"The real thing" does not mean the absolute hardest iteration of whatever you're trying to do. C25K doesn't start with a marathon, but it does involve actually

"The real thing" does not mean the absolute hardest iteration of whatever you're trying to do. C25K doesn't start with a marathon, but it does involve actually getting your ass out the door and running. It does not involve shoe shopping, reading about stretching techniques or tinkering with your training schedule in Excel. Running is the real thing.