So far, January has been my best and most consistent month of running. I've gone from "graduating" Couch to 5K on December 21 and still wondering if I could non-stop run 30 minutes on a regular basis to running 3.5 miles in 39:30. I've added about 30% to my workout time and 25% to my distance in the last month. I ran almost 44 miles for the month and spent about 8.5 hrs running.
I didn't get much swimming in. I'm hopefully back into a somewhat regular routine. I got in two swim workouts the last week of January and plan to continue that into February.
As far as my goals for 2011 are concerned, I've signed up for one 5k already, I've lost about 6 pounds and I have tentatively penciled in a triathlon in June. I still need a bike. I'm starting to wonder if I should just give in and get a cheap-o Wal-Mart or Target bike then see how the first tri goes before springing for anything more expensive. Even the entry level road bikes by the more respected manufacturers are $500+ for the bare bones model and if I'm going to be tri-ready by June, I need to start training soon.
February, here I come!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Maintenance Day: 1/31/2011
I decided after pushing myself so hard for the last three runs that it would be a good idea to take it easier this morning. My plan was for 2.5 miles at no slower than 11:30/mile. That would have been a total run of 28:45 I started out trying to maintain as close to 11:30/mile as possible, then found a comfortable pace in the lower 11's. The first mile went by in 11:19 and my heart rate and breathing were just fine. I tried to do approximately the same for the second mile and completed it in 11:14. I just couldn't stand not pushing myself just a little, so I picked up the pace for the last half mile and finished it in well under 5:30 for a final half mile pace of somewhere in the mid to upper 10's. I really pushed myself up the final hill but I still had plenty left when my watch beeped that the workout was complete. It was generally an easy run. My shins and knees are pretty sore and I'm thinking of taking two days of running off this week to let them heal. That would make my pre-5K (scheduled for February 12) running agenda as follows:
Thursday 2/3: Faster 5K Week 3, Day 1
Saturday 2/5: Faster 5K Week 3, Day 2
Monday 2/7: Faster 5K Week 3, Day 3
Wednesday 2/9: Maintenance day. 3 miles at slower than race pace somewhere in the 11:10-11:20 range.
Two days rest, swimming Thursday, nothing Friday.
Saturday 2/12: 5K - I'm hoping to run this at 11:00/mile or better.
Week 3 of my speed improvement program consists of 4.5 reps of 1:30 at a 10 minute pace then 1:30 at a 12 minute pace followed by 3:00 at a 10 minute pace then 3:00 at a 12 minute pace (this workout ends on the 5th rep of 1:30 runs).
Today's Stats: I did 2.5 miles in 27:47 for a pace of 11:07.
Thursday 2/3: Faster 5K Week 3, Day 1
Saturday 2/5: Faster 5K Week 3, Day 2
Monday 2/7: Faster 5K Week 3, Day 3
Wednesday 2/9: Maintenance day. 3 miles at slower than race pace somewhere in the 11:10-11:20 range.
Two days rest, swimming Thursday, nothing Friday.
Saturday 2/12: 5K - I'm hoping to run this at 11:00/mile or better.
Week 3 of my speed improvement program consists of 4.5 reps of 1:30 at a 10 minute pace then 1:30 at a 12 minute pace followed by 3:00 at a 10 minute pace then 3:00 at a 12 minute pace (this workout ends on the 5th rep of 1:30 runs).
Today's Stats: I did 2.5 miles in 27:47 for a pace of 11:07.
Faster 5k: Week 2, Day 3
It felt like a spring day this morning. My running plan was the same as it has been the last two runs. For whatever reason, it seemed harder today than it has been. I wasn't pushing myself any faster than I have been but it was warmer. I'm thinking the warmer temperatures might have had something to do with it. My heart rate was faster and the last 1/2 mile was really hard. I had to push myself to keep running through to the end of the workout. I made it, though.
Today's Stats: I did 3.49 miles in 39:30 for an 11:02/mile pace.
Today's Stats: I did 3.49 miles in 39:30 for an 11:02/mile pace.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Swimming: 01/28/2011
I got back to the pool for another 700 yard swim this morning. It took just over 26 minutes to do my 4X100, 4X50, 4X25 routine. That was, of course, with resting time between each repetition. It didn't feel as hard this morning as it did Wednesday evening. I'm not sure why. I never felt like quitting this morning, either. I was really glad when I finished the last 100, though. I'm doing about 50/50 freestyle/backstroke right now with the exception of the 4X25s which I do all freestyle. I was able to really push on the last 25, which tells me I'm probably able to swim longer than I think. It's just a matter of learning to do it. The human body was not designed as a seagoing vessel and making it glide smoothly through the water is serious work. I'm not sure it ever gets easier.
I read a quote by multiple Tour de France winner and legendary US cyclist Greg Lemond recently that fits well here: "It never gets easier, you just go faster". I've so far found that to be true of running. I suppose I could run an easy 3 miles at 13 minutes/mile and call it good, but there's an innate constant drive to be faster. I'm sure swimming will be the same way. I always want to push myself to be the best I can.
Next up: Run tomorrow (Saturday), Run Monday, Swim Tuesday.
I read a quote by multiple Tour de France winner and legendary US cyclist Greg Lemond recently that fits well here: "It never gets easier, you just go faster". I've so far found that to be true of running. I suppose I could run an easy 3 miles at 13 minutes/mile and call it good, but there's an innate constant drive to be faster. I'm sure swimming will be the same way. I always want to push myself to be the best I can.
Next up: Run tomorrow (Saturday), Run Monday, Swim Tuesday.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Faster 5K: Week 2, Day 2
This morning was cold, but I had a great run. I started out a little sluggish and was dissatisfied with my pace, so after my second rep of 1:30 @ 10:00/mile pace (it turned out to be a bit slower than that) I kept up the faster pace through the first 2:00 rest period and then continued on through the 3rd 1:30 rep. I was able to keep up almost a 10:00 mile pace for 5 minutes with no problem. I could have kept on but I knew I would tire out quickly if I did, so I slowed to 12:00/mile or so for the prescribed 2:00. Looking back at my splits on the Garmin I found that I'm still running the faster portions at around 9:30/mile and the slower portions at around 11:30/mile. If I slow to 12:00 per mile I feel like I might as well be walking, so I have to pick up the pace a bit. I'm able to get my heart rate down to the lower 160s at that pace.
I did the whole routine as it was written this morning with the exception of skipping the resting phase during the second repetition. It got more difficult towards the end, but I actually ran a slightly faster pace as I progressed. I don't know if it was more difficult because of the faster pace or just because I was tired from running over 3 miles. I only felt the urge to rest through the fast run a couple of times, but I've been winning those battles more often than not lately. When all was said and done, I was out of breath, covered in sweat and very pleased with my distance and pace.
Today's Stats: I did 3.6 miles in the 39:30 workout for an average pace of 10:42/mile. That's my best time by a full 10 seconds/mile and the longest distance I've ever run. I have no doubt that my plan is working. My first 5K of the year is two weeks from this coming Saturday. Having done 3.6 miles in 10:42, I'm thinking that I should be able to manage that same pace or faster for 3.1 miles for a race time of somewhere around 32 minutes. I will be pleased with anything faster than 33 minutes.
Next Up: A 700 yard swim tomorrow morning and I'll repeat today's running routine one more time on Saturday morning before hopefully moving on to Week 3 on Monday.
I did the whole routine as it was written this morning with the exception of skipping the resting phase during the second repetition. It got more difficult towards the end, but I actually ran a slightly faster pace as I progressed. I don't know if it was more difficult because of the faster pace or just because I was tired from running over 3 miles. I only felt the urge to rest through the fast run a couple of times, but I've been winning those battles more often than not lately. When all was said and done, I was out of breath, covered in sweat and very pleased with my distance and pace.
Today's Stats: I did 3.6 miles in the 39:30 workout for an average pace of 10:42/mile. That's my best time by a full 10 seconds/mile and the longest distance I've ever run. I have no doubt that my plan is working. My first 5K of the year is two weeks from this coming Saturday. Having done 3.6 miles in 10:42, I'm thinking that I should be able to manage that same pace or faster for 3.1 miles for a race time of somewhere around 32 minutes. I will be pleased with anything faster than 33 minutes.
Next Up: A 700 yard swim tomorrow morning and I'll repeat today's running routine one more time on Saturday morning before hopefully moving on to Week 3 on Monday.
Swimming: 01/26/2011
I finally got to the pool last night. I'm changing up my schedule a little bit to get in more of a routine. I operate best when I have a routine. Anyway, swimming is hard. I'm basically starting back from square one since I've not been to the pool in so long. I did 700 yards last night: 4X100, 4X50, and 4X25. I almost quit in the middle of either the second or third 100, but I pushed myself to go on. I'm just hoping this gets easier. My goal right now is to be able to swim 1/2 mile non-stop by June. I've tentatively scheduled a triathlon for the first weekend of June and the swim portion is 1/4 mile. I figure if I can do 1/2 mile then 1/4 mile will be no problem and I'll hopefully have energy left over to do the bike and swim portions. Now, I just need a bike.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Faster 5K: Week 2, Day 1
I started week 2 today of my C25K based speed improvement program. This called for 11 reps of 1:30 at a 10:00/mile pace and 2:00 at a 12:00/mile pace. I was able to do the whole routine as I had designed it. My biggest problem right now is maintaining a steady pace. I'll be in the middle of one of the fast sections and look down at my watch and find I'm running a 9:00/mile pace rather than 10:00 or I'll find that I'm running 11:00 or 13:00 instead of 12:00/mile during the resting portion. I'm okay with that as long as my speed continues to improve and my legs and lungs don't give out on me.
I did feel like skipping the fast portion a couple of times but I pushed myself through them. It turns out 2:00 is plenty of time for my heart rate to recover from 1:30 of fast running. I think my heart rate recovery is improving.
Today's Stats: I did 3.53 miles in 38:30 for a pace of 10:54 per mile.
Next Up: A possibility of snow is in the forecast for Tuesday night, so I'm not sure what's in store for my Wednesday run. I don't let the cold stop me, but my balance isn't all that great, so if there's any possibility of slipping and falling on ice, I'm probably going to either postpone my run for a day or use the treadmill if possible. I'm really planning on getting to the pool tomorrow after work. It's been so long since I've been in the pool, I'll be starting back at square one.
I did feel like skipping the fast portion a couple of times but I pushed myself through them. It turns out 2:00 is plenty of time for my heart rate to recover from 1:30 of fast running. I think my heart rate recovery is improving.
Today's Stats: I did 3.53 miles in 38:30 for a pace of 10:54 per mile.
Next Up: A possibility of snow is in the forecast for Tuesday night, so I'm not sure what's in store for my Wednesday run. I don't let the cold stop me, but my balance isn't all that great, so if there's any possibility of slipping and falling on ice, I'm probably going to either postpone my run for a day or use the treadmill if possible. I'm really planning on getting to the pool tomorrow after work. It's been so long since I've been in the pool, I'll be starting back at square one.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Faster 5K: Week 1, Day 4
It was a cold and windless morning. Okay, there was a slight breeze, and running right into was painful, but that just didn't have quite the same ring to it. Let's try it. It was a cold and painfully breezy morning. Okay, that's not really so bad. The morning was cold and the wind stung like a thousand tiny ice needles trying to pierce every exposed piece of flesh. : )
Suffice it to say it was cold and there was a slight north breeze. As I ran, I warmed up and didn't notice it as much, though, so it wasn't a major factor. Today's routine was the same as my previous three runs. I did 15 reps of 1:00 at approx 10/mile and 1:30 at approx 12/mile. I did the whole thing without skipping any of the faster runs this morning. I have a hard time keeping a constantly steady pace and several of my faster runs dropped down to around 9:40/mile while most of my slower runs never got as slow as 12:00/mile. I just tried to run at a pace that seemed generally comfortable. I did run slower for the slow segments and faster for the fast segments, of course.
Reading back over my thoughts from the first couple of weeks of C25K I think I'm feeling about the same now as I was then. While this new routine is definitely pushing me, it's pretty easy for the first half or so, and then gets progressively more difficult as I push towards the end. Being able to do the entire routine this morning as I designed it was a good feeling. I think I'm going to take the weekend off and then move on to the week 2 routine on Monday. I'll increase my faster runs to 1:30 and increase my recovery runs to 2:00 and will do a total of 11 reps which will only increase my total running time by a minute.
Today's Stats: I did 3.43 miles in 37:30 for a pace of 10:56. It's good to see another sub 11 minute pace and it's faster than I thought I would be after just the first week. Averaging out how I had written the plan I should be doing 11:07/mile, but I've beat that time twice. With a 5K coming up in less than a month I'm starting to get a feel for what I think my time will be, and I'm hoping for something in the 33-34 minute range.
Next up: Faster 5K, week 2, day 1 on Monday. Swimming? Who knows? Depends on how ambitious I feel next week.
Suffice it to say it was cold and there was a slight north breeze. As I ran, I warmed up and didn't notice it as much, though, so it wasn't a major factor. Today's routine was the same as my previous three runs. I did 15 reps of 1:00 at approx 10/mile and 1:30 at approx 12/mile. I did the whole thing without skipping any of the faster runs this morning. I have a hard time keeping a constantly steady pace and several of my faster runs dropped down to around 9:40/mile while most of my slower runs never got as slow as 12:00/mile. I just tried to run at a pace that seemed generally comfortable. I did run slower for the slow segments and faster for the fast segments, of course.
Reading back over my thoughts from the first couple of weeks of C25K I think I'm feeling about the same now as I was then. While this new routine is definitely pushing me, it's pretty easy for the first half or so, and then gets progressively more difficult as I push towards the end. Being able to do the entire routine this morning as I designed it was a good feeling. I think I'm going to take the weekend off and then move on to the week 2 routine on Monday. I'll increase my faster runs to 1:30 and increase my recovery runs to 2:00 and will do a total of 11 reps which will only increase my total running time by a minute.
Today's Stats: I did 3.43 miles in 37:30 for a pace of 10:56. It's good to see another sub 11 minute pace and it's faster than I thought I would be after just the first week. Averaging out how I had written the plan I should be doing 11:07/mile, but I've beat that time twice. With a 5K coming up in less than a month I'm starting to get a feel for what I think my time will be, and I'm hoping for something in the 33-34 minute range.
Next up: Faster 5K, week 2, day 1 on Monday. Swimming? Who knows? Depends on how ambitious I feel next week.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Faster 5K: Week 1, Day 3
Today was quite as good as Monday, but pretty good nonetheless. I really had to will myself to get up and run this morning. Work has been busy and I had a meeting last night that ran pretty late, so I didn't get my normal relax routine before going to bed. That plus the 3 glasses of sweet tea I drank during dinner last night led to a night of not so great sleep which in turn led to me not wanting to get out of bed and run. I tricked myself into doing it by getting up and getting dressed for running while watching the news and stretching. By the time I'm dressed and have stretched there's really no excuse not to get out and run, so run I did.
The snow was mostly cleared from the park this morning. There were just a few spots where there was patchy ice in the road but it was all easily avoidable. I started out with a 5 minute warm up walk around the parking lot and then started my experimental week one routine. My shins were a little sore starting out, and the running came a little less easy than it did on Monday. Part of that may have been due to me running through the park which has some very minute elevation changes as opposed to just around the generally flat parking lot. Poor sleep probably didn't help much either. I didn't quite make it through today's routine as I designed it, but I never stopped to walk and maintained a decent pace throughout. I like to try to get my heart rate down to about 160 during the slow run portions before starting the fast run and by the time I was on repetition 7 or 8 my heart rate was stuck in the upper 160s, so I just worked to maintain a steady pace. I skipped the majority of the fast run segments for the entire second half of the routine. I think I may have done two. I know I did the last repetition, pushing my pace up to the 9:30/mile range. Overall it was a good run, and I'm glad I did it.
L: for whatever reason I can't comment on my blog from this PC, but I haven't really given the half much thought. I'm not sure I have a desire to run much more than 3-4 miles.
Today's Stats: I did 3.34 miles in 37:30 for a pace of 11:14/mile
Next up: I think I'm going to continue my week one routine until I'm routinely averaging an 11 minute or better pace. I'm not sure when I'm going to make it to the pool. Work is getting in the way of that for now. Maybe next week.
The snow was mostly cleared from the park this morning. There were just a few spots where there was patchy ice in the road but it was all easily avoidable. I started out with a 5 minute warm up walk around the parking lot and then started my experimental week one routine. My shins were a little sore starting out, and the running came a little less easy than it did on Monday. Part of that may have been due to me running through the park which has some very minute elevation changes as opposed to just around the generally flat parking lot. Poor sleep probably didn't help much either. I didn't quite make it through today's routine as I designed it, but I never stopped to walk and maintained a decent pace throughout. I like to try to get my heart rate down to about 160 during the slow run portions before starting the fast run and by the time I was on repetition 7 or 8 my heart rate was stuck in the upper 160s, so I just worked to maintain a steady pace. I skipped the majority of the fast run segments for the entire second half of the routine. I think I may have done two. I know I did the last repetition, pushing my pace up to the 9:30/mile range. Overall it was a good run, and I'm glad I did it.
L: for whatever reason I can't comment on my blog from this PC, but I haven't really given the half much thought. I'm not sure I have a desire to run much more than 3-4 miles.
Today's Stats: I did 3.34 miles in 37:30 for a pace of 11:14/mile
Next up: I think I'm going to continue my week one routine until I'm routinely averaging an 11 minute or better pace. I'm not sure when I'm going to make it to the pool. Work is getting in the way of that for now. Maybe next week.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Faster 5K: The whole program
I took a few minutes to plan out my entire Faster 5K program. It's based solely on the Couch to 5K program. I started with much higher mileage than C25K did because at this point I have a pretty solid base and am running 3+ miles easily and regularly. For instance, week one jumped straight into at a total of 37.5 minutes per run. It works up to 40 minutes, and I let it stall out there because I don't see myself wanting to run for longer than 40 minutes on a regular basis and that's about all the time I have in the morning unless I start getting up even earlier. I just don't see that happening. Basically, it's a 6 week program. C25K is 9 weeks because you spend the last 3 building up to increased time and distance with each run. Since this is aimed at improving 5K times and not on increasing time and distance, I just left it at 6 weeks, at which point I hope to be running 10 minute miles regularly and finishing a 5K in 30ish minutes.
I've not done it, so I don't know how it is going to work out, but this is what I'm shooting for right now:
Week 1: 15 reps of: Run 10 minute pace for 1 minute, run 12 minute pace for 1:30
Week 2: 11 reps of: Run 10 minute pace for 1:30, run 12 minute pace for 2
Week 3: 4.5 reps of: Run 10 minute pace for 1:30, run 12 minute pace for 1:30 then run 10 minute pace for 3:00, run 12 minute pace for 3:00 (to keep this workout within 40 minutes this ends on the 5th rep of 1:30 runs)
Week 4: 3.25 reps of: Run 10 minute pace 3:00, run 12 minute pace 1:30, run 10 minute pace 5:00, run 12 minute pace 2:30. (to keep workout under 40 minutes, it ends on the 4th rep of 3:00 at 10:00/mile)
Week 5, Day 1: 5 reps of: Run 10 minute pace 5:00, run 12 minute pace 3:00
Week 5, Day 2: 3 reps of Run 10 minute pace 8:00, run 12 minute pace 5:00
Week 5, Day 3: Run 10 minute pace 40 minutes
Week 6, Day 1: 2 reps of: Run 10 minute pace 8:00, run 12 minute pace 3:00, Run 10 minute pace 5:00, run 12 minute pace 3:00
Week 6, Day 2: 3 reps of: Run 10 minute pace 10:00, run 12 minute pace 3:00
Week 6, Day 3: Run 10 minute pace 40 minutes
Theoretically, I believe I could replace the slow and fast run times with anything as long as they were reasonably close and ultimately improve my pace. Hopefully, if this works, I can use it again to get from 10 to 9. I'd be pretty excited to do a 5K in less than 30 minutes. From there, I don't know if I'll be looking to improve much more, but I am very competitive, especially with myself, so I'll just wait and see.
I've not done it, so I don't know how it is going to work out, but this is what I'm shooting for right now:
Week 1: 15 reps of: Run 10 minute pace for 1 minute, run 12 minute pace for 1:30
Week 2: 11 reps of: Run 10 minute pace for 1:30, run 12 minute pace for 2
Week 3: 4.5 reps of: Run 10 minute pace for 1:30, run 12 minute pace for 1:30 then run 10 minute pace for 3:00, run 12 minute pace for 3:00 (to keep this workout within 40 minutes this ends on the 5th rep of 1:30 runs)
Week 4: 3.25 reps of: Run 10 minute pace 3:00, run 12 minute pace 1:30, run 10 minute pace 5:00, run 12 minute pace 2:30. (to keep workout under 40 minutes, it ends on the 4th rep of 3:00 at 10:00/mile)
Week 5, Day 1: 5 reps of: Run 10 minute pace 5:00, run 12 minute pace 3:00
Week 5, Day 2: 3 reps of Run 10 minute pace 8:00, run 12 minute pace 5:00
Week 5, Day 3: Run 10 minute pace 40 minutes
Week 6, Day 1: 2 reps of: Run 10 minute pace 8:00, run 12 minute pace 3:00, Run 10 minute pace 5:00, run 12 minute pace 3:00
Week 6, Day 2: 3 reps of: Run 10 minute pace 10:00, run 12 minute pace 3:00
Week 6, Day 3: Run 10 minute pace 40 minutes
Theoretically, I believe I could replace the slow and fast run times with anything as long as they were reasonably close and ultimately improve my pace. Hopefully, if this works, I can use it again to get from 10 to 9. I'd be pretty excited to do a 5K in less than 30 minutes. From there, I don't know if I'll be looking to improve much more, but I am very competitive, especially with myself, so I'll just wait and see.
Faster 5K: Week 1, Day 2
I took the routine outside this morning. I had planned a run at the park. I drove over to the park yesterday to make sure the snow had melted sufficiently to run and everything looked okay from my perspective at the gate. I didn't bother getting out of the car and walking the hundred or so yards to the edge of the first hill to see what awaited me there. I did my warm up walk around the parking lot without a thought about the possibility of the road through the park still being completely snow covered, but as I began my run and approached that first downhill section it became obvious that my run was going to be limited to the parking area. From the edge of the parking lot for as far as the road was visible, it was still snow covered. I didn't want to fall, so I stayed in the parking lot. I did more laps than I counted. Probably close to 30.
My plan had me running 1 minute at a 10 minute mile pace and 1:30 at a 12 minute mile pace. My fast segments were closer to 9:30 and my slow segments were in the 11:30-12 range. I thought when I first started out that there would be no way I was going to maintain that pace, but I did. I did the whole routine as I had designed it (15 reps of 1 minute fast, 1:30 slow) with the exception of skipping the fast run on the 11th repetition. I was pleased with my pace, and knew I was going to be happy with my time and distance when I finished. It's because of this that I highly suspect our treadmill of being way off.
Overall, it was a bit boring running around and around and around the parking lot, but it's a pretty park, and there were ducks, so I didn't get too bored. The constant pace changes kept me from getting too bored also. It didn't seem like a 38 minute run, though I was exhausted when my Garmin gave me the "workout complete" jingle.
Today's Stats: 3.45 miles in 37:30 for a pace of 10:52. That's both my longest distance and my fastest pace ever beating my previous fastest of 11:04 (only a 2.35 mile run) by 12 seconds per mile. Now I'm really looking forward to my next 5K.
Next Up: I'm hoping to get back into a swimming routine tomorrow evening and Faster 5K week 1 day 3 will be Wednesday.
My plan had me running 1 minute at a 10 minute mile pace and 1:30 at a 12 minute mile pace. My fast segments were closer to 9:30 and my slow segments were in the 11:30-12 range. I thought when I first started out that there would be no way I was going to maintain that pace, but I did. I did the whole routine as I had designed it (15 reps of 1 minute fast, 1:30 slow) with the exception of skipping the fast run on the 11th repetition. I was pleased with my pace, and knew I was going to be happy with my time and distance when I finished. It's because of this that I highly suspect our treadmill of being way off.
Overall, it was a bit boring running around and around and around the parking lot, but it's a pretty park, and there were ducks, so I didn't get too bored. The constant pace changes kept me from getting too bored also. It didn't seem like a 38 minute run, though I was exhausted when my Garmin gave me the "workout complete" jingle.
Today's Stats: 3.45 miles in 37:30 for a pace of 10:52. That's both my longest distance and my fastest pace ever beating my previous fastest of 11:04 (only a 2.35 mile run) by 12 seconds per mile. Now I'm really looking forward to my next 5K.
Next Up: I'm hoping to get back into a swimming routine tomorrow evening and Faster 5K week 1 day 3 will be Wednesday.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Faster 5K Week 1, Day 1
I was back on the treadmill this morning because of the ice and snow. It's all clear on the main road, but my running park is closed and fairly heavily tree covered in most places. I doubt the snow has melted enough for me to get in a good run. Maybe Monday.
As I mentioned I might in my last post, I came up with a plan based on C25K to help me run a faster 5K. Day one was today and my goal was to do run a 10 minute mile pace for 1 minute, then recover at a 12 minute mile pace for 90 seconds. It was hard, as anticipated, and I skipped a few of the fast run segments in the middle because my heart rate was well above where I wanted it to be. I'd say I skipped 4 or 5 total. This allowed a more reasonably amount of time for my heart rate to recover, but I never really felt like I was resting. Anyway, I'm looking forward to taking this routine outside on Monday to see how I do. It was a good workout today. I did 15 reps of the 1 minute/90 second routine for a total of 37:30, but as I mentioned, I skipped the fast run in some of those reps.
Today's Stats: The treadmill said I did 3.33 miles in 40 minutes. Even though I've measured the belt and calculated the distance at certain speeds I'm still not convinced it's anywhere near correct.
Next up: A day of rest tomorrow and then I'm taking my faster 5K routine outside on Monday for week 1, day 2.
As I mentioned I might in my last post, I came up with a plan based on C25K to help me run a faster 5K. Day one was today and my goal was to do run a 10 minute mile pace for 1 minute, then recover at a 12 minute mile pace for 90 seconds. It was hard, as anticipated, and I skipped a few of the fast run segments in the middle because my heart rate was well above where I wanted it to be. I'd say I skipped 4 or 5 total. This allowed a more reasonably amount of time for my heart rate to recover, but I never really felt like I was resting. Anyway, I'm looking forward to taking this routine outside on Monday to see how I do. It was a good workout today. I did 15 reps of the 1 minute/90 second routine for a total of 37:30, but as I mentioned, I skipped the fast run in some of those reps.
Today's Stats: The treadmill said I did 3.33 miles in 40 minutes. Even though I've measured the belt and calculated the distance at certain speeds I'm still not convinced it's anywhere near correct.
Next up: A day of rest tomorrow and then I'm taking my faster 5K routine outside on Monday for week 1, day 2.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Running: 01/13/2011
I wanted to run , yet it seemed it would never happen. I got to the fitness center at 6:45 and the doors were locked. Apparently they think they should be closed when it snows. I'm not sure of the logic behind that. Seems to me that would be the prime time to be open. Whatever. So I didn't run in the morning, but hoped they would be open in the afternoon. Nope. I walked up after work and again, doors locked and a sign indicating they had closed at 1PM. So, home I went, hoping it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience for me to try to get a run in on the home treadmill before supper.
I still loathe our treadmill, but last nights run was much better than the last time I used it. I was determined to push myself. I decided I would limit my run to 30 minutes since supper was practically ready and the family was waiting on me to eat. Since I was cutting 6 minutes off my total run I decided to make it a real workout. I started out at a fairly normal pace for the first 3 minutes, then ran at a significantly faster pace for 3 minutes. I had a thought at this point in my run, and came up with a plan to increase my speed. I'll get to that later. I varied my pace like this for the remainder of the run. And ended up completely wiped out. It felt good to push myself. Afterwards, I felt a little tightness in my left IT band, and it continued all night. I'm going to return to a 3 times a day stretching routine to keep it from tightening up on me. It appears as though it's going to be a recurring problem. I'll just need to stay on top of it to keep it from sidelining me.
My new plan: If C25K can get me from the couch to running 30 minutes, why can't I apply the same principles to running faster. So, now I have a plan. I'm going to rework the C25K program to increase my speed. For instance, on day 1 instead of 60 seconds jogging 90 seconds walking I'll do 60 seconds of running fast and 90 seconds of jogging. C25K only calls for a total of 20 minutes for each of the days in week 1, but I would probably increase that to somewhere between 30 and 40 since I've already been doing in excess of 30 minutes regularly. My hope is to work myself up to consistent 10:30 miles, so the jogging portion will be slower than that, probably somewhere around a 12 minute mile pace and then the running portion would be at the 10:30 pace. Hopefully this is a realistic goal. I'm already running low to mid 11's fairly regularly. The plan is to try it for a couple of weeks and if I decide that pace is too fast or too slow (ha!), I'll change it up from there. Theoretically, by week 9 I should be running a full 35 minutes or so at the faster pace.
Today's stats: I ended up doing a treadmill 2.5 miles in 30 minutes. That's a 12 minute/mile pace.
Next up: I'm hoping for a regular schedule next week. I really need to get back to the pool. I'm hoping for a run on Saturday, to run on Monday, swim on Tuesday, run Wednesday, swim Thursday, then take Friday off.
I still loathe our treadmill, but last nights run was much better than the last time I used it. I was determined to push myself. I decided I would limit my run to 30 minutes since supper was practically ready and the family was waiting on me to eat. Since I was cutting 6 minutes off my total run I decided to make it a real workout. I started out at a fairly normal pace for the first 3 minutes, then ran at a significantly faster pace for 3 minutes. I had a thought at this point in my run, and came up with a plan to increase my speed. I'll get to that later. I varied my pace like this for the remainder of the run. And ended up completely wiped out. It felt good to push myself. Afterwards, I felt a little tightness in my left IT band, and it continued all night. I'm going to return to a 3 times a day stretching routine to keep it from tightening up on me. It appears as though it's going to be a recurring problem. I'll just need to stay on top of it to keep it from sidelining me.
My new plan: If C25K can get me from the couch to running 30 minutes, why can't I apply the same principles to running faster. So, now I have a plan. I'm going to rework the C25K program to increase my speed. For instance, on day 1 instead of 60 seconds jogging 90 seconds walking I'll do 60 seconds of running fast and 90 seconds of jogging. C25K only calls for a total of 20 minutes for each of the days in week 1, but I would probably increase that to somewhere between 30 and 40 since I've already been doing in excess of 30 minutes regularly. My hope is to work myself up to consistent 10:30 miles, so the jogging portion will be slower than that, probably somewhere around a 12 minute mile pace and then the running portion would be at the 10:30 pace. Hopefully this is a realistic goal. I'm already running low to mid 11's fairly regularly. The plan is to try it for a couple of weeks and if I decide that pace is too fast or too slow (ha!), I'll change it up from there. Theoretically, by week 9 I should be running a full 35 minutes or so at the faster pace.
Today's stats: I ended up doing a treadmill 2.5 miles in 30 minutes. That's a 12 minute/mile pace.
Next up: I'm hoping for a regular schedule next week. I really need to get back to the pool. I'm hoping for a run on Saturday, to run on Monday, swim on Tuesday, run Wednesday, swim Thursday, then take Friday off.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Running: 01/11/2011
One thing's for sure. I despise our treadmill. It's insanely boring...I just don't have enough thoughts to keep my mind occupied for 30 minutes with nothing to look at but a wall, a picture of my daughters and an occasional glance to the side out the window. On top of that, it's about 70 degrees inside the house, so I get very hot. In addition, for whatever reason running on the treadmill seems harder than running outside. I've been trying to keep my heart rate in the low 160s for the first 2/3 of my run and then work it up to about 170-175 by the end of the run. I had to slow the treadmill down to somewhere between 4.2 and 4.5 MPH to keep my heart rate in a good range. That's quite a bit slower than my average pace outside. I toughed it out and did my full 36 minute run, though. The treadmill says I only did 2.65 miles. I tested its accuracy recently and I believe it's with 3% of right on, so I'm not going to argue. Considering I did 3.1 miles in less than 36 minutes on my last run, I feel like today's was pretty pitiful. I'm planning my first 5K for one month from tomorrow, so it's time to get serious. I'll probably be on the treadmill for the rest of the week. We got significant snow here, and I'm just not ready to venture out into that.
Today's Stats: 2.65 miles in 36 minutes for a per mile pace of 13:35.
Next up: More treadmill. I might try to run on the treadmill at the hospital fitness center Thursday for comparison to the treadmill at home.
Today's Stats: 2.65 miles in 36 minutes for a per mile pace of 13:35.
Next up: More treadmill. I might try to run on the treadmill at the hospital fitness center Thursday for comparison to the treadmill at home.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Running: 1/8/2011
Today was proof that the best cure for a bad run is to get back up on those running shoes and try it again. As little as I wanted to do it, I knew that if I put it off another day it would just be that much harder. I stretched and strapped on the shoes and headed out into the cold wind for another 3.1 miles today. Though it was cold and windy, the sun was bright. The warmth of the sun made it much easier to keep going when I really didn't want to. I set my watch for 3.1 miles, the little man to do it in 36 minutes and my sights on outrunning "him" today. To do that I would have to average 11:37/mile. That shouldn't be difficult as I've run 2.8 and 2.9 miles at several seconds faster than that pace.
I started out with a 5 minute warm up walk out to the road and back and then around the parking lot. I pressed start on my watch and took off at a reasonable jog. My first mile was finished in 11:50. Not fast enough. I made myself continue at about the same pace, though, knowing I could pick it up in the last mile and run "him" down. I maintained the pace, and finished the second mile in 11:46. I was only 21 seconds behind and knew I had reserved enough energy to pick up the pace in the last 1.1 miles. I pushed myself to run approximately a full minute per mile faster than I had run the first two miles. I did the third mile in 10:48. That may be my fastest mile ever. I really have no way of knowing, but I know I was pushing myself pretty hard. For the final tenth of a mile I sprinted, pushing for as much speed as my tired legs and lungs could muster. I finished up the run in 35:24.
While it was not my fastest per mile pace ever, it was a good run and my fastest at the 3.1 mile distance. I also feel like I found a good pace at which I can reserve some energy but at which I didn't feel like I was dragging my feet. I'm hoping to build on this going forward.
Today's Run: I did 3.1 miles in 35:24 for an average per mile pace of 11:24, beating the little man by 36 seconds total. A big improvement over Thursday's run.
Next Up: Who knows? We're scheduled to get a big snow here starting tomorrow night. The locals aren't well prepared for this, so I don't expect the roads to be safe to travel by Monday. I may be doing Monday's run on the treadmill. I also would like to get into a regular swimming routine, but that doesn't look likely in the coming week.
I started out with a 5 minute warm up walk out to the road and back and then around the parking lot. I pressed start on my watch and took off at a reasonable jog. My first mile was finished in 11:50. Not fast enough. I made myself continue at about the same pace, though, knowing I could pick it up in the last mile and run "him" down. I maintained the pace, and finished the second mile in 11:46. I was only 21 seconds behind and knew I had reserved enough energy to pick up the pace in the last 1.1 miles. I pushed myself to run approximately a full minute per mile faster than I had run the first two miles. I did the third mile in 10:48. That may be my fastest mile ever. I really have no way of knowing, but I know I was pushing myself pretty hard. For the final tenth of a mile I sprinted, pushing for as much speed as my tired legs and lungs could muster. I finished up the run in 35:24.
While it was not my fastest per mile pace ever, it was a good run and my fastest at the 3.1 mile distance. I also feel like I found a good pace at which I can reserve some energy but at which I didn't feel like I was dragging my feet. I'm hoping to build on this going forward.
Today's Run: I did 3.1 miles in 35:24 for an average per mile pace of 11:24, beating the little man by 36 seconds total. A big improvement over Thursday's run.
Next Up: Who knows? We're scheduled to get a big snow here starting tomorrow night. The locals aren't well prepared for this, so I don't expect the roads to be safe to travel by Monday. I may be doing Monday's run on the treadmill. I also would like to get into a regular swimming routine, but that doesn't look likely in the coming week.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Running: 01/06/2011
Today's run was not great. Not terrible, but not great. I set out to run 3.1 miles and set the electronic man to do it in 36 minutes. My strategy was to run a mid-11 pace for the first two miles and then try to pick up the pace to a low-11 mile on the last mile. That didn't happen. I did fine for the first two miles but wiped out about a third of the way through the last mile and, like a big baby, took a break to walk. I walked for about .15 mile and then was able to run the rest of the way. I'm kicking myself for giving up and walking. I could have kept running but just let my inner wimp win. Anyway, the little electronic man beat me by 8 seconds.
Today's Stats: I did 3.1 miles in 36:08 for a pace of 11:39/mile. That only beats my 5K time from back in September by about 5 seconds per mile, or 14 seconds total. I'm beginning to wonder if that 5K was really something less than 5K because I know I'm in better running condition now than I was then.
Next Up: I've skipped going to the pool all week. It has been a busy week for me, and I felt like I was coming down with something Tuesday evening. Next week I plan to get back to the pool and on a regular schedule. My next run I'm just going to focus on doing 36 minutes solid. I'd like to do it faster than today, but if I can do it without having to stop and walk, I'll be happy. I don't think I'm quite ready to work on getting faster yet. For now I just need to increase my endurance.
Today's Stats: I did 3.1 miles in 36:08 for a pace of 11:39/mile. That only beats my 5K time from back in September by about 5 seconds per mile, or 14 seconds total. I'm beginning to wonder if that 5K was really something less than 5K because I know I'm in better running condition now than I was then.
Next Up: I've skipped going to the pool all week. It has been a busy week for me, and I felt like I was coming down with something Tuesday evening. Next week I plan to get back to the pool and on a regular schedule. My next run I'm just going to focus on doing 36 minutes solid. I'd like to do it faster than today, but if I can do it without having to stop and walk, I'll be happy. I don't think I'm quite ready to work on getting faster yet. For now I just need to increase my endurance.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Running: 1/3/2011
I set out today to do 36 minutes. I set my watch for 36 minutes at a mid-11s/mile pace and headed out the door. It was lower 20s and slightly breezy this morning. I had my fleece hoody to keep my arms from getting too cold. I remembered how exhausted I was after the first two miles on Saturday, so I slowed my pace a little, knowing that I would be adding over 3 minutes to my total running time today. I watched my heart rate for the first mile and was able to keep it around 150. After that, I noticed I had fallen significantly behind electronic man, so I picked up the pace a little to try to catch up. For whatever reason, I just wasn't able to keep the pace up this morning. Nevertheless, it felt good to just take it easy and pass the minutes. During the last mile I decided to try a few intervals. I would pick a tree and run a 8:30 pace to that tree and then slow back down. I did this several times over the course of the final mile and found it to be a nice break in the monotony of just jogging at a constant pace. I looked down at my watch at one point and had a hard time believing I only had 4 minutes to go, so I started pressing buttons to make sure I was looking at the right number. Today's run was slow, but enjoyable.
Today's Stats: I ran 36 minutes and covered 3.01 miles for an average pace of 11:58. That's almost a full minute per mile slower than Saturday's run and slower than my 5k time back in September.
Next Up: I'll be swimming after work tomorrow. On Wednesday I'm planning another 36 minute run, though I hope to pick up the pace a little and cover closer to 3.2 miles.
Today's Stats: I ran 36 minutes and covered 3.01 miles for an average pace of 11:58. That's almost a full minute per mile slower than Saturday's run and slower than my 5k time back in September.
Next Up: I'll be swimming after work tomorrow. On Wednesday I'm planning another 36 minute run, though I hope to pick up the pace a little and cover closer to 3.2 miles.
Running: 01/01/2011
My first run of 2011 was in the rain. It was a cool, wet, windy day but I was determined to get in a run on New Year's Day. I wanted to start the year off right. Also, I had just received my Garmin Forerunner 305 from the FedEx man the day prior and I was itching to use it.
The day started off with pouring rain and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to run at all. Not that I'm afraid of a little rain, but this was a deluge. We're talking cats and dogs here. I checked the weather channel hourly forecast and learned that we were due for a break in the rain early afternoonish. I watched the radar and as soon as it looked like the worst of the rain had passed, I put on my running gear, including my new Garmin watch, stretched, noticed it was pouring again, stretched a little longer to give the rain time to let up, and headed out. When I arrived at the park, it was raining again but I was dressed and ready to go, so off I went.
A guy in a pickup truck drove by and rolled down his window to tell me the park was closed. I informed him that I was running and got a really strange look. There's apparently not a big exercise movement among the natives. I shortened my warm up walk a little because walking in the rain was just unbearable. I set the watch for 2.9 miles in 33 minutes, hit the start button and took off running. One of my favorite features on the watch so far is the virtual partner. It's like having a little electronic person to race with every time I go for a run. Being in a race with an electronic person may not seem like much motivation, but I grew up playing video games and competing against computer generated competition. During my childhood, I learned to loathe those little electronic guys, and this guy was no different. I started out trying to string him along, trying to make him think (yes, I'm that warped) that he could beat me, then I left him in my dust. Until....mile 3 began. I had really pushed myself the first two miles and averaged 10.59/mile for each. I felt my body protesting and I had to slow the pace significantly. I ran the final .9 mile at a much slower pace than I did the first two miles, but still managed to kick electronic man's butt by a full 47 seconds.
I really pushed myself to keep running at several points in the run and was thoroughly winded when the watch beeped telling me I had completed my planned course.
Today's Stats: I did 2.9 miles in 32:13 for an average pace of 11:06/mile. That's my second fastest pace ever. It's only overshadowed by my run on 12/23 in which I only ran 2.35 miles.
Next Up: Monday morning run. I'm hoping to add a little distance and time to my run. I'm planning on pushing the time up to 36 minutes, and see how far that takes me.
The day started off with pouring rain and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to run at all. Not that I'm afraid of a little rain, but this was a deluge. We're talking cats and dogs here. I checked the weather channel hourly forecast and learned that we were due for a break in the rain early afternoonish. I watched the radar and as soon as it looked like the worst of the rain had passed, I put on my running gear, including my new Garmin watch, stretched, noticed it was pouring again, stretched a little longer to give the rain time to let up, and headed out. When I arrived at the park, it was raining again but I was dressed and ready to go, so off I went.
A guy in a pickup truck drove by and rolled down his window to tell me the park was closed. I informed him that I was running and got a really strange look. There's apparently not a big exercise movement among the natives. I shortened my warm up walk a little because walking in the rain was just unbearable. I set the watch for 2.9 miles in 33 minutes, hit the start button and took off running. One of my favorite features on the watch so far is the virtual partner. It's like having a little electronic person to race with every time I go for a run. Being in a race with an electronic person may not seem like much motivation, but I grew up playing video games and competing against computer generated competition. During my childhood, I learned to loathe those little electronic guys, and this guy was no different. I started out trying to string him along, trying to make him think (yes, I'm that warped) that he could beat me, then I left him in my dust. Until....mile 3 began. I had really pushed myself the first two miles and averaged 10.59/mile for each. I felt my body protesting and I had to slow the pace significantly. I ran the final .9 mile at a much slower pace than I did the first two miles, but still managed to kick electronic man's butt by a full 47 seconds.
I really pushed myself to keep running at several points in the run and was thoroughly winded when the watch beeped telling me I had completed my planned course.
Today's Stats: I did 2.9 miles in 32:13 for an average pace of 11:06/mile. That's my second fastest pace ever. It's only overshadowed by my run on 12/23 in which I only ran 2.35 miles.
Next Up: Monday morning run. I'm hoping to add a little distance and time to my run. I'm planning on pushing the time up to 36 minutes, and see how far that takes me.
2010 in Review and What's in Store for 2011
I accomplished something in 2010 that I had been wanting to attempt for several years. I remember the first time I tried couch to 5K. That was almost 10 years ago. I didn't finish the program then. I tried again about 5 years ago and was unsuccessful then as well. Everything finally came together for me in 2010 and I completed the program. I can now run (jog) 30+ minutes non-stop. I'm generally pretty slow but I'm doing it.
I started the 9 week (ha!) program back in July and completed the final prescribed day on 12/21. I'd say the average person could probably complete the program in 9 weeks, but due to an "injury" I ended up taking most of a month off and going back to week 3 after having completed the first 6 weeks. I did run a 5K in the middle of the program and did better than I thought I would. When all was said and done for 2010, I had covered nearly 131 miles and spent over 27 hours running. I'm hoping to at least double both of those numbers in 2011.
I really never thought I would enjoy the act of running as much as I do. It's not something that I look forward to most days, and it's still hard to make myself roll out of bed at 5:45 AM, especially when I know it's going to be really cold out, but I enjoy it while I'm doing it. I like knowing I'm pushing myself to do something that I couldn't do a year ago. I like having a healthier body.
As for the coming year, I haven't made any specific plans yet. I know I want to do a few 5Ks. I think I would also like to at least try a triathlon. I enjoy swimming, I enjoy biking, and I enjoy running. Why not put all three together? I don't have any specific plans for preparing for a tri. The first thing I need to do is get a bike. I also need to commit to making it to the pool at least twice a week, preferably three times.
I want to lose about 5-10 pounds of body fat. I'm hoping to be most of the way to that goal by my first 5K of the year in February. I'm at 205 right now and I've been sitting there for months. I'd like to be closer to 195.
No real specific goals for 2011. I just want to keep running injury free.
I started the 9 week (ha!) program back in July and completed the final prescribed day on 12/21. I'd say the average person could probably complete the program in 9 weeks, but due to an "injury" I ended up taking most of a month off and going back to week 3 after having completed the first 6 weeks. I did run a 5K in the middle of the program and did better than I thought I would. When all was said and done for 2010, I had covered nearly 131 miles and spent over 27 hours running. I'm hoping to at least double both of those numbers in 2011.
I really never thought I would enjoy the act of running as much as I do. It's not something that I look forward to most days, and it's still hard to make myself roll out of bed at 5:45 AM, especially when I know it's going to be really cold out, but I enjoy it while I'm doing it. I like knowing I'm pushing myself to do something that I couldn't do a year ago. I like having a healthier body.
As for the coming year, I haven't made any specific plans yet. I know I want to do a few 5Ks. I think I would also like to at least try a triathlon. I enjoy swimming, I enjoy biking, and I enjoy running. Why not put all three together? I don't have any specific plans for preparing for a tri. The first thing I need to do is get a bike. I also need to commit to making it to the pool at least twice a week, preferably three times.
I want to lose about 5-10 pounds of body fat. I'm hoping to be most of the way to that goal by my first 5K of the year in February. I'm at 205 right now and I've been sitting there for months. I'd like to be closer to 195.
No real specific goals for 2011. I just want to keep running injury free.
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