C25K Where do I start?

Those of you who have done this or are doing this, where do I start? Which iPhone App should I get?

Ruggie recommended Easeinto5K on the iPhone to me and thats what I used.  After checking out the program for me, my exercise physiologist liked its program.  The short intervals at the beginning really helped me build up my endurance.

My 15 year old asked me last night if we could run a 5k together so I need to do this, plus my gym workouts got to the point I was barely breaking a sweat so I am going to add the 5k training in addition to the gym and I would like to add Yogo as well as some sort of HIIT as well. I know my core could use some strengthening. I watched a guy who looked pretty fit last night at the gym try to plank and he could only do it for about 6 seconds at a time. Then I watch a girl who was about as wide as my pinky finger do mountain climber pushup burpees with a 30 lb barbell. I fell whole inadequate after that.

Core training may have some challenges depending on how long you were obese and how far your muscles were stretched. You have both subcutaneous fat and intraabdominal fat.  The intra-abdminal fat is stored behind the muscles and stretches them.  No amount of exercise will tighten those back up to where they need to be.  Thats why many of us need the muscle repair in addition to the panni/TT.

In my case, I had a one inch separation between my abdominals that had to be repaired.  I could do as many crunches as I wanted and those things would not tighten to the point where I could do thinks like plank or even have a flat stomach if the skin magically disappeared.  My surgeon measured the separation by palpating the muscles in my abdomen with me lying on my back and finding the edges of each muscle group starting at my centerline and then measured the gap.

I say this not to discourage you, but just be sure you go into your workouts with realistic expectations. I focus on trying to maintain a healthy body fat percentage and muscle mass and let the buff jock types do what they will.

I may very well have that issue. I know for sure I have a hernia that seems to have closed a bit but left a nice pocket of fat on the outside. I have done a fair number of crunches in the past several weeks with no signs of any tightening. I know there is a TT in my future, just need to get the last 70 off and then I would really like to wait a year but I am already grossed out by what is going on down there so I will wait at least 6 months. I may also need and LBL but thats actually not looking too bad seems like the skin is retracting with the fat on my legs. My ass may be another matter.

Keith... I used an app on my phone to start with its a walk run app... I have now ran 3.2 aka 5K 2 times and 3.5 miles one time within the past month. .It about killed me and of course I haven't tried it outside yet as running outside is different from a treadmill.  My goal is to Run a 5K on April 20, 2013 the  Color Rad its where they shoot paint at you as you run, that should be fun and a challenge. Good Luck. Start off slow and then just build up your time and speed I keep it at about 4.5 at the highest and run longer.  Make sure you work on your breathing in through nose out through mouth it does help.... 

You start on the couch.

hahahaha I don't know. I have a friend who's talking me into doing this with her, so I need to find out myself.

The most popular one is C25K by Active.com

Im currently using the Active.com's C25K app for android. I liked it over the free versions (I think it was $1.99)

I use the 5K training workout within the RunKeeper app, which I have been enjoying.  The workouts are scheduled every other day.  I was just looking at the Easeinto5K that was mentioned above, and it looks like it does more of the walk/run intervals, which might be nice.  RunKeeper's 5K training has some interval days and some "Run 1.5 miles" or "Walk/jog 40 minutes" days (mileage or time varies, increasing over the 8 weeks).  Even when it says to run a certain distance I usually can't run the entire time, so I guess I've sort of adapted the program to my own needs.  One plus of RunKeeper is that it's free, but Easeinto5K is only $2.99.

Whatever you choose, good luck and have fun!!  I have read that the biggest thing that thwarts new runners is pushing too hard too soon and either hurting yourself or hating every minute of your workout and quitting, so if the app tells me to go faster/longer one day and I'm truly miserable, I give myself permission to pull back on the intensity (I do try to make the mileage, even if I have to walk.)  There's always time to push harder, the important thing is I'm out there moving.