Couch to 5K

[Go Away]

Who's attempted/attempting this program? A good friend of my wife's put me onto it as a segway into running.

I've never been good or looked forward to running as a form of exercise, but the older I'm getting and the older my kids are getting, the more I wanna live.

Grabbed the app for my iPhone and am writing this during the walking portions.

Jog for a bit, walk for longer, in short intervals. Gradually increase by the day until you're eventually able to run 5K at a fast pace. I'm a bit over halfway through and already hate it! Haha

I had wanted to start this at the beginning of the year but wasn't in shape enough. Now, with holding less weight and having ran a mile as a warmup for a good four weeks, I've decided to tackle this ugly monstrosity known in some circles as Running. What a ghey hobby! No homo...

 

[J_J]

I would just work on your 1/4 mile or your 1/2 mile time a few times a week and as that improves completing the 5k in a decent time will be a breeze.

Thoughts?

 

[Go Away]

More efficient than what I'm planning on doing?

 

[J_J]

More efficient than what I'm planning on doing?

More "efficient"? Ummmm.....probably not more efficient depending on the goal you have set for your time running 5k. Do you have a goal set for the time you want to complete it in?

I really like the Couch to 5k plan from what I've read of it. The 3 days a week schedule is good because everyone I talk with in my family or otherwise it seems tells me of dealing with some annoying knee problems from all the running they do getting ready for longer runs or for triathlons. Also, Runner's World years back did a study with marathon runners having them run fewer days per week where they only ran 3 days a week and they all ended up with better marathon times in the next marathon they ran. And of course there is Bannister who broke the 4 minute mile after taking a week off from running.

For you to complete the 5k within 20 minutes then you need to average a 6 minute and 26 second mile over the 3.1 mile distance. That means you could take 6 minutes to finish your first mile, @ 6:30 to finish your second mile and still have at least 7:30 to finish the last 1.1 miles to cross the line in under 20 minutes.

So, what would be good times to work up to in the 1/4 mile and the 1/2 mile that are a higher rate of work than you would encounter in a 3.1 mile run ran in 20 minutes? 1:15 for the 1/4 mile? 2:25 for the 1/2 mile? If you could run the 1/2 mile in 2:30 for a 5 minute mile that would make running 3.1 miles an average of 6:26 per mile pretty easy to do, right? Your heart and lungs could handle that lower rate of work fairly easily.

 

[Go Away]

I like your outlook on this.
My goal is to be able to complete the 5K in a constant run. Just to complete it.
I've never been a good runner: osgood schlatters and other growth plate problems as a kid, obesity, lethargy, Oreo addiction haha

So to run a 5K in general would amaze me. Once I can finish it I'll start setting goals - eventually I wanna use active rest days as opportunities to run trails in nature and get away... Much like hitting the gym and lifting, with a hat pulled low and headphones blasting.

The Couch to 5K program was introduced to me by a 300+ lbs woman who weighs in at 150-something and now runs marathons as a hobby. She said, "You hate running but wanna run? Try this," and messages me the app for my iPhone right there on the spot.
Technology is awesome.

 

[ozzy69]

my wife is doing this right now--her plan is a 5k in june--i fully support her and just bought her some new fancy running shoes

 

[PillarofBalance]

This is a good program IMO Go Away... At least for a non-competitive type who's just trying to get control of their risk factors for disease. They ran this thru my office and a lot of employees signed up for it. Saw a few people make some serious changes in body composition and a couple continue to run races regularly now. I suppose whatever gets you up and moving is a win...

I was gonna try it, but uh... I was bulkin... Yeah. Thats the ticket

 

[Tuffoldman]

The C25k is perfect for new runners. Stick with it you will see what you want from it. I have had many clients use this to help them make it to their first 5k. So many tried to just add more time on thier own and always failed but this program is very specific and will work for anyone that just follows the easy progressions.

My 2 cents

 

[69nites]

Maybe its just me but a 5k isn't far. Even when I'm fat it's a pretty easy run as long as there's no crazy elivation change.

 

[J_J]

I like your outlook on this.
My goal is to be able to complete the 5K in a constant run. Just to complete it.
I've never been a good runner: osgood schlatters and other growth plate problems as a kid, obesity, lethargy, Oreo addiction haha

Thanks.

My brother has some problems with Osgood Schlatters also. He's past it and doing OK today.

You should be able to complete a 5k run within @ 30 minutes just trying your first time, right? Unless you weigh like 300 pounds or more.

I set some goals on the treadmill over the last 8 weeks that I was able to reach easier than I thought I would. One was to burn over 20 calories per minute on average for a period of half an hour. Another was burning over 2,000 calories on the treadmill from 2 hours of walking in one trip to the fitness room. I did that with 2 hour long walks of 1,200 and 1,050 calories.

I've never been into running because I never liked the idea of the impact on the joints over and over again, so I've stuck with walking made more difficult by using inclines on the treadmill and also while wearing a 50 pound backpack for longer, slower walks.

Have you ever tried walking or running with a backpack on to add weight?

 

[J_J]

I was thinking of what I would consider a great way to get into running for someone who is used to going to the gym a few times a week and doesn't run.

The first thing I would recommend doing is putting a moderately heavy weight on the leg press and seeing how many times you can press it in 1 minute. Then do some brisk walking for the next 3 or 4 days. Then on the 4th or 5th day see how many times you can leg press that same heavy weight, but increase the time limit to 2 minutes. Nothing but brisk walks for the next 4 days while recovering from that one all out set and then on the 10th day increase the time limit for the all out set on the leg press to 3 minutes.

An all out set with a heavier weight on the leg press is the most stressful, intense work you can do with the heaviest weight. More intense and stressful than running. If you work up to 2 or 3 minutes doing an all out set of as many reps as possible over that time then your hearts and lungs should have no problem running a distance like 5k in under 30 minutes which is a much lower rate of work.

What are your thoughts on that?

 

[Go Away]

Sounds like a good plot. Might try this after my Destroy And Flood mania has ended.