To say my first post-C25k run last week was a disappointment could possibly be the understatement of the century. It started off normal enough but the minor aches from my legs quickly developed into noticeable aches with flare ups here and there that bordered on painful; and I've got a pretty high tolerance for pain. I tried to slow my pace and focused on anything but the aches. Unfortunately, just 1.5 miles into the run (2 miles total), I had to call it a night and stop running.
Whether or not I have shin splints, I didn't want to continue pushing and, in turn, mess up my legs to the point that I simply can't run. I planned to have my rest day like normal and, if my legs allowed, I'd go running on Friday 8/5. When it came down to it, though, my shins ached a little bit about an hour or so before the run and I chose not to run. Instead, I put my foot down and decided to do one thing I didn't expect to do: take a week off from running. The thing that made me most apprehensive about that was the chance of falling back out of shape.
Luckily for me, I happen to have a stationary bike at home. Although it's not exactly the same type of workout, it's low impact and something that I could do to stay in shape while I gave my shins a rest. Since I couldn't run on Friday, I biked for about 30 minutes and covered roughly 8 miles; all without breaking a sweat even though I went along at a 17-19 MPH pace most of the workout. Tonight I was back at it and decided to spend a bit more time pedaling in place.
I had warmup and cooldown portions in this workout (5 minutes each) and I went at the 17-19 MPH pace for 35 minutes. In total, I covered 12.5 miles. I'm planning to do this Wednesday and Friday and, hopefully, get back to running on Monday.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Onto Bigger and Better Things
July 31st marked a big day for me. From an outsider's view, it was nothing more than the end of a month. For me, however, it represents a turning point in a long journey. On May 29th, just two months earlier, I embarked on a structured plan to get myself from sitting around on my time off to achieving a level of fitness that would allow me to run a 5k without stopping. In order for me to further prove why I feel this program is such a great way to get in shape, consider the fact that prior to starting it, the extent of my physical activity pretty much revolved around work.
I'm in retail management which means I'm on my feet quite a bit throughout each day. I typically cover 2-3 miles but it's not in one shot. Instead, it's spread out across an entire day and is littered with plenty of moments of standing and sitting. While this is better than nothing, the only thing it achieves is potentially slowing down the inevitable weight gain by a margin to small to be worthwhile. Don't get me wrong, though, I'm no stranger to physical activity. I used to play a bunch of sports growing up and as recently as about a year and a half ago, I kayaked whenever I had the opportunity. Unfortunately, the chance to do that isn't always there and nothing owning my own kayak means the rentals can add up fairly quickly.
I finally reached a point where I was just tired of making excuses with regards to my health. As anyone who knows me will tell you, I love beer. I don't mean that in the sense that I love to spend my Friday nights with a case of Bud Light and some friends (nothing wrong with that), I just love the taste of beer and the countless varieties available. I typically drink just a couple at a time and, even then, just a couple of times a week. Even though my consumption is nowhere near the levels of the local frat houses I found myself developing a bit of a beer gut. I'm a tall guy but I've never been a big guy and this wasn't the way I envisioned myself bulking up when I used to think about how much I disliked being so skinny with my height.
When I started the C25k program, I was at my heaviest weight; about 210lbs. On a 6'6" frame, that still comes across somewhat thin and my clothes do a wonderful job of hiding the gut like a ninja without being too big for me. Although I would joke about it from time to time, I honestly began to get a bit self conscious about the gut. I've never put too much stock into what other people think if it's something negative, I found myself worrying about it much in the same light as an adolescent who discovered their first whitehead smack dab in the middle of their face. Between that and listening to some passionate runners, I decided something needed to change.
Unlike many people whose C25k stories I read up on before starting out, I decided to forgo an initial exercise plan (walking multiple times a week for at least a week prior) and hit the ground running. One of my goals for the program was to finish it without repeating a week. That meant going from nothing to 5k distance in 9 weeks. I knew it would be tough but I also knew there was a good chance the difficulty would be more mental than physical considering all the variables; and I was right.
Here I am, two months later, announcing my graduation from the program. W9D3 came in went much like the other two runs of the week. A flare up or two in each leg early on followed by dull aches sporadically throughout the run. I covered a bit more than 2.8 miles during the 30 minutes and the heavens even decided to unleash a light shower on me during the last minute of the run and the majority of the cooldown walk.
9 weeks, nearly 77 miles, and 6 pounds.
The middle number, at least to me, is a bit impressive considering how slow you start off. The total time to complete the program is something I'm proud of because I enjoy reaching the goals I set for myself; especially when they seem lofty. Six pounds. From 210 down to 204. That doesn't sound like much for 2 months of running 3 times a week. However, once you consider the fact that I built up a fair amount of muscles in my legs, you realize that the total amount lost was offset by the amount gained. I'd venture to say I probably lost around 15 (5lbs lost at week 3).
The most important differences, though, are the significantly slighter bulge of my gut and all the noticeable changes in my level of fitness. I feel better than I have in a long time and I'm at a point where I can definitely say I'm a runner.
I'm in retail management which means I'm on my feet quite a bit throughout each day. I typically cover 2-3 miles but it's not in one shot. Instead, it's spread out across an entire day and is littered with plenty of moments of standing and sitting. While this is better than nothing, the only thing it achieves is potentially slowing down the inevitable weight gain by a margin to small to be worthwhile. Don't get me wrong, though, I'm no stranger to physical activity. I used to play a bunch of sports growing up and as recently as about a year and a half ago, I kayaked whenever I had the opportunity. Unfortunately, the chance to do that isn't always there and nothing owning my own kayak means the rentals can add up fairly quickly.
I finally reached a point where I was just tired of making excuses with regards to my health. As anyone who knows me will tell you, I love beer. I don't mean that in the sense that I love to spend my Friday nights with a case of Bud Light and some friends (nothing wrong with that), I just love the taste of beer and the countless varieties available. I typically drink just a couple at a time and, even then, just a couple of times a week. Even though my consumption is nowhere near the levels of the local frat houses I found myself developing a bit of a beer gut. I'm a tall guy but I've never been a big guy and this wasn't the way I envisioned myself bulking up when I used to think about how much I disliked being so skinny with my height.
When I started the C25k program, I was at my heaviest weight; about 210lbs. On a 6'6" frame, that still comes across somewhat thin and my clothes do a wonderful job of hiding the gut like a ninja without being too big for me. Although I would joke about it from time to time, I honestly began to get a bit self conscious about the gut. I've never put too much stock into what other people think if it's something negative, I found myself worrying about it much in the same light as an adolescent who discovered their first whitehead smack dab in the middle of their face. Between that and listening to some passionate runners, I decided something needed to change.
Unlike many people whose C25k stories I read up on before starting out, I decided to forgo an initial exercise plan (walking multiple times a week for at least a week prior) and hit the ground running. One of my goals for the program was to finish it without repeating a week. That meant going from nothing to 5k distance in 9 weeks. I knew it would be tough but I also knew there was a good chance the difficulty would be more mental than physical considering all the variables; and I was right.
Here I am, two months later, announcing my graduation from the program. W9D3 came in went much like the other two runs of the week. A flare up or two in each leg early on followed by dull aches sporadically throughout the run. I covered a bit more than 2.8 miles during the 30 minutes and the heavens even decided to unleash a light shower on me during the last minute of the run and the majority of the cooldown walk.
9 weeks, nearly 77 miles, and 6 pounds.
The middle number, at least to me, is a bit impressive considering how slow you start off. The total time to complete the program is something I'm proud of because I enjoy reaching the goals I set for myself; especially when they seem lofty. Six pounds. From 210 down to 204. That doesn't sound like much for 2 months of running 3 times a week. However, once you consider the fact that I built up a fair amount of muscles in my legs, you realize that the total amount lost was offset by the amount gained. I'd venture to say I probably lost around 15 (5lbs lost at week 3).
The most important differences, though, are the significantly slighter bulge of my gut and all the noticeable changes in my level of fitness. I feel better than I have in a long time and I'm at a point where I can definitely say I'm a runner.
W9D2
This run was actually completed this run on the 29th but kept putting off writing the post since it was a pretty uneventful run. One positive result that came from the run outside of finishing it was lessened discomfort in my shins. I still had aches but it was nothing like W8D3. I've been icing it when it's bothered me enough during a run that I felt it needed it and I've even resorted to wrapping the area with an Ace bandage. Those two things seem to have helped to some degree.
Although the aches remain, I'm beginning to think it could be a combination of things rather than one specific thing. Perhaps muscles building in the legs as I increase time and distance. I could have even planted my foot wrong once, tweaked it, and now my foot strike is off from the norm because I'm trying to run as pain free as possible. Whatever the case may be, the runs must go on.
Although the aches remain, I'm beginning to think it could be a combination of things rather than one specific thing. Perhaps muscles building in the legs as I increase time and distance. I could have even planted my foot wrong once, tweaked it, and now my foot strike is off from the norm because I'm trying to run as pain free as possible. Whatever the case may be, the runs must go on.
Friday, July 29, 2011
The Beginning of the End...W9D1
I had every intention of starting W9 strong on Tuesday night but, unfortunately, my shin was still a bit tender so I decided to rest one more day and see how I felt the following night. It turned out to be the right move because my shin didn't bother me at all during the day on Wednesday. Or so I thought. About a third of the way into the warmup walk I began to feel a faint tingle in the shin. I shrugged it off and kept going.
Taking into consideration the way W8D3 went, I wanted to make sure I eased into the run; especially since W9 bumps things up to a full 30 minute run. Starting off slow is always tough when you have long legs and I'm beginning to think that may be a cause for the pain because it's just not natural for me to run at half my normal stride. The shin ached, a bit more than usual but nowhere near the way it did on Sunday. As I went along, the aching was less noticeable and I began to pick up the pace.
I wasn't quite at the pace from W8D1 but I was moving along comfortably and my breathing was solid. The most difficult part of the run was trying not to focus on whether or not I was planting my right leg in a way that wouldn't result in further discomfort. The extra 2 minutes didn't even seem to take a toll on me from an endurance standpoint which was surprising. However, that could have been because my mind was preoccupied with the shin.
In the end, I completed W9D1 without an issue. I covered 2.8 miles during the run and a total of 3.8 miles for the entire workout; both of which are personal records. It's a nice boost to my confidence that I maintained my 33 minute 5k pace despite being less than 100%. There's still work to be done if I want to reach my 30 minute or less goal but I have a good month and a half before the 5k so there's plenty of time to improve.
Taking into consideration the way W8D3 went, I wanted to make sure I eased into the run; especially since W9 bumps things up to a full 30 minute run. Starting off slow is always tough when you have long legs and I'm beginning to think that may be a cause for the pain because it's just not natural for me to run at half my normal stride. The shin ached, a bit more than usual but nowhere near the way it did on Sunday. As I went along, the aching was less noticeable and I began to pick up the pace.
I wasn't quite at the pace from W8D1 but I was moving along comfortably and my breathing was solid. The most difficult part of the run was trying not to focus on whether or not I was planting my right leg in a way that wouldn't result in further discomfort. The extra 2 minutes didn't even seem to take a toll on me from an endurance standpoint which was surprising. However, that could have been because my mind was preoccupied with the shin.
In the end, I completed W9D1 without an issue. I covered 2.8 miles during the run and a total of 3.8 miles for the entire workout; both of which are personal records. It's a nice boost to my confidence that I maintained my 33 minute 5k pace despite being less than 100%. There's still work to be done if I want to reach my 30 minute or less goal but I have a good month and a half before the 5k so there's plenty of time to improve.
Monday, July 25, 2011
W8D3...complete with aching shins
Last night I took care of business and finished W8. However, in keeping up with much of the last two weeks, it wasn't without its share of difficulty. The workout started out like most of the others but, about two minutes into the run, I began to feel an aching in my right shin. The ache was at its worst at the left side of the shin and the same side of the calf. It was minor at first, as usual, but it quickly flared up to a point that it bordered on actual pain.
Despite that, I kept on going. I slowed my pace down a tad to see if that would help and it did; sort of. I could still feel the aching but it wasn't quite as noticeable. From that point on, it simply flared up here and there. At about 22 minutes in, I started to worry that it may be something serious so I slowed down to a brisk walk. I did this for about a minute and the aching calmed down some so I decided to try running again. It didn't flare up again but the remaining part of the run wasn't too comfortable.
Although I didn't run 28 minutes straight, I did surpass that amount of time overall. Since I paused the run portion to walk, I ran through the first minute or so of the cooldown walk to make up for it. At the end of the day, I know I can run 28 minutes straight without a problem so I wasn't too down on myself for completing D3 the way that I did. Once I got home, I put an icepack on the shin and kept it elevated for a little while. It helped some, but I'm not out of the woods yet. I'm planning to wait and see how I feel Tuesday evening before starting W9. There's a good chance I'll be holding off until Wednesday, though.
Despite that, I kept on going. I slowed my pace down a tad to see if that would help and it did; sort of. I could still feel the aching but it wasn't quite as noticeable. From that point on, it simply flared up here and there. At about 22 minutes in, I started to worry that it may be something serious so I slowed down to a brisk walk. I did this for about a minute and the aching calmed down some so I decided to try running again. It didn't flare up again but the remaining part of the run wasn't too comfortable.
Although I didn't run 28 minutes straight, I did surpass that amount of time overall. Since I paused the run portion to walk, I ran through the first minute or so of the cooldown walk to make up for it. At the end of the day, I know I can run 28 minutes straight without a problem so I wasn't too down on myself for completing D3 the way that I did. Once I got home, I put an icepack on the shin and kept it elevated for a little while. It helped some, but I'm not out of the woods yet. I'm planning to wait and see how I feel Tuesday evening before starting W9. There's a good chance I'll be holding off until Wednesday, though.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Critter Corral
After an unexpected 3 day break thanks to a random virus that I'm still not entirely over, I decided to take on W8D2 Friday night. Despite the fact that I wasn't quite at 100%, I somehow managed to cover more ground than I did on Monday (2.6 miles vs 2.53). Midway through my warmup run I came up on a dead snake, was black and about 4 feet long but a decent size in diameter. I kept expecting it to come after me when I passed, figuring he was just playing dead, but his status was confirmed on my return trip past that spot. I started the run well enough, maintaining a somewhat easy pace since I figured my breathing may not be as controlled as usual considering the circumstances.
About 6 minutes into the run I ran into my old pal, the armadillo. He scurried his way across the road before I reached him, though, so no antics were had. A couple times throughout the run I was able to pick up my pace a bit but I kept it slow and steady for the most part. For much of the early part of the run, I experienced the results of over-hydrating and had an urge to pee that got worse as I progressed. Once I reached the 1 1/2 mile mark, I paused the app at one of the few dark spots along my route and did my business. A few seconds later the app was back on and I continued along my way.
Stopping turned out to be a bad idea, though, because shortly after I began to experience some discomfort in my right lung and had every desire to stop running. I could honestly see myself, in my mind's eye, stop running and begin to walk. All the while that voice in the back of my head taunted me by expressing how much better it would be to walk. I kept pushing in spite of it. A little further down the road, I had to look down at my phone to see how much time was left because I was beginning to think there wasn't enough fuel in the tank. A time of 2:08 stared back at me and it was all I could do to keep running. I slowed down to, quite possibly, a bit slower than my W1 pace.
The "cooldown walk" announcement came an eternity later and a labored smile crossed my face as I tried to catch my breath. This was the closest I've come to being out of breath during the program but I was just happy I was able to finish. In total, I covered 3.3 miles during the workout which is a record for me. I'm guessing, at this point, that I could cover a 5k in roughly 33 minutes. At any rate, there are only 4 workouts left and if everything goes as expected, I should graduate next Saturday!
About 6 minutes into the run I ran into my old pal, the armadillo. He scurried his way across the road before I reached him, though, so no antics were had. A couple times throughout the run I was able to pick up my pace a bit but I kept it slow and steady for the most part. For much of the early part of the run, I experienced the results of over-hydrating and had an urge to pee that got worse as I progressed. Once I reached the 1 1/2 mile mark, I paused the app at one of the few dark spots along my route and did my business. A few seconds later the app was back on and I continued along my way.
Stopping turned out to be a bad idea, though, because shortly after I began to experience some discomfort in my right lung and had every desire to stop running. I could honestly see myself, in my mind's eye, stop running and begin to walk. All the while that voice in the back of my head taunted me by expressing how much better it would be to walk. I kept pushing in spite of it. A little further down the road, I had to look down at my phone to see how much time was left because I was beginning to think there wasn't enough fuel in the tank. A time of 2:08 stared back at me and it was all I could do to keep running. I slowed down to, quite possibly, a bit slower than my W1 pace.
The "cooldown walk" announcement came an eternity later and a labored smile crossed my face as I tried to catch my breath. This was the closest I've come to being out of breath during the program but I was just happy I was able to finish. In total, I covered 3.3 miles during the workout which is a record for me. I'm guessing, at this point, that I could cover a 5k in roughly 33 minutes. At any rate, there are only 4 workouts left and if everything goes as expected, I should graduate next Saturday!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
It feels like years since it's been here
During my run last night, I realized that I forgot to make a post for W7D3 which I completed Friday the 15th. After doing some research on knee exercises, I decided to try one out that a member on the RunnersWorld.com forums suggested. Basically, you stand on one leg and swing the other back and forth a few repetitions; I stuck with 10. It definitely did the trick as my knees were essentially a non-issue during the run outside of a minor blip early on. I wasn't in the clear, though. At the time, I wasn't sure if it was the result of the new stretch or something else entirely but I aches in my shins and calves for the first time in a couple of week.
Although they've been there during that time, it's yet to be to the degree that it warranted mentioning. As a result, I had to slow my pace down considerably from what I prefer to run at because I didn't want to risk injury. Regardless of that fact, I was able to finish the 25 minutes without stopping and I was glad to have another week in the books.
Monday evening rolled around and it was time to get back in the saddle and start W8D1. For this week, each run is 28 minutes long. For those at home keeping score, that's an increase of 3 minutes, or about 3/10ths of a mile, for each workout. Oddly enough, it didn't seem all that daunting to me in the days leading up to it. I can safely say, though, that this was by far the best workout of the program for me so far which is surprising considering how sub-par each day of W7 felt.
I went at a pace that I would guess may end up as about 3/4 of my 5k pace for 90% of the run (25 of the 28 minutes) and I managed to cover roughly 2.53 miles in the time allotted. To be honest, I was tempted to continue running for another couple of minutes because I felt so great but I'm doing the program "by the book" so I eased into the cooldown walk when prompted.
I started the run off at a moderate pace because I didn't want to overexert myself right off the bat since I was tacking on 3 minutes to my previous high. The random flare up in the heel spur in my left foot also had a say in that decision. About a minute into the run, though, I was feeling fine and upped my pace to the level it would stay at until about 2 minutes left in the run. I think I was right about the source of the aches in my shins and calves last week. Tonight was the second time I've done the knee/hip exercise before a run and the only aches present in my shins or calves were minor expected aches from working out. Tomorrow's a rest day and it's back to the grind Wednesday night. I can't wait!
Although they've been there during that time, it's yet to be to the degree that it warranted mentioning. As a result, I had to slow my pace down considerably from what I prefer to run at because I didn't want to risk injury. Regardless of that fact, I was able to finish the 25 minutes without stopping and I was glad to have another week in the books.
Monday evening rolled around and it was time to get back in the saddle and start W8D1. For this week, each run is 28 minutes long. For those at home keeping score, that's an increase of 3 minutes, or about 3/10ths of a mile, for each workout. Oddly enough, it didn't seem all that daunting to me in the days leading up to it. I can safely say, though, that this was by far the best workout of the program for me so far which is surprising considering how sub-par each day of W7 felt.
I went at a pace that I would guess may end up as about 3/4 of my 5k pace for 90% of the run (25 of the 28 minutes) and I managed to cover roughly 2.53 miles in the time allotted. To be honest, I was tempted to continue running for another couple of minutes because I felt so great but I'm doing the program "by the book" so I eased into the cooldown walk when prompted.
I started the run off at a moderate pace because I didn't want to overexert myself right off the bat since I was tacking on 3 minutes to my previous high. The random flare up in the heel spur in my left foot also had a say in that decision. About a minute into the run, though, I was feeling fine and upped my pace to the level it would stay at until about 2 minutes left in the run. I think I was right about the source of the aches in my shins and calves last week. Tonight was the second time I've done the knee/hip exercise before a run and the only aches present in my shins or calves were minor expected aches from working out. Tomorrow's a rest day and it's back to the grind Wednesday night. I can't wait!
Friday, July 15, 2011
An Uncomfortable Run
I took care of W7D2 last night despite some discomfort in my right knee. During the run, I also surpassed the 50 mile mark for total distance so far in the program. Although this run wasn't my best, I'm just glad I finished it properly by going the full 25 minutes without stopping. The entire last mile was a bit of a struggle at points thanks to my knee.
The last few workouts, I've noticed a minor ache in my knees when the run following the warmup walk has started. It usually lasts no more than 1/4 mile and I feel fine after that. Last night, though, that wasn't the case. It came back a couple times during that last mile and it made the mental battles a lot tougher than they needed to be. During the cooldown walk, there really wasn't any discomfort but it didn't feel normal the whole way. On the bright side, my legs were fine all day at work (I'm on my feet all day) and there hasn't even been a slight ache.
I honestly think a contributing factor to the discomfort is the fact that I never do any pre-workout stretches to target my knees. Once I can find some online, I'm going to incorporate them into my pre-workout routine and see if that changes things. Another part of the problem, at least last night, was that I didn't properly hydrate before the workout. I usually drink a glass of water about half an hour before I run but it slipped my mind last night. I would bet the lack of stretching played a bigger role but both had a hand in the uncomfortable run from last night.
One funny thing I did notice though, as I took off my running shoes, was a 1/8" screw lodged into the front sole of my left shoe. It didn't make it in all the way, thankfully, but I'm not sure how much damage it would have done. At any rate, it's just not the sort of thing you expect to find after an evening run but that's the perils of running in Suburbia.
The last few workouts, I've noticed a minor ache in my knees when the run following the warmup walk has started. It usually lasts no more than 1/4 mile and I feel fine after that. Last night, though, that wasn't the case. It came back a couple times during that last mile and it made the mental battles a lot tougher than they needed to be. During the cooldown walk, there really wasn't any discomfort but it didn't feel normal the whole way. On the bright side, my legs were fine all day at work (I'm on my feet all day) and there hasn't even been a slight ache.
I honestly think a contributing factor to the discomfort is the fact that I never do any pre-workout stretches to target my knees. Once I can find some online, I'm going to incorporate them into my pre-workout routine and see if that changes things. Another part of the problem, at least last night, was that I didn't properly hydrate before the workout. I usually drink a glass of water about half an hour before I run but it slipped my mind last night. I would bet the lack of stretching played a bigger role but both had a hand in the uncomfortable run from last night.
One funny thing I did notice though, as I took off my running shoes, was a 1/8" screw lodged into the front sole of my left shoe. It didn't make it in all the way, thankfully, but I'm not sure how much damage it would have done. At any rate, it's just not the sort of thing you expect to find after an evening run but that's the perils of running in Suburbia.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
C-c-c-c-combo!
So it appears I forgot to make a post regarding my completion of W6D3. Since it's no longer fresh in my mind, I'll post what I wrote over on the C25k thread on the RunnersWorld.com forums and follow that with a recap of last night:
I had to wait to run a lot longer than I wanted to because of the crappy weather we've been having all day but I had to run tonight or risk throwing a hard slider at my training schedule. I'll be in Orlando from Friday-Monday so I'm already planning one extra day of rest before starting W7 and I didn't want to add those three days to the gap between W6D2 & W6D3 so, no matter what, I was going out tonight.
The run started off like all the others but about 8 or 9 minutes into it, my legs randomly began to get sore. It was just normal workout aches but they started sooner than I expected them to. My stomach even decided to join in the fun by sloshing around like the town drunk so I definitely didn't feel like myself much of the run. I didn't want to curb the progress I had been making to this point by cutting the 25 minute run short and re-doing W6 next week so I kept pushing.
Eventually the aches subsided and I chugged along like normal. As I reached what I'm pretty sure was the 1.75 mile mark, though, I started to feel it again. My legs wanted me stop and at points I felt like I was dragging cement filled shoes with each step. A little bit further down the road, I slipped up and looked down at my iPhone to see how much time was left. To my surprise, the timer was at 3:27 and counting. I couldn't believe it and began to doubt my ability to finish but I told myself that I wasn't stopping until the lady told me to or my legs gave out on me. Before I knew it I was told there was 1 minute left and the workout was complete shortly after.
My pace was much slower tonight than in days past because of the aches so I only managed to cover 2.1 miles in the 25 minute period. Hopefully these rest days recharge my body and I'm back to my normal self on Monday evening when I get home.
Last night I took on W7D1. This week marks the return of weeks where the same workout is completed all 3 days. For W7, you simply carry over the final workout of W6; a 25 minute run. I felt a bit better than I did prior to W6D3 but I was running after a 3 day layoff so I wasn't expecting much. Although I wasn't inactive those three days (I walked at least 3 miles each day throughout Universal's Islands of Adventure & Disney's Epcot) the activity wasn't constant, it was spread out, so it didn't have quite the same results that running does.
However, I did notice just how much improvement there has been in my level of fitness while I was at the parks. A little over a year ago, I went to Disney with my wife. She had some issues with one of her feet and as a precaution while we waited for approval on her surgery, I pushed her around all 4 parks in a wheelchair. For those of you not familiar with the landscape at Disney, the surface is anything but level. You constantly encounter inclines and declines and people just plain don't care that someone in a wheelchair is near them so your reflexes are tested regularly.
Last year, my legs were sore at the end of each day. This year, though, it felt like I barely covered any distance. The only reason I was even tired was because of the amount of sun I had been getting. Although my wife only needed a wheelchair at Epcot (her foot swelled up a bit after Universal), I couldn't help but see how much easier the walking was thanks to the exercise I've had over the course of the last 6 weeks.
As for the run itself, it went pretty well. I had some random aches in my knees and my lower thighs but nothing major and my breathing was better since, for the most part, I felt relatively normal. I was able to increase my pace a bit here and there but managed to cover the same distance because I took things a little bit easier during my warmup walk since I felt like I rushed it a bit too much last time. I've got a crazy schedule ahead of me, 9 straight days of work counting today, but I'll be taking care of business on the asphalt regardless.
I had to wait to run a lot longer than I wanted to because of the crappy weather we've been having all day but I had to run tonight or risk throwing a hard slider at my training schedule. I'll be in Orlando from Friday-Monday so I'm already planning one extra day of rest before starting W7 and I didn't want to add those three days to the gap between W6D2 & W6D3 so, no matter what, I was going out tonight.
The run started off like all the others but about 8 or 9 minutes into it, my legs randomly began to get sore. It was just normal workout aches but they started sooner than I expected them to. My stomach even decided to join in the fun by sloshing around like the town drunk so I definitely didn't feel like myself much of the run. I didn't want to curb the progress I had been making to this point by cutting the 25 minute run short and re-doing W6 next week so I kept pushing.
Eventually the aches subsided and I chugged along like normal. As I reached what I'm pretty sure was the 1.75 mile mark, though, I started to feel it again. My legs wanted me stop and at points I felt like I was dragging cement filled shoes with each step. A little bit further down the road, I slipped up and looked down at my iPhone to see how much time was left. To my surprise, the timer was at 3:27 and counting. I couldn't believe it and began to doubt my ability to finish but I told myself that I wasn't stopping until the lady told me to or my legs gave out on me. Before I knew it I was told there was 1 minute left and the workout was complete shortly after.
My pace was much slower tonight than in days past because of the aches so I only managed to cover 2.1 miles in the 25 minute period. Hopefully these rest days recharge my body and I'm back to my normal self on Monday evening when I get home.
Last night I took on W7D1. This week marks the return of weeks where the same workout is completed all 3 days. For W7, you simply carry over the final workout of W6; a 25 minute run. I felt a bit better than I did prior to W6D3 but I was running after a 3 day layoff so I wasn't expecting much. Although I wasn't inactive those three days (I walked at least 3 miles each day throughout Universal's Islands of Adventure & Disney's Epcot) the activity wasn't constant, it was spread out, so it didn't have quite the same results that running does.
However, I did notice just how much improvement there has been in my level of fitness while I was at the parks. A little over a year ago, I went to Disney with my wife. She had some issues with one of her feet and as a precaution while we waited for approval on her surgery, I pushed her around all 4 parks in a wheelchair. For those of you not familiar with the landscape at Disney, the surface is anything but level. You constantly encounter inclines and declines and people just plain don't care that someone in a wheelchair is near them so your reflexes are tested regularly.
Last year, my legs were sore at the end of each day. This year, though, it felt like I barely covered any distance. The only reason I was even tired was because of the amount of sun I had been getting. Although my wife only needed a wheelchair at Epcot (her foot swelled up a bit after Universal), I couldn't help but see how much easier the walking was thanks to the exercise I've had over the course of the last 6 weeks.
As for the run itself, it went pretty well. I had some random aches in my knees and my lower thighs but nothing major and my breathing was better since, for the most part, I felt relatively normal. I was able to increase my pace a bit here and there but managed to cover the same distance because I took things a little bit easier during my warmup walk since I felt like I rushed it a bit too much last time. I've got a crazy schedule ahead of me, 9 straight days of work counting today, but I'll be taking care of business on the asphalt regardless.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
I got a fever of 110...
...and the only prescription is more running. See what I did there? On Tuesday, I completed W6D2 and I've got to say, it's hard to believe that was the last day of intervals. From here on out, with the exception of the warm up and cool down walks, I'll only be running. The thought of that is a little bit daunting but my confidence level is still pretty high so I'm not worried.
I almost didn't run the other night because of a wicked sinus headache that had me feeling pretty crappy. Typically it's nearly impossible for me to take a nap because I just can't sleep when it's light out once I've woken up. However, I ended up taking a brief nap after taking some Day-Quil and Aspirin. Once I got up I just said screw it and got ready to run. For this workout, I ran 10 minutes followed by a 3 minute walk and another 10 minute run.
I upped the pace for the first 10 minute run and managed to cover 1.17 miles which surprised me. The 3 minute walk came and went and it was time for the second 10 minute run. I covered a bit less distance in that run, just .9 miles, but I had eased off the original pace a tad so it was expected. I'm not going to lie, the distance in the first 10 minute run had me psyched. It may not sound like too big a deal but since one of my sub-goals for my first 5k is to finish it in 30 minutes or less I knew that would entail being capable of running a mile in under 10 minutes.
It's exciting to realize that's not something that's out of my reach. Although I don't think I'd be able to do it just yet, I think it's quite possible in 2 1/2 months when I take part in the race. As it is, I can cover 3.1 miles in about 34 minutes with just 20 minutes of actual running so I don't think my goals are as far off as they seemed when I started the program.
I almost didn't run the other night because of a wicked sinus headache that had me feeling pretty crappy. Typically it's nearly impossible for me to take a nap because I just can't sleep when it's light out once I've woken up. However, I ended up taking a brief nap after taking some Day-Quil and Aspirin. Once I got up I just said screw it and got ready to run. For this workout, I ran 10 minutes followed by a 3 minute walk and another 10 minute run.
I upped the pace for the first 10 minute run and managed to cover 1.17 miles which surprised me. The 3 minute walk came and went and it was time for the second 10 minute run. I covered a bit less distance in that run, just .9 miles, but I had eased off the original pace a tad so it was expected. I'm not going to lie, the distance in the first 10 minute run had me psyched. It may not sound like too big a deal but since one of my sub-goals for my first 5k is to finish it in 30 minutes or less I knew that would entail being capable of running a mile in under 10 minutes.
It's exciting to realize that's not something that's out of my reach. Although I don't think I'd be able to do it just yet, I think it's quite possible in 2 1/2 months when I take part in the race. As it is, I can cover 3.1 miles in about 34 minutes with just 20 minutes of actual running so I don't think my goals are as far off as they seemed when I started the program.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
I get by with a little help...
Earlier today I realized I forgot to post following my completion of W6D1 on Sunday evening. My younger sister was in town for the holiday weekend and I talked her into joining me for the workout. She's no stranger to running, she's done the last two Expedition Everest 5k Challenges, but she's not an avid runner. I told her to try and keep up and if she had to slow down, to do it, but know that I would keep going. I live in a pretty safe neighborhood so I knew it wouldn't be an issue.
All in all, my run went pretty well. My legs didn't give me any issues outside of the normal workout "aches" and I actually set a new PR for total distance covered in a single workout with roughly 3.1 miles; the distance of a 5k. That brings me to a program total of 40 miles which is something that definitely seemed easier said than done a month and a half ago. The only part of my running that wasn't up to par on Sunday night was my breathing pattern. It started out well enough but as we went on and it reached a point where my sister had to slow down, I found my brotherly instincts kicking in (did I mention I'm incredibly overprotective?) and I looked back every so often to make sure she was ok.
For whatever reason, I'm guessing the loss of complete focus on the run, my breathing pattern was sort of a mess the second half of the workout. At any rate, I was able to take care of business and D2 was to be at my doorstep in no time.
All in all, my run went pretty well. My legs didn't give me any issues outside of the normal workout "aches" and I actually set a new PR for total distance covered in a single workout with roughly 3.1 miles; the distance of a 5k. That brings me to a program total of 40 miles which is something that definitely seemed easier said than done a month and a half ago. The only part of my running that wasn't up to par on Sunday night was my breathing pattern. It started out well enough but as we went on and it reached a point where my sister had to slow down, I found my brotherly instincts kicking in (did I mention I'm incredibly overprotective?) and I looked back every so often to make sure she was ok.
For whatever reason, I'm guessing the loss of complete focus on the run, my breathing pattern was sort of a mess the second half of the workout. At any rate, I was able to take care of business and D2 was to be at my doorstep in no time.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Going Postal
Through rain, sleet, or snow (ok, the last two would never happen, but I digress) I was determined to tackle W5D3 tonight. For the workout, I'd be running non-stop for 20 minutes. Keep in mind that, up until this point, I haven't run more than 8 minutes without stopping and that was done on Tuesday night. Granted, the overall minutes are only increasing by 4 (16 minutes Tuesday vs 20 minutes Thursday), but the runs have always been broken up.
Thanks to a random evening thunderstorm that decided to start about the time I planned on beginning my run, I ended up going out much later. The workout started a little iffy with a minor ache in my right knee. I think it was the result of planting awkwardly in the first few steps as I attempted to get into the slow pace I planned on going but, whatever the reason, it went away fairly quickly. Because of the pace I was running at, the first 10 minutes weren't too bad. Toward the ten minute mark, my legs felt a bit tired but it wasn't anything to worry about.
At the halfway point, though, I found a new burst of energy. I upped the slow pace just a tad and continued on at the new pace until about the 15 minute mark of the run. I knew there was still plenty of time left and wanted to conserve my energy for the home stretch so I slowed back down to my original pace. I was honestly surprised, at that point, how well my legs were doing considering my previous PR for consecutive minutes. However, at about 18 minutes, my legs began to scream expletives at me for pushing them so hard. It wasn't pain, just the expected aches of muscles building.
The "1 minute remaining" announcement came and went; leaving a feeling of imminent disaster in its wake as my legs felt like they were on the verge of exploding. In the midst of the toughest mental battle I've faced so far in this program, I soldiered on. Before I knew it, the "workout complete" announcement sounded and I officially did what I thought may have been impossible. My words of acceptance of this fact were something along the lines of:
"I f***ing did it. Awesome."
A bit more subdued than one might expect but I'm happy as hell right now. At the risk of being cliche, I must admit that my confidence is through the roof. I fully expect to finish the C25k in the 9 week window it resides in rather than the 11 weeks I gave myself as a safety net. Week 6 starts Sunday and I can't wait.
Thanks to a random evening thunderstorm that decided to start about the time I planned on beginning my run, I ended up going out much later. The workout started a little iffy with a minor ache in my right knee. I think it was the result of planting awkwardly in the first few steps as I attempted to get into the slow pace I planned on going but, whatever the reason, it went away fairly quickly. Because of the pace I was running at, the first 10 minutes weren't too bad. Toward the ten minute mark, my legs felt a bit tired but it wasn't anything to worry about.
At the halfway point, though, I found a new burst of energy. I upped the slow pace just a tad and continued on at the new pace until about the 15 minute mark of the run. I knew there was still plenty of time left and wanted to conserve my energy for the home stretch so I slowed back down to my original pace. I was honestly surprised, at that point, how well my legs were doing considering my previous PR for consecutive minutes. However, at about 18 minutes, my legs began to scream expletives at me for pushing them so hard. It wasn't pain, just the expected aches of muscles building.
The "1 minute remaining" announcement came and went; leaving a feeling of imminent disaster in its wake as my legs felt like they were on the verge of exploding. In the midst of the toughest mental battle I've faced so far in this program, I soldiered on. Before I knew it, the "workout complete" announcement sounded and I officially did what I thought may have been impossible. My words of acceptance of this fact were something along the lines of:
"I f***ing did it. Awesome."
A bit more subdued than one might expect but I'm happy as hell right now. At the risk of being cliche, I must admit that my confidence is through the roof. I fully expect to finish the C25k in the 9 week window it resides in rather than the 11 weeks I gave myself as a safety net. Week 6 starts Sunday and I can't wait.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
W5D2
I took care of business Tuesday night and completed W5D2. It went quite a bit better than I was expecting. Day 2 consisted of an 8 minute run, a 5 minute walk, and another 8 minute run. I kept my pace relatively slow for the runs as my focus was on completing them and building up my endurance for the 20 minute run on Thursday evening.
The first 8 minutes were pretty uneventful. My breathing was better than it had been on Day 1 as I was able to go about 8 steps between each breath out. Toward the end of the first run, I found myself wondering how I hadn't reached the stopping point yet, not because of discomfort in my legs, but I felt like I was covering more distance than I thought I would considering my pace. I ended up going roughly .7 miles in each of the 8 minute runs. Although that's nothing amazing, I think it's in line with a 10 minute mile which is a pace I've read a lot of people mentioning as a good one when preparing for a 5k.
One of my sub-goals for the 5k is to finish the event in 30 minutes or less. Obviously that would require each of my miles, on average, to be less than 10 minutes. Improving my endurance during the C25k program and the training between the completion of it and the actual event should allow me to accomplish that goal. Of course, my main goal is to simply complete the event. Let's get back to business.
The second 8 minute walk went just as well as the first, although my breathing pattern suffered a slight bit around the last 2 or 3 minutes of the run; a breath out every 5 or 6 steps. That was still better than Day 1, though. With roughly 90 seconds remaining, I fought the only mental battle of the night. My legs voiced their displeasure at the new length of time but I knew there wasn't much time left. Sure enough, the woman's voice came on, informing me that there was only a minute left and I kept pushing.
Sixty seconds later and she told me to begin the cooldown walk. Oddly enough, at the announcement of the completion of the run, my immediate thought wasn't gratitude that I'd done it. Instead, I found myself wondering if I had kept up with the pace from Day 1 that would have me finishing the same amount of distance. Although Thursday's workout remains a bit daunting to me, it's something that I feel I'll be able to do and I'm anxious to prove myself right.
The first 8 minutes were pretty uneventful. My breathing was better than it had been on Day 1 as I was able to go about 8 steps between each breath out. Toward the end of the first run, I found myself wondering how I hadn't reached the stopping point yet, not because of discomfort in my legs, but I felt like I was covering more distance than I thought I would considering my pace. I ended up going roughly .7 miles in each of the 8 minute runs. Although that's nothing amazing, I think it's in line with a 10 minute mile which is a pace I've read a lot of people mentioning as a good one when preparing for a 5k.
One of my sub-goals for the 5k is to finish the event in 30 minutes or less. Obviously that would require each of my miles, on average, to be less than 10 minutes. Improving my endurance during the C25k program and the training between the completion of it and the actual event should allow me to accomplish that goal. Of course, my main goal is to simply complete the event. Let's get back to business.
The second 8 minute walk went just as well as the first, although my breathing pattern suffered a slight bit around the last 2 or 3 minutes of the run; a breath out every 5 or 6 steps. That was still better than Day 1, though. With roughly 90 seconds remaining, I fought the only mental battle of the night. My legs voiced their displeasure at the new length of time but I knew there wasn't much time left. Sure enough, the woman's voice came on, informing me that there was only a minute left and I kept pushing.
Sixty seconds later and she told me to begin the cooldown walk. Oddly enough, at the announcement of the completion of the run, my immediate thought wasn't gratitude that I'd done it. Instead, I found myself wondering if I had kept up with the pace from Day 1 that would have me finishing the same amount of distance. Although Thursday's workout remains a bit daunting to me, it's something that I feel I'll be able to do and I'm anxious to prove myself right.
Monday, June 27, 2011
W5D1...Return of the Mosquitoes
Last night I completed W5D1 which begins the first of two schizophrenic weeks. By that, I mean each day of Weeks 5 and 6 is completely different from the day that preceded it unlike the first 4 weeks where you do the same "reps" each workout. For D1, I did the following:
Jog 5 minutes
Walk 3 minutes
Jog 5 minutes
Walk 3 minutes
Jog 5 minutes
As always, I started with a warmup walk and ended with a cool down walk. That's a habit I intend to keep once I finish the C25k program because it's a great way to get your muscles ready for a workout and then calm them down to help prevent injury.
With last night's workout, I went at a relatively easy pace the first two runs. I started the third off the same but about 2 minutes into it, I ramped up the pace a little bit while keeping my breathing pattern as relaxed as it had been in the other runs. I was surprised how well my body handled it since one would think the final run would take place with the least amount of energy. Along the way, I was eaten alive by the bloodsucking bastards for the first time since W1 and I set a new PR (personal record) for total distance covered in a single workout with 2.8 miles. I'm at nearly 32 miles all together.
W5D2 will be interesting but a workout I think I'll be able to tackle without much issue. D3 is still daunting to me, though, as it's a 20 minute jog without any stops. Some way, some how, I'm going to do it.
Jog 5 minutes
Walk 3 minutes
Jog 5 minutes
Walk 3 minutes
Jog 5 minutes
As always, I started with a warmup walk and ended with a cool down walk. That's a habit I intend to keep once I finish the C25k program because it's a great way to get your muscles ready for a workout and then calm them down to help prevent injury.
With last night's workout, I went at a relatively easy pace the first two runs. I started the third off the same but about 2 minutes into it, I ramped up the pace a little bit while keeping my breathing pattern as relaxed as it had been in the other runs. I was surprised how well my body handled it since one would think the final run would take place with the least amount of energy. Along the way, I was eaten alive by the bloodsucking bastards for the first time since W1 and I set a new PR (personal record) for total distance covered in a single workout with 2.8 miles. I'm at nearly 32 miles all together.
W5D2 will be interesting but a workout I think I'll be able to tackle without much issue. D3 is still daunting to me, though, as it's a 20 minute jog without any stops. Some way, some how, I'm going to do it.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
W4D2
Tuesday night I completed W4D2 of the program. It wasn't much different from W4D1. The 3 minute runs went well and the 5 minutes were still tough but not quite as much as they were on Sunday night. When doing the 5 minute intervals, at least without any music, they seem to drag on quite a bit. Part of that could be due to me running later than I planned on the last few nights which inevitably leads to nothing going on outside.
My body is beginning to get used to those intervals but the muscles are still developing. As I ran the second 5 minute interval, I began to feel like it had been more than 5 minutes so I did something I've done a good job of not doing lately: look at the timer on my iPhone. Lo and behold, there were 3 minutes left. I'm willing to bet that, had I taken part in an out of body experience at that exact moment, the look on my face would have screamed 'WTF?'
I soldiered on, though, and told my body to quit complaining. One thing I told myself going into this was that I wouldn't be stopping mid-run unless my body quit on me. That may mean I have to slow down a little more than I'm comfortable with, but it's going to take more than a little muscle fatigue to bring me to a halt.
At any rate, I'm making good progress with the program and I should be completing Week 4 on Thursday evening. I'm nearing the halfway point and I'm excited to see how the rest of the program shapes up.
My body is beginning to get used to those intervals but the muscles are still developing. As I ran the second 5 minute interval, I began to feel like it had been more than 5 minutes so I did something I've done a good job of not doing lately: look at the timer on my iPhone. Lo and behold, there were 3 minutes left. I'm willing to bet that, had I taken part in an out of body experience at that exact moment, the look on my face would have screamed 'WTF?'
I soldiered on, though, and told my body to quit complaining. One thing I told myself going into this was that I wouldn't be stopping mid-run unless my body quit on me. That may mean I have to slow down a little more than I'm comfortable with, but it's going to take more than a little muscle fatigue to bring me to a halt.
At any rate, I'm making good progress with the program and I should be completing Week 4 on Thursday evening. I'm nearing the halfway point and I'm excited to see how the rest of the program shapes up.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
W4D1 is in the books
I completed W4D1 on Sunday night. Going into it, I knew it was going to be tough for a few reasons. One: I had been up for a little over 17 hours at the time I set out on the run. Two: I only had one day of rest between W3D3 and W4D1 even though I typically have two days of rest between weeks. I wanted to get back on my original running schedule, though, so it had to be done. Three: the difficulty was increasing. For Week 4, between the warmup and cooldown walks, you run 3 minutes followed by 90 seconds of walking then run 5 minutes followed by 2 1/2 minutes of walking. You repeat that pattern twice.
Until this point, every run was followed by a walk that lasted the same amount of time. This week marks the beginning of running more than walking which is essential in terms of reaching the point of running an entire 5k which I fully plan to do in just over 3 months. I'm not going to lie, I was a little intimidated going into it but, as I've said before, this program does a great job of getting you ready for the next workout so I knew I'd be able to make it through come hell or high water.
The first 9 1/2 minutes were pretty uneventful. My body is used to the 3 minute runs so the first one wasn't a problem. The 90 second walk went by quick and, before I knew it, I was off to the races again. Once 3 minutes passed, I could feel my body questioning my hurry but I continued to push as I did after the first 3 minute run in Week 3. Fast forward to the last minute of the second 5 minute run and, at that point, I pretty much had to will myself to finish it.
I could feel my legs getting heavier and my body wanted to walk but, in that battle of wits, my mind was victorious and I was able to get through it. I'll be tackling W4D2 on Tuesday night, hopefully, and I anticipate it going a little bit better.
Until this point, every run was followed by a walk that lasted the same amount of time. This week marks the beginning of running more than walking which is essential in terms of reaching the point of running an entire 5k which I fully plan to do in just over 3 months. I'm not going to lie, I was a little intimidated going into it but, as I've said before, this program does a great job of getting you ready for the next workout so I knew I'd be able to make it through come hell or high water.
The first 9 1/2 minutes were pretty uneventful. My body is used to the 3 minute runs so the first one wasn't a problem. The 90 second walk went by quick and, before I knew it, I was off to the races again. Once 3 minutes passed, I could feel my body questioning my hurry but I continued to push as I did after the first 3 minute run in Week 3. Fast forward to the last minute of the second 5 minute run and, at that point, I pretty much had to will myself to finish it.
I could feel my legs getting heavier and my body wanted to walk but, in that battle of wits, my mind was victorious and I was able to get through it. I'll be tackling W4D2 on Tuesday night, hopefully, and I anticipate it going a little bit better.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Intervals for Beginners is Done
Last night I tackled W3D3 and reached 21 total miles for the first 9 days of the program. The crazy thing is that as you're going through the runs/walks, it feels like the distance you're covering is just a drop in the bucket but it adds up quite a bit when you look at it as a whole. I'm now beginning to actually consider myself a runner which isn't a distinction I ever thought I'd legitimately bestow upon myself. Sure, I've only run 3 minutes straight 6 times, but each passing day of the week feels easier and I'm having a lot of fun doing this. It's now just over 3 months until my first 5k.
As for the run last night, it went better than the first two; although only slightly better than day 2. One big improvement I've noticed is with my endurance. When I started out, a minute seemed like a long time once I was moving at my slow pace and I was breathing out every 2 or 3 steps. Now 3 minutes at a slightly quicker pace isn't too bad, until the last 30 seconds, and I breathe out once every 6 steps. My armored nemesis also decided to make an appearance last night. This time it was about 11 minutes into the workout, during my first 3 minute run, and he was in the middle of the street. I decided to ninja sneak by him and slow down to a brisk walk until I was out of his strike zone. If I see him again Sunday, I may have a run partner.
W4D1 will start Sunday, despite just one day of rest, because I want to get back to my original running schedule. The intervals are going to get more difficult but I'm looking forward to the challenge.
As for the run last night, it went better than the first two; although only slightly better than day 2. One big improvement I've noticed is with my endurance. When I started out, a minute seemed like a long time once I was moving at my slow pace and I was breathing out every 2 or 3 steps. Now 3 minutes at a slightly quicker pace isn't too bad, until the last 30 seconds, and I breathe out once every 6 steps. My armored nemesis also decided to make an appearance last night. This time it was about 11 minutes into the workout, during my first 3 minute run, and he was in the middle of the street. I decided to ninja sneak by him and slow down to a brisk walk until I was out of his strike zone. If I see him again Sunday, I may have a run partner.
W4D1 will start Sunday, despite just one day of rest, because I want to get back to my original running schedule. The intervals are going to get more difficult but I'm looking forward to the challenge.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
W3D2 Now with 50% more armadillo
I completed W3D2 last night and it was an eventful run, to say the last. About 3/4 of a mile into the workout, I saw something moving from the grass into the street. I was about 15 feet away at this point and, since it was 11PM, I couldn't quite tell what it was at first glance. As I got a little closer I saw that it was a few feet in length and it almost looked grey like an opossum. At about a distance of 5 feet I was finally close enough to see what it actually was: an armadillo.
Since I was so close at this point and the creature decided to disrupt my running path I had a decision to make. I could continue on my way and hop over him, which would almost surely end badly, I could go wide left to the other side of the road and risk him/her rolling after me, or I could simply go wide right into the grass and be on about my way. Option 3 seemed like the wisest choice and so I quickly made the shift and turned my body slightly to head that way.
The feisty armadillo must have registered my change in movement because, without warning, the little bastard did a quick 180 and darted into the grass; nearly causing me to punt him into the street. I couldn't help but chuckle at the situation as I continued on down the road. As for the actual workout, it went a little bit better than D1. I went through almost the entirety of the first 3 minute run before wondering how much longer I had left. No more than 10 seconds later and the lady's voice came on the C25k app yelling at me to walk.
The 90 second interval came and went without any issue and then it was time for the second 3 minute interval. This one went pretty well. I had to alter my stride slightly and slow down just a little bit because my breathing went from very controlled at a breath out every 4 or 5 steps to a breath out ever 2 or 3. Once I slowed it down, the run was much more comfortable. Looking forward, the 5 minute runs next week seem a bit daunting but one great thing about this program is it gets you ready for each time the ante is upped. I'm looking forward to surpassing the 20 mile mark on Friday.
Since I was so close at this point and the creature decided to disrupt my running path I had a decision to make. I could continue on my way and hop over him, which would almost surely end badly, I could go wide left to the other side of the road and risk him/her rolling after me, or I could simply go wide right into the grass and be on about my way. Option 3 seemed like the wisest choice and so I quickly made the shift and turned my body slightly to head that way.
The feisty armadillo must have registered my change in movement because, without warning, the little bastard did a quick 180 and darted into the grass; nearly causing me to punt him into the street. I couldn't help but chuckle at the situation as I continued on down the road. As for the actual workout, it went a little bit better than D1. I went through almost the entirety of the first 3 minute run before wondering how much longer I had left. No more than 10 seconds later and the lady's voice came on the C25k app yelling at me to walk.
The 90 second interval came and went without any issue and then it was time for the second 3 minute interval. This one went pretty well. I had to alter my stride slightly and slow down just a little bit because my breathing went from very controlled at a breath out every 4 or 5 steps to a breath out ever 2 or 3. Once I slowed it down, the run was much more comfortable. Looking forward, the 5 minute runs next week seem a bit daunting but one great thing about this program is it gets you ready for each time the ante is upped. I'm looking forward to surpassing the 20 mile mark on Friday.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
H is for humidity
I completed W3D1 last night. With the new week came the start of interval training. Although the overall workout was 2 minutes shorter (28 instead of 30), the intensity raised noticeably. The thing that made last night ever more tiring was the ridiculous humidity which made 81 degrees, at 11PM no less, feel like 89.
The workout started like all the others, with a 5 minute warmup walk. That led into running for 90 seconds and walking for 90 seconds. Here's where things changed, though. After the second bit of walking, I started a 3 minute long run which was followed by a 3 minute walk. That process repeated a second time before ending with a 5 minute cool down walk. At first, the workout wasn't bad since my body is used to running for 90 seconds straight but I wasn't sure what to expect for the 3 minute duration.
Ninety seconds came and went yet I continued to run and my body reacted by sending out a big 'WTF' signal. With about 30 or 40 seconds remaining in the initial 3 minute run, I could feel the workout burn in my legs and kept telling myself that it would be time to walk soon enough. That walk was a nice cool down even though I was still going at a good pace. Next up was the other 3 minute interval which I forced myself to believe wouldn't be bad. And it wasn't. It actually went better than the first, albeit slightly, and I made it home feeling great but tired.
I only went about 2 miles this time around but I was expecting to cover less distance with a shorter workout. W3D2 will be tackled on Wednesday evening, hopefully earlier, and I'm looking forward to it. On a side note, I weighed myself yesterday for the first time since deciding to start this program 3 weeks ago. At that time, I was 210lbs. Fast forward to yesterday, after completing 2 full weeks of the C25k program, I'm down to 205lbs. I knew I'd lose wait eventually by running and it's nice to see it starting so soon. Although I don't have a target weight, I'm hoping to get rid of my slight beer gut before too long.
Until next time...
The workout started like all the others, with a 5 minute warmup walk. That led into running for 90 seconds and walking for 90 seconds. Here's where things changed, though. After the second bit of walking, I started a 3 minute long run which was followed by a 3 minute walk. That process repeated a second time before ending with a 5 minute cool down walk. At first, the workout wasn't bad since my body is used to running for 90 seconds straight but I wasn't sure what to expect for the 3 minute duration.
Ninety seconds came and went yet I continued to run and my body reacted by sending out a big 'WTF' signal. With about 30 or 40 seconds remaining in the initial 3 minute run, I could feel the workout burn in my legs and kept telling myself that it would be time to walk soon enough. That walk was a nice cool down even though I was still going at a good pace. Next up was the other 3 minute interval which I forced myself to believe wouldn't be bad. And it wasn't. It actually went better than the first, albeit slightly, and I made it home feeling great but tired.
I only went about 2 miles this time around but I was expecting to cover less distance with a shorter workout. W3D2 will be tackled on Wednesday evening, hopefully earlier, and I'm looking forward to it. On a side note, I weighed myself yesterday for the first time since deciding to start this program 3 weeks ago. At that time, I was 210lbs. Fast forward to yesterday, after completing 2 full weeks of the C25k program, I'm down to 205lbs. I knew I'd lose wait eventually by running and it's nice to see it starting so soon. Although I don't have a target weight, I'm hoping to get rid of my slight beer gut before too long.
Until next time...
Saturday, June 11, 2011
W2D3 Complete
Last night I completed W2D3 and I'm beginning to notice some improvements both physically and aesthetically. For the last 5 workouts I've tried to focus some of my energy on making sure I went slow and steady which meant reducing the normal length of my strides. I typically wear a size 13 or 14 shoe, depending on the type and brand, but I actually had to go up to a 15 for my running shoes. During the warmup walk, the length of my strides is similar to my normal walking pace I just rebound and move onto the next step quicker than when I'm just strolling along.
Since I'm 6'6", my legs are fairly long so my stride during the warmup walk ends up at about 1.5 shoe lengths so 22 inches; give or take. During the first 5 workouts I shortened my stride down to about 15 inches which may not sound like much but it's actually tough to force yourself to move at the pace of someone a foot shorter than you. Last night, though, I was able to move closer to my normal stride, maybe 2 inches off, while still maintaining a reasonable level of comfort during the run. The strides felt natural instead of forced and my breathing was actually a little bit better. Part of that is due to the fact that my lungs are getting used to the run but I think the fact that I'm not wasting energy focusing on shortening my strides is only helping matters.
At any rate, I'm now 2 weeks into the 9 week program and I'm feeling great. I've gone 14.4 miles so far so, by the end of this next week, I should surpass the 20% mark of my goal of 100 miles by year's end. I'll be out of town this weekend, though, so I won't be starting W3D1 until Monday night after work. This is obviously going to alter my typical running pattern of Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday with two days off before starting the next week. Since I'm slightly anal, I'm planning to go Monday, Wednesday, Friday this week then take just one day off instead of two to get myself back into my normal pattern.
To anyone that's made it through these first 8 posts of my progress, thanks for sticking it out with me. Stay tuned for more posts in the near future.
Since I'm 6'6", my legs are fairly long so my stride during the warmup walk ends up at about 1.5 shoe lengths so 22 inches; give or take. During the first 5 workouts I shortened my stride down to about 15 inches which may not sound like much but it's actually tough to force yourself to move at the pace of someone a foot shorter than you. Last night, though, I was able to move closer to my normal stride, maybe 2 inches off, while still maintaining a reasonable level of comfort during the run. The strides felt natural instead of forced and my breathing was actually a little bit better. Part of that is due to the fact that my lungs are getting used to the run but I think the fact that I'm not wasting energy focusing on shortening my strides is only helping matters.
At any rate, I'm now 2 weeks into the 9 week program and I'm feeling great. I've gone 14.4 miles so far so, by the end of this next week, I should surpass the 20% mark of my goal of 100 miles by year's end. I'll be out of town this weekend, though, so I won't be starting W3D1 until Monday night after work. This is obviously going to alter my typical running pattern of Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday with two days off before starting the next week. Since I'm slightly anal, I'm planning to go Monday, Wednesday, Friday this week then take just one day off instead of two to get myself back into my normal pattern.
To anyone that's made it through these first 8 posts of my progress, thanks for sticking it out with me. Stay tuned for more posts in the near future.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
W2D2: Old man-2, Greg-1
At 11PM tonight, I completed W2D2. I didn't go as far as I typically do, only 2.25 miles, but it still beats sitting on the couch all night. The main issue tonight was that I just didn't have as much energy as I've had the other four days. I was up at 745 this morning to go looking at houses with my wife. At 1, I went to work and didn't get home until about 945. I watched the Heat game until halftime and decided, at about 1030, to go out.
Considering the time, I expected a fairly uneventful workout; didn't think I'd see much other than a car here or there. I ended up being passed by 5 cars but the thing that impressed me the most happened in the middle of my warmup walk. Heading toward me, going in the opposite direction, was a man that had to be in his 70's walking along with a cane. I was surprised to see anyone else out there since we live in such a quiet development but I certainly didn't think I'd see anyone over 40. Then, about 1.5 miles in, I pass the guy again as he's walking into his neighborhood. That old man deserves some recognition for walking 2 miles, with a cane no less, at his age simply for exercise.
Anywho, the run went well and I'm anxious, as usual, for the next workout. I've now done just about 12 miles since I started and I'm finally beginning to feel like I'm making progress. Seven weeks and one day to go.
Considering the time, I expected a fairly uneventful workout; didn't think I'd see much other than a car here or there. I ended up being passed by 5 cars but the thing that impressed me the most happened in the middle of my warmup walk. Heading toward me, going in the opposite direction, was a man that had to be in his 70's walking along with a cane. I was surprised to see anyone else out there since we live in such a quiet development but I certainly didn't think I'd see anyone over 40. Then, about 1.5 miles in, I pass the guy again as he's walking into his neighborhood. That old man deserves some recognition for walking 2 miles, with a cane no less, at his age simply for exercise.
Anywho, the run went well and I'm anxious, as usual, for the next workout. I've now done just about 12 miles since I started and I'm finally beginning to feel like I'm making progress. Seven weeks and one day to go.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
W2D1 Complete
Despite the fact that I had been stuffy and had a slight sinus headache, I went out for the first day of week 2. It felt like ages since the last time I ran but it was purely mental. Barely any discomfort in my legs, even though the intensity moved up a notch, and my breathing was still fine. I also went out two hours earlier than I typically do, since I wanted to be home in time for the Heat game. This was as good a reason as any for me to see why I prefer to run at dusk as opposed to the Sahara-like temperatures when the sun is out in full force.
For week 2, each day starts with a 5 minute warm up walk, followed by alternating 90 seconds of running with 120 seconds of walking, and ending with a 5 minute cool down walk. The extra 30 seconds of running didn't feel like much of a change but I found myself wanting to look at my phone to see how much of the walking was left because the two minutes felt like an eternity.
I sweat a ton today. So much so that I probably could have filled my Aquafina bottle once I emptied the water from it. Oddly enough, though, I didn't get a single mosquito bite even with all the awesomeness exiting my body via my sweat glands. W2D2 should be Tuesday night and I can't wait. I'll surpass the 10 mile mark by the end of my 5 minute warmup walk.
For week 2, each day starts with a 5 minute warm up walk, followed by alternating 90 seconds of running with 120 seconds of walking, and ending with a 5 minute cool down walk. The extra 30 seconds of running didn't feel like much of a change but I found myself wanting to look at my phone to see how much of the walking was left because the two minutes felt like an eternity.
I sweat a ton today. So much so that I probably could have filled my Aquafina bottle once I emptied the water from it. Oddly enough, though, I didn't get a single mosquito bite even with all the awesomeness exiting my body via my sweat glands. W2D2 should be Tuesday night and I can't wait. I'll surpass the 10 mile mark by the end of my 5 minute warmup walk.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
W1D3-With 10% less blood sucking
I started a little bit later tonight than I had planned on thanks to a random forest fire somewhere in SW Florida. Where's Smokey when you need him? The wait was worth it, though. Once I went outside, much of the smell was gone and my breathing was just as controlled throughout the exercise as it was the other two days this week.
My overall distance was the same which puts me at roughly 7.3 miles for the week! Eventually, that number will be closer to 9, at the least, but I think this is a great start. While I was out there, I thought about the 5k that's now 3 months away and whether or not I'd be able to do it. From a cardiovascular standpoint, I don't think I'm far off. My pace will probably be an easy jog for much of the race so it shouldn't be an issue.
The two sticks that propel me, however, still need some work but I've noticed some improvement already and I'm sure there's more to come. I'll be taking the next two days off since there's only 3 days per week in the C25k program. Sunday will mark the beginning of week 2 and I can't wait. As recently as a month ago, if you had told me I'd be thinking that, I would have told you to lay off the crack pipe.
My overall distance was the same which puts me at roughly 7.3 miles for the week! Eventually, that number will be closer to 9, at the least, but I think this is a great start. While I was out there, I thought about the 5k that's now 3 months away and whether or not I'd be able to do it. From a cardiovascular standpoint, I don't think I'm far off. My pace will probably be an easy jog for much of the race so it shouldn't be an issue.
The two sticks that propel me, however, still need some work but I've noticed some improvement already and I'm sure there's more to come. I'll be taking the next two days off since there's only 3 days per week in the C25k program. Sunday will mark the beginning of week 2 and I can't wait. As recently as a month ago, if you had told me I'd be thinking that, I would have told you to lay off the crack pipe.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
W1D2
I completed W1D2 last night, just in time to watch game 1 of the NBA Finals (go Heat). The run went great. I went about the same distance as W1D1 but I focused a lot more on slowing my pace down. A lot of what I've read and heard from other runners stresses a slower run when starting out in this program but it's something that creates a bit of an issue for someone of my stature.
At 6'6" my strides are naturally going to be longer than the average person so going slow essentially means trying to trim the distance of those strides. I've been able to get to about half my normal stride but any less than that and I may as well power-walk. As far as pain is concerned, the little bit that I felt in my calves after W1D1 was nonexistent. I felt some tightness in my shins but it was only when I did the walks between each run and I would equate the feeling to the good burn you get when working out with weights.
My breathing was even steadier last night and I felt great when I finished the 30 minutes. I just wish the mosquitoes would lay off because I may not have any real estate left over for them by the time the 9 weeks is up. I'm planning to tackle W1D3 tomorrow night and start week 2 on Sunday.
At 6'6" my strides are naturally going to be longer than the average person so going slow essentially means trying to trim the distance of those strides. I've been able to get to about half my normal stride but any less than that and I may as well power-walk. As far as pain is concerned, the little bit that I felt in my calves after W1D1 was nonexistent. I felt some tightness in my shins but it was only when I did the walks between each run and I would equate the feeling to the good burn you get when working out with weights.
My breathing was even steadier last night and I felt great when I finished the 30 minutes. I just wish the mosquitoes would lay off because I may not have any real estate left over for them by the time the 9 weeks is up. I'm planning to tackle W1D3 tomorrow night and start week 2 on Sunday.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Light at the end of the tunnel
One thing that makes an endeavor like this possible, despite any instances of your subconscious trying to sway you, is to have a goal in mind outside of simply finishing the program. My goal is compete in the GROW Africa 5k Run/Walk on September 24th in Cape Coral, Fl. Assuming I'm able to complete the program in just 9 weeks, I should be done by the last week of July which would give me a little over a month to train further for the 5k. That's my light at the end of the tunnel. What's yours?
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Week 1 Day 1 (W1D1)
Tonight I completed W1D1 of the C25k program. For those not familiar with the program, each week is comprised of 3 days of running/walking. In the first week, you begin with a 5 minute warmup walk which is followed by alternating 60 seconds of running with 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. You finish with a 5 minute cool-down walk. The difficulty of the program is increased each week and culminates with you being able to run a 5k.
In total, I went about 2.4 miles during tonight's exercise. I haven't done any sort of exercising in a long time so, going into it, I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought I'd be able to finish it but that I'd be very sore at the end and, potentially, out of breath. Thankfully, the opposite was true; to some extent. At the end of the first 2 or 3 "heats" (60 seconds of running), I could feel a tightening and burning sensation in my shins and calves that got progressively worse. However, after the 4th heat, the pain remained the same and eventually got duller as the exercise went on.
By the time I reached the cool-down walk I could feel it in my shins and calves but I wouldn't say I actually felt pain. I guess the best description would be the burn after a good workout where you know that you woke the muscles up and did things right. I was also fine with my breathing. As I ran and walked, I regulated my breathing to a slow breath in and a slow breath out. At the end, I was still breathing fairly close to how I normally do so I'm taking that as a sign that I'll be able to do this program if I keep my mind to it.
I'm planning to tackle W1D2 on Tuesday or Wednesday evening and you can bet a post that may not be seen by anyone not related to me will be here shortly after. Thanks for reading.
Here's a map view of the course I took today:
In total, I went about 2.4 miles during tonight's exercise. I haven't done any sort of exercising in a long time so, going into it, I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought I'd be able to finish it but that I'd be very sore at the end and, potentially, out of breath. Thankfully, the opposite was true; to some extent. At the end of the first 2 or 3 "heats" (60 seconds of running), I could feel a tightening and burning sensation in my shins and calves that got progressively worse. However, after the 4th heat, the pain remained the same and eventually got duller as the exercise went on.
By the time I reached the cool-down walk I could feel it in my shins and calves but I wouldn't say I actually felt pain. I guess the best description would be the burn after a good workout where you know that you woke the muscles up and did things right. I was also fine with my breathing. As I ran and walked, I regulated my breathing to a slow breath in and a slow breath out. At the end, I was still breathing fairly close to how I normally do so I'm taking that as a sign that I'll be able to do this program if I keep my mind to it.
I'm planning to tackle W1D2 on Tuesday or Wednesday evening and you can bet a post that may not be seen by anyone not related to me will be here shortly after. Thanks for reading.
Here's a map view of the course I took today:
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
First things first
I've contemplated the idea of getting myself back into shape quite a bit over the past year but I keep pushing it to the side, saying I'll get to it sooner or later. Over that time, I've developed a bit of a beer gut. Not so much a belly, but a little pouch that goes out about an inch or two. It could be worse, but I don't want to let it reach that point. Instead, after talking to various runners and doing some research, I've decided enough is enough. It's high time I take the first step toward getting myself into shape.
While doing some research on the topic of running, I stumbled across the C25K, or Couch to 5k, program. Basically, it's a 9 week workout program where one goes from a sedentary lifestyle to being able to participate in a 5k. Ideally, I'll be able to run the whole thing. For detailed information on the program, check out this site:
www.c25k.com
I will be updating this blog, at the very least, after every exercise section is completed. At the end of it all, I'll hopefully be prepared to participate in a 5k. At that point I will be posting information about the event and my experience with it. To anyone who ends up taking the time to read this: thank you. This blog will serve as my journal throughout the program and, hopefully, inspiration for someone else to start it themselves.
While doing some research on the topic of running, I stumbled across the C25K, or Couch to 5k, program. Basically, it's a 9 week workout program where one goes from a sedentary lifestyle to being able to participate in a 5k. Ideally, I'll be able to run the whole thing. For detailed information on the program, check out this site:
www.c25k.com
I will be updating this blog, at the very least, after every exercise section is completed. At the end of it all, I'll hopefully be prepared to participate in a 5k. At that point I will be posting information about the event and my experience with it. To anyone who ends up taking the time to read this: thank you. This blog will serve as my journal throughout the program and, hopefully, inspiration for someone else to start it themselves.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)