What I thought was impossible just a few weeks ago... I just did it! 20mins straight and kept my target pace 7:30min/km (around 12min/mile) for whole run. YAY ME!!! 😁 I'm so bl**dy proud of myself 😁

This post is sort of a joke, but I’ve found that the song Glorious, by Macklemore has a beat that follows the exact same pattern of my natural step while jogging.

I did W5D3 (20 minute jog with no breaks) the other day, and threw the song on loop. Every time I felt like I was about to slow down, I just kept taking steps to match the beat of the song, and it really kept me going.

So are there any other songs that have this sort of beat for you? I’d love to add it to my playlist.

My son and I have been starting the c25k and taking selfies after the run together. I'm guessing they're not actually saved on my phone? Or, are they? I haven't been able to find them in my photo gallery.

Long story short, I've been able to do a 5K with 9:20/mi and 10K with 10:30/mi. But I've plateaued for the past several months. The truth is for the past year, I've been sprinting out the gates every practice run and spending 90% of my runs in zone 5. That only got me so far. I didn't even care about C25K or zone 2 until recently.

I've been realizing that I shouldn't be feeling like I'm dying after I hit 2 miles. My calves shouldn't be burning every single run and I shouldn't be spending the entirety of my runs at 180-190bpm. I've gotten to a point now where I get a heart palpitation on my runs at around 2-3 miles.

I tried to run in zone 2. But for me there's no in between zone 1 or zone 5. The second I start running I get to zone 5 in around 5-7 minutes. I should have started my running journey with C25K and zone 2.

Should I start training again, but this time using the C25K template to build a healthy aerobic base?

I should also mention that I'm overweight.

It took me 41 minutes, but I did it! Now to get my time down… 😅

Not a rant, just felt compelled to share. I’m on the 5k runner app and week 7 day 2 was my first 20 minute straight run I’ve read so much about here. I took it a tad slower than usual to make sure I could finish. It felt like the right pace for me in the end, but I was bummed to see how much less distance I covered compared to my prior runs. Know it’s about the time and not the distance, but the app gave me an extra “optimized” run too presumably because my distance fell off so much from prior runs.

I didn’t think I’d even be able to make it a few weeks ago so I wish I was just happy I did, but I keep thinking about how much distance I lost.

Going to keep at it and I think I need to adopt a more moderate pace to keep up with the progress, but since I’m thinking about it I wanted to throw it out there in case others experience similar.

Officially finished C25K and now beginning my life long journey of getting better at running 💕

I can now look back and laugh about how nervous I was to start. I was nervous man, nervous that I might injure myself because of how overweight I was/am, that I’ll have to repeat days, that it would be another thing I pick up and never complete.

But I never spoke out those fears, I did this with a friend and every single time we would tell ourselves how we’re runners now and this is just what we do. Although it was a light hearted joke, my mind started to believe it.

Now sitting in my car after this 30 minute run, I am so astonished that my body actually did that. I can almost cry 😭

At the start of this 8th week, I signed up for a local Thanksgiving 5K and from now until then, I’ll just work on getting faster and going longer.

If you think you’re disqualified from running because of where you are now, don’t be discouraged…this program is made for people like us.

W4D1 done! Just like a lot of people, I thought this was going to be really tough, but I actually got through it pretty smoothly. Imo, the trick is just to run super slow.

Hi C25K community! Just a post I wanted to make about my experience with running since beginning it earlier this year with a C25K schedule.

I turned 30 this year, and though I was active as a kid, from my teenage years onwards I became a bit too sedentary for my liking. I'm an asthmatic, and despite being quite sedentary and not eating the best I've always been skinny and never been able to put on much weight remaining in the 55-60kgs range for my entire adult life.

At the beginning of this year, I was going through a rough break up, and I wanted to do anything except sit in my room as that became the place I just let my thoughts run too wild. Being out of the house and just walking literally anywhere was something I was doing multiple times a day to cope with the rough times until I asked myself, why am I not going for runs instead?

I started by just trying to run around the block. My house is on a decline of a street, so if i run to the bottom of the street I can turn the corner and head up around the other side of the block into an incline. I started off by just trying to do 2 laps and it sucked but I kept trying. I then became aware of C25K and found a schedule that worked for me and changed from running around the block to running around the surrounding streets, let me talk more about the thing most will find relatable and that is the struggle of those early day run/walk timings.

The first week on my schedule asked me to run for 1 minute, walk for 1 minute, and repeat this x10. I could barely complete the running parts of this, infact by the 3rd or 4th 1 minute run split I was absolutely wrecked and could not fathom how I was going to get through another. I would often take an extra minute to walk which, though it felt like cheating the system a little, it's important to remember everyone's bodies are different and I could amend what I need to do. The only thing that matters is completion. I finished the first day and felt destroyed, but not disheartened. Infact I felt excited. See the thing that pushes me is knowing that for every effort big or small that I put in, I'm DOING SOMETHING, and in time my body and mind is benefitting from it. Even if i felt like shit from the run that day I got out and did something and by default I am now better off. This realisation became one of my main motivating thoughts.

As the 1 minute walk/1 minute run turned into more demanding requests like run 3 minutes walk 3 minutes, I started to realise that my body was changing, and this was something that fueled me even further. I hadn't been able to notice it before but now I was. Feeling in real time my body adapting to the effort I am putting in is an addicting experience. What was nigh-impossible 2 weeks ago now seemed trivial. It's such a short span of time but the effects hit fast. This was also the same time where I had to remind myself to stick to the schedule despite feeling this rush I was getting from noticing the adaptations and growth. Rest days exist for a reason, running for X amount of time and not pushing further exists for a reason. Stick to the plan, the gradual progression, and keep things consistent. This is how you best accurately identify your results and keep yourself healthy and on track for the next workout.

So now after 4 weeks, I went from not being able to run for a minute, to now running 10. Then a few weeks later 12 minutes, then 15. There were times where I would finish a run and lay on the oval for 5 minutes feeling like death, and there were times where I would finish 12 minutes of running and still need to do another rep of 12 minutes and think "there is absolutely no way I could do this". This is all normal and I'm sure many new runners like me went through this too. But all I had to do was get that 2 minute walk break out of the way and just go. Don't look at the watch and wonder how long is left. Keep a good playlist on (I like OSTs like Monster Hunter/God of War for the empowering feeling), and just keep fuckin going. Your body can take way more than you think, and the only rule I had for myself from the beginning till every run I do now is you can go as slow as you want but don't you dare walk, even if you're shuffling keep going because the moment you start walking everything is going to hit you and it'll be harder to get back into rhythm.

Now I set myself 3 goals when I started running. They were built to be achievable, or to over-come nerves.

1. Run 5K without stopping.
2. Enter a 5K race (self-concious nerves etc)
3. Run 5K in 30 minutes or less (long-term goal)

I finished the program (mine was 6 weeks) and ran my first ever 5K without stopping. 41 minutes. I can't stress enough how this program is perfectly paced to give you the feeling of accomplishment and reward of completing goals. I believe this is purely a human nature thing, but the constant achievements are good for the mind while the body benefits in the background. In my opinion, running is pre-dominantly mind-based. The body can take more than you know, as long as the mind is willing you will do it. All of these small accomplishments from the schedule build up and really reinforce this.

With the program being done and having ran a 5k, i was unsure how to proceed schedule wise but i still had 2 more goals left to do for these early days which meant I needed to continue conditioning myself for them. I maintained running 3 times a week, each run was 5K (or as close as I could get) and mixing up the surface I was running on as I knew the 5K race was going to be on roads and I had done most of my running on grass.

Hey, it's injury and shin splints time. Maybe you're like me and that means through-out the program you didn't experience devastating leg pain apart from the typical tiredness and fatigue that your muscles will feel for a day tops, but then after maintaining longer runs the time between recovery was starting to get bigger and bigger. I wasn't running 3 times a week anymore because I could barely finish 2 runs due to the pain. I would struggle to finish a 5K and by the end my ankles were literally quivering, the pain would last over a week. I was very sure I had shin splints, and had to knock my runs back to one a week while trying to give myself some proper actual recovery for the first time since starting the program in the first place.

This is the part where mentally I felt the lowest and thought I was going to burn out on running. Not running 3x a week for the first time in months, barely feeling like I could even finish a run, and above all I was getting in my head about my 5K time not improving. I started off with a 41 minute. That's fine I just wanted a time in general to base from, but I was starting to plateau around the 35 minute mark. I would do a 35 minute run, get too sore to run again, then the next week do a 37 minute run. I was yo-yoing all over the place and I felt like shit because of it. Though eventually after forcing myself to take about a month off until I was certain all pain was gone and I could run on fresh legs again I got back out there and slowly reduced my time over the next couple of months from 35 to where I yet again, got hardstuck, at 31:18. The recovery periods were definitely helping but I was still extremely frustrated that I couldn't run multiple times a week and had to listen to my bodies cries for more recovery than I wanted.

This is when the gym came in and saved me. I mentioned at the start that I've always been a skinny guy, and a bit smaller. I've always wanted to get a bit bigger, put on some muscle and get stronger but I never wanted to go to the gym because I didn't have a friend living close by to go with so I wrote the idea off every time. I was way too nervous to go on my own and honestly feel very out of place in that kind of environment (I still do). But going to the gym to compliment my running would be the best decision I made since starting the program in the first place.

The aim with the gym was to do the above (get stronger, bigger), but a source of motivation was knowing that my weak legs that kept getting injured were most likely going to massively benefit from some strength training. At the end of every work out I would do a 20 minute run on the treadmill at a 6:35/km pace. I thought a treadmill couldn't benefit me at all compared to "real" running but man, I credit all of my recent progression to it, let me tell you why.

On the treadmill, I set the speed, and I go. I don't worry about achieving a certain distance, I only care about COMPLETING 20 minutes on it. Now running for 20 minutes is not difficult for me anymore since C25K and the further runs since, but in my gym I couldn't find a fan to have on (tbh I didn't really look), and the window was barely open. Also, you can't just start walking on a treadmill when it's going really fast because you'll fall off the back obviously, so the treadmill work meant keeping a consistent form and pace for 20 minutes. Combine this with the fan and window situation these 20 minute runs legit felt more punishing than running outside and I couldn't figure it out until it clicked that it's because I don't have the outside breeze and conditions. In-turn going back into an outdoors run felt almost effortless. It was nicer with the breeze, my body had been conditioned to keep a regular pace from the treadmill forcing you to move, and my form was overall better.

Running set me up with the right mindset for the gym which was I will get out what I put in and most importantly, SHOW UP.

My first outdoors 5K run back yesterday after a month of no outdoor runs, and doing 3x treadmill sessions a week at the gym.

31:18 -> 29:53. New PB by over a minute, and the first PB since the 35:XX days where it wasn't just a PB by 10 seconds. And the best part, no pain the day after. I did legs at the gym today and another treadmill session and feel awesome.

I achieved my hardest goal of my initial 3 I set for myself and it's time to set some new ones.

The new goal: Run a 5K in 25 minutes. And everything above with consistency will deliver me there.

C25K was the gateway to a healthier and more positive life this year. If you're ever thinking of giving up, just remember: Your body can take way more than you think. Remind yourself that if mind is willing, you will succeed despite all else. Show up.

Why do I get itchy when I run? I was happy to see it wasn't as bad as I thought and I feel ready for week 2 no issues but, I get itchy when I run. Like all over. It's really uncomfortable. I'm a big guy is it like the way I jiggle or something? I dunno but I hate it.

I'm so happy 😊😊

Hi everyone! So my day 1 was very good then I took break for 2 days, today I failed my day 2 because my muscle haven't recover completely . When I started running few months a go, I always have trouble recovering, after my 1st ever run I took 2 week off just to recover completely, even after a month or more I noticed that my body take too long to recover, is that normal? just wondering should I redo week 1 or should I just repeat the day 2 (don't mind either way)? How long does you guys takes to recover when you guys started?

yes I did stretched before the run, it's just my body feels tired, no pain .

thanks, I sincerely appreciate your guidance.

Let's brag a little. What did you accomplish this week?

Just completed week 4! I added a few extra mins to the last interval again this week so next week didn't seem so intimidating and ran for 9mins straight with more in the tank (didn't want to over do it). It's amazing to think 4 weeks ago I was struggling with 1min runs. Legs are feeling so much stronger and no longer hurt post run. Still not sure about that 20mins end of next week however will see if I'm so happy this time next week 😅

58M. Quit smoking in July and started walking everyday. After a few weeks I started C25K. Like many here , I've had several ups and downs, rescheduling due to calf pain, work travel, etc. But now it's done.

I know everyone gives out the "slow down" advice a lot, and I'll echo that for sure. I will also say, that you should give yourself grace when you "fail". Rather than kick myself and trying harder the next day, I usually take an extra rest day between (usually just walking but sometimes a pure rest day) - and try again.

My future plans include working my distance up to 10K and improving my 5K time. I found a local park-run on Saturday's that I'm planning to start attending once a month or so.

Good luck to everyone still on the journey - be patient and you will get there.

Kept it nice and slow and just let my mind wander during those 20 minutes. At one point I looked down at my watch and saw that I only had 8 minutes to go. Time just flew by!

Possibly a little preemptive since I'm only on Week 3 of the program, but I thought a virtual 5k would be fun and low stakes and help me gauge my progress. Definitely will be doing a mix of running and walking. I'm excited for it!

Things that make you go !@#$%&

A chest infection has taken me down, so W1D2 will not be happening tomorrow :(

It was 25 mins in total but forgot to turn on the Strava so the recorded run is a minute ISH short but still counts!!

As I start running more and more and I'm actually into it, I wonder what kind of smart watches do you guys have? I'm after some recommendations, it's a huge plus if it's within let's say £150 range but can be more if it's going to make a huge difference if I go for something more pricey! Any advice on what you are currently using and passes the test?