#c25k

[etirabys]

on jogging

I took up jogging 2.5 months ago. I'm going off the c25k schedule, which slowly ramps you up from couch potato fitness to being able to run a 5k. This was much more effective than just trying to get into jogging by mimicking other, fitter, joggers, which was what I did every previous time I briefly tried to get into jogging. I feel embarrassed for never having thought of this before – it's clear that 'my brain was off' in those times when I went mimicry-running.

One issue that made me get into jogging so ineffectively: I didn't realize how terrible my starting physical fitness was. I used to think I was… like… normal? No athlete, for sure, but I'm a "normal amount of miserable" on hikes (and can complete most of them), I'm an intermediate boulderer, I rarely notice activities I'm gated from because of fitness. But when I started c25k with three partners, none of whom regularly jogged, they were all significantly less winded than I was.

And for the first dang time in my life I explicitly had a thought that went, "I can run 1 minute before my body forces me to stop. My partners can run 3-4 minutes. Some people can run 30 minutes."

Once I actually had any sense of "jogging levels" it was so clear how close to the bottom I was when I started out. That gives me some hope that being much fitter will solve my fatigue problems?

I used to be able to run 1 minute, and now I can run 2. By one (terrible but also kind of reasonable?) metric, I'm twice as fit as I used to be. But a nontrivial fraction of the population can jog 30 consecutive minutes! It seems worth getting to that point to see what that does to my energy levels / cognition.

–

Also: I haven't been sticking to the c25k schedule. I go 1.5 times a week where it expects 3, and I stuck a level between week 2 and week 3 because the 1.5m->3m jump looked insane to me. I've been on that custom level 2.5 for a month. I had a mindblowing conversation with the giant and 81k yesterday where I went, yeah, I've been stuck at week 2.5 because I've felt unready for week 3. And they said, that's probably because you're not going enough.

What do you mean? I asked. I've run about a full session and a half session every week for four weeks. Isn't that the same as 3 full sessions every week for two weeks?

No, they said, surprised I didn't know this. There's an optimal timing. If you'd probably stuck literally to the c25k schedule you probably could have gone from level 2 to 3 in a week.

GYARJRGH? I said. FUSBARIJIJJLK?

(I still disbelieve the literal claim that I can go to level 3 after doing level 2 properly, but I believe them that I would be leveling up a lot faster if I stuck to the schedule)

–

Anyway, some things I'd like to say to my past self, who felt obligated to work out for fatigue issues and then proceeded to exercise very badly because there was such a big ugh field around the topic of exercise:

You do not realize how big the gap between you and even moderately athletic people is. This is good, actually. It means that the correct place to start is easier than you think.

You should try to do it like 3 times a week. Date a jock. There are some on tumblr

Consider starting this when you have positive pressure rather than negative pressure. When you're buckling under multiple joy-sparking projects and want to rise to the challenge, it will be much easier to start & stick to it than when you're an anhedonic lump who has nothing to look forward to, but knows that exercise will in theory make life better in some vague way.

#rambl #c25k

[xtinedancefit]

The sun is out, it’s 60F, and I’m ready to get back to C25K training!

I kept my running intervals really light. I have a bad habit of going hard and all in. But I usually push myself too hard and end up hurting. So i felt really good after doing light jogs. Plus it’s easier to run when I’m down 120lbs.

#fitabulous #c25k #in my mc training arc

[ready-bek]

🌅

#me #personal #selfie #fitblr #running #c25k #again!

[maddygoesthemiles]

Restarted C25K this week! I like how it adapts the plan to you so you doing have to start at the beginning.

I’m feeling super strong! Running is making me very happy.

#personal fitblr #queer fitblr #i love running #c25k

[run-like-a-zombie]

Did a li'l run. C25k, W4R3 ✅

#selfie #progress #fitness #fitblr #runblr #c25k

[runbookzombie]

Zombies Run S3M34 I Crush Everything

I ran this mission on August 22nd.

Ever since my friend started running with me, other friends who have never run before have now joined in. There are currently 4 people in the little group. They mostly do it with the motivation of losing weight. I also have 2 other friends wanting to be part of the group starting on Monday.

I’m happy that I have people to run with even though they’re all following C25K. I usually do my regular runs before I meet up with them and then we all do the couch to 5k program together.

Anyway, I signed up for a half marathon in March next year. Gotta get these legs moving.

Spoilers after the image below:

This is an AI-generated image of a giant squid, I think.

Have I told anyone that one of my biggest fears is drowning???? I thought that after our rescue mission and getting Albert on the dinghy, we’d be going back to Abel. Why are we still hanging around the ships again?

We were quite confused when a giant squid started attacking the ships. Apparently it’s been feeding off the drug-filled severed limbs that were dumped into the ocean.

Dr. Myers saved the day and got an offer to stay from Holly, with all of us included in that offer. She accepted. Great. I guess this means I still have to be surrounded by ocean water for the next couple of missions. Getting seasick just thinking about it.

#running #run #zombies run #runner five #runner 5 #zrs3 spoilers #c25k #paula cohen #maxine myers #albert goodall #holly fansworth #comansys #laetitia greenwald

[ramblingteadrinker]

I DID IT🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

#personal #self #selfie #myself #me #c25k

[rofax]

Haven't mentioned this but I have been doing Couch to 5K for the last 12 weeks (but in a slowed down way where I do each week 2x bc chemo, sp even though it has been 12 weeks i JUST started week 7 of the plan) and I started in the middle of June so I've... exclusively jogged in unholy heat.

It was 65 degrees tonight and OH. CHEF'S KISS. IT IS SO MUCH EASIER JOGGING IN COOL WEATHER.

#ro talks #c25k #today was the first day i did 25 straight minutes of jogging #and to think in february i couldnt go up stairs without getting fucking winded

[dreadlockmimi]

Today I ran 6 miles which is something I never thought possible less than a year ago. Even though I took walk breaks and didn’t run the entire time, I committed to keeping my heart rate in zone 2 for the run and was over a mile in before a walk break. I still need those breaks to keep my heart rate in check. But I’m improving every day.

Last summer I couldn’t sustain even a minute of running and now I am addicted to improving and lengthening my runs. I know I can run at least 5K without walk breaks which makes me break down in tears of joy for how far I’ve come. I wouldn’t have believed I could do this a year ago.

I’m signed up for a half marathon in April and thinking about a marathon in October and even dreaming about a local ultra next year.

I stumbled into running completely on accident. I bought a treadmill at a low, low in my life determined to just started walking. I noticed huge improvements in my mental health, mobility, and overall quality of life very quickly and kept at it. Then I found a sports bra that actually held me together and just decided one day that running seemed like something to try out. And I didn’t stop.

I followed a Couch to 5K program and cried the first time I ran for 20 minutes straight during the program and cried again after I ran my first 5K race.

Running is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in some ways. But it’s given me confidence in areas of my life that I didn’t have confidence.

I know I can do hard things.

And now I crave it. I want it. I drive home from work looking forward to a run. I wake up in the morning excited to go run.

I am the slowest runner I know, but I don’t give a fuck. I am not here to compare my runs to others, but to myself overtime, and I can report huge improvements. My quality of life has improved so much that it’s now clear to me I am running for my life.

And I don’t want to stop.

#running #personal #i can do hard things #half marathon #couch to 5k #c25k #running for my life

[xtinedancefit]

Day 2 of my C25K training!

Feeling pretty good. There’s a trail really close to where I work that I’ve been using for my afternoon walks. And it’s flat and partial gravel, so it’s perfect for training. It’s supposed to rain for the next 3 days, so I’ll see if I can out and run.

#fitabulous #c25k #in my training arc

[imaloser4]

I got Covid and started binging for a while. I’m struggling to get back on track 🥲

#analog #meanspø #runblr #fitspo #disordered eating thoughts #thin$p0 #vintage #spirituality #c25k #witchcraft

[fallowhearth]

I finished couch to 5k! It's definitely effective, as I went from struggling to jog for 3mins to jogging 30mins, in about two months. One observation about the program: the constantly increasing intervals do work to get you to the final goal, but I didn't feel like it got easier. Running never became less unpleasant; I just prolonged my misery tenfold.

I'm actually looking forward to sticking at 30mins for a while now. My speed is still pretty low. I'd like to spend some time consolidating rather than pushing ahead.

#c25k

[integrationslady]

Two really great things about this run:

It happened

I somehow timed it so that the voice on the app said "your workout is complete" just as I turned into my driveway

#summer running #septemberstreakin22 #cardio is hardio #c25k

[run-like-a-zombie]

W5R1 ✅

#fitblr #selfie #progress #fitness #c25k #runblr

[runbookzombie]

No ZR. Just C25K.

I didn’t use ZR today because a friend of mine asked me to help her run for the first time. I’m not a certified coach so I told her to go slow and follow C25K. I ran alongside her. We ended up doing 2km total which was not bad.

She finished the workout and completed W1R1. Good job!

And then we played tennis. I haven’t done any tennis since I was a teen. My right arm is a bit sore now.

To replenish my depleted energy, I am having pad see ew.

Here’s an AI-generated image of pad see ew. Looks very healthy:

#c25k #couch to 5k #pad see ew #running #run

[wheat-privilege]

I injured myself twice trying to get through Couch to 5K in my 20s. In the end, it took me more than 10× as long as the program suggests just to learn to jog for 30 minutes straight.

So I don't think C25K is the right program for every beginner. But it's still a good place to start thinking about jogging in intervals if you've never tried before.

#c25k #workout #jogging