couch to 5k

[KarenG. 0]

Very excited about this ... now I just need to find my running shoes.

[Ariel 1]

I'm gonna join you guys. My ultimate goal is to run a marathon by may 2009. I think this would be a good start.

[soniacan 0]

i wanna join but.... running... lots of fear and anxiety there... and its october in the midwest with no treadmill... hmmmmm.... but i need something to get my head in gear again. ...

maybe if i wake up early and try it around the neighborhood before everyone wakes up and sees me...

but then again there will be folks heading to work when i'm lying on the side of the road....

[trystelle 3]

I just came back from doing a week one "run". Thought I was going to have to give up a few times, but I made it!. I think I will try this and see how it works. I read about Couch to 5K, about a month ago, but it was too hard to do the timing without the podcast. It is awesome this guy has done this for everybody! How can you tell how fast you run? I have a heartbeat monitor watch that figures my calories, but not my mph. Thanks for starting this and getting me going.:faint:

[losingjusme 12]

oh wow, i am so excited for everyone to join in!

we can do this.

couple of things i read in other boards (yes, i actually lurk in a running board!! )

- push yourself but dont OVER PUSH yourself if you know what i mean. yes, it is going to be not easy (who said exercising ever was??), but you dont want to get injured.

- stretch properly. there are some good stretches here on coolrunning.com

i read somewhere - cant remember where though sorry - the ideal 'speed' is fast enough to get your heart rate to 65-90% of your target HR. 90 seems a bit high though and i dont recommend staying up there for too long. last time i ran my ultra max HR was 96% (for about 15 seconds) and my average was only 75%. i got a great workout but didnt over do it! :whoo:

jmcambra - glad you figured out the iPod ... I am horrible with writing directions...

lauraj23 - i dont think you'd die, that would really suck! i guess start slow and work your way up from there. as jmcambra said, you could even do it on an elliptical if your knees are shot. we can take it as fast or slow as we want. i know i will be repeating weeks.

Ariel - i have the same goal. a nice marathon in 2009. might as well start now!!

soniacan - oh yes, i remember winters in the midwest (i'm from St. Louis and there isnt too too bad). do what you can.

trystelle - SOO glad you made it through the first run and that you didnt give up. good job! :clap2::clap2:

ok. this is what i am going to do (or try to at least) - every Sunday i will post a new thread in the exercise forum for that week. we can check in there and discuss our trials and triumphs!

i am pumped!!!

[Jachut 487]

Oh girls, I'm SO excited for you. Do it do it do it.

Running is the most awesome sport if you can get past the pain of getting fit enough. I run along now, honestly, once you're seasoned you dont have your lungs burning and your heart thumping out of your chest, when you're fit it just feels like fast walking does - effort yes, but your heart and lungs are quite comfortable and able to cope and its only at the end of a long distance that your body starts to get tired.

It becomes the most pleasurable activity, and you get that burst of endorphins a little way into your run and you just feel euphoric. Its truly addictive, people admire you so much when you say you run regularly but there's a secret. It doesnt take willpower because its freaking awesome!

But the initial stages are hard, take it very easy.

And one word of advice. LJM, I think you said early on that you run at 5, 5.5mph. Well I can only run consistently (for 10kms or so) at that speed now after 18 months.

If you can learn to s-l-o-w down so it feels like a weird shuffle and is almost a motion *just* beyond a race walk, you'll find you're running continuously for kms very very soon. I started running at 4 miles per hour - I could WALK faster than I was running. But it really quickly strengthened up my leg muscles and lower body so that I could run further. Because that's what holds you back, your lower body strength and its ability to carry your weight. Cardiovascularly your fitness builds extremely quickly!

Good luck everyone!

[losingjusme 12]

OH OH ... just a thought... i've heard that running is SUPER for fat-burning. maybe take some pics of yourself before you start and we can check in with them monthly or so.... ???

[losingjusme 12]

Jacqui,

thanks so much ... i will definitely take your advice! the fastest i've ever ran is 5.2 MPH and that was for about 5-10 seconds . i normally go about 5.0. do you think that's still too much? i truly value your input.

i guess i just dont really feel like i am 'running' if i dont go above 4.7ish. i am about 5'9" and have longish legs.

thanks,

C

[Jachut 487]

Jacqui,

thanks so much ... i will definitely take your advice! the fastest i've ever ran is 5.2 MPH and that was for about 5-10 seconds . i normally go about 5.0. do you think that's still too much? i truly value your input.

i guess i just dont really feel like i am 'running' if i dont go above 4.7ish. i am about 5'9" and have longish legs.

thanks,

C

It feels strange, it doesnt feel like running. But being a distance runner is ALL about pacing yourself. If you can slow it down you will be able to run MUCH further. But the simple action of jogging over walking seems to make you much stronger.

I'm 5ft 10 and I"m sure I looked VERY strange at first, but the speed comes later. The main thing now is to keep going. So slow down and then slow down some more.

[Ariel 1]

So I went for my first run today. It went alot better than I had thought. I was able to run for 6 out of the 8 run intervals which I thought was ok for my first time. The only thing that is weird is that I produce ALOT of spit when i run. Like so much that I couldn't even swallow, I had to spit and run. It was crazy. Did anyone else come across this. I was running outside and it was cold, maybe that was what did it? What do you think. I'm sooo excited about this you guys, thanks for getting me off the couch.

[KarenG. 0]

CAN'T wait to start tomorrow!

[Daisalana 33]

I haven't run since my flop on the gym's tredmill at work a while ago.

Running isn't exactly comfortable for me, it's mostly my boobs. They try to poke my eyes out!

I think I need to find a good sports bra, the one I currently have fits like a tanktop on me.

I never use my ipod, now I have an excuse.

And I hate going out in the neighborhood without my dog, who is big enough not to make me look silly.

But if I'm running, I feel like they'll be watching me (or my boobs).

Perhaps night time is best for me!! But I DLed the podcast for week 1 and I got it set up on my IPod. Let's do it! (I'm going to do Mondays, wednesdays, fridays)

[losingjusme 12]

jacqui - ok ... i trust you. i will try to "run" at about 4 - 4.2 MPH. i really do understand the time vs distance thing, now if i could get my brain / legs to completely cooperate ... i guess it's a mental thing, if i'm not 'running' quickly then i'm not running at all...

ariel - maybe it has to do with the cold weather? i know my band is super tight in the AM and if you are breathing in cold air and / or drinking cold - ??????? no clue, sorry..

laura - the boob thing is not something i have to worry about ... they have shrunk SOOOO horribly (46/48C to 42B where the cup is not exactly running over ) i am going M/W/F too.

ok, i am about to start the weekly thread. i really am pumped, my DH thinks i'm nuts, but what's new?? :heh:

[babygrl1234 6]

You guys are going to do awesome. My only advice is to make sure you don't get discouraged. Some days are harder than others but you will make it through. Eventually it gets easier. And like Jacqui said go slowly. Slower maybe even then you think you should. I just finished my first 5K race last weekend with a time of 42:42. I don't even care how foolish I may have looked going that slow, or that people who were running a 10K were finishing before me, because when I saw my family at that finish line nothing else mattered to me but the fact that I did it. And I hope each and every one of you get to experience that feeling.

[Leena 108]

I love this thread. I was thinking of doing this, and one of my first goals is a 5k. I downloaded the pod cast and will start tomorrow with a M/W/F schedule. Thankfully I have a treadmill here to that's going to help since it's getting cold.

-Laura- I just bought great sports bras at Walmart last week. They're the danskin brand and actually have cups. I've shrunk to about a 42 b/c from a 46 c/d. They're racer back style and really comfortable.

_Leena