(Part 2) Top products from r/C25K

I can't address all of your issues, but I can address some.

First, struggling with depression, and having it sap your motivation. There are a number of things that can help. Fish oil supplements can have a huge boost, although just eating more Omega-3s would be better. (Supplements can always have side effects, so better to change your diet.) That means fatty cold-water fish like tuna and salmon, nuts like walnuts and almonds, replacing fatty oils with canola/flaxseed/walnut oil, replacing grain-fed beef with either grass-fed beef or bison, using flaxseed in recipes, etc. Its amazing how much this simple change can help you with both depression and health- EAT OMEGA-3s!!

Other things that help depression are getting sunlight, so either going outside for half an hour a day, or getting a sunlamp. Exercise, which you're obviously doing. Socialization and/or a hobby. I'd recommend this book- check out the reviews on it. You could buy the audio version and listen to it while walking/running!

About being scared to try the second week- that's OK, for now. It sounds like you need to work on pacing. Just slow it down! If at any point during jogging you start to feel like you're gasping for breath, immediately slow your pace to a very light jog. Don't feel like you have to force a certain speed. Try a week where you pay very close attention to pacing, and force yourself you slow down each time you start breathing too hard. If you run your first two cycles faster and slow down for your third, that's fine! I usually run on a treadmill so my pace is forced, but when I run outside- that last jog, people out for lesuirely walks are passing me. Its OK! Getting through the program is simply about doing it, you can work on speed later.

As for your shin splints- I used to run hurdles in track and that KILLED my shins. So much so that I gave up running for 10 years. The most important things you can do are calf stretches and shin-strengthening exercises. Stretch your calves daily, even rest days. Stretch them both before and after a run. Maybe even take a quick break during one of the walks to press back on each heel, keep the muscles loose. On your rest days, do a few of the following exercises:

• Sit on the floor with your legs in front of you, bent at the knee. With your right toe, draw the alphabet on the ground, moving at the ankle (not the knee). Repeat with your left toe.
  
  
• Sit on an elevated platform with a weighted bucket hanging off your toe. Lift your foot up and down, bending at the ankle. Do 8-10 reps on each foot, 2 or 3 times according to your ability. You can increase reps and sets as you build strength.
  
  
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands at your sides or on your hips. Extend your right foot and touch your heel to the ground, with your ankle flexed, keeping your toes up in the air. Bring your right foot back, and repeat with your left foot.
  
  Do one or two of those exercises every day, stretch your calves, and you should notice your shin splints going away. If they don't, switch to the elliptical for a few weeks while you continue to do the exercises- you may need to build shin strength before getting into a high-impact workout like running.
  
  Once you get your shin splints under control and work on pacing, you should be ready to head into week 2. Just keep in mind that you can work through the program at your own pace, and you don't have to be ashamed of repeating a day or week. Just don't give up. Keep pushing to the best of your ability, but if it actually is too hard, or you're physically hurting yourself (like worsening your shin splints, which can turn into fractures), then there is absolutely nothing wrong with stepping back for a week and working on improving your overall health. I'd recommend adding some strength training into your routine, maybe on rest days. It doesn't have to be anything crazy- start lifting 5 pound dumbells for 2 sets of 8 repetitions. Do a Google search for exercises that work a certain part of the body. I personally feel like my arms have too much flab hanging down, so I work on my triceps. I also like having a toned butt, so I work my glutes. Pick a section you want to work on, google some simple exercises for those muslces, and pick your favorite exercise. Building some muscle and gaining strength will keep you motivated even if you have to cut back on the running to heal your shins. I love working my biceps because those muscles seem to grow the fastest! Within a week of doing arm curls, you can feel a difference when you flex.
  
  The basic point is don't give up. I know it can feel daunting when you have so many problems in your way. But I can promise you, once you work on your shins a little, stretch your calves a little, work on your pacing a little, and switch your diet up a little, you're going to breeze through week 2. And you will feel amazing beyond words when that happens. It will be worth ALL the time and energy. It will motivate you to push through week 3, all the way to running that 5K for the first time. Think about how it will feel when you finish running over 3 miles. You will be on top of the world, and everything you've needed to work through will just prove how much stronger you are.

Sure, I generally listen to fantasy style books so it might not be to everyone's taste. If so try /r/fantasy for some great threads of lists of audio books if your interested.

I listen to Terry Pratchett books (plenty of info on where to start with these on the web but I always recommend the guards books ) when I'm walking or jogging because when I start laughing it doesn't mess me up as much. Sometimes Ill slip in an "Iron Druid Chronicles" book by Kevin Hearne these are still light enough to let you enjoy your surroundings and are great for outdoors stuff because there is lots of nature waffle :D

for running I try to stick with something that draws me in like the Dresden files by Jim Butcher. or anything by Brandon Sanderson his stuff tends to jump character perspectives from one chapter to another so you find you run through a chapter to get back to find out what happens. Well I do anyway.

I listen to a large spectrum of stuff really but my core library is Fantasy so here is a list I prepared for a friend earlier in the year Hope it helps:

Books List

• Literally anything by “Guy Gavriel Kay”
  but mainly “Under Heaven”(Asian theme beautiful book), “River of stars” (semi sequel like a thousand years later) “The Lions of Al Rasan”. Most of his books are connected and there is this thing called the “Fionavar Tapestry” that connects them. His books can also be considered stand alone.
  
  
• Under Heaven
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Under-Heaven-Guy-Gavriel-Kay/dp/0007342101/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421678636&sr=1-1&keywords=under+heaven+guy+gavriel+kay
  
  
• River of Stars
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/River-Stars-Guy-Gavriel-Kay/dp/0007521936/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y
  
  
• The Lions of Al-Rassan
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lions-Al-Rassan-Guy-Gavriel-Kay/dp/0007342063/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421678693&sr=1-5&keywords=guy+gavriel+kay
  
  
• Tigana
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tigana-Guy-Gavriel-Kay/dp/0007342047/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421678693&sr=1-4&keywords=guy+gavriel+kay
  
  
• Promise of blood
  Best use of gunpowder and magic I’ve ever seen it works really well kinda like a “Mistborn” magic system. (If you haven't read mistborn you might want to its another Brandon Sanderson series) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Promise-Blood-Book-Powder-trilogy/dp/0356502007/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1421677263&sr=8-3&keywords=powder+mage
  
  
• Mistborn
  Really cool Magic system that revolves around swallowing Metals and “burning” them for access to their powers.
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Final-Empire-Mistborn-Book-One/dp/0575089911/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421677588&sr=8-1&keywords=mistborn
  
  
• Bloodsong
  Classic young lad raised by crazy monk types turns into renegade general / gladiator type trope but with an interesting magic system that guides him.
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Song-Book-Ravens-Shadow/dp/0356502481/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421677442&sr=8-1&keywords=bloodsong
  
  
• Rivers of London books
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rivers-London-1-Ben-Aaronovitch/dp/0575097582/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421677738&sr=8-1&keywords=rivers+of+london
  Metropolitan police have a secret devision that deels with spooky stuff that stems from the time of Isaac Newton. Has some interesting inner city London stuff with Newtonian magic and river gods and avatars of stuff.
  
  
• The Painted Man (The Demon Cycle, Book 1) [Also called “The warded man”]
  Humans are a primitive people living in small isolated towns and require wards painted on their houses to keep them safe from demons that rampage each night. This young lad is then forced to survive in the wild one night and decides he would rather fight than cower in fear. HE then seeks out a fabled tribe of demon fighting warriors and wants to join up with em etc. Pretty good a little dark at times.
  
• http://www.amazon.co.uk/Painted-Man-Demon-Cycle-Book/dp/0007492545/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421677832&sr=8-1&keywords=warded+man
  
  
• The Dresden Files
  Slow building but a great series that everyone ends up recommending. Dresden is a modern day Wizard / Private Investigator. Carries a revolver and a staff etc battles the dark forces of the world and starts a few wars with spooky gangs as you do.
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Storm-Front-Dresden-Files-Book/dp/0356500276/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421678098&sr=1-1&keywords=dresden+files
  
  
• Iron druid chronicles
  Bit of a guilty pleasure this one I love ancient mythology and modern day wise assery so this hits the perfect combo of no higher brain function required tuning out on the bus good natured talking dog companion nonsense. plus there are like 9 of em
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hounded-Druid-Chronicles-Kevin-Hearne/dp/0356501191/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421678198&sr=1-1&keywords=iron+druid+book+1
  
  
  
  

I can see that just like me, you are also trying to make lot of changes in your life..

1. Fitness ie. C25k
   
   
2. New skill ie. Jiu-Jitsu
   
   
3. Quit smoking
   
   
4. Get over breakup
   
   But to make any dramatic change you have to keep pushing the wheel everyday till it starts moving. Afterwards it's only a question of steering & refueling. But that 'consistent everyday pushing' is the most difficult & challenging part. You can use that 'Emotional Energy' like anger, frustration, realization etc to push that wheel for few initial days but like 'Sugar Rush' it will quickly crash down, especially if you are trying to make many & major life style changes. What you need is a simple but sound strategy w/o much overhead that you can implement daily till you form a habbit of doing it unconsciously.
   
   Good staring points for habbit creation would be:
   
   

• r/TheXEffect : You can make 4 cards of above changes & in every card, you mark 'X' for a successful day. Challenge is to mark 49 consecutive X's.These simple X's can encourage you to keep going & to make the chain a bit longer everyday. They also have online website & apps for digital tracking of your habbits. Check out their wiki for details.
  
  
• The Willpower Instinct, by Kelly McGonigal
  
   
  
  
  On "All / None" thinking : I think it shows that you have good 'Intent' but bad 'Judgement'. Don't get me wrong because I also behave in similar way. But now I have realized that being Tortoise is more optimal & practical strategy for solving long term problems. All / None strategy often leads to procrastination & abandoning the project altogether. Slow & steady, if not 'wins' the race then atleast 'finishes' it!
  
   
  
  I can't help but comment upon your breakup. I am sincerely sorry to hear about that. But they say that "Rejection is better than Regret". Love is not life but only a 'part' of it. Life can offer you literally infinite more adventures. And with every adventure there will be good days & bad days. It's the journey that we must learn to appreciate & enjoy. Because happiness is not a 'State' but a 'Skill'. I am glad that you are moving forward with positive changes. You will cycle through many emotions like anger, depression, hate, envy etc. due to this breakup. Don't let any of these transient & harmful emotions drag you back to that vicious spiral. Pay attention to the emotions but don't interact with them. Keep yourself engaged in more fruitful activities & passions like running, jiu-jitsu, work, reading, traveling etc. Focus on youself & your family, on the Present & never the Past. It's a tricky situation, so be vigilant and may the force be with you!
  
  Sorry for the ramblings. All the best... :)

I've been reading this book recently called Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. I've not finished it yet but I couldn't recommend it highly enough to everyone here.

He talks about ultra runners, people who run 50+ miles. The best runners, he notes, are those that do it for fun. It applies to anything in life, and his examples are amazing to read and something I shall apply to every important area of my life.

When I found the right reasons & goals for running, in this case, I made it fun and I've not had to struggle to get out of the door like I used to. I've always been competitive so I currently use my previous times and distance as goals to beat. That will eventually need to change as I hit my limits.

I understand you're just starting out so you're still finding your feet, so to speak, but if running is something you truly want to incorporate into your lifestyle, C25K is the right springboard to start with and maybe check out the book too for some inspiration.

Have you heard of the Hansons Marathon Method?

Hansons First Marathon: Step Up to 26.2 the Hansons Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937715795/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_F-b2CbYJDP0PT

Hansons Half-Marathon Method: Run Your Best Half-Marathon the Hansons Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937715191/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_w1b2CbF4SNEZR

Hansons Marathon Method: Run Your Fastest Marathon the Hansons Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937715485/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nSb2CbR4V7518

Once you get into the longer distances, it's worth buying a book on the program you will use. You can find the plan online for free but it's best to understand the ins and outs of a program so you are following it correctly. The hansons marathon method is amazing. The book is structured to help you understand what running does to your body, how to adapt your body through the various workouts (how to do the workouts and which paces) and the concept of cumulative fatigue. It goes over goal selection, the workouts, schedule modifications, diet, rest, cross training, etc.


Luke Humphrey has online community forums (Facebook and elsewhere) as well as blogs and podcasts that help to reinforce the content of the book.


I was amazed at the quality of the program and I'm a full believer in the program. I used this program for my first marathon and I'm starting it again in July for the Philly marathon.

This sucks so bad!

Good to hear that you are seeing a physio — you’ll get better advice from a professional than from reddit.

The one thing I would recommend along with that is to work on your running form to try to avoid further injuries in the future. I found this really helpful, and have just started reading Your Best Stride which (so far!) has been very interesting.

Good luck!

Heh, as soon as I read your comment I thought about how perfect it would be for me to write a book called "The Idiot's Guide to Running," but a) I am in no way qualified to give meaningful advice about sports, and b) The title is already taken.

That is really too bad. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUCH A PERFECT TITLE! Oh well. My company is about to uproot to a totally different city so I'm way too busy to consider a book right now but maybe you're on to something! I've never thought about writing for real people before but I promise that if I do it will be known on this subreddit in a way that doesn't make me look like a complete douchecanoe.

I usually think about the last chapter of this that I read. I try to poke holes in whatever logic I've just been studying. It's pretty awesome. But I only do that in between listening to music.

I'm 43 years old, father of two energetic young boys and married for 15 years. I was at 265 lbs (120kg), over-eating, drinking too much and had no energy to live life, play with my kids or be a partner to my wife. Getting depressed....and cycling through eating and drinking and then feeling miserable. I was never an athlete, always a geek, but I'm thinking it has more and more to do with what you think you are; I never thought I could be a runner.

I had heard about the C25K, but was appalled at the thought of running. Might as well ask me to eat broken glass. I had finally had enough. I started thinking about a guy at work who in the past 18 months went from grouchy and 300+ lbs to 200 lbs and is now a pretty nice guy...all by running, watching his food and alcohol intake. If he could do it, why couldn't I?

So, one night I'm on my Kindle, and I search for 'running' and found Running For Mortals, which I bought, started reading and decided right then and there I could do it. The guy who wrote it sounded like me. Buy or borrow it, I think it is great. I went out and bought running shoes and started telling myself, my wife, my boss, my kids..that I was taking up running.

TL/DR: I was fat &, lazy but have decided to change that.

At 5'5" and 110 lbs, you shouldn't have much weight to lose. I'm wondering if you have anterior pelvic tilt and that's what's making your stomach bulge out.

Try Kelly Starrett's bracing sequence detailed in [this article] (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sit-better-live-better-excerpt-from-becoming-a-supple-leopard.html), see if it brings your stomach in. If it does, you know what you need to work on.

If that works for you, it might be helpful to check out Starrett's mobility book. He's also written a book on running that's coming out next month, but obviously I haven't read it yet.

See, that is the edge you need to move forward. When you don't feel like it, but you do it. http://www.amazon.com/The-Edge-Fulfilling-Maximizing-Achievement/dp/0940601044

Agreed.

This debate actually reminded me I need to read:
http://www.amazon.com/Master-Art-Running-Performance-Alexander/dp/1843405431/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398103379&sr=8-1

Damn, it has no digital version :(

one of these

Do some calf raises, roll your calves, stretch them out, then run. Roll them out after.

I had to take several rest days due to calf pain and tightness, and as long as I roll, stretch, then roll after the run, I don’t have calf pain.