I have been working on a running program over the winter and am pleasantly surprised at how I am doing.
The program is just an app I downloaded from itunes for a couple of dollars. I hop on the treadmill and every so often the program yells at me to either start running or slow down and walk. I watch a tv show on the ipad or listen to music to make the time pass quickly. I have finally mastered the buttons on the treadmill and have yet to fall off (knock on wood). There are three sessions a week and it is set up as an eight week program.
So this was today's program (week 4 session 3):
Warm up walk for 5m
Run 3m
Walk 2m
Run 5m
Walk 2m
Run 5m
Walk 2m
Run 3m
Walk 2m
Cool down walk for 5m
Now, I am a very slow runner at just 7.5km/hr and my walking speed is 5.8km/hr. But hey! I am still doing it! Today I covered just over 3.5km in the 34 minutes of the program. Plus I walked to and from the gym, so another 1.5km.
I have never run for 5 minutes straight. I am sure I never even did it as a kid. Well, unless it was for smarties. I might have run 5 minutes to get smarties.
In just two more sessions I will have an 8 minute run. Just thinking about that makes me want to barf. And by the end of the eight weeks, the program has you running 35 minutes. I don't know about that!! But I will keep on going and who knows, perhaps I just might run for 35 minutes.
4 comments:
Whoohoo! You are doing awesome! I am also a slow runner but I finally admitted its about challenging myself, not meeting some target that someone else thinks I should make. way to go Kara!!!
Way to go! I'm a C25k 'grad' from 2009. While I had run 5k before, 16 years of relatively sedentary motherhood had intervened. It's a terrific program. Don't be afraid to repeat a week or two if you need to build your confidence, but it is well-paced and the "humps" tend to be on paper, and mental, rather than real.
After finishing the program I kept doing the last week, gradually adding 10% to the long run. About a month later I realized I was actually enjoying the running. And soon I didn't need structure and accountability and "it's good for you" as motivation: I just liked the actual running.
It's been almost four years and I've run half marathons and marathons and epic trail adventures. I've discovered a new respect for my body, and a renewed love for the outdoors. And I'm probably in the best shape of my life.
So good luck to you! You're off to a great start!
I did the Couch to 5km a few months ago. Now I run at least 6km five days a week. I've started adding more distance as the weather gets nicer. I'm thinking of running the Atlin mini-marathon in July.
I admire you being able to run on a treadmill! I have a gym-quality one at home, all the toys to distract myself while I'm on it and it still bores me so badly I want to cry! If it's above -20C, I run outside!
That's awesome Kara!! :) So excited for you...
When I was doing my masters I was doing the C25k...but then broke my foot, and moved to Nunavut so never picked it back up.
I've started walking every morning at 7am before work... and am thinking of starting up something on my treadmill. But not sure if I'll attempt a C25K...bc I think even week 1 day 1 would kill me right now.
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