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Chat to other fitness enthusiasts on our Exercise forum.

C25K: Body is willing, but fitness is shite!

58 replies

TeamEponine · 03/07/2018 05:40

I've started c25k and am just about to start week three. I'm having a bit of an issue in that my body can take it, I don't have any pain and I feel like my body wants to run faster, but I'm horribly unfit. I just feel like collapsing!

Anyone experience similar or have any tips? It's so frustrating holding back so much!

Ta!

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TeamEponine · 17/07/2018 05:30

I. FUCKING. DID. IT.

Can't quite believe I just ran 20 minutes without stopping! First and last five minutes were the most challenging.

Any hints for dealing with stitch?

I can't really vary my route too much at the moment because it is quite hilly, so I'm on a limited flat route. I'm thinky that changing to the hills may be my challenge post c25k.

Thanks again everyone Flowers

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AuntieStella · 17/07/2018 06:30

Well done!!!!

Stitch - look at diet/hydration (are you eating too close to the start of a run?) or any other new factors in your abdomen?

Pay attention to,when it strikes - random or any common factors?

When it does strike, you could try stamping down hard with the opposite foot to the side it's on. Otherwise all you can do is slow down (walk if necessary) and breathe through it.

BlueGlasses · 17/07/2018 06:43

Well done! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️
I remember that utter exhilaration when I ran 20 mins for the first time too. I cried as well. I only started in April but I now run 3 times a week 30 - 40 mins, depending on the route. I'm loving reading pp's who say it's changed their lives. I absolutely hated exercise when I started but I absolutely love running. I'm off on holiday tomorrow and I've even packed my running shoes 👟
I find running with a friend the easiest. So busy chatting that the kms just pass and when I hit a hard patch they encourage me through.
When I'm running solo I vary what I listen to but I do enjoy a podcast - I have to be careful not to run to music that has too fast a beat as I end up running too fast too.
Finally I found that when I was doing a clubbercise class in the week my running fitness was much improved so after a few weeks break I shall be returning to that after my holidays to build my stamina back up.

squiggletea · 17/07/2018 06:45

Well done! Trust the programme Wink

Those hills will be your friend. Will be much better long term than the easy option!

B1rdonawire · 17/07/2018 08:13

Well done!!!!

FATEdestiny · 17/07/2018 12:52

Yey, well done Team!

That feeling at the end of the 20 minute run is The Best - enjoy it. Your body can do this, isn't that amazing?!

Some people struggle in week 6. It's possible that the confidence you gain from W5R3 means you go out to fast for week 6 and so struggle to finish. Remember to SLOW DOWN on your next run, don't set your pace too fast.

Stitch is either food or hydration related. Try to run without a full stomach - both food and drink will fill your stomach and are not a good in large volumes in the hour before a run. Stay well hydrated over the whole day so you don't need tons of fluid before/during your run. I prefer to run on a completely empty stomach, having my meal and litre of water after finishing rather than before.

TeamEponine · 19/07/2018 05:34

Thanks everyone.

Struggling with week six. My legs just feel exhausted. Any hints or motivation?

Also, going on holiday soon and I'm worried about how that might mess up my progress. I will take my running stuff with me and try to at least get a couple more in.

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FATEdestiny · 19/07/2018 07:47

When I was doing C25K, I read around on a lot of threads and different forums on people's progress. I think it's fair to say that most people struggle with Week 6 - it's fairly common, so not just you and your own personal levels of motivation.

My biggest advice is to really slow down. Not just a bit, but make a significant decision to run slowly from the outset of the first section of running.

It is far, far more important that you finish and complete the run intervals in full, rather than how far you go on your run. Keep telling yourself "easy jog, this is supposed to be an easy jog not an exhausting run".

Even experienced runners tend you start slower pace. If you're feeling OK in the last 5 mins of your run, then up your pace a tad. But if you're not feeling it, keep your pace slow. That's OK too. The most important thing is you finish all the timed sessions in full.

Trust the program too. Follow it through. I listen to the podcasts (on nhs website), so they have music as well as motivation. It helped me to keep going.

After this week you'll be running without a break every run. So it will be the same kind of run before and after your holiday. Personally, I probably wouldn't run on a weeks holiday (I might on a 2 week holiday tho). But I would expect to need to significantly slow my pace down upon return. Take about a week to build back up to as fast as you were, but keep doing the runs.

TeamEponine · 20/07/2018 09:29

Well, I've managed to get a bit of an injury! DH has diagnosed me as having a bit of plantar fasciitis (he's a long time and frequent runner). He thinks I've been overdoing it, and as much as I hate to admit it, he's probably right Sad

I must confess that I've been running four times a week, and one week five times. DH was nagging me about it, but I'm impatient and didn't listen. I'm just too impatient, but I keep being told to listen to and trust the programme, and I didn't. I'm so cross with myself.

So, I'm going to rest up for a couple of days, and then start again next week. The next run I should be doing is W6R3, but I'm not sure whether to just totally re-do week 6, or carry on from where I am. Any suggestions?

I do promise to stick to just three days a week from now on though!

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Geekster1963 · 20/07/2018 11:44

It does feel very hard to begin with, I remember I was really struggling after the first two weeks. Doing it in this heat must be twice as hard too. Keep going with it and trust that it works, it doesn’t matter how long each run takes you as long as you keep going. The fitness will come, it just takes a while to build up you almost don’t notice that suddenly it feels easier.

Keep going it’s worth it.

FATEdestiny · 21/07/2018 12:10

I would probably restart week 6 if it was me. And don't have too longer break or you'll lose your momentum completely.

For what it's worth - I ran C25K every day. Indeed in the early, easier week I sometime ran twice a day.

I continued running daily upon finishing C25K, progressing to 35 min runs, 40 minute runs, then a daily 5k run and even through to 10k runs. I run every day.

Since the beginning of April, so coming up to 4 months, there have been only 3 or 4 days I've not run.

I have a school friend (Facebook friend) who runs a gym with her husband and they are both personal trainers. Therefore uber fit. They think nothing of a 5k run. Indeed they often use a 5k run as a warmup to exercise. ie not even the actual exercise, just preparing the body for proper exercise to do afterwards.

I take this mindset in my running. Fit and healthy people can run 5Ks as though it's just an everyday part of their day, not even exercise. I suppose the same way I used to view the 1.5k walk to school and back twice a had - healthy but not actually exercise.

This mindset in itself makes me think that as long as you're not constantly pushing yourself faster and faster and are not increasing up to frequent high (10k +) distances, that a daily 5k run (ie every day) is a healthy and very good thing to add to your day if you have the time.

So I respectfully disagree with your husband. Blush I'm sure the NHS advises 30 minutes of high heart-rate exercise every day. A 5K run takes me 32-34 minutes, so I think unless I'm doing other cardiovascular exercise in the day, that a 5K run every day is a good thing.

The only important thing, I think, is good training on things like foot placement when running to avoid foot/leg aches. Shoulder, arm and head positioning without tension to avoid upper body aches. Well fitting shoes and adequate warm up and cool down. All that in place and not pushing yourself to go fast and I think daily running isn't a problem if you have the time.

SocksRock · 21/07/2018 12:22

I run 5/6 times a week as well. As long as at least 3 of them are just "everyday" runs (which for me is a 10k bimble round the country park) I am fine. Then one fast shorter run, and a long Saturday morning run, usually half marathon length.

I started with C25k a couple of years ago, lost 4 stone since then and properly have the running bug!

TeamEponine · 23/07/2018 17:35

I started week six again this morning. All good so far! I have some issues with my ankles, so I need to be careful to build up slowly because of that. DH is totally on board with the idea that exercise should be a daily thing, but given I started from nothing at all and I have crap ankles, I just need to be a little careful not to damage myself and totally impeded my progress!

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TeamEponine · 26/07/2018 05:49

Bloody hell. I just did the final run of week six. So 25 minutes of consistent running!!! It definitively gets less awful as I get through the run.

I'm even more impressed that I managed it given I'm mildly hungover and have a bit of a cold Blush

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FATEdestiny · 27/07/2018 14:05

Wow that was an early morning run yesterday! I was still in the land of nod when you'd finished.

Congratulations though. I'd say you are now a proper runner. No more walk intervals anymore - go for it!

I remember seeing runners out for their half hour run, when I was doing the 90 second or 3 minute intervals of the first few weeks. I looked at them and thought "they are real runners, they know how to do this". Now you are that "real runner "

The next 3 weeks shouldn't be too challenging to you once you're out there. The challenge is just making sure you put your running gear on and get out in the first place. Especially in this heat.

I ran while it was chucking it down with rain and thundering this morning. Absolute bliss to do a run in when it's cool.

TeamEponine · 13/08/2018 17:45

Well, I've had 2.5 weeks off! Holiday and then I came back to be horribly ill Sad

But, I started again this morning. I've done week six twice now, so I just did the 10/3/10 week six run, and I'll move onto week seven tomorrow.

I always do my run early. I'd not manage it otherwise. Up, out and back before DD wakes up at 6! It was just becoming daylight this morning, which wasn't so nice.

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TeamEponine · 15/08/2018 05:45

Finally! I've made it to week seven.

Week six took me four weeks in the end Blush

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FATEdestiny · 15/08/2018 07:55

Onwards and upwards, great progress! Only "proper running" now. You're fitness clearly isn't suite! Grin

FATEdestiny · 15/08/2018 07:55

Shite*

TeamEponine · 22/08/2018 11:30

Can I ask a question of those who have completed C25K? When you finished it, how far were you actually running?

I started W8 today, so 5+28+5, and I'm not even hitting 4k yet! I really am not going to manage an extra 1 + a bit k with an extra two minutes. And this distance is including the five minute walks either side of the run section!

To some extent, I'm not too bothered. I still just amazed that I have stuck to running for two months and that I managed to run continuously for 28 minutes! I was more just wondering whether people who come into C25K as complete fitness and running newbies tend to hit the 5k by the end of week 9?

At the moment I'm planning to get to the end of week 9, and then just keep repeating it and work on my pace in the 30 minute run section so that I can actually get up to the 5k.

Do people tend to count the 5k as the whole distance, so including the warm up and warm down walks, or do you only count the distance covered in the run section?

Thanks so much everyone, your support and advice has really helped me to do this! Grin Flowers

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MagicKeysToAsda · 22/08/2018 12:50

For most of the programme chose not to measure distance as I didn't feel ready to know! I finished the prog in June and have kept going, and recently measured - I cover about 2.5 miles in the 30 minutes, so if I could continue at the same pace it would take another 6 minutes to reach 3miles/5km. So I've stopped measuring distance again, and am working on increasing time up to 35-40 minutes, and when I can do that comfortably (ha!) I will re-measure distance, if that makes sense?

FATEdestiny · 22/08/2018 18:43

The stated aim if the C25K programe is to teach you to run for 30 minutes non-stop, not to teach you to run for 5k. It's just "Couch to 30 Minutes" doesn't have the same ring to it.

The program deliberately doesn't mention pace, speed or distance. The only focus is how long you run for. The first time speed and pace is specifically worked on is in the C25K graduates program, called C25K Plus (which I'd recommend once you graduate). So you don't look at your pace, therefore your distance covered, until after you can run for 30 minutes.

For what it's worth, when I finished C25K I was covering around about 5K in the whole podcast - I generally covered 0.5K in the 5min warm up, 4K in the 30 min run and 0.5K in the cool down.

I then did the C25K+ Stepping Stone podcast (which introduces the idea of monitoring your pace) and C25K+ Stamina podcast to increase me run to 35 minutes.

My first 5K all done at a running pace took me 42 minutes. That was down to 40 within 3 runs and was down to 35 minutes within a month. Two months on and my PB is 31m01s for 5K, so still working on a sub-30 time. My usual runs are around 32-33 minutes for 5K.

Once you graduate, I'd suggest the C25K+ podcasts firstly, then swap from tracking how long you run for and instead track how far you run. So now, instead of me thinking "I'll run for 30/35/40 minutes", I think "I'm going to do a 5K/8K/10K run" and run for however long that takes me.

TeamEponine · 26/08/2018 10:40

FFS Sad

How come every time I get into the flow of it, I manage to fuck it up somehow Sad

So, this morning was my last w8 run. At 25 minutes out of 28, doing well, pace good, feeling good and so excited that my next run will be the first of w9 with 30 minutes of running. Then... I wiped out Sad Badly grazed and cut up both hands, right knee and shoulder. Everything aches. I think from tensing up when I fell.

I'm so gutted. Got into the flow. Hurt my ankle. Got into the flow. Holiday. Got into the flow. Ill. Now, got into the flow. Fall over.

Every time I hit another wall. Sad

Guess I'll have to redo today's run when I can Sad

So thoroughly cross with myself.

On the plus side, DD has loved being a doctor this morning Grin

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MagicKeysToAsda · 26/08/2018 11:24

Oh no! Picturing you covered in Mr Bump plasters... Get well soon and don't feel bad. I stumble a lot, it's frankly only a matter of time before I get an ankle stuck down a rabbit hole or something the reason I always tell someone pretty exactly where I'm going in case I need a rescue

TeamEponine · 26/08/2018 13:42

Close, but paw patrol!

Got a huge bruise coming out now, I'm so pissed off Sad

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