The weather was almost perfect for this morning's run. I arrived at the park and watched the fog slowly rise off the lake as I did my 5 minute warm up walk. On today's agenda was 10 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, followed by 10 more minutes of running. After stretching with the ducks I began my first segment of 10 minutes running. I started out fast, tried to slow down, sped up again and just went with it. I definitely pushed myself a little harder in the first 10 than I probably should have, but going fast felt good, so I just pretended I didn't have to run another 10 minutes and kept up the pace that felt most natural.
I was quite winded when it was time for the 3 minute walk but after 3 minutes I had caught my breath and I felt as ready as I was going to feel to run again. As I started to run I felt a little stiffness and pain in my left knee, but nothing close to what I felt before I had to take a week off to rest. I'm pretty sure I have iliotibial band syndrome. It's not really an injury, it's just an irritation of the iliotibial band caused by an increase in activity. The only cure is rest. As that is not really an option right now, I've chosen to treat it with NSAIDs and ice. I probably will take the next two days off to rest and then pick back up on Friday with W6D3.
Back to the run, I was almost immediately aware that I had pushed too hard in the first 10 minutes as I kept having to tell myself "I'll make it to 5 minutes and take a short walk break". When I made it to 5 minutes, I told myself I'd make it to 8. Once I made it to 8 I just toughed it out and ran through to the 10 minute mark, asking God for His help the whole way. I know my second half was slower than my first half by about 25 seconds but I'm not too disappointed because:
1. I got out of bed and ran this morning
2. I finished the run as written
3. My overall pace was better than my last run
The stats: I covered the same distance this morning as I did W6D1 at 2.69 miles. I did it in 33:25 and increased my pace to 12:25/mile which improved my average pace over the course of C25K to 12:58/mile.
Next up: 25 continuous minutes Friday morning. The key will be pacing myself.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Couch to 5K: Week 6, Day 1
With my new schedule of running every other day, week 6 day 1 fell on Sunday (yesterday as of this posting). I got up at my normal time for a running day of 5:45 and prepared for what I had anticipated would be a fairly easy run.
I arrived at the park to locked gates and light drizzle. I had apparently arrived before the official opening time of "sunrise"...as if I could tell whether the sun had risen or not. I parked outside the gate and walked around and began my warm up walk. I stopped and stretched at the now familiar picnic table, enjoying the silence of a Sunday morning. As I started my run I noticed a little stiffness in my left knee and some soreness on the inside of my right calf. Both eased as I ran and my muscles warmed up some.
The first 5 minutes were pretty easy and I felt myself running faster than I probably should have but I kept the pace up anyway and tried to increase it some as I reached the end of the 5 minutes. A short 3 minute walk separated the 5 minute run from the next run which was to be 8 minutes. I started the 8 minute run fairly slowly and tried to maintain a fairly steady pace throughout. My legs started to fatigue somewhere in the middle of the 8 minute run but my lungs were keeping up very well. I pushed myself a little toward the end or the 8 minutes knowing that I had a 3 minute walk to help me recover. The final 5 minutes felt really good. My body was tired but I knew it was just 5 minutes so I pushed myself to keep the pace up, especially towards the end. I ran past my starting point before the 5 minutes were up so I knew I had done the second half of my run faster than my first half. I arrived back at the car at 33:36, indicating my second half was 24 seconds faster than my first half.
Overall, I felt good about the run. I'm still not to the point where any of it feels easy or natural. I'm hopeful that it's not always this hard. I have to keep telling myself that it's a gradual process and that as long as I'm asking my body to do more and more I can expect that it's going to be hard.
The stats: I did 2.69 miles in 33:36 which is 12:29 per mile. 1/3 of a mile farther and 30 seconds faster per mile than my last run. Seems odd that adding walking breaks can actually increase distance and speed, but it's true. My average pace over the whole course of the program to this point is right at 13 minutes per mile.
I arrived at the park to locked gates and light drizzle. I had apparently arrived before the official opening time of "sunrise"...as if I could tell whether the sun had risen or not. I parked outside the gate and walked around and began my warm up walk. I stopped and stretched at the now familiar picnic table, enjoying the silence of a Sunday morning. As I started my run I noticed a little stiffness in my left knee and some soreness on the inside of my right calf. Both eased as I ran and my muscles warmed up some.
The first 5 minutes were pretty easy and I felt myself running faster than I probably should have but I kept the pace up anyway and tried to increase it some as I reached the end of the 5 minutes. A short 3 minute walk separated the 5 minute run from the next run which was to be 8 minutes. I started the 8 minute run fairly slowly and tried to maintain a fairly steady pace throughout. My legs started to fatigue somewhere in the middle of the 8 minute run but my lungs were keeping up very well. I pushed myself a little toward the end or the 8 minutes knowing that I had a 3 minute walk to help me recover. The final 5 minutes felt really good. My body was tired but I knew it was just 5 minutes so I pushed myself to keep the pace up, especially towards the end. I ran past my starting point before the 5 minutes were up so I knew I had done the second half of my run faster than my first half. I arrived back at the car at 33:36, indicating my second half was 24 seconds faster than my first half.
Overall, I felt good about the run. I'm still not to the point where any of it feels easy or natural. I'm hopeful that it's not always this hard. I have to keep telling myself that it's a gradual process and that as long as I'm asking my body to do more and more I can expect that it's going to be hard.
The stats: I did 2.69 miles in 33:36 which is 12:29 per mile. 1/3 of a mile farther and 30 seconds faster per mile than my last run. Seems odd that adding walking breaks can actually increase distance and speed, but it's true. My average pace over the whole course of the program to this point is right at 13 minutes per mile.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Couch to 5K: Week 5, Day 3
On today's agenda was 20 minutes of continuous running. I didn't sleep well last night. I don't know if it was the large meal of fried catfish and hush puppies I had for dinner, the slice of strawberry pie I had right before bedtime, or the anticipation of the 20 minutes I was slated to run this morning that kept me awake. It was probably a combination of all three.
The alarm went off at quarter til six as it always does on my running days. I dragged myself out of bed and through my morning routine of getting ready to drive to the park, trying to keep a positive mental attitude. When I arrived at the lake it was 66 degrees, the sun was just starting to rise over the trees on the east end of the lake, and the geese were, well, being geese.
I got out of the car, stretched, did my five minute warm up walk, then stretched some more. As much as I hate it, I've found that stretching really makes a difference. I can feel the difference in my stride when I'm properly stretched and I'm hopefully preventing any further knee pain by keeping my hamstrings and quads good and loose. I'm spending about 3 minutes stretching before my walk, a good 5 minutes stretching between my warm up walk and the start of my run, then another 3 or so at the end.
After stretching, I took off at what felt like a very slow pace. I had no goals this morning other than to finish the 20 minutes without having to stop for a break. 20 minutes without walking would be victory enough. I mentally noted a point where I'm usually around the halfway mark of my run. That was the point to which I decided to run before looking at the stop watch to see if it was time to turn around. I made it to that point, looked at the watch and I had been running for 10 minutes and 24 seconds. I was glad to see that I was past the halfway point. I turned around knowing that I had just run longer than I had ever run before, and that I was about to go another 10 minutes on top of that. It was a good feeling, but I still didn't know if I was going to be able to make it the full 20.
Oddly, the second half of my run seemed to go by faster than the first half. I kept having to hold myself back from trying to run faster. I know I was running faster anyway. By the 15 minute mark I was breathing harder and having to work harder to keep my lungs on pace with my legs. I found myself looking at the watch more often, wondering how much longer. I looked at the watch and noticed I had 3 minutes left. I told myself I wouldn't look back at it until I was to the point where I had started running. For whatever reason, I looked at it again before I got there and only had one minute left to go. I was really feeling it at this point, but I was pretty excited to know that I was going to make it, so I raised my arms in the air like a complete nutcase and ran like that for a few seconds. It felt good. I brought my arms back down and pushed as hard as I could to the picnic table where I stretch. I looked at the watch when I got there and it read 20:24. I was gasping for breath, my legs were quivering beneath me, and I was dripping with sweat, but I had just run a full 20 minutes plus some.
Needless to say, I'm pretty proud of myself. Just a few weeks ago I remember thinking 3 minutes was going to be tough. I also remember looking ahead and thinking W5D3 would be the make it or break it run. Well, I made it. I'm over halfway through the program and I'm really looking forward to increasing my mileage over the next few weeks.
The stats: according to mapmyrun I did 2.34 miles including my warm up and cool down walks. It took a total of 30:24 for a pace of 12:59. I'm estimating I ran a total of 1.65 miles in 20:24 for a running pace of 12:22, which puts my walking pace at 14:30. I've definitely slowed some since the beginning of the program, but I'm less worried about pace than I am being able to know I can run a full 30 minutes by the time the program is finished.
Next up, the start of week 6. It sounds pretty easy. The program calls for run 5, walk 3, run 8, walk 3, run 5. That's only 18 minutes of total running with walking breaks. Should be a breeze. Famous last words?
The alarm went off at quarter til six as it always does on my running days. I dragged myself out of bed and through my morning routine of getting ready to drive to the park, trying to keep a positive mental attitude. When I arrived at the lake it was 66 degrees, the sun was just starting to rise over the trees on the east end of the lake, and the geese were, well, being geese.
I got out of the car, stretched, did my five minute warm up walk, then stretched some more. As much as I hate it, I've found that stretching really makes a difference. I can feel the difference in my stride when I'm properly stretched and I'm hopefully preventing any further knee pain by keeping my hamstrings and quads good and loose. I'm spending about 3 minutes stretching before my walk, a good 5 minutes stretching between my warm up walk and the start of my run, then another 3 or so at the end.
After stretching, I took off at what felt like a very slow pace. I had no goals this morning other than to finish the 20 minutes without having to stop for a break. 20 minutes without walking would be victory enough. I mentally noted a point where I'm usually around the halfway mark of my run. That was the point to which I decided to run before looking at the stop watch to see if it was time to turn around. I made it to that point, looked at the watch and I had been running for 10 minutes and 24 seconds. I was glad to see that I was past the halfway point. I turned around knowing that I had just run longer than I had ever run before, and that I was about to go another 10 minutes on top of that. It was a good feeling, but I still didn't know if I was going to be able to make it the full 20.
Oddly, the second half of my run seemed to go by faster than the first half. I kept having to hold myself back from trying to run faster. I know I was running faster anyway. By the 15 minute mark I was breathing harder and having to work harder to keep my lungs on pace with my legs. I found myself looking at the watch more often, wondering how much longer. I looked at the watch and noticed I had 3 minutes left. I told myself I wouldn't look back at it until I was to the point where I had started running. For whatever reason, I looked at it again before I got there and only had one minute left to go. I was really feeling it at this point, but I was pretty excited to know that I was going to make it, so I raised my arms in the air like a complete nutcase and ran like that for a few seconds. It felt good. I brought my arms back down and pushed as hard as I could to the picnic table where I stretch. I looked at the watch when I got there and it read 20:24. I was gasping for breath, my legs were quivering beneath me, and I was dripping with sweat, but I had just run a full 20 minutes plus some.
Needless to say, I'm pretty proud of myself. Just a few weeks ago I remember thinking 3 minutes was going to be tough. I also remember looking ahead and thinking W5D3 would be the make it or break it run. Well, I made it. I'm over halfway through the program and I'm really looking forward to increasing my mileage over the next few weeks.
The stats: according to mapmyrun I did 2.34 miles including my warm up and cool down walks. It took a total of 30:24 for a pace of 12:59. I'm estimating I ran a total of 1.65 miles in 20:24 for a running pace of 12:22, which puts my walking pace at 14:30. I've definitely slowed some since the beginning of the program, but I'm less worried about pace than I am being able to know I can run a full 30 minutes by the time the program is finished.
Next up, the start of week 6. It sounds pretty easy. The program calls for run 5, walk 3, run 8, walk 3, run 5. That's only 18 minutes of total running with walking breaks. Should be a breeze. Famous last words?
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Registered
Couch to 5K: Week 5, Day 2 - really, I mean it this time
It was a beautiful morning for a run. The temperature was about 65 degrees and I was all alone in the park except for two guys on bikes I passed late in the run. I did W5D2 as written today + 30 seconds added to the end. My right thigh started cramping up on me almost from the start, but I was able to run through it. The cramping didn't really stop until I was almost finished. I did 2.2 miles in 30 minutes and ran the second half exactly one minute faster than the first half. That's partially due to tacking on an extra 30 seconds to the end of my run and partially due to pushing my pace up gradually over the second half of the last 8 minute segment.
I'm still having occasional mild soreness in my knee, but it doesn't hurt to run or walk so I'm going to keep on keeping on.
Next up: 20 minutes non-stop on Friday. I expect to take it pretty slow if I want to be able to finish the whole 20 minutes without a break to walk and catch my breath. It's definitely going to be a challenge, but it's one that I've been looking forward to. I don't feel quite as ready for it as I did two weeks ago, but I'm going to take it slow and easy and push through it. Mind over matter, right?
I'm still having occasional mild soreness in my knee, but it doesn't hurt to run or walk so I'm going to keep on keeping on.
Next up: 20 minutes non-stop on Friday. I expect to take it pretty slow if I want to be able to finish the whole 20 minutes without a break to walk and catch my breath. It's definitely going to be a challenge, but it's one that I've been looking forward to. I don't feel quite as ready for it as I did two weeks ago, but I'm going to take it slow and easy and push through it. Mind over matter, right?
Monday, August 23, 2010
Couch to 5K: Week 5, Day 2 - Mulligan
The good news is, I'm running again and my knee seems to be better. I felt what could best be described as a little tightness immediately after my run, but no pain. I'm glad to be over that hurdle and that it turned out to be nothing serious.
I'm taking a mulligan on today's attempt at repeating Week 5, Day 2. I had originally planned to start back at W5D1 but I got to the 5 minute mark this morning and knew I could push to 8 minutes. I figured, what the heck, if I can do 8 minutes once, I can do it twice. Well, what I realize now is that I was really running hard that first 8 minutes. I forgot how to pace myself in the 10 days I took off. I really took off running at the beginning and realized it about a minute in, so I slowed some, but not nearly enough. I was still running at a faster pace than I had been accustomed to.
I finished the first 8 minutes and was feeling pretty good, though somewhat out of breath. The 5 minute walk was over before I really felt ready but I took off anyway. I made it to 6:30 before I had to walk and catch my breath. My legs were burning and I couldn't keep my breath at a steady pace. I walked just long enough to catch my breath and then made up the 1:30 that I had cut the run short by. I didn't have anything left by the end of the run.
Overall it wasn't as bad as I had expected. I was afraid I might have set myself back a couple of weeks by taking 10 days off, but I'm pretty sure if I had paced myself a little better I could have done the W5D2 run as written. I'm going to try the same routine again on Wednesday, except I'm going to start out a little slower and pace myself better.
Hopefully on Friday I'll be able to pull off the full 20 minute run.
Today I did 2.35 miles in 31:26 for an overall pace of 13:23*.
* Just a note for clarification. I'm including my warm up and cool down walks in the distance, time and pace calculations.
I'm taking a mulligan on today's attempt at repeating Week 5, Day 2. I had originally planned to start back at W5D1 but I got to the 5 minute mark this morning and knew I could push to 8 minutes. I figured, what the heck, if I can do 8 minutes once, I can do it twice. Well, what I realize now is that I was really running hard that first 8 minutes. I forgot how to pace myself in the 10 days I took off. I really took off running at the beginning and realized it about a minute in, so I slowed some, but not nearly enough. I was still running at a faster pace than I had been accustomed to.
I finished the first 8 minutes and was feeling pretty good, though somewhat out of breath. The 5 minute walk was over before I really felt ready but I took off anyway. I made it to 6:30 before I had to walk and catch my breath. My legs were burning and I couldn't keep my breath at a steady pace. I walked just long enough to catch my breath and then made up the 1:30 that I had cut the run short by. I didn't have anything left by the end of the run.
Overall it wasn't as bad as I had expected. I was afraid I might have set myself back a couple of weeks by taking 10 days off, but I'm pretty sure if I had paced myself a little better I could have done the W5D2 run as written. I'm going to try the same routine again on Wednesday, except I'm going to start out a little slower and pace myself better.
Hopefully on Friday I'll be able to pull off the full 20 minute run.
Today I did 2.35 miles in 31:26 for an overall pace of 13:23*.
* Just a note for clarification. I'm including my warm up and cool down walks in the distance, time and pace calculations.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Knee Update & Week 5 Again
Since my visit to the Orthopedic Surgeon, my knee has felt much better. I don't know if I was being a hypochondriac or if the Aleve I've been taking since has really helped that much. What I do know is I feel like I could run now. I'm stretching religiously and doing some isometric exercises that were recommended by the doc to strengthen my thighs.
My plan now is to start back on Monday 8/23 with Week 5, Day 1. I'm still aiming for the 5k on 9/26. In order to do that, I'm accelerating my training slightly by running every other day regardless of the day of the week instead of just Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Barring any further setbacks, that will allow me to finish the C25K program on Monday 9/20 instead of Friday 9/24. My plan pre-knee problem was to finish on 9/10 which would have given me two weeks to get comfortable running 30 minutes non-stop before the 5k. Now I'll just have 5 days between C25K "graduation" and the actual 5k. I'm not sure what I'll do with those 5 days. I do hope to get at least one additional run in between program completion and the 5k, though. My goal is to run the whole 5K without having to walk.
My plan now is to start back on Monday 8/23 with Week 5, Day 1. I'm still aiming for the 5k on 9/26. In order to do that, I'm accelerating my training slightly by running every other day regardless of the day of the week instead of just Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Barring any further setbacks, that will allow me to finish the C25K program on Monday 9/20 instead of Friday 9/24. My plan pre-knee problem was to finish on 9/10 which would have given me two weeks to get comfortable running 30 minutes non-stop before the 5k. Now I'll just have 5 days between C25K "graduation" and the actual 5k. I'm not sure what I'll do with those 5 days. I do hope to get at least one additional run in between program completion and the 5k, though. My goal is to run the whole 5K without having to walk.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Knee News
The doc says there's no physical damage to my knee joint or the ligaments. I've been put on a diet of NSAIDs and knee rest for a week to ten days. He said it could take as long as three weeks to be back to normal. I'm really hopeful that it will be feeling well enough next Monday to run. If not, I'll just wait until it is well enough to start running again, or return to the doctor for an MRI if it's not better in two weeks.
While he said it wasn't technically "runners knee", it is similar. He gave me some stretches and exercises to help prevent a similar situation in the future. Apparently, strong thighs can help prevent knee pain. I guess I'll be adding thigh exercises to my exercise routine.
While he said it wasn't technically "runners knee", it is similar. He gave me some stretches and exercises to help prevent a similar situation in the future. Apparently, strong thighs can help prevent knee pain. I guess I'll be adding thigh exercises to my exercise routine.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Week Off
I'm taking the next week off. I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow to have a look at my left knee. It's still sore and running on it is not an option. I'm a little disappointed because I was starting to really enjoy running again. I'm hoping it's something minor and a week or two of rest is all I need to be back on the road. I had hopes for my first 5k at the end of September, but those hopes are beginning to fade.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Couch to 5K: Week 5, Day 2
I ran today, and did the whole W5D2 routine, but I probably shouldn't have. My knee is really giving me problems. Whatever is wrong with it isn't getting any better. It felt better after resting it Tuesday and Wednesday, but I knew as soon as I started my warm up walk this morning that this might be my last run for awhile. The only reason I continued was to see if the pain was just stiffness that would work itself out, or if it was something that was going to need more than just a couple days of rest to heal.
On the positive side, I was able to run (more of a slow jog (slog?), actually) 8 minutes twice. I was very slow because of the pain in my knee, but I did it. I slogged 2.1 miles in 31:40 which is a pace of 15:05 mm.
A friend who was a physical therapist in a former career says it's likely a medial meniscus injury. Apparently rest and ice is the way to go unless it's severe in which case it will require surgery. He said if the pain was minimal after just a couple days rest, it's likely that it will heal on its own with rest and ice. To keep running on it risks further injury and the necessity of corrective surgery. I think I'll rest it. He recommended rest and ice until I am completely free of pain.
I'm not sure when I'll be running again. I'm going to give it til Monday 8/16 and see how I'm feeling, but I'm thinking it may be the following Monday, 8/23. I'm really pissed because I was just starting to enjoy running again and I don't want to get that far behind in my training for the 5K on 9/26. If I can restart at W5D1 on 8/23, that puts me right on schedule to do the last run of the program on 5K day. I had really hoped for a couple extra weeks to solidify the ability to run 30 solid minutes before the 5k. Pushing myself now might mean I don't get to run it at all, so I guess I'm just going to have to live with it.
On the positive side, I was able to run (more of a slow jog (slog?), actually) 8 minutes twice. I was very slow because of the pain in my knee, but I did it. I slogged 2.1 miles in 31:40 which is a pace of 15:05 mm.
A friend who was a physical therapist in a former career says it's likely a medial meniscus injury. Apparently rest and ice is the way to go unless it's severe in which case it will require surgery. He said if the pain was minimal after just a couple days rest, it's likely that it will heal on its own with rest and ice. To keep running on it risks further injury and the necessity of corrective surgery. I think I'll rest it. He recommended rest and ice until I am completely free of pain.
I'm not sure when I'll be running again. I'm going to give it til Monday 8/16 and see how I'm feeling, but I'm thinking it may be the following Monday, 8/23. I'm really pissed because I was just starting to enjoy running again and I don't want to get that far behind in my training for the 5K on 9/26. If I can restart at W5D1 on 8/23, that puts me right on schedule to do the last run of the program on 5K day. I had really hoped for a couple extra weeks to solidify the ability to run 30 solid minutes before the 5k. Pushing myself now might mean I don't get to run it at all, so I guess I'm just going to have to live with it.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Day Off
I was scheduled to do Week 5 Day 2 today, but I've had some knee pain since I ran on Monday. I decided last night to give it an extra day of rest. It's feeling better today than yesterday. In fact, I felt like I could have run this morning, so I don't think running tomorrow will be a problem.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Couch to 5K: Week 5, Day 1
Week 5, Day 1 didn't seem hard enough. I guess that's a good thing, since I hiked 10 miles on Saturday in some evil boots that tore my feet up. I have blisters on 5 toes, my right heel, and the inside of the ball of my left foot. Oh, and my right big toe looks and feels like I hit it with a hammer. I band-aided up this morning before my run and my feet didn't bother me at all during my run. I did have some sore muscles from the 10 mile hike, and my left knee was really hurting after the run. I didn't have any pain while running, but when I got back to the car my knee was really throbbing. I'm not sure what's up with it, but I'm going to take it easy the next 48 hours and hopefully be healed and ready for W5D2 on Wednesday.
I took it pretty slow this morning due to the soreness and wanting to go easy on my feet. That may be why it seemed like an easy run. I did 2.25 miles in 29:51. I did the first half in 15:50 and the second half in 14:01. That's 14:04/mile for the first half, and 12:28/mile for the second half. Looking at my chart, I really must have messed up my calculation on W4D3. I don't think there's any way I averaged 11:43/mile.
As far as mind over matter, I think I may have broken through a barrier this morning. I didn't have any serious challenges, but I found myself just enjoying the process of running. I caught myself smiling at the end of the last 5 minutes (and glad there was no one there to see me grinning like a fool), and I had been pushing pretty hard at that point. I kept going for about 20 more seconds, just because I was enjoying it so much I didn't want to stop. During that 20 seconds I kept pushing to go faster and my body just did it. I was breathing hard, and my legs were tired, but I feel like I could have kept going. It feels good knowing I have something left at the end of the workout, having to hold myself back from pushing too hard.
I find myself looking forward to the 20 minute challenge on Friday.
I took it pretty slow this morning due to the soreness and wanting to go easy on my feet. That may be why it seemed like an easy run. I did 2.25 miles in 29:51. I did the first half in 15:50 and the second half in 14:01. That's 14:04/mile for the first half, and 12:28/mile for the second half. Looking at my chart, I really must have messed up my calculation on W4D3. I don't think there's any way I averaged 11:43/mile.
As far as mind over matter, I think I may have broken through a barrier this morning. I didn't have any serious challenges, but I found myself just enjoying the process of running. I caught myself smiling at the end of the last 5 minutes (and glad there was no one there to see me grinning like a fool), and I had been pushing pretty hard at that point. I kept going for about 20 more seconds, just because I was enjoying it so much I didn't want to stop. During that 20 seconds I kept pushing to go faster and my body just did it. I was breathing hard, and my legs were tired, but I feel like I could have kept going. It feels good knowing I have something left at the end of the workout, having to hold myself back from pushing too hard.
I find myself looking forward to the 20 minute challenge on Friday.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Couch to 5K: Week 4, Day 3
Week 4 is done. I'm almost halfway through the couch to 5k program and I felt like I was making progress this morning. It was a good run. I was tired by the end, but not completely wiped out like I was Wednesday. I'm not sure how, but I increased my pace by 43 seconds per mile. That could be a little off because I'm estimating my total time. I stopped to stretch after my 5 minute warm up walk and somehow pressed the wrong button when I started running. I ran for awhile but the stopwatch wasn't running. I'm estimating I ran for about 2 minutes before I noticed that I wasn't timing myself. I was only supposed to run a total of 3 minutes in that segment, but I went on for another 2 anyway, just to be sure I did the total 3 in case I overestimated how long I had been running.
I started out at what felt like a very slow pace, hoping not to repeat the complete and utter exhaustion I felt toward the end of Wednesday's run. Overall I think it worked. I know I ran longer and farther today than I did on Wednesday, but I wasn't wiped out at the end.
I made it all the way to the end of the road in the park today and I was running when I got there. I made it almost that far on Wednesday, but it was halfway through the walk break between the first 5 minute run and the second 3 minute run. I was able to pick up my pace during the second 3 minute run. I was winded by the end of that segment, but I caught my breath pretty quickly. The last 5 minutes did seem to drag on, but I was able to keep my pace up, and slowly increased all the way to the end.
At the entrance/exit of the park, there is a hill that goes up toward the parking lot. I was in the middle of my cool down walk but I felt the urge to run up the hill. It's not a big hill, but that's not the point. I wanted to run up that hill...so I did, and it felt good.
It was a good run, and I feel good now. I have a little stiffness in my knees, but that should be better by Monday. Monday doesn't look too hard. It's just three 5 minute runs separated by 3 minute walks. I'm not really concerned about it. The two 8 minute runs on Wednesday intimidate me a little, and then there's the 20 minute run on Friday that still seems insurmountable. Sitting here typing this, I know I can do it. Breaking through that mental barrier while I'm actually running is going to be a challenge.
I started out at what felt like a very slow pace, hoping not to repeat the complete and utter exhaustion I felt toward the end of Wednesday's run. Overall I think it worked. I know I ran longer and farther today than I did on Wednesday, but I wasn't wiped out at the end.
I made it all the way to the end of the road in the park today and I was running when I got there. I made it almost that far on Wednesday, but it was halfway through the walk break between the first 5 minute run and the second 3 minute run. I was able to pick up my pace during the second 3 minute run. I was winded by the end of that segment, but I caught my breath pretty quickly. The last 5 minutes did seem to drag on, but I was able to keep my pace up, and slowly increased all the way to the end.
At the entrance/exit of the park, there is a hill that goes up toward the parking lot. I was in the middle of my cool down walk but I felt the urge to run up the hill. It's not a big hill, but that's not the point. I wanted to run up that hill...so I did, and it felt good.
It was a good run, and I feel good now. I have a little stiffness in my knees, but that should be better by Monday. Monday doesn't look too hard. It's just three 5 minute runs separated by 3 minute walks. I'm not really concerned about it. The two 8 minute runs on Wednesday intimidate me a little, and then there's the 20 minute run on Friday that still seems insurmountable. Sitting here typing this, I know I can do it. Breaking through that mental barrier while I'm actually running is going to be a challenge.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Couch to 5K: Week 4, Day 2
The best thing about today's run was the cold shower when I got home. That's what I thought at the time, anyway. When I realized I had increased my total distance to 2.64 miles and only added 9 seconds to my time I felt a little better about it. That pushed my pace up to 12:26/mile. It was another of those small victories.
I decided last night as I went to sleep that I was going to push myself a little harder today. I wanted to average 12:30/mile. I started off pretty fast and by the end of the first 3 minutes I realized that I had probably started off too fast. I was winded but managed to maintained a fast walk through the 90 second walk break the couch to 5k agenda called for today. The next 5 minutes were tough. I kept up what I felt was a decent pace but my body was tired at the end of the 5 minutes and I found myself wondering if I would make it through the next half of the run as it is written in the program. The 2.5 minute walk flew by and I was still breathing pretty hard when it was time to start the next 3 minute run. I made it through, but had serious doubts about the next 5 minute run. At this point it became a serious battle of mind over matter. I knew I could make my body do it, but I found myself wondering if it was worth it. In the end, mind won the battle and I pushed out the last 5 minutes. I started out pretty slow and tried to increase my pace as I neared the 5 minute mark. I didn't have anything left at the end. I was spent, a little frustrated, but I know I'm stronger for it.
Lesson learned: start out slow and push harder at the end. I knew that, but I wanted to change things up today to see how it went. Still, I'm pleased that I broke through that 12:30 barrier that I haven't seen since week 2. I'm going to try to keep the pace up on Friday, but I'll probably try to save some for the second half instead of using myself up in the first half.
I decided last night as I went to sleep that I was going to push myself a little harder today. I wanted to average 12:30/mile. I started off pretty fast and by the end of the first 3 minutes I realized that I had probably started off too fast. I was winded but managed to maintained a fast walk through the 90 second walk break the couch to 5k agenda called for today. The next 5 minutes were tough. I kept up what I felt was a decent pace but my body was tired at the end of the 5 minutes and I found myself wondering if I would make it through the next half of the run as it is written in the program. The 2.5 minute walk flew by and I was still breathing pretty hard when it was time to start the next 3 minute run. I made it through, but had serious doubts about the next 5 minute run. At this point it became a serious battle of mind over matter. I knew I could make my body do it, but I found myself wondering if it was worth it. In the end, mind won the battle and I pushed out the last 5 minutes. I started out pretty slow and tried to increase my pace as I neared the 5 minute mark. I didn't have anything left at the end. I was spent, a little frustrated, but I know I'm stronger for it.
Lesson learned: start out slow and push harder at the end. I knew that, but I wanted to change things up today to see how it went. Still, I'm pleased that I broke through that 12:30 barrier that I haven't seen since week 2. I'm going to try to keep the pace up on Friday, but I'll probably try to save some for the second half instead of using myself up in the first half.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Couch to 5K: Week 4, Day 1
5 is greater than 3. Easy math. Not so easy running. Week 4 calls for two repetitions of a 3 minute run followed by 90 seconds of walking and then a 5 minute run with a 2 1/2 minute walk between the repetitions. I did it. I pushed through the whole routine. This is the first time I've really had to push myself to keep going for the whole prescribed run. I can tell this is the week that I'm going to start really feeling it.
I could tell when I started my warm up walk that today was going to be more difficult. My legs were stiff and my back was a little achy through the whole 5 minutes. Yes, achy. If Billy Ray Cyrus can use it, so can I. I did the 5 minute walk and stopped at the same broken picnic table that I always use to stretch. I took off from there and pushed myself through the first 3 minutes. My legs protested a little but started to loosen up by the end of the first 3 minutes. The 90 second walk between the 3 minute run and the 5 minute run didn't seem like enough, but I took off anyway and did the whole 5 minutes. The first 2 minutes felt great, then my legs started to tire out about midway through. I've been please that my lungs are handling the increased activity well. I ran the whole 5 and was glad to have 2 1/2 minutes to walk. The next 3 minutes were tough and the last 5 seemed to never end. Out of habit I pushed the pace up for the last 30 seconds and was really out of breath and a little light headed by the end of the run.
What started out a little rough turned into a good run because I made it through the routine. I read an article on small wins the other day and I'm counting today's whole run as a small win. I'm pretty proud that I was able to run 5 full minutes not just once, but twice. I don't think I could have done it 3 weeks ago, but now I can. It gives me some hope that I'll be able to do the full 20 minutes on week 4, day 3 if I just continue to follow the program.
Tomorrow will be a day to let my legs rest and heal. Wednesday will be the same routine as today.
I could tell when I started my warm up walk that today was going to be more difficult. My legs were stiff and my back was a little achy through the whole 5 minutes. Yes, achy. If Billy Ray Cyrus can use it, so can I. I did the 5 minute walk and stopped at the same broken picnic table that I always use to stretch. I took off from there and pushed myself through the first 3 minutes. My legs protested a little but started to loosen up by the end of the first 3 minutes. The 90 second walk between the 3 minute run and the 5 minute run didn't seem like enough, but I took off anyway and did the whole 5 minutes. The first 2 minutes felt great, then my legs started to tire out about midway through. I've been please that my lungs are handling the increased activity well. I ran the whole 5 and was glad to have 2 1/2 minutes to walk. The next 3 minutes were tough and the last 5 seemed to never end. Out of habit I pushed the pace up for the last 30 seconds and was really out of breath and a little light headed by the end of the run.
What started out a little rough turned into a good run because I made it through the routine. I read an article on small wins the other day and I'm counting today's whole run as a small win. I'm pretty proud that I was able to run 5 full minutes not just once, but twice. I don't think I could have done it 3 weeks ago, but now I can. It gives me some hope that I'll be able to do the full 20 minutes on week 4, day 3 if I just continue to follow the program.
Tomorrow will be a day to let my legs rest and heal. Wednesday will be the same routine as today.
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