r/C25K

SOLVED : I get it tendons take long to develop and I'll stick to the plan. Thank you mates 🤪​

Instead of running 5x4 min​ with 30 sec breaks, I ran all 20 min without stopping. Then I added after 1:30 min of rest 10 min.

What to do ??? Am I supposed to just skip weeks ???? If yes where ????? ​

Or should I just... Keep going where I'm at (to build strength and stuff...) and perhaps add a little more each session ????

I started running last year in November alongside quitting smoking and I've overdone it. I had no exercise for years due to mental health stuff and stayed inside for the most part of almost 2 1/2 years.

My weight was probably 110kg and the first week I ran 4x a week because I had so much energy and was so motivated, always reasonable distances though (1-2km), the second week I went 5x that week and always over 3-3.5 km at a way to high pace, my shoes also weren't fitting and needless to say I asked for an injury and my big toe went numb on the second run that week, then my ankle hurt badly and then my upper leg. The pain in my leg weren't sore muscles, it was legitimately hurting so fucking bad, whenever and whenever I went to run again the numbing and pain would come back after a few meters so I had to stop.

Now, almost a year later, it's FEELS okay and I picked up running again and my pace is slow, steady and I take my sweet time to get into it following the C25K regiment.

Take it slow in the beginning is what I'm trying to say, even if you feel like you could do much more and are motivated and ready to conquer the world, it's not worth it if you're not fit in the first place, you're asking for an injury and then you cannot run anymore and that was such a bummer for me, because I had fun.

I still have to be mindful of my foot and ankles and hope I will do fine the coming weeks, I'm paying close attention and if not I have to consult an orthopedic specialist. Don't be like me, slow and steady wins the race!!!!!

Hi everyone!

My names Rhys and I’m fully new to C25K and looking at starting.
I’ve gotten badly out of shape the last few years, I’m currently 120kg and I’m looking at starting running alongside my already ongoing dieting. My problem is where I live, there’s not a single bit of flat. It’s all hills everywhere I go.
I really want to stick at this and not give up, but running hills seems like it’ll be hell to me.
Can anyone give any advice on where to begin?

We’re about to kick off Week 7, and it feels surreal that the finish line is only three weeks away!

Knowing the program won't be telling me what to do in a few weeks has me wondering what life looks like post-graduation.

I know there’s a great pinned post on the sub covering post-graduation paths, but I was curious to get a pulse on what folks here are currently doing in practice.

For those who have finished (or are planning ahead), how did you keep the momentum going once you hit that 30 minute / 5k mark?

Please drop your experience in the comments! Did you find you needed another rigid program to stay accountable, or was free-running enough to keep the habit alive?

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I’ve accepted that I need to get fitter. About six weeks ago I bought an exercise bike and started using it regularly. Last week I added a treadmill and started doing C25k.

Today should have been run three of week one.

Just after starting I realised I hadn’t turned the volume on so I couldn’t hear the instructions. I almost fell over trying to reach my phone so decided I’d just look at the segments to see when to walk/run.

Got distracted. Multiple times. For a long time. (Watching Netflix whilst running)

Based on the data from my watch, what I actually did was:
-walk five minutes
-run three and a half minutes
-walk ninety seconds
-run three and a half minutes
-walk ninety seconds
-run about twenty minutes? The rest of the session (including the cool down), plus a few minutes afterwards

Other than sweaty, I felt fine afterwards.

Is it a really bad idea to skip ahead in the C25k program? If it’s ok, how far ahead is it ok to go?

4.25 km
27:03
6:22 /km

week 7 done.

supposed to do 25mins but i did another 2 mins because i was feeling ok.
but i really need to stick to the program so my body adapts to the requirements of it, i really dont want an injury.

the week prior i did a 22 min run under 6:00/km but i was absolutely wrecked by the end of it. (my c25k phone app has 22min runs instead of 25 mins)

this time i tried to run slower and surpised myself with the time anyway. i know its not the idea behind c25k but even now as a noob runner im excited to start beating times!

my tips:

go slow, pace comes when you dont expect it
i try to stay on flat ground and run on road or footpath
i bought nike vomero shoes. frigan amazing shoes. get good shoes plz.
i take my dog with me, she loves it.
i listen to variety of music that keeps my motivated
i run at night after kids are asleep and get to enjoy the stars and cool air
i wear an LED light band on my arm so cars/bikes/scooters see me in the dark.
i run mostly the same route but i try to mix up which streets i hook down for the sake of variety.

looking forward to getting into a habit of running 3 times a week and knocking over c25k in 30 mins!

I was doing so well, just hit week 5, then got knocked out by a cold for about a week and a half. Feeling mostly better now but honestly nervous about jumping back in too fast.

For those who've had a similar setback, did you pick up where you left off once symptoms were gone, or do you have a method to determine wether you're healthy enough or not? Trying to figure out what actually worked for people vs. what just sounds like good advice and if there is some sort of method/tool that can help.

First time posting. I've gotten a lot of motivation and comfort reading this subreddit so I decided to join you now!

Just ran 2.86km in 22 minutes, so I won't be doing 5k in 30 minutes just yet, but I'll start focusing on that after I complete week 9.

I turned 30 earlier this year and decided it would be my Year of Running and Reading. Really pleased with reaching 22 minutes. 🤩

I've found that listening to Broadway cast albums helps me. Something about staying in the same story for longer than the length of one song. Thanks Hamilton and Waitress for getting me through these past weeks!

Let's go everyone! 💪🏻

I’m 56 years old, I’ve never been athletic, and when I started the NHS C25K plan in May, my BMI was 32.3, which is class 1 obesity. So it is with delight and astonishment that I mark the successful completion of week 9–I just completed my third 30-minute run!

When I started this program, I had never run more than a few seconds in my life, so every run was a new record and a new accomplishment. I was able to complete most weeks, but I repeated week 6 several times because of travel interruptions. With the repeats, the whole program took me 12 weeks instead of 9.

I should note that although I am now able to jog for 30 minutes, it isn’t easy and I do it very slowly! So I’ve really accomplished something more like couch to 3k. But I’m ok with that. It’s so amazing to me that I can run at all. I’m not sure what I’ll do next, but my goal is still to be able to jog a full 5k, and eventually I’d like to get a little faster.

I feel great. My BMI is now 29.4–still fat, but no longer officially obese. The knee and foot pain that I had before C25K and that I feared might make it impossible for me actually improved enormously and are now almost gone. My pulse rate has dropped. And above all, I’ve proven to myself that I can do something really challenging and that I can improve my physical condition if I work at it. I think I feel prouder of this than just about anything I’ve done! I even kind of love my still-fat, flabby, saggy, pale, postmenopausal body; it may not be pretty, but it has proved that it can still do so much more than I thought it could!

I’m grateful to have had this subreddit for inspiration and information. My jock husband is supportive but doesn’t understand what a big deal this is to me, and I intentionally avoided telling anyone else what I was doing. So thanks to all who have told their stories and asked questions here and to the mods who keep this sub!