Starting C25K - help

[Rosegarden12]

Have been severely overweight for most of my life, but have made some big changes food-wise and lost a lot of weight. Still have a bit to go, but want to add some exercise in. Do a fair bit of walking now so I do enjoy being active.

Have downloaded the app but feeling a little apprehensive. Am planning on starting tomorrow, not sure which trainer to pick? Anyone have any practical advice?

What about music? Anyone got any tracks they think will keep me motivated?

any tips really?

I went for Sarah Millican. I started listening to music but switched to podcasts after a while as I find it more interesting so the time goes faster, we'll all have our preferences.

It's not hard to start with, as long as you don't try and run too fast!

Just go slow, and aim for consistent habit rather than a time or a distance.

I used it as my own therapy time with a playlist, gave me uninterrupted time to be with my own thoughts.

I've completed it before but lost a lot of fitness with each of my pregnancies so this week I've started again for the third time!

For music I think Spotify has some playlists where the tempo of the songs is good for jogging along to - I want to say 140 bpm playlists maybe? Otherwise just put on something that makes you feel good 😊

And if you feel like you're struggling at any point just slow down - it's not a race, it's about building your stamina, so even if at times you feel like snails might be overtaking you (or maybe that's just me?!), it's still counting towards improving your fitness!

My tip would be to make sure you stretch properly. And also add some either yoga/Pilates or strength based work- squats, lunges etc and core work. You have lost a lot of weight and without ensuring your muscles are strong and in good condition you are more likely to get injured

Good luck, it's so well designed because you build up so slowly. The first week is mostly walking. Pick the person whose voice you like the most. Do the warm up and warm downs. Aim to do a 5k park run once you've completed the programme but don't worry if you can't get under an under 30mins 5k.

Oh I'm such a fan of this! I did it a couple of years ago and have been running ever since.

My tips are:

• Absolutely go as slow as you need to - I used to be barely able to overtake people briskly walking their dogs
• Repeat weeks as much as you like

-The 20 minute run feels like it will be impossible but you'll surprise yourself!

• If you don't feel like doing a run tell yourself you'll get your running stuff on and go outside and just walk if you still really don't want to run

Following because I want to start too. Any suggestions for cheap but good running shoes?

Pick a voice you like.

Pick music you enjoy and will make you feel positive. It doesn't have to be fast and pacey because you just need to get your body through a running motion for the block required. Run slow. Just keep running. You're not trying to impress a PE teacher.

Week 5 & 6... trust the plan. It builds up the running time. There comes a scary moment where you run for something like 20 mins... but you'd already run for more than that, it's just the walk blocks reducing. You will be ready.

C25k tends to be a bit of a misnomer. Really it's C230mins. Many runners don't reach 5k in that 30 mins, and that's fine.

Wear layers. I found it helpful to do my warm-up around the block and chuck surplus layers into my front garden as I passed by. Over time you'll get to know what you need to wear for the run you're about to do.

Have comfortable, recent trainers. You don't need £££ specialist pairs at this stage, but you do need trainers designed for running to aborb the impact.

Some runs will be hard. It might be weather, mood, energy, hydration, food, hormones or something totally random. It doesn't mean that you're not progressing or that the next run will suck. It happens to all runners and experience is acknowledging any useful reason/ pattern and learning from it, or brushing it off as one of those things if it is random.

When you start running, you become a runner. If you want to do something like parkrun, a race or join a club, go for it and don't hold yourself back.

Decathlon's good if you just need something fairly standard for fit.

You need a good sports bra too!!

I run 5k a few times a week. I’ve probably graduated from C2 5k 10 times in the last 20 years! I like to listen to Desert Island Discs podcasts - something interesting to occupy my mind and a bit of music.

When i was starting out i found it useful to listen to music that was quite slow but good to sing to. You don’t want anything that’ll encourage you to go too fast and burn out to begin with.

Don’t expect to actually be running 5k in 30 mins when you first finish. The app will teach you to run for 30 mins without stopping but the majority of people are not running a sub 30 5k at that point, stick at it and it’ll come though, so don’t get downhearted about it.

remember it winter, cold, dark and a bit miserable but you do need to stay consistent and it’s the runs for it to work as it should. Having layers of clothing helps get you out the door and you can peel off layers as needed. If a local running club has a c25k group (and they probably do this time of year) joining that might help motivation.

remember, running for even a very short time will seem hard at first and you’ll wonder how you’ll manage the longer runs, but be consistent and you will. Good luck!

It's a brilliant programme! I started in May and I can now comfortably run a 5k 2/3 times a week. But it has taken me 7 months (as a 41 year old 5ft4 woman) to get under 30 minutes. Bear in mind the average time is something like 38 minutes.

I chose Sarah Millican. She was very pleasant to listen to.

As for shoes - I wear Puma from Start Fitness. I started in a pair of Magnify Nitro which they have for £40 but I did know Puma trainers suit my feet before I bought. Otherwise try MandM Direct.

I have done this course a few times, and I find it comforting to go back to when I have stopped for any reason (pregnancy / injury / laziness).

I would suggest running on grass one or two times a week if you are prone to bad knees or shin splints. I have a good head-torch for early mornings (it makes me look like a miner, but it is the best thing for jogging in the dark).

Good music is a must. I have ‘fast’ songs for motivation - Prodigy is brilliant and bouncy (obviously not for everyone). The app is good because it allows you to play music and cuts in when they speak.

I will be joining the ranks this time - fingers crossed my bad back doesn't stop me.

I managed to complete week 1 and feeling quite proud of myself. My 12 year old daughter decided to join me as she wants to get fitter and trimmer too and even though we both had headphones on it was nice to spend time together.

listening to slightly slower music actually worked better for me, I found myself going quick and struggling with more up tempo stuff. My daughter has now decided that yoga would be good for us too now - what have I got myself into!

I wouldn’t say I actually enjoyed the running element of it, but I definitely loved the feeling of accomplishment. Onto week 2!

Well done! I'm supposed to do W2R2 today but I've woken up with a head cold and it's super icy out so I'm tempted to postpone. Not what I was hoping for as I'm feeling very motivated right now!

Well done on completing week one!
I started c25k in September, and can now run 5k a couple of times a week (try to get to a parkrun if you can). I still can't run it close to 30mins, but I've worked on upping my distance rather than increasing my speed. C25K isn't easy, repeat some weeks if you feel you need to, and keep with it.

It's not great for running at the moment to be honest. It's been either icy or raining here so I have been running at the gym instead - when I did C25k there were a couple of heatwaves so I extended some weeks. It's not the end of the world if you need to take a bit longer to do the programme.

Well done @Rosegarden12 for getting started in such horrible weather. Sounds like you’re doing well and nice that your dd is doing it too.

running is hard at first but it really does get easier if you stick at it. The weather also bothers you less as you go along. I went out today with a big group of friends from the running club. We ran 10 miles in sideways rain and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a weird place to get to but if you stick at it, it comes. It all started with couch to 5k.

I've done C25k 3 times. The third time it stuck and I've been running consistently for nearly two years now. Still haven't managed to do a 5k in under 30 minutes, but that's not the point! Parkrun is a good thing to aim for once you've finished - first one I did, it took 41 minutes. I've entered a few "races" mostly 5k, one 10k (races in inverted commas as I ain't winning anything 😅). I'd always worried that the people at parkrun and the races would be all intimidating, but I've found them to be the loveliest, supportive, most encouraging folk I've ever met.
If you need to repeat a week, repeat a week. Listen to music you enjoy - my playlist is mostly classical! I've only ever used the original Laura voice. For yoga, stretches etc, the Nike training club app is free and has a huge variety of workouts. Most of all, enjoy it! It's changed my life.

I’m onto week 6 of C25K and loving it so far. Never really run before in my life but decided I needed to get on it now I’m in my mid-40s! I also use Sarah Millican - I find her voice really soothing and a bit like having a friend encouraging you on. As someone else said, I thought I’d never be able to do the first 20-minute run but managed it fairly easily! You’ll surprise yourself with how quickly you make progress.

I got to about 25 mins running with it and felt amazing to do that. Then injured myself so looking to start again, just waiting for my pavements to deice! I couldn’t get on with Sarah millican and had Denise Lewis. As I got better I really got into a rock music playlist for running, was so good when I I was struggling I would hope for 2 songs to come on and they just lifted me through.

Well done for taking the leap and starting OP!
I have a range of music to listen to from proper ‘old school’ clubbing tracks to slightly slower music that I just like to listen to.

Don’t get disheartened if you have a tough week, you can re do parts of the plan. Don’t run too fast, and the only investment I’d make is a running bra & trainers. Trainers aren’t the cheapest of purchases, but very important to have the right ones.

Enjoy OP, and check out your local parkrun where you can run (and walk) your way round a 5K

How are you doing, OP?

I started C25K in December. Struggled a little in Week 4 but continued, found Week 5 weirdly easier (was probably running more slowly), struggled through the second parts of Week 6 and finally admitted failure in Week 7. So I went back to Week 4, thinking that would now be easy and... it wasn't. I failed the 5-minute runs on the first day.

BUT! Now I have figured something out (which is why I am posting). I thought I was running slowly, but I wasn't, I was still too fast. I found my slowest pace like this: Walk normally and pay attention to how much time elapses between your left and right foot hitting the floor. Then start running so slowly that this time interval stays the same. (You will still be faster than walking because the distance covered in one step is slightly bigger, but you will now be slow enough to run anything.)

I know it is ridiculously slow but I find that at this "base pace" I can seemingly run forever. I don't get out of breath at all. Week 4 is really easy now.

this. Creep like a snail at first. The pace will improve by itself with time and as you get used to running for the time/distance. Just find a pace you can maintain at first, no matter how slow that is. It really doesn’t matter and doesn’t mean you’ll run at that pace for ever.

Completely agree with going very slowly at first. You will feel a bit silly (and need to ignore any faster runners zooming past you!) but it’s the only way to build stamina. I can now do 25 mins pretty comfortably this way.