Couch to 5K

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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nuevaburra

nuevaburra

Wisconsin c/o 2016!!
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So the long dark winter is coming to an end, the semester is nearing a close, and I need to get off my butt and start running again! I figured if anyone else is in the same boat we could start a SDN running club.

For anyone who has been a couch potato like me, I plan on doing this:
http://www.c25k.com/

There are printable plans here:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

I've done this program before and it is a good way to get back into running. I'd like to get back to where I was before college and I could run 5 miles. But would love some SDN buddies to keep me motivated! I also have a lot of weight to lose; they warn you about the freshman fifteen, but I guess I also got the sophomore fifteen, junior fifteen, senior seven (graduated early!) and then after losing some of it, I went back to school and guess what, got the master's fifteen! :scared: It needs to go before vet school!

Who's with me? Non-couch potatoes working on times welcome, too.
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Yes! I am so with you! I'm not exactly a couch potato but I am training right now. I decided to run my first half marathon instead of walking at my UG graduation! Plus I still have some weight to lose - I split a disc in my back a few years ago and wasn't allowed to do anything until it healed. 40lbs later I could finally start running again. This year I've lost 6% body fat and I want to lose another 7-8%. I've been running 3-4 times per week, weightlifting 1-2 times per week, and doing yoga once a week. I've also been cutting down on the amount of meat I eat and am trying to sneak in as many veggies and whole grains as I can. Basically, a whole foods diet and no processed foods.

My advice for new runners:
~start slow (might seem obvious but it's surprisingly hard to follow)
~run on soft surfaces like grass fields and trails
~stay away from the evil elliptical!
~make sure to eat before and after each run (I like bananas or 1/2 yogurt before my runs and toast with peanutbutter or another banana after my run)
~safety first - always know where you are, run with a buddy when it's dark or there aren't a lot of people around, and get a Road ID (google it)

Yay! I'm so pumped that there's an SDN running group!
 
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I have been wanting to do c25k for awhile but I really don't like running (or any exercise for that matter). How did you guys get started running? Have you always liked it?
 
I'm at the tail-end of some tendonitis in my achillies, but once that's all gone, I'm on board. :) Been itching to get back out there!
 
Chinola said:
Why is the elliptical evil?
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Pretty good question.

If this thread is for the overweight, or those new to training, the elliptical is ideal.

It'll let you build up your stamina without letting your extra weight wreck your knees and ankles.

Or, if you're already training, an elliptical or bike can keep you exercising more often. Personally, I can't run 6 days a week without needing a wheelchair to get around. But... if I alternate in a stationary bike or elliptical on odd days, I can train with 1 day rest per week.
 
Chinola said:
Why is the elliptical evil?
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I think it's because ellipticals don't force your body to work as hard as it would if you were running on a treadmill or trail. Of course, if you have joint issues or are prone to shin splints, they can be helpful.
 
Dsmoody23 said:
Pretty good question.

If this thread is for the overweight, or those new to training, the elliptical is ideal.

It'll let you build up your stamina without letting your extra weight wreck your knees and ankles.

Or, if you're already training, an elliptical or bike can keep you exercising more often. Personally, I can't run 6 days a week without needing a wheelchair to get around. But... if I alternate in a stationary bike or elliptical on odd days, I can train with 1 day rest per week.
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Yeah I've heard a lot of runners use the elliptical during the week for that exact reason. I find nothing evil about it. Was just wondering why withoutane was referring to it as evil.
 
I am excited there is a thread for SDN running! :love:

I dont post much because I am shy...but I do love running and I would love to help anyone with questions regarding running/running pains/motivation etc.

I work part time at a running store and started running randomly my junior year of college. I run mainly marathons but definitely run and enjoy all types of races.

So if you have any questions or need advice let me know!
 
I'm going to attempt to join you all in the c25k (this winter has been awful for me.... terrified to step on the scale right now) but don't know if I can do it (am doing a 150 mile bike ride this summer, though)

Last year I tried to train for a half marathon and ended up with a labral tear in my hip... painful! (though extremely hilarious that the guy at PT called it a 'labial' tear.... that sounds so much more painful)

As far as ellipticals go, I <3 them.
 
Chinola said:
Why is the elliptical evil?
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It makes you move in a very unnatural way! However, I do support the use of ellipticals that simulate the natural gait - I can't remember their name and a google is doing nothing for me but if I remember I will post. They kind of have two swinging wing thingies. Anyways, it seems like I hurt myself every time I use a treadmill or an elliptical so I consider them evil. :laugh:

However, if you feel like you're experiencing too much impact then you need to consider a few things:
~What kind of surface are you running on? Perhaps you should switch to a soft track, a soccer field, or a trail.
~What kind of shoes are you running in? I recommend going to a running store because the cost of a good pair of running shoes is much less than the cost of physical therapy and/or surgery!
~How good is your running form? Read this: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267-268-8210-0,00.html
~Are you giving yourself enough time to recover?
~Are you stretching enough and with correct form? I have problems with my piriformis and my IT band and it makes my knees hurt. I use one of these babies to make them release: http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_5566_A_CategoryID_E_235

I'm kind of a crunchy granola/evolutionary/natural runner. I really like the Vibram FiveFingers but I don't recommend them to anyone starting out because it's very easy to hurt yourself in them if you start out too fast on the wrong surfaces. I also run in the Nike Frees and in my bare feet when I'm running in grass. :) Best ever.
 
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Lissarae06 said:
I have been wanting to do c25k for awhile but I really don't like running (or any exercise for that matter). How did you guys get started running? Have you always liked it?
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Nope, I hated it. HATED IT. But then I realized that if I pay attention to my surroundings - birds, flowers, other people, etc. - then it is very enjoyable. I would go crazy running on a treadmill, of course. I also realized how significantly it can lower my stress so it's kind of addictive after a while. ;)
 
Lissarae06 said:
How did you guys get started running? Have you always liked it?
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I liked running around when I was a little kid, but I didn't officially start track until sophomore year of high school.
But I was slow, really slow, so yes, that made it frustrating. (High school 5K: 24:10, 1600: 6:39 and 3200: 14:37 and 800: 3:02 I think?)

I run now in college because I loveee it. :love: I make myself keep doing it for fun, and setting/beating goals is just awesome.

I have 2 half marathons under my belt, 1 full and a second full in less than 3 weeks, and I will give whatever training advice I can. (Though withoutane has covered a lot already).
 
withoutane said:
Nope, I hated it. HATED IT. But then I realized that if I pay attention to my surroundings - birds, flowers, other people, etc. - then it is very enjoyable. I would go crazy running on a treadmill, of course. I also realized how significantly it can lower my stress so it's kind of addictive after a while. ;)
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I hate running at first when I am huffing and puffing. But once I am in shape and can really move I love it- freedom in movement. My main motivation though other than weight loss is to use it as cross-training for horseback riding :D

I don't mind the treadmill at the gym because there is cable TV (none at home) and I can get my guilty pleasure: MTV! But running on the indoor track bores me to tears. We are lucky enough to have a really pretty bike trail that goes along the lake by our house. It's just been covered in ice for the past 4 months,.

I've always enjoyed the elliptical but I have heard it is murder on the knees, and some people hate it. But even though other things have screwed up my knees (never running on concrete again! yikes!) the elliptical never gave me a problem.
 
I recommend reading "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. I finished it not too long ago and what an amazing story! Plus, he's really good at telling it. Some of the stuff seems really far-fetched but overall its just a wonderful story about running.
Basically he talks about how the human is anatomically built for running and we're capable of more than we think. We are the best distance runners on the planet. He says that, in theory, we can run an antelope to death. Although this was tried on "This American Life" and the guy failed...but only because antelope have also evolved to evade hunters.
He also explained those crazy Vibram five finger shoes. (Which I'm not totally sold on)
But seriously, even if you don't believe everything he says, its a great story.
 
Never ran in my life... I used to jog along trails during the spring semester of my first year of university because I had nothing better to do.

I think I actually want to do this.

One of my doctors and my counselor suggested doing physical activities to help with my joint pain. They suggested the gym but trying to set up an appointment with the Y to talk about the All Access pass has been hecktic.

I even have a pair of running shoes :D
 
I'm in. When are we starting?
 
I'm in. Ran 3 marathons when I was in college, but haven't been real good about running (sparodic). Now I'm realizing that I CAN'T just go out and force my body to do X miles - I have to work up to it. Realization came last year, unfortunately not before an injury sidelined me. Now I have a 1/2 marathon planned April 30th. Going to be extremely slow. I'm being good about being consistent and starting slow and short. Worked my way up to 4 miles last week in ~45 minutes. Eventually I raun ~10min/miles for half marathons, but I'm planning on 11:30-12 for this one.

Trying to get into a regular habit before i (hopefully) start school in teh fall.:) Love teh fact that I can read you'all's posts here to keep my motivation up.
 
I'm at a good weight right now, and my focus for WHY I'm running is different than it was in college. In college I wanted to be skinny. Now I'm running because I want to be able to backpack and enjoy it, I want the mental boost that comes from running, and the stress relief.

Hopefully with the change in focus (I never lose weight running, so would invariably get discouraged and that's why I was so inconsistent) it becomes a regular habit now!

I've been running off and on for 10 years now.
 
Oh guys.. I am horrible at staying motivated when it comes to running (I hate it personally) but I would love to join!

I have no weight to lose but I would love to feel good about the exercise and benefit from releasing the stress.

Its super cold in Pullman so I won't join everyone until it warms up but I need someone to literally push me along and motivate me.
 
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Lissarae06 said:
I have been wanting to do c25k for awhile but I really don't like running (or any exercise for that matter). How did you guys get started running? Have you always liked it?
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For me, running at first when you're out of shape (or just out of running shape) is very difficult. But as you do it more and more and your gait becomes more fluid it definitely becomes more enjoyable.

I'm definitely not a person that normally (ie, when I'm not running regularly) likes to run. but i trained for a half marathon previously and once i got used to it, the longer runs are definitely enjoyable.

I've found that personally, the first 3 miles are always horrible for me. Even if i'm used to running 10+ miles, for those first three in my head I'm going "just get to 3 miles and then you can stop and go home, this is terrible, I hate this, just get to 3 miles..." once i hit 3 miles though the endorphins kick in and the next however many miles just feel like nothing. I'm always amazed when I realize how far I ran post the dreaded 3 miles when I thought I couldn't do anymore.

I recommend just taking is slow and sticking to it. It is really nice once you get into it. Your mind starts just free associating and thinking about random things and its just very cool.

Good luck to everyone!
 
I decided last month that I want to run 2 triathlons this summer before I move out to vet school. I ran XC in high school but have been pretty inactive since. I have always wanted to run a tri and I figured I may as well do it now since I doubt I will have time to work out every day once vet school consumes my life. :laugh: Spring break may have set back some of my progress, but I will try to get back on the horse.

Yay to everyone deciding to get their fitness on!! :soexcited:
 
I did the C25K program to get me ready for my first 5k. It was a really great program and I followed it basically to the letter. I used to run in HS, but haven't really ran in the past 7 years, so I was really out of shape. If anyone has any questions for someone who was really out of shape but still did it and found it really helped, lemme know.

After starting the program I found I needed new running sneaks. I know someone else mentioned it, but my shoes are worth their weight in gold. They really helped my joints feel MUCH better.

Now I am back in training for another 5k coming up (SOOO addictive!!), and I'm trying to run 4-5 times a week. So I would love some extra motivation from SDN folks!
 
Would LOVE to join you, but can't promise to make it through... I used to jog once upon a time, but have a REALLY bad knee (4 scopes before I was 30). It's going to need to be replaced at some point and my orthopedist would like to see me only run when chased. :laugh:

However, I've been doing a lot of walking lately in hopes of lubing up my arthritis, building my quads, and getting myself into better shape. Over the last couple of weeks my feet seem to want to move much faster, so I've thought about taking up jogging again to see how things go. I've been walking on the sidewalk, but the river has a macadam running / bike trail along it; so I've been thinking of heading down there as macadam has a bit of give. But, before I do anything I have to get myself a REALLY GOOD pair of running shoes. I used to wear Asics, but I'll take any suggestions from you pros!! The 'bad' leg supinates, and 'good' leg over pronates; but I've got decent arches! Thus, stability and cushioning are a must!

:woot: Here's to getting back into gear!
 
LMMS said:
But, before I do anything I have to get myself a REALLY GOOD pair of running shoes. I used to wear Asics, but I'll take any suggestions from you pros!! The 'bad' leg supinates, and 'good' leg over pronates; but I've got decent arches! Thus, stability and cushioning are a must!
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Hardly a pro, but I can definitely share my experience, which was great. I used to run in Brooks, and I loved them. But after getting started this time around, I went to "The Running Store" and had the sales staff help find me a pair of shoes that worked best for me. They even had me get on a treadmill and watched my gait/stride (now I know how horses feel when you have to trot them for the docs). They actually put me in a pair of Asics, (forgot the style) but they have gel cushioning from heel to toe, not just in the toe like the other shoes I tried out that day. I really love them.

I did find the specialty shop to be a little more pricey - but now that I know what works for me, I could easily get them on the internet for much less. You could always go through the whole fitting ordeal - not buy anything there and then order the shoes you liked best off the internet too ;)
 
I've run in everything: Puma, Reebok, Nike, Saucony, Brooks, etc. I currently have a pair of Asics that I LOVE. They are the Gel-Nimbus 12 model. LMMS, if you do decide to get back into running, I would def take up Packen's suggestion and got to a running store for a fitting (you can def still buy cheaper off the internet, just don't buy cold off the internet.) Try on like 10 different pairs of shoes. Walk around in all of them. Remember that any little thing that hurts or is uncomfortable is going to get 10x worse when running.

awaring1, good luck in your triathlons! I'm doing the SheRox Phila. later this summer. I have so much swim and bike work to do to get ready.
 
laitmanvet said:
awaring1, good luck in your triathlons! I'm doing the SheRox Phila. later this summer. I have so much swim and bike work to do to get ready.
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Thanks! I have NEVER swam for sport before so the swim part should be interesting. One triathlon has a "duathlon" option where you run, bike, run so I may end up having to do that. I think 600m of the doggy-paddle may be a little rough. haha




I think maybe for inspiration we can all post our accomplishments/goals.

Before spring break I ran three miles without stopping! I was so excited!



And I totally second Packen's suggestion about the specialty store. In high school my XC team went to "Fleet Feet" where they videotaped us running on a treadmil and then gave us suggestions. I ended up buying my racing spikes there but then went online and bought the sneakers somewhere cheaper. It was so worth it. My parents bought me a new pair of sneakers for Christmas that seem to be working fine, but if I start to get sore in my joints I will go back to that store again. I used to miss a least one race each season because of ankle problems but after I got my "custom" sneakers (they were just Nike) I didn't have any problems!
 
Those Nike sportbands are pretty good motivation, and you can post your times and distance via interwebs.
 
I would totally love to do this! I have been thinking about doing C25k anyways to help with cross training for riding, this will just be added motivation!!!

When are we beginning?
 
I'm in. I am worried about the shoes though. I can't really afford to go buy a new pair of running shoes. Guess I will just have to try to make it work with my shox while begging my husband for a better pair!
 
I would love to join!! I used to be able to run about three miles without stopping. I know that probably doesn't sound like much, but lately have only been able to run a mile without feeling like I am exhausted and about to pass out. Maybe those six hours a day sitting in lectures may have something to do with it. Running is such a great stress reliever, but those first five minutes feel like torture. I would love to be able to run three miles again. When do we start?
 
I hate running, but I really need to do something. I wish I had a dog to go running with, I think that would make it more enjoyable...maybe one of my neighbors in Old orchard at Iowa state would let me borrow their dog? lol I guess I'll have to ask around:)
 
I had a look at the site and I'm totally in. I'm going to begin the moment I'm better. Right now, my throat burns when I walk :(
 
I'm in! I did the C25K last summer and ran two 5ks in September. LOVED IT. Once school started I fell off the wagon pretty hard, but I'm ready to hop back to it and start over!! I want to have the C25K done by summer break so that over the summer I can work my way up to 10K.

For those of you who hate running, this program is AWESOME. You have to follow it exactly, even if it feels too easy at first. The biggest mistake a lot of people make when they begin a running regimen is they start way too quickly and they get exhausted and discouraged. I find that the C25K is easy enough that you CAN do it, but challenging enough to give you that addictive goal-accomplishing feeling. And when you find that you can run for 3 miles straight when you used to have trouble running at all? It's an AMAZING feeling.

The key is to just get out there and do it. Don't let yourself quit. A lot of times it can be really tempting to just stay in bed, or watch TV, or play on the computer. But I guarantee you once you get out there and go for it you will have fun and be so glad you did. I actually got to the point where I was looking forward to going out and running every day and I was bummed on the off days because I couldn't run.

So yes, I'm SUPER excited and I'm going to start this Wednesday so I have something to do while I'm home on spring break. I will run this Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, and then I head back to school on Sunday night so I will start at school running Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays with my yoga on Wednesday nights and some strength training in there.

As far as weight goes, I'm also on Weight Watchers with a goal to lose 25-ish lbs before vet school. I've lost 10 of those already in the last month, but now I'm too the point where that water weight is gone and the weight loss has really slown down so it's going to be a challenge to stick with it. Hopefully getting back into running will help things along some so I won't be so discouraged.

I'm really excited that we're all doing this together!!!
 
Just reading this thread was enough motivation to make me get on my treadmill and run a mile!! :D I actually have the iphone couch to 5k application and was using it last fall. However, I think I made the mistake of starting the program in the middle since I was already running before I started it. That is when I got IT band syndrome when I was pushing too hard too fast. I learned my lesson to start those programs from the beginning. There is a reason for their slow progression in building strength and stamina.
 
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EllieGirl89 said:
As far as weight goes, I'm also on Weight Watchers with a goal to lose 25-ish lbs before vet school. I've lost 10 of those already in the last month, but now I'm too the point where that water weight is gone and the weight loss has really slown down so it's going to be a challenge to stick with it. Hopefully getting back into running will help things along some so I won't be so discouraged.
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Ellie are you paying for the program or doing it yourself? Just wondering because I have been making my own "diet" plans but find it easiest when someone or something is telling me exactly what to buy and eat. :rolleyes:
 
bbeventer said:
So... I should try to find my running shoes today? lol
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I know where mine are... by the front door, staring accusingly at me and feeling very, very neglected.

Someone (else) should do the runningahead thing, looks cool.

I start tomorrow morning before class!:thumbup:

ETA: Ok I created one it turned out to be easy. "
SDN Pre-Vet Runners"

Hope that isn't discriminatory against current-vet ;) Someone else can create another one if you don't like it.

http://www.runningahead.com/groups/SDNVET/

woohooo exercise. now I am going to go eat dinner. I cooked ethiopian stew and injera, we shall see how it tastes. love my new moosewood cookbook yay!
 
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Okay, okay, I joined!

Looking forward to this commitment, and taking the dog out for longer than usual :) I'm going to start this Friday!
 
Just joined, thanks for setting it up. I actually got a short run in today, so maybe I will try and figure out how to log it. Another way I can procrastinate from studying for Ochem - blah

BTW, your dinner sounds yummy! Have been trying to cook some new things, would love to hear how it came out.
 
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