurance. I will go slow and steady.

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

Well done and slow down

[Iwilltry in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thank you for the reply. I am already doing a shuffle jog, thinking of brisk walking for 30 mins and build from there.

[SueAppleRun Graduate in reply to Iwilltry]

Won’t hurt if you are really unfit to do brisk walking to start your fitness off, we stuck it out and in the beginning we’re so puffed out and we seemed to hurt all over, we often took 2 or even 3 rest days, and stretch, stretch every day it helps

[Iwilltry in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thank you for the great advise. 😊

[Yesletsgo Graduate]

It gets so much better. Follow the advice above and it’ll really help. Trust me 😁

[Iwilltry in reply to Yesletsgo]

Thank you for the reply and advice. 😀

[OrkneyWillow Graduate]

Good luck with your running. There is lots of support here. Just keep practicing and make it part of your weekly routine. Keep us updated on how you progress 😀

[Iwilltry in reply to OrkneyWillow]

Thank you. I will. It is great to have so much support. 😊

[Poppdog Graduate]

Don’t feel too bad feeling poo after the first session is very common it gets better and by run 3 you’ll love it

[Iwilltry in reply to Poppdog]

Thank you.

[Timotea Graduate]

Hi,I was like that too and then someone sent me this link to Japanese jogging. It really helped.

google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j... . Had loads of injuries on the way and having done 10k back to week 2 on C25k! But I love it and there is nothing like it once you get the hang of it?

[Iwilltry in reply to Timotea]

Thank you 😊 yes I have seen the Japanese jogging and I think I am coining something similar though I call it shuffle jogging 😂

[Kat1234_]

Oh you will . You will be hooked in no time . Well done for starting.

[Iwilltry in reply to Kat1234_]

Thank you 😊

[Mormor1]

It does get better!

[Iwilltry in reply to Mormor1]

Thank you 😊

[Sh53202 Graduate]

Well done you! You completed the run? You did it! Do try to enjoy the achievement if you can. It was hard, but you kept going. How brilliant is that?If you have done it once, it is highly unlikely to be any worse next time, and hopefully better. I love your username.

[Iwilltry in reply to Sh53202]

Thank you 😊 I am a trier (Or is it very trying? 😂)

[Voldatort Graduate]

I walked and power walked to about wk 5...then found I could jog. Stay with it.

[Iwilltry in reply to Voldatort]

That sounds like a plan. Thank you 😊

[Snail_Male]

Constantly remind yourself of 2 things - why you want to do this and that every single step- every one- is a victory. Having been at this for 18 months, I still feel rough minutes after setting off. However once you get through that you are running and it feels fine, and then even feels good. That made it so worthwhile and exciting for me. I still remember the first time I jogged 6 minutes without stopping. It was so exciting! But also, I feel really great after 95% of runs. And I've learned that even when I go out and it just doesn't happen, if I walk the distance anyway, I am kind to myself and it gets better next time. Keep with it, and don't doubt you ability to push through and succeed. Just keep on coming back at it, and you will get there.

[Iwilltry in reply to Snail_Male]

Thank you for sharing your experience 😊

[doggytail Graduate]

Well done for starting just trust the programme and go slow

[Iwilltry in reply to doggytail]

Thank you 😊

[Snail_Male in reply to doggytail]

Ooh yes, forgot that, if in doubt, trust the programme!

[Purplefiona Graduate]

Ah I hated the first week too. Second week is better and you can always repeat the first week until it feels easy.

[Iwilltry in reply to Purplefiona]

Glad to know I am not alone with this. Thank you 😊

[AgingMetalHead Graduate]

Well done for getting out there. I was 18 stone in January 2018 and just built up my walk fitness until May / June of that year when I started Couch to 5k.

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend taking that long building your walking fitness up, but it got me to the place where I was confident enough to start the plan. I wish I had started it earlier tho! And I can only echo what everyone else has said about slowing down.

[Iwilltry in reply to AgingMetalHead]

Thank you for sharing, it is reassuring to hear 😊

[Newbie59 Graduate]

Well done for getting started! If you still find it awful just do the time in brisk walking and break into a little light jog when you feel like it. Then start week 1 again when you feel ready.

Good Luck!

[Iwilltry in reply to Newbie59]

Sounds good. Thank you 😊

[MoorFit44 Graduate]

Well done on taking the plunge too! I am also on WK1. Good luck with it and I hope to hear that in 9 weeks we are both graduating the program!

[Iwilltry in reply to MoorFit44]

Thank you 😊 and good luck to you too.

[nowster Graduate]

Been there! It took me three attempts to get into Couch to 5K. The first attempt was at the end of March last year. The first two runs of that week were very hard but OK.

I made a mistake in the third run and had to run up a tiny incline. It wiped me out. I finished the run with a stitch, cold sweats, nausea and palpitations.

It does get better. Not immediately, but it does.

Find yourself as flat a route as possible to run on. Make your walks as fast as you can comfortably do and your jogs slow.

Running speed is not important. Distance is not important. Time spent running is. The target of this programme is to get you the point where you can run continuously for half an hour.

[Iwilltry in reply to nowster]

Thank you for sharing, sounds like I did the same-going up a hill on my first run! I know I miss-timed the walking and running bit, have thought of an alternative route which is flatter for the runs/jogs.

[nowster Graduate in reply to Iwilltry]

I know it probably doesn't mean a lot to you at this stage, but this time last month I ran continuously for 2½ hours, covering 21.26 km (a half marathon). That was just over a year after graduating C25K, which itself was five months after my first attempt at Week 1.

I hadn't done any running before, even as a child, and I was feeling like I was ready to keel over and become very ill at the end of the first week of the programme.

It took me three attempts over several months before I could get beyond Week 2!

It's a dangerous thing putting on those running shoes. You never know where they'll lead you. 😉

[Iwilltry in reply to nowster]

Thank you 😊

[Lashes1 Graduate]

Keep at it, you’ve done more than you used to. I’m obese and currently on week 5 I find each jog hard and I’m slow always at the back with others way ahead of me, but I’m no longer on the couch and am lapping those that are. The first step is the hardest xx keep going and good luck xx

[Iwilltry in reply to Lashes1]

Well done, keep at it, sounds like you've got it! 😊

[LadyGault Graduate]

🤣 it will get better I promise. Well done for sticking with it.

[Iwilltry in reply to LadyGault]

Thank you 😊

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate]

Don't worry, it can be really hard to enjoy all the sessions themselves... but the feeling of actually done a session, stuck it out regardless of how it felt, is usually great. Let's face it, we spent a lot of time on that couch, it's going to take a little time to feel comfortable away from it! 👍🏻😁

[Iwilltry in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

So true! Thank you 😊

[Enxo Graduate]

W1R1 is always supposed to be the worst! Once you’ve started though you’ll be in a roll! W1R1 (restart) for me too!

[Iwilltry in reply to Enxo]

You can do it! 😊

[Newbierunner84 Graduate]

Well done on getting started. My first run was the worst. I remember getting home and saying to my husband I can’t do it! It was the burning feeling in my throat that was the worst bit. I promise it gets better though and you may even come to love it!

[Iwilltry in reply to Newbierunner84]

Thank you 😊 my chest was bad, hard to breathe was that puffed out. Sounds like you've got going with it fine, well done.

[Irish-John Graduate]

Took me about 16 weeks to graduate with 30 minutes. Never have been able to manage 5k in thirty - but five years later, 5ks are a doddle, 10Ks fun, ten milers even more enjoyable, half marathons tough but enjoyable, and the one full marathon I've done left me feeling like day one again at the finish line :)This programme combined with all the great advice and "real world" experience of the Forum will get you to thirty minutes and however far beyond that you want to take it

Wishing you many happy miles in your future

[Iwilltry in reply to Irish-John]

Wow! And Thank you 😊

[Runrunner69]

Everyone is so helpful and supportive!! You got this 😊

[Iwilltry in reply to Runrunner69]

Yes they are! Thank you 😊

[kangel1970 Graduate]

I've just graduated on Monday and I still remember that 1st killer run I ached so bad it was so hard and definitely the worst run but you did keep going 👊👏👏🏃🏃‍♀️🏃🏃‍♀️

[Iwilltry in reply to kangel1970]

Well done 😊

[Jilldiamond Graduate]

Hello Iwilltry. I just felt I had to respond! My very first runs were hard work. I used to walk up the (not very steep) hills so I could 'run' down them. I would never have believed then that after a few months I would be able to run for 30 minutes! I would absolutely agree with the people saying trust the programme. It is amazing how it works and don’t worry if you have to repeat weeks. The fact that you are getting out there is fantastic! Keep going, whether it’s brisk walking or slow jogging x