So I started the couch to 5k a while back (finished week 5 tonight). The program tells you to run a set time or distance with each session. I kept finding that when I completed the set time, I was well short of what they listed for the approx distance for the time.

So tonight I was supposed to jog 20 minutes or 2 miles. I ended up going for 22 minutes straight but only covered 1.3 miles! That is a 17 minute mile. At that pace, It'll take me 55 minutes to complete the 5k I plan to run in a month!

Anybody else running a crazy slow pace? My stats are: male, aged 40, 6' 3", weight 323 lbs. (approx 100 lbs over my target ideal weight).

At this point I don't think it matters how slow you are running - you're getting exercise. If you were trying to build muscle or "get fit" then actually doing it in a set time would be key; however, your goal (I assume) is weight loss.

I just had a discussion with my doctor last Thursday and told him how much I hate getting sweaty. He looked surprised and told me that I didn't need to sweat, I just needed to move. He explained that just the effort of walking at a normal pace for a sustained amount of time would do me much better than going fast and getting sweaty and feeling like I'm going to pass out. So now I take the dogs for a walk around the park and come home instead of getting on the treadmill and trying to kill myself

I just started jogging, and I am pretty slow too. But I am amazed I can do it. You sound like you are making good progress so I say don't be so hard on yourself. Give it more time. I am less tired each time I do it and can push a little harder. Your doing great just give it some more time.

Cheri

When I started, I could easily walk as fast as I could run, but the actual act of running, no matter how slow, over walking is important. It builds up your stamina, and develops the muscles and connective tissue in your legs way better than walking does, so that you can cope with running more/faster later on.

I'm still as slow as anything though, its a real achievement for me to run 10kms in an hour, an hour and five minutes. I just dont have any speed, wont ever be talented as a runner, but I love it anyway.

But I disagree about not needing to get sweaty. Even if its just walking, it should be somewhat hard. If you can walk along, talk easily and not sweat, you're not getting great fat burning exercise. You might, just starting out, at a very heavy weight, burn enough calories to help with weight loss, but that wont last, and you would get better results if you worked hard enough to sweat. And at first, of course, its important not to make exercise unpleasant to the point where you give up. But you cant just amble along right through this journey, eventually you'll need to be taking the dogs for a walk in the park and STILL feeling the need to get an exercise session in as well - active leisure wont cut it for very long. That's not to be negative or put down anyone's routines and what they enjoy doing, and its not to say people cant lose without exercise. But its simple fact that effective fat burning exercise involves real effort.

I keep telling myself that my fit friends would run at a slow pace too if they were wearing 95 lbs of extra weight. My pace makes sense when I think of it that way. I am determined to run this 5k in 40 minutes or less next month so between the training regimen and the 20-30 lbs it will let me drop, I need to make huge improvements.

I, too, think you are early in your journey and need to be kind to your knees and joints....maybe your goal could be adjusted to FINISHING the 5K instead of doing it in such a short time. I admire you for even starting this process and wish you the best of luck. There will always be more races and you can increase your goals each time!!!

Mimi

Thanks. I've added p90x to my routine and between that and the couch to 5k program, I should be dropping the last 95 lbs by the end of the year. That has got to help my time.