C25K: Week 2
The "Couch to 5K" challenge is 9 weeks long. Since there are 3 runs per week, that means I have to do some runny-thing at least 27 times.
I'm currently 1/9th of the way there. Or 4/27ths. (Whichever looks more impressive.) (Probably neither.)
I don't have a lot to say about it yet. I was afraid that Week Two's schedule would be too hard for me but it was actually okay. It started rough, but by the time I got half-way through the workout I actually felt good.
I still worry. I am still afraid that just because I can make it through weeks one and -- ostensibly -- two doesn't mean I can make it through the rest. I really have no idea what to expect. I've never done anything like this before.
How are you guys doing? How did you guys do it? And if I'm scared at week two, does that mean I'm doomed?
I'm currently 1/9th of the way there. Or 4/27ths. (Whichever looks more impressive.) (Probably neither.)
I don't have a lot to say about it yet. I was afraid that Week Two's schedule would be too hard for me but it was actually okay. It started rough, but by the time I got half-way through the workout I actually felt good.
I still worry. I am still afraid that just because I can make it through weeks one and -- ostensibly -- two doesn't mean I can make it through the rest. I really have no idea what to expect. I've never done anything like this before.
How are you guys doing? How did you guys do it? And if I'm scared at week two, does that mean I'm doomed?
In college, my goal was to run a 5K. (I graduated in 2000) I finally ran a 5K in 2003. It sucked. Hard. But, I kept at it, and completed an IronMan in 2008. Was I scared of my training? Abso-freakin'-lutely. I just kept at it, gradually. For something that seems so big, so scary, I just never looked past the next workout. That way, I didn't have to think about a distance/time/speed that I knew I couldn't do yet. So, I suggest you don't look at week 3 yet. Or even the 3rd week 2 workout. Just worry about the next one.
ReplyDeleteYou can totally do this!! And if you think a week is really difficult, then you can repeat a week. :-)
ReplyDeleteI wasn't able to do the challenge in 9 weeks, I had to add a few because there were a couple of times where it was just too much for me. If week 5 turns out to be too much, do week 4 again, and then try week 5. Just keep at it until you succeed.
ReplyDeleteMay I offer some advice? Don't be afraid to repeat weeks. If you find the week is truly too difficult for you (not in an "I just don't feel like putting in all this effort" kind of way, but truly impossible) then repeat the previous week. It's totally natural to be freaked out, but the beauty of this program is the "Couch" part - it is geared towards people who have never, ever been runners!
ReplyDeletePS - I'm stoked for you that you took up this program!
really, if i can run so can you. I don't do it cuz I love it, I do it cuz i want to keep healthy and it is an easy, inexpensive, not that time consuming way to get some exercise. Just keep trying, and reminding yourself why you are doing it.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't mean you're doomed. It means you're gonna feel like you kicked ass when you finish it, not matter how hard it was. Go you!
ReplyDeleteI think the first time I hit 20 min of sustained running (ok, well jogging really) was when I had anxiety about actually being able to do it. But you know what? All the work you're doing now is preparing you to get to the next level, and you can do it! Even if you can't do it the first time and you have to repeat workouts/weeks of workouts you will get there as long as you keep plugging along. Just be proud of yourself for doing it, because really, it's pretty awesome.
ReplyDeleteits ok to be worried. no lie, its hard work. there is some motivational saying about how a workout isn't worth doing if you aren't nervous before. i am regularly nervous before my weekly long run and i am always nervous before crossfit (because THAT is a sickness...and i don't know what dysfunctional thing happened to me as a child to make me do it 3 times a week).
ReplyDeleteeven though its a 9 week program, its totally ok to repeat week whatever if you feel like you need to.
good luck!
First off, congratulations on deciding to run a 5K! You will have so much fun!
ReplyDeleteI'm a long-time runner, and I definitely agree that looking ahead at a training schedule can be really daunting. Taking care of a young baby while training makes the whole thing even more overwhelming! For me, I find it works to just remain in complete denial about the mileage and not dwell on it. If I start thinking, "how in the world am I going to run X miles/minutes" I will freak out because I have no idea how I will do it. But once I'm actually out there running, it's like you said... can be rough at first, but then you get in a zone and it ends up being okay. For me, I just take it one step at a time and don't think about the miles/minutes ahead.
I usually have my iPod with me on longer runs... for me, listening to podcasts, audiobooks or music drowns out the "crazies" in my head. It also really helps me to have a training partner or other people to run with. When I first started out though, I was really shy/embarrassed to run with other people, and for years I ran solo. Once I joined a running club, I realized that it helped tremendously.
Best wishes to you! I've enjoyed following your journey and can't wait to hear all about your training and first 5K.
I'll just add my voice to the don't look too far ahead comments. Just look at one run at a time and before long you will be doing things that you never thought you could do! And if you feel the program has jumped ahead too fast for you, repeat the week until you are comfortable moving forward. When I started the training program I just finished in February I would look at the end and see a 100 minute run on the schedule and have a near panic attack. But taking everything one week (and mostly just one run) at a time, makes the seemingly impossible, possible. Keep it up!!!
ReplyDeleteI was scared before every single one, but I kept making it through them. It helped that my boyfriend, who has run several marathons, was still able to make a big deal of my successes like running for five straight minutes. As much as I was nervous about being able to run for longer periods of time, it was nice not to have to deal with so many intervals of running and walking to keep track of. And when running outside, I try to find a course that ends in a downhill stretch. It's crazy how much it keeps me going, knowing I get to run downhill at the end. And as much as I thought everybody was crazy for telling me this at the beginning, it will really help if you sign up for a race that's happening not too long after you finish the program. I didn't and I got really lax about running once I didn't have the structure of the program. So now I've signed up for a half-marathon because then I really, really have to run several times a week or else be completely humiliated. I don't have any self-discipline, but I do have some pride.
ReplyDeleteFeel the fear and do it anyway! ;)
ReplyDeleteThat's what I tell myself at least once a day.
Some people need more time for their bodies to acclimate. If you try week three and find you're not ready yet, just bump yourself back to week 1 or week 2 to do over again so that you aren't over-doing it.
ReplyDeleteYou are NOT doomed. Here's what happened to me - every time I wasn't entirely sure I could do something, and then did it, I gained confidence that carried me onto the next thing! It's a beautiful cycle.
ReplyDeleteJust thought you should know...I just completed Day one, Week one of C25K. Thanks Christy, for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteDitto for everyone who says you can (and even should) repeat weeks if you feel like it. The wife and I spent perhaps five months doing the nine-week program. It is unclear what couch some people have been sitting on, but perhaps ours is comfier, more loving, if you will.
ReplyDeleteBottom line: Don't get to where you hate it, because then you won't do it. I mean, there's something to be said for challenging yourself so that you get the feeling of kick-ass accomplishment, but if the biggest accomplishment of the workout is that you're doing it, give yourself a high-five over that and repeat a week.
I completed my first 5K in March and it was a fantastic experience. Prior to training for it, you couldn't have PAID me to run even if there was a pack of rabid wolves and zombies chasing me. It was really difficult in the beginning and there were definitely days where I found myself frustrated and feeling defeated because I didn't meet a mileage or training goal but I quickly realized that these training programs are designed for people like me because of their gradual nature.
ReplyDeleteMore than any other form of exercise I've tried (and I've tried it all) I love running because I noticed my body feeling stronger and it motivated me to keep going.
Try not to freak out about the upcoming weeks. Take it at your own pace and keep pushing yourself. You'll be shocked at how much you're capable of.
I made the mistake of "taking a break" that turned into 2 1/2 months of not running after my 5K so I've signed up for a 10K in October to re-motivate myself. It's tough getting back into it and I'm disappointed I didn't keep up with the training BUT I can already feel myself getting stronger.
SHORT ANSWER: You're far from doomed. Keep it up!
I'm on week 2. I'm not convinced that I want to run 5K, but I need some sort of exercise which is why I'm trying this. Week 4 and beyond terrify me. I will see how it goes, but I may well do lots of repetitions of the early weeks.
ReplyDeleteIf you are doomed, then so am I.
I have gone from my couch to the computer to read your posts. Does that count? Oh, and I occasionally make it down the hall to go to the bathroom. Now, THAT should count.
ReplyDeleteSomeday you will look back and laugh that you were scared. Once you go over that first finsih line....well, there is no way to describe it, you have to experience it.
ReplyDeleteI got all the way to Week 5 before I hit a major wall with the program. Here's the thing though- you can totally work at your own pace. If you need to repeat a day to make that leap, do it. If you need to repeat a whole week then do it. The point is that your gradually making those gains and in the meantime, look at you, you're running three times a week.
ReplyDeleteBe patient with your body but stick with it. YOU CAN DO IT.
ReplyDeleteStop replaying that old, worn-out tape in your head that says "I am not a runner; I hate running; I can't do it..." blah blah blah. We all have a tape that needs to be thrown out. Maybe this is yours.
Maybe you are a runner and never knew it. :)
- from a fellow runner, currently training for her first 1/2 marathon
HI There.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work, your blog is actually where I learned of the C25K so I started right there with you, I did my first day of week 3 yesterday and today I registered for a half marathon
It was challenging but it was nice to see the progress I have made. You truly can do it. No matter how slowly you run - just keep doing it!
You have inspired me
xo
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I've been repeating weeks, or doing a "week" for longer than a week. But I'm stuck at week 4 because it got so stinking hot here that I couldn't bear to go outside.
ReplyDelete