Holla! We are a week into our latest C25K virtual training – how did you all do last week? I know many of you are literally stepping out of your comfort zones and I couldn’t be more proud.
Because we’ve done a few of these virtual training groups before, we have quite a few veterans in our Run the Hood c25k group now on Facebook. I figured, who better to crowd source than the runners who have run these virtual streets and treadmills before you?!?
I asked on FB, “Veterans – give the new runners your best piece of advice regarding starting C25K.”
Here is some great C25K advice from the trenches!
Jill said: “Been running since Jan. Mind over matter ladies. You can do anything you convince yourself to. I started c25k with this group in Jan. 2014. This coming Jan. I will be starting Half Marathon training.” She also added, “I have a friend who tells me, “pain is temporary”. So no matter how much it hurts while you’re doing it, it’s only temporary. Push past it.” Great advice. The intervals may seem like an eternity when you are doing them, but really, you can do anything for 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 20 minutes. Woo-hoo! GO JILL!
Tanya posted: “C25K graduate– started the program in Feb of this year. Ran my first 5k in May. Like Jill said, mind over matter… your body can do it, you just have to convince your brain that you can do it. Music is my best friend. When I think I can make it, I trek [sic] myself that I’ll run until the songs over. Then when it’s over, I tell myself the same thing about the new song.” I’ve done this, too. It’s very hard for me to run without music because it really pushes me along. If you need playlist ideas, do a quick Google search or search the Shrinking Jeans site. Lots of awesome ideas to get your feet moving and your head in the game.
Enchantra added: “C25K grad – it’s okay to slow down… your breath will tell you more than any gadget… remember to cheer yourself on, replace doubt with self-encouragement.” Most definitely! So many new runners freak out when they feel themselves struggling to breathe. That’s totally normal! Your breath is really your life – but you have to remember that your lungs are also muscles that need training. Don’t be afraid to push yourself a little bit, too. Like my coach says, “You can breathe when you’re done”! This really is a mantra I tell myself now when I’m working on a tough interval.
Megan said: “Running a year! This was my year of 5ks. Next year 10k!” This is probably the biggest complement ever – she’s still going! All of you should be thinking the same thing. This isn’t a 9 weeks, one and done program – becoming a runner takes discipline and goal setting. If you get to the end and then just stop, you WILL lose fitness and you WILL be starting over again. The easiest way to avoid that is to never quit. The first 5k is the first goal – what you do after that is entirely up to you.
Are you a veteran runner? What advice would you give my newbies?
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