Feels good, ran in the cold at night today, in shorts and tee, temperature tolerance has improved.

I think i need to be moving my legs from my hips, but I don't i can do that right now or not for more than a couple steps.

I (32F) started the C25k program this past May, and I am still in awe that I went from struggling to run 5 min straight to now being able to run over an hour at a time (and at a pace I’m very proud of!!)

If you were to tell me a year ago that I should pick up running as a hobby, I would’ve laughed in your face. I’ve never done any sport growing up, have always been super sedentary and out of shape, and had always thought I’d be like that for the rest of my life. I feel so much healthier now, and for the first time in my life, I’m so proud of my body and what it’s capable of.

For anyone just starting out the C25k program, keep it up, it’s so worth it.

On the road for work and the gym closed at 9. Figured I'd take the run outside around and set my new PR! 9 weeks ago all I wanted to do was run an entire 5k by Thanksgiving! LET'S GOOOO!!!

And I’m still sooo slow 😩 But we’re getting it done!

Hey Runners!

I finally joined you today on the journey to 5K.

I've been doing strength training in the gym for the past year and figured it was time to add some conditioning work to that to improve my stamina. I'm overweight (193cm 118kg) and never ran a day in my life. Seriously I don't run for anything, ever. So I went to the local sporting store and got a gait analysis and had my feet measured. Bought myself a pair of Brooks adrenalin GTS 25 and today I started.

Well I was going way too fast and had to catch my breath after the first interval so I had to slow down after that to a slow jog. I was struggling to find the right pace and form, not lifting my feet up high enough and realising how much the overweight impacts every step. Surprisingly 1 minute goes by pretty quickly and after slowing down my pace and focusing on my breathing, things went better. Inhaling for 3 seconds and exhaling for 3 seconds seems to work best for me so far. During the last 2 intervals I struggled quite a bit with muscle fatigue. My feet and lower legs felt sore and I think I had some lactic acid build-up. I really wanted to quit before the last interval but I managed to finish it and it was so rewarding to have finished day 1 successfully! I'm looking forward to day 2 on Thursday. In the meantime I'll continue strength training on rest days but giving the legs a pass so they can recover from the C25K days.

I'm looking forward to reaching the 5K and if you have any tips for a beginning runner then please do share them!

Late August, I was thinking about getting into running and had no idea where to start. Scrolling through running subs, I came across the famous C25K program. I looked into it and thought: why not?

I'm 28M, 183 cm (6'0"), and currently obese. When I started, I weighed 118 kg (260 lbs).

I decided to just go for it: bought a pair of Olympikus Corre Max shoes and picked up a barely-used smartwatch (Huawei Fit 5). Everything was set, and I was hyped.

Then came Day 1, Workout 1. I finished it, threw up right at the end, hit a 190 bpm heart rate, and honestly felt like I was going to die. I got completely discouraged. But a week later, I forced myself to go back. Ever since, I stayed consistent every single week. It wasn't always strictly by the book—sometimes I had to take longer rest days because my shins were screaming at me.

I alternated between the treadmill at the gym and totally flat outdoor roads, while sticking to a diet and lifting at least 4x a week. The weeks went by, and I realized I was actually hitting the run intervals. It wasn't always pretty or perfect, but it was done.

Today was graduation day (the 30-minute continuous run). I was fasting and decided to hit the gym since it was a rest day from lifting. Stepped on the scale: 109.8 kg (242 lbs). That immediately got me hyped.

Did the 5-minute warm-up walk at 5 km/h (3.1 mph) and bumped it up to 8 km/h (5.0 mph).

The first 5 to 10 minutes were rough, but my mental cue was always: "Just 2 more minutes. I know how to do 2 minutes." Kept playing that trick on myself all the way to the 30-minute mark.

At 30 minutes, I was feeling great and riding an adrenaline high, so I thought: let's see how far I can go. Time flew, I was lost in a podcast episode, and suddenly the episode finished. I looked down at the treadmill display: 50 minutes. And everyone knows that if you run 50 minutes, you might as well run a full hour. Pushed through, got it done, and only stopped because I had somewhere to be. Did the 5-minute cool-down walk at 4 km/h (2.5 mph) with the biggest grin on my face.

Treadmill running time: 60 minutes

Speed: 8 km/h (5.0 mph / 12:00 min/mi pace)

Running distance: 8.0 km (4.97 miles)

Total distance (including warm-up and cool-down): ~8.75 km (5.44 miles)

I felt insanely proud and genuinely happy. I never in a million years imagined I could pull this off. And I didn't even step off the treadmill destroyed—quite the opposite, I had energy to spare and felt like I could've kept going! When I looked at the final numbers, I almost lost it. Pure emotion, no joke.

I've attached the photos. The watch doesn't track treadmill distance accurately (and I don't really bother calibrating it for indoor runs anyway).

Trusting the process works. It paid off way more than I ever anticipated. The pace was slow, but honestly? Screw the pace. Every single session is logged on my watch and Strava.

I used to lurk here every single day reading graduation posts and looking for motivation. If you're on Day 1 or struggling through Week 4: keep showing up.

Note: The screenshots and treadmill, and the watch data are in Portuguese, but the metrics are all standard (km and km/h).

Hi!

I'm a 34F former morbidly obese woman. I used to weigh above 140kg and I had gastric bypass surgery a year ago. Now I'm just an obese woman 😂 just below 90kg, which is WAAAAYYYY better than last year!

I wanted to challenge myself and started running a few weeks back. It was hard but I started improving and that felt great.

But still, I lacked structure. And then I discovered C25K on Tiktok yesterday!

And as it turns out, I want to run a 5k next June. That leaves me a great amount of time to train, but I needed a program and now I have it!

I decided to start at week 1 run 1 even with my 3 weeks of great effort 🤭😂 and I had to say, that humbled me FAST. I was like "yeah that's 1mn, I did 10 2 weeks ago 😌" and god the minutes were LONG.

But I ran at about 8'50-9/km and I almost got to 7'30 today so I guess my previous training wasn't for nothing 🤭

Also I forgot to stop the 1st interval on my what so it's 5mn of walking / dog stopping to pee and poop, and then 1mn of running way too fast for my body, at about 6'30/km.

And I used an interval app bc the NHS app wasn't available in France but I found the Just Run app and I guess I'll use this instead for the next runs!

I don't think I'll ever be fast but I absolutely don't care! As long as I'm leaving the couch to run it's OK 🥰

Managed to get out in between the rain along the promenade. Very cold but nice scenery!

Finished my C25k and am super proud! However my heart rate usually hovers in the high 180s to the low 190s on my runs. I run a slower pace now and it’s brought it from the 200s but I worry since I see people posting theirs in the 160s. I have a higher resting heart rate normally as well. I am a healthy BMI, female 25.

This was my third attempt in the outside! (I was able to do it first try on a treadmill, but the jog around my neighborhood has 2 hilly areas that leave my legs burning after them, so it took 3 tries. How do I improve my speed though? I recall having a 7:30-8 min mile back in high school/middle school and all I did back then was some recreational tennis, so this seems really slow. Any advice?

Was on my week 6 run 3, and after the horrid final 2 minutes of the 20 min run, I had decided to not look at the clock at all for this run. I even kept whispering to myself that I have a long way to go yet.

Lo and behold, ran the full 25 minutes thinking I wasn't close to the finish line, and ended up running 30 minutes before deciding that I might as well check how long I've got left.

Still got to improve the pace, which is why I haven't passed the program yet (7:35/km overall), but today was probably the greatest happiest accident of my life.

Makes you think how big the mental aspect of running towards a goal is, I wouldn't have been able to run 5 minutes a couple weeks ago.

I added a ~3:30 run into the warmup and cooldown also.

Another done and dusted, I've changed my workout to only include the running portion now so I get more reliable stat's for my heart rate/distance and speed.

Overall feeling very good, not as tired as I thought I would be, exited to keep up the progress.

Hi everyone,

I found this sub and the C25K plan a few days ago. I’m an inconsistent runner: some weeks I run twice, some weeks once, and sometimes only once a fortnight.

I can run 5K, but I only feel comfortable up to about 3-3.5K. The last 1-1.5 km is a real struggle and drains me. I ran today after a two-week gap (screenshot attached, my 5K PB).

Here are my recent runs, to show the inconsistency:

• 12 Oct: 2.14 km @ 13:53 (6'27"/km)
• 6 Oct: 5.29 km @ 40:45 (7'41"/km)
• 12 Sep: 3.88 km @ 42:24 (10'54"/km), this was a walk
• 22 Aug: 4.23 km @ 32:41 (7'42"/km)
• 13 Aug: 3.18 km @ 24:06 (7'33"/km)
• 10 Aug: 5 km @ 41:45 (8'14"/km)

A structured plan like C25K looks like it could fix my consistency. My questions:

1. Can I follow C25K as written, or should I use a different plan since I can already run 5K?
2. My main goal is to enjoy running rather than push through the end. Would repeating 5K for 8 weeks help, or is there a better approach? My long-term goal is 10K.
3. Should I add core training on rest days?

Did run 1 of week 3 today but the UK has been having storms. It was warm, windy and felt like running into a wall with 30mph winds. Managed it though 😂

Jogged 3 miles in 45 minutes this morning. My goal was the local Turkey Trot. But as we’ll be picking up people from airports and traveling. . . a Thanksgiving 5K is not an option. So, I bit the bullet and registered for a Trick or Trot on Halloween. Haven’t told a soul ‘cept you strangers, so no embarrassment if I fail. Found a BPM playlist on Spotify. Know to arrive plenty early for parking. Fanny pack for phone and keys. Think good thoughts for me!

For anyone finishing W9 with a first 5K on the calendar, here's the simple race-week list I'd hand a friend:

A week out, do one short easy run with a few relaxed strides, check the start time and parking, and wear your race outfit on a normal run so nothing surprises you on the day.

The few days before, everything stays easy and short. Check the weather and grab an old layer you don't mind ditching at the start.

The day before, rest or do a 10 to 15 minute shakeout. Put your shoes, socks, bib and pins by the door, eat a dinner you're used to, and set two alarms.

On race morning, have a light breakfast 2 to 3 hours before, warm up for about 10 minutes, and start slower than feels right.

After, walk it out, get into dry clothes, and write down your time and how it felt.

What would you add?

I completed my second session of week 2 and it has been easy so far (4kmph walking speed and 6kmph jogging speed).

The jogs will start to get longer starting week 3 and i am fairly excited for it. But i am scared as well as i don’t want to give up just because i get too tired during the first long run. I really really want to complete c25k and take part in a 5k run in December.
Moreover i want my body to be physically fit enough that it can run 5k (and even longer distances, like im planning to run a 10k for my bday in march 2027).

Any tips/suggestions/advices/motivation/anything at all that might help me would be great.

And if anyone’s around the same timeline as me in their c25k challenge, let me know if you want to do it together!!

I avoided the stupid hill that took me out yesterday and stuck to the same route, one very steep incline in the first few mins and after that some regular ups and downs.

My normal running route is very flat so feeling extra proud right now.

If I, as a lifelong golfer with no running (or high energy sport) experience can get to this point, anyone can. So if you’re reading this and dreading the W5D3 - you’ve got this.

I’m starting C25K tomorrow. I’ve done it before, worked my way up past 5ks, and completed 4 half-marathons but I’m lazy and haven’t run in quite awhile.

Last week I decided to get back into running and did 3 miles w/no training and it went…okay. But I could barely walk up the stairs for the next week so it clearly wasn’t my best idea ever. A 5k shouldn’t need a week plus of recovery.

So I’ve decided to start at the beginning of C25k because my goal is to work up to doing 3 miles twice a week, and 5 miles once a week.

I’m posting here because I was active on the boards in 2020 when I did this the first time and y’all gave me encouragement and got me through week 5.

TLDR: I’m back again :)

Completed c25k today using the RunDouble App.

As someone who thought I was relatively "fit" for my age...this challenge quickly humbled me. I lead weekly group hikes, but I guess that doesn't transfer over to running capabilities 👌😂

I actually started the program with another app, so technically got 3 extra weeks of "easier" runs before I started this 9 week program. The 3 minute runs were such a challenge in the beginning. When I completed the first 20 minute run, I was mind blown. Couldn't believe I did it.

This weeks 2nd 30 minute run - there was such a magnificent rainbow, I had to stop and take some pictures (which knocked my time)

Edit to add: I never officially hit the 5k in 30 mins, but did with my extra walk/cool down time included. Felt like I had more gas in the tank when my 30 minute run timer went off today. So I feel my next step is to just go for it, and see what my time is!

BUT did my best time on todays final run!!

If I can do it, you can do it. Get out there

My story: https://www.reddit.com/r/C25K/s/Ln4SFom4M1

I absolutely love this community. What everyone is doing here is so inspiring. Couch to 5k became a big discussion point recently among some colleagues and I wanted to pass along some sagely advice from them for new runners and those early in the program about giving your health the best considerations.

Why the program paces as it does is because your cardio fitness adapts on a fast clock while your connective tissue changes significantly slower. Tendons, fascia and bone remodel slower than your heart and lungs so in the early weeks you can feel ready to push while your feet and shins have not caught up. That mismatch is where most beginner injuries come from and it is the whole reason the intervals and rest days are there. They give the slow tissue time to meet the fast engine.

Most people are familiar with the medial longitudinal arch of the foot but there are two others there as well and 52 bones besides. Each arch behaves like a spring, stretching and compressing to disperse shock with every step. Running drives roughly two to three times your body weight through that structure which really starts to be felt around week three.

Two injuries tend to show up when people ramp too fast. Shin splints - an ache along the shinbone from overload which eases when you pull back the pace and the volume - and plantar fasciitis where the tissue under the heel gets irritated. The signature of the latter is a sharp pain in your first steps in the morning and if you have ever visited r/PlantarFasciitis , know that is debilitating and far easier to stay ahead of than to undo.

Because there is another post about this up right now, a common is that sore feet mean you overpronate and need a corrective shoe to fix your gait. Per a oft cited reputable study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine [2015], the evidence that pronation predicts injury is not conclusive so researchers proposed something you settle into a preferred movement path which lowers your risk. A lot of people have low arches and no pain at all. Choose shoes by comfort and know that outer heel wear on shoes is normal and expected.

Couch to 5k is successful because the ramp is well evidenced. Repeat a week if you need to, run in shoes that fit and feel right, and replace them once the cushioning has packed down. Stretch your calves and roll the arch on rest days. If your feet ache after a run add cushioning to spread the load but lead with comfort as the guide and not as correction.

Stay safe, stay hydrated, and stay course. Legitimately so proud of everyone showing off their progress, wherever you are in the program. Happy trails.