Couch 2 5k

[RMoss91]

Hi, I've just entered my second week of couch to 5 k but found myself struggling and had to repeat the first week again... I can't imagine I'm ever going to get to a point where I can jog for more than 60 seconds Has anyone been in this position? I feel like everyone's able to jog other than me!!!

[sammygirl38]

Not a couch to 5 member but am a runner. Did you go strait to jogging? I would start with speed walking and gradually move into a jog. If you want to run, you can graduate to that after jogging for awhile and your feel ready too. To go straight to jogging would be hard for anyone, especially your joints. I only run when I either have a ton of energy or am on a time crunch. Otherwise, a nice jog does the trick. Be patient and get a great pair of running shoes for your knees, so important!

Take your time, you'll get there

Hope this helps

[linggirl]

I did the first week twice and have now moved on to the second week. I don't think it really matters. Like you I didn't think that I would be able to up my run/jog to 9O secs, but I have. My running was improved by a tip from the podcast. Apparently I have been running incorrectly for 50 years! I've been putting my toe down first when it should have been my heel!

[sammygirl38 in reply to linggirl]

Yes, heal-toe") Fortunately, that comes natural to me, not the case for many though. My friend has a really hard time with it, knowing the correct way to run. I see a lot of people just running on their toes, super hard on the knees!

[linggirl in reply to sammygirl38]

I know that now!Makes me wonder what all those P.E teachers actually taught me during all those years of torture!

[GoogleMe in reply to linggirl]

Actually if you hang out on the C25K forum you'll find that the one piece of Laura guidance we all think is not just not helpful but bad and should be removed is the recommendation to heel strike....

[linggirl in reply to GoogleMe]

What should you do?

[GoogleMe in reply to linggirl]

Worth raising this on the C25K forum.

[linggirl in reply to GoogleMe]

Thanks

[eeek1110]

My advice is take it at your own pace. I used to go for just brisk walks but haven't been able to as I've done something to my knee. My body had such a shock to actually get out and about after so many years of being so lazy. Just do some exercise every day and you'll get there.

[gingernut49]

You can do each week twice if you want to. The most important thing to remember is not to try to go too fast: just a very gentle jog is fine, hardly faster than walking. Your speed will improve as you go through the programme. But, if it doesn't and you stay at a gentle jog, you're still doing more than when you were sitting on the couch!

[RMoss91]

Thanks everyone I did start with the 5 minute walk and ended with it which does help! I'm not sure now if I do heel or toe first, I'll have to check! Glad to know I'm not the only one doing the first week twice... I don't want to be not doing it properly! Thank you

[Popley2]

At first I could not jog for more that 50ish seconds and walking for some of the 60 second runs. I could not take in enough air and felt my lungs were about to explode. I searched for "how to run" and "how to breath" and took advise from this community and did it the best way I could! And, all the time, wondered how I was going to get to the 9 weeks mark. I persevered, did not repeat a week, took it really, really slow and had 1 rest day between runs. I was accompanied, at times, by my daughter and granddaughter and, several weeks ago, I graduated running along very quiet, cow lined fields in France. So keep going and keep believing You Can Do It.

[GoogleMe]

Do post on the Couch to 5K forum, you'll get lots of well-informed support from people who have been where you are now and succeeded.

If you succeeded in doing the 3 week 1 sessions you are doing really well already (it took me over 6 weeks and over 12 attempts to achieve that) and you don't *need* to go backwards, just keep trying the Week 2 session. I never needed to do a single extra session for the rest of the programme which came as a real surprise... progress may not be linear.

I started C25K because I can't sustain a brisk walk - I find running much easier. You wouldn't think so would you from my experience with Week 1 but after that you start learning to pace yourself better. So I worry when people are told to avoid running until they can walk fast. Obviously some people might get on better with walking altogether, there's nothing that says you have to run to get fitter.

[RMoss91]

Thank you so much for all of your replies, it's really good advice I'll get on the C25K forum too and tonight I'll try one of the week 2 runs! I've not put any weight on since I started which is always a good sign!!