I started using the C25k app 5 weeks ago now, I've just finished run 1 (in wk 5) and I can honestly say that although I'm sticking with it, I don't feel like I have made progress.
I'm still struggling to run the full 15-20 minute runs, I managed the first 5 minutes run (just about) then I struggle with the next 2 5 minutes run.
The problem is my legs/ knees still hurt (even though I am doing the warm-ups and I am getting out of breath quickly, (even though I am on week 5 and honestly I feel disappointed 😞 that I am still struggling, I thought that I would be okay by week 5 but NO! Can someone please explain what I am doing wrong and why I'm still struggling?
Thank you in advance.
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Abt484
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I'm sorry to hear about your difficulties but well done for getting through to Week 5.
Could it be that you are setting off too quickly? While I was doing the programme, I used to laugh and tell friends that my briskest walk was faster than my running pace.
It really helped me to set off in a good place and gave me confidence.
That slower pace got me through the Toxic Ten - those first ten minutes of the run when you just want to turn around and go home.
I often say that the difficult part, sometimes, if getting on the trainers and heading out the door. You've managed that for five weeks, so well done you!
If you think you might want to pop back a week and repeat Week 4, give it a try.
Just to add to the replies above, it’s easy to forget that the runs have actually got harder! That might be why you’re not necessarily finding it easier. You’re running longer now and that is more of a challenge. For me, it clicked into place quite late in the programme-I think it was week 7 or 8 when I suddenly realised I was running without thinking consciously about every step and every breath. It takes time and it’s totally normal to feel like you do.
How active were you before starting? That can also influence how quickly you feel comfortable running.
Slowing down can help, but it can also feel really unnatural as well so it also comes with challenges! It just takes time. You’ll get there-we all do!
If you're "just about" managing five minutes and "getting out of breath quickly" Abt484 , I suspect you're trying to run at a pace that's too fast for you.
MissUnderstanding also makes a really important point about progress: you're not being asked to do the same thing over and over with greater ease, you're being asked to take on increased challenge.
Don't forget, either, that if you've done the programme exactly as indicated, by the end of week 4 your actual running intervals add up to a total of two hours and six minutes. While that's an achievement in itself, you're still very much a beginner. Heck, I've been running four years and I don't by any standards consider myself an experienced runner.
Running shoes. I changed mine and found it made a huge difference. Understanding what you need can help, the cushioning in mine really lower the impact!
Well done on getting this far. It is real honest progress in itself. It isn't easy and doesn't necessarily get easier (sorry!) , but it's progression and it's so well done it doesn't make you realise how far you have come. If you went back to week 1 run 1 I'm sure you would find it much easier than the first time you started??
The advice above about speed and stretches is spot on too. Never ever forego the stretches before and after or the warm up and cool down, your body won't thank you. And obviously if the aches and pains are not subsiding, get checked out.
Running isn't easy (well for me anyway), but the sense of achievement at the end of every run whether it felt good or bad is so worth it.
Good luck with the rest of the plan, you are over half way and definitely would not have been able to start out at where you are now
Well done with sticking to it. I was you when I started and it was a mind game to continue. I did not complete the programme in 9 weeks - not even close and three years in I still cannot do 5k in 30 mins. Some “runs” are easier than others and I definitely do better in the mornings and in the Spring and Autumn. Run is such a big word and I’m regularly overtaken by what I still call real runners rather than slow plodders! I just try to remember that I’m fitter than I ever was and just doing enough to raise my heart rate as I paid along is enough. Try to enjoy the ride - looking at the scenery, listening to the birds, just being you for half an hour. Go SLOW, repeat as often as you need to and 30 mins is a goal and it is still there however long it takes.
Hello everyone, thank you all for your kind words of encouragement and tips.Although some days I do feel like giving up, I'm determined to carry on with the C25K app and keep running (trying to) and hopefully my body, especially my legs/knees will get used to the running.
When I first did C25k I didn't find this forum until after week 4. I was fine up until week 3 but found week 4 very difficult. Once I'd read the advice about active stretching to warm up beforehand I found myself able to get through week 5 and was astounded to run for 20 minutes. I must warn you though, that week 6 isn't easy and comes as a bit of a shock!
3 years in and i still find the first 5 to 10 minutes harder than the rest of the run. But once I learned about toxic 10 (on this forum) and understood it, I just remind myself about it for those 1st few minutes.
Hi ABT, I don't think you are doing anything wrong, as you progress along this road to fitness, I think you will find that you continue to push a little bit more each time you run, if you have recorded your runs on a smart watch and can go back through them and see how you did, then maybe you could re run one of the first runs and then compare then to now, you will probably be amazed at the difference, good luck.🤞
Yeah, I feel your pain about the knees- I was using what were advertised as running shoes (by a very well known feline brand) and my left knee was killing me- I showed them to my friend who is a "proper" runner and he said absolutely not.
What you should do is look for some specialist running shoes. I searched up what shoes I should be wearing as a "heavier" runner (I'm a chunky Monkey to be sure) and then looked at some of the reviews and found them online (there is a very good SPORTS website if the you like that sort of PURSUIT where I found them considerably cheaper than anywhere else- not wanting to invest too much in case it just wasn't for me!)
I've just used them on first (and funnily my penultimate) C25K run- I graduate on Friday! The cushioning is amazing- though perhaps slightly less stable. but I've just done the full 30 minutes for the second time and I am fine.
Now I'm at the end of the course, I haven't really lost any weight (yes, it all turns to muscle first!) but my I take ramipril for my Blood Pressure. At the start of C25K I was roughly 150/94 on meds.
Now my BP is 115 /74 (still on meds admittedly).Well into the safe zone. The unseen benefits are C25K are definitely there. You might not see the difference but your body will feel it. Keep going!
I'm now looking to dive into the Bridge 2 10k . This time I may eat less carbs though!
Lots of great advice here, but I'm surprised nobody has suggested you go to see your GP or a physio if you're getting persistent aches. There are all sorts of reasons why we get pains when we run. I had no idea how complicated legs were until I started running. Now, having sprained and hurt various tendons from hip to foot I know a lot more about anatomy (and a lot of very useful exercises to relieve said strains). A trained medical professional can give you the expert, personalised diagnosis that you need to avoid injury and be pain free.
When I was at about your stage I had lots of knee pain too. I couldn't get a GP appointment so spoke to my sister, a very experienced palliative care nurse. She advised me to take a couple of painkillers before bed. This allowed me to get a good night's sleep which made all the difference and the aches all sort of evaporated after that. I hadn't realised that ibuprofen and/or paracetamol could do this. Obviously I'm not a doctor and I don't know your circumstances so this might not be the right approach for you but it helped me.
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