week 3 of c25k and loving it but want to do it... - Couch to 5K

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week 3 of c25k and loving it but want to do it more than the every other day. should i?

silvermagpie profile image
5 Replies

just wanted to know if anyone else out there has used c25k and been successful and have any done more than the podcasts suggest.

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silvermagpie profile image
silvermagpie
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5 Replies
mark909 profile image
mark909Graduate

No. I'm not sure how fit you are but your body need time to heal and build muscle inbetween runs. So early on in training you're only running the risk of injury and setting yourself back to square one. However you can do other forms of exercise on your 'off' days. Try swimming, cycling, yoga, circuits at your local leisure center. These additional exercises will benefit your running,

Dora_the_explorer profile image
Dora_the_explorer

I have done C25K twice now. The first time, I loved it, was really eager and started running every day to get through it quicker. I ended up tearing a ligament and being in agony for 6 weeks.

Fast forward two years, I have finally given it another go and graduated last week! This time, I paced myself doing it every other day and I made it through injury free and found that I was running better. On the two ocassions I have had to leave less than 48 hours (ie. Saturday morning, Sunday evening) I have found that my performance has been much worse, even if I don't feel worse and I atribute that to not having a "proper" rest.

I think that it is really important to have the rest days from running. But that should not stop you from doing other light exercise on the inbetween days. I have tried all sorts like zumba, the strength and flex podcast and yoga. It's much gentler, but still gives me the exercise buzz.

I am by no means saying if you don't rest you will be doomed, but you deserve the rest.

AuntieAli profile image
AuntieAliGraduate

silvermagpie - absolutely echo mark and dora - definitely wouldnt recommend running every day, your body needs rest from it. however, another different physical activity may be just what you are looking for and it could boost your running.

we all want to do this program and be runners - but we want to get there as injury free as possible.

best of luck you keen bean!!

ali :-)

gdeann profile image
gdeannGraduate

Some say your body does as much work repairing on rest days as it does during your run. I was very grateful for my rest days as I started the longer runs. :-) I also found my performance was better with 1-2 days between runs. I echo all of the advice given above. Find some other form of exercise on recovery days to not risk injury. Gayle

greenlegs profile image
greenlegsGraduate

Same as all above. Last week I had two rest days (very unusual) because I was going to do my first parkrun 5k and didn't want to be overtired. It was one of the best runs I'd had, and I think that extra rest had a lot to do with it.

Avoiding injury is perhaps the strongest argument though.

It's great you're already enjoying it so much that you want more!

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