Couch to 5K, Week 5, Day 3 Reprise #1

I tried this one last night - 5 minute warm up walk, then 20 straight minutes of running. I didn't quite make it. After 10 minutes of running, I had to slow down to a walk for a minute to take a sip of Gatorade (note to self - pour into sports bottle next time!). After I went back to running, I only made it 3 minutes more. But hey, I can run for 10 minutes!

I'll give it a try again tomorrow . . .

Couch to 5K - Week 5, Day 2 Reprise

Yesterday I went to the gym to do my running. It was less than 100 degrees, but still over 90. I've told myself I'm not going to run outside until it's 85 or below. Of course, that could be *ages* from now. But, better to run on the treadmill than pass out.

So anyway, I did Couch to 5K Week 5, Day 2. Since I am doing it with the podcasts this time I'm basing on time, not distance like I did before. The interval is:
5-minute warm up walk
8-minute run
5-minute walk
8-minute run

After the warmup, the distance is supposed to be 2 miles. The problem is that 2 miles in 21 minutes is just over a 10-minute mile, which is *way* too fast for me. So, I am counting the 5-minute warm up walk in my distance.

I was disappointed with my 2-miles-in-31-minutes time from Tuesday because I know I ultimately need to be faster than that. So, yesterday I tried to kick it up a bit. About 5 minutes into the 2nd run interval, I started to feel like I couldn't do it. But, instead of slowing down to a walk, I just reduced the speed a couple of notches so I was still running, but not as fast. I made it through 2 minutes and then reduced it one more notch for the last minute. But, I did run the whole 8 minutes!

I still wasn't quite up to 2 miles when the podcast ended so I kept at the walking speed until I got there. In the end, I did 2 miles in 28:38 minutes, which I was happy with.

Couch to 5K - 2 Mile Run - I did it!

Last night, I ran two miles!! Yeah for me!!

My original goal when I started running was to be able to run 5K by my birthday. But, since I struggled so much with hitting the 2-mile mark, it was pretty clear that wasn't going to happen. So, I dialed that back to 2 miles.

Well, over the weekend we were just flat lazy, and we didn't run. We swore we'd go Monday. Except we were under a tornado warning, so going for a run didn't really seem like the best idea.

So yesterday, my big birthday celebration was to go running!

I had lamented on the Nest that I couldn't seem to get past the 2-mile hurdle. One piece of advice I received was to change up the route I run. The problem with that was that we didn't know of any other places in town where the mileage is marked off, like it is at the park where we've been running. One of the other Nestie runners told me about a cool website, http://www.mapmyrun.com, where you can use a Google map to map out a run and it will tell you how far it is. So, I mapped out a 2-mile route (actually, it was 2.08 miles) starting from another park and running through a really nice neighborhood. (Obviously, I like to run in places with good scenery!)

I did walk a tiny bit (about a block) but other than that, I ran the whole way! It was a great way to celebrate my birthday.

Then we went to the grocery store and bought a cake and some chips for dinner. That was pretty funny - two people who had obviously just finished exercising checking out of the grocery store with two bags of chips and a Boston Creme cake.

Couch to 5K - 2 Mile Run, Attempt #4

Still no success! Blech!

We went last night. It was very windy, so that really killed me. Running into the wind really made it harder. I walked a lot. I don't even want to discuss how much.

I don't really have anything else to say. Tomorrow will be another attempt.

Couch to 5K - 2 mile run, attempt #3

Yesterday was my third attempt at running 2 miles - and the third time was not the charm!

Alec did not feel like running, but I made him go with me anyway. We took River and he walked with her while I ran. At least I ran faster than they can walk! Of course River has to stop and smell everything so that slows down the pace quite a bit. River was funny barking at the ducks and geese at the park. She doesn't have much experience with them; I don't think she knew what to make of them.

Anyway, enough about River. This post is supposed to be about running. I ran the first full mile, then went a little further after the turn back than last time. Probably not more than a few yards, but still further. Then I had to stop for a short walk. I started running again at the same place as before. I stopped for a walk at the same spot and walked for the same distance. By this time I had caught back up to Alec and River, so Alec made me run a little further than I wanted to (of course). After another short walk, I ran to the end.

I hope that by the end of the week, I'll be able to do the whole 2 miles. I wanted to be doing 5K by my birthday, but that's not going to happen, so I hope I can at least say I did 2 miles by then!

Couch to 5K - 2 Mile Run - Attempt #2

Yesterday, I made my second attempt at a 2-mile run. It had been a week since we last ran - ugh - too long! We don't really have any good excuses. Just laziness.

It was another nice day, so we went back to the same park. I wanted to try and run slower - it was hard for Alec to slow down enough! He kept running backwards, zig-zagging on the path, running ahead and doubling back - anything to slow down to my pace.

I did walk some, but not as much as last time. I ran the whole first mile, then a little bit back. Then I had to walk for a bit. I walked two more times after that. I'd estimate that it was no more than 1/4 mile total.

I drank a lot of water throughout the day in an effort to make sure I was more hydrated for the run - and that helped. I did not get nearly as thirsty this time.

I'll make another attempt hopefully tomorrow. I am going to try not to be lazy! The 5K is only 3 weeks away!

Couch to 5K, Week 5, Day 3

I attempted Couch to 5K Week 5, Day 3 on Wednesday. It was a nice day, so Alec and I decided to check out an outdoor trail near our gym. It's not marked off in intervals, but there was a sign that said it was 2 miles out & back. Normally it's a loop, but there's construction going on, so part of the path is cut off. Since the goal for was 2 miles, we decided to go ahead and run there. We didn't do a warm up walk, just started out with a slow jog.

I started out OK. I was breathing pretty hard, so Alec tried to help me work on that. I got pretty tired and wanted to walk a couple times on the way out, but Alec wouldn't let me. So, I ran the whole first mile, minus a very brief stop to try & get a drink of water - but the fountain did not work - I guess the water is off for the construction. But, I was really tired, so I had to start out walking back. I wanted to walk the whole way, but of course Alec wouldn't let me!

Since there were no markers, I have no idea how far I walked - I took 3 different walk breaks, maybe a 1/2 mile total?

I also don't know how fast I went. Neither of us has a digital watch or anything to time with.

The whole thing was pretty hard. For one thing, it's obviously hard to control the pace and Alec thinks we were running about a 10 minute mile on the way out, so that's a lot faster than I've ever done in the gym, which is probably why I was so tired after the 1st mile. For another thing, I didn't drink enough before we left so I got really thirsty, and like I said the water fountains were broken. Then, there's the breathing - I don't breathe right so I have to work on that.

It was fun to run outside though, and the trail is pretty nice so I think we will go there again.

Couch to 5K - Week 5, Days 1 & 2

This week, things get harder. The running intervals are longer, and Day 3 is a 2-mile run with no walking! But, that's getting ahead of myself.

Day 1 was Friday. I actually tried to do it Thursday, but there was this girl on the treadmill next to me that had on such a strong perfume or scented lotion or something that I couldn't stand it. I had to leave. It was kind of ironic, because there had been a thread on The Nest earlier that day about wearing makeup to the gym and most girls said they didn't and didn't get those women who do full makeup, hair and perfume to just go work out! But, I digress.

So Friday I went back to do it again. The interval was run 1/2 mile, walk 1/4 mile, run 1/2 mile, walk 1/4 mile and run 1/2 mile for a total of 2 miles. This was not as bad as I thought it would be. I did the first run at 13:19 pace, and then slowed down to 13:37 for the second & third. At this point, finishing is more important to me than speed. I still finished in 28:58, so I was happy with that.

Day 2 was yesterday. This one was run 3/4 mile, walk 1/2 mile and run 3/4 mile, again for a total of 2 miles. I did the 13:37 pace for the running. This interval was hard. After walking 1/2 mile I didn't really want to start running again. I get what they're trying to do, with increasing the running, but it was still difficult. I might have preferred to do a 1/4 mile walk and then the second run have done a mile.

I did get a nifty new headband on Saturday - don't worry, it's not one of those 80's style terrycloth bands. It's from Nike and it's a wicking material so it absorbs some of the sweat from my hairline. It definitely helped.

I am going to try to do the 2-mile run tonight.

Couch to 5K, Week 4 is Complete! and I am Radioactive!

There was a thread on the Nest today about euphemisms used by "proper" Southern women. One of them was "Southern women don't sweat, they glow." I was thinking about that as I was dying on the treadmill and decided if that's true, I must be radioactive. Maybe that's TMI, but it's true.

So anyway, I finished Couch to 5K, Week 4. Finally! I ran Sunday and again today. I *so* did not want to go today. But I did. I was *so* tempted to not do the whole interval. But I did.

I was looking at my calendar tonight and the 5K we want to do is April 19. That means if I keep to 3 days per week, I will complete Week 9 (the last week) just a few days prior. So, I need to keep on trucking.

Couch to 5K - Week 4, Day 1 - 4th Time's the Charm

Last night, I finally accomplished this interval! Go, me! My time for the 2 miles was 28:38.

I almost made it on Monday, but I paused during my run to take a call from my mom. I normally wouldn't have done this, but I was concerned that she had been at Appalachian State in Boone during a lockdown they had after a gunman was reported on campus. (She's on a committee that normally meets there on Mondays.) So, I'd called her and she called me back while I was running. It turned out that she wasn't there, and then it turned out that the whole thing was a hoax. Anyway, she called while I was running and of course I wanted to talk to her! The treadmills at the gym don't pause for very long so I lost my place and skipped ahead to the next interval to start over. I think I only had about 1/10 mile left of running, but I'm a stickler so I'm not going to count it. Plus, I was resting while I was talking to her.

Anyway, now I just need to manage 2 more days of this interval. But I've done it once so I'm sure I can do it again.

This weekend we're going to check out one of the local parks that has a running/walking trail and see if it's marked off for distance. I would like to start varying my workout by running outside, especially since daylight savings time changes on Sunday so it will be light later. But, I'm really bad at judging distance, so I would like to do it somewhere that the distance is marked for me.

Couch to 5K - Week 4, Day 1 - Take 2

I got back in the saddle (or back on the treadmill if you want to be literal!) yesterday. It was better than Tuesday, but I still didn't actually complete the interval.

I did slow down a little. I figure it's better to make it to the end than to try to be fast. So, I did my running intervals at 13:19 and my walking at 17:08. I did finish the first 3 running intervals, but stopped about .25 miles before the end of the 4th one.

My clothes were better - I wore actual running socks - a cute new purple pair from Kate - and shorts instead of pants.

I was also able to find a small radio w/ headphones at Best Buy on Wednesday. So, I was able to listen to the TV while I ran. So, thank you Chris Matthews and "Hardball" for keeping my mind occupied by something other than how much distance was going by. Music would be better, but this will do until I can save up for an iPod Nano. The Shuffle is a lot less expensive, but the Nano is what I really want and I'd rather spend that kind of money on something I'll be happy with than settle.

So, all in all, it was a better run than Tuesday. Hopefully the 3rd time will be the charm and I'll be able to do the whole interval when I run this weekend!

Couch to 5K - Week 4, Day 1

This was my worst run yet! I didn't even finish the interval series. Like I said yesterday, this was the first week that goes by distance instead of time and it was 2 miles, so 3/4 mile farther than I've done before.

The interval is supposed to be:
5 minute warm-up walk
Jog 1/4 mile
Walk 1/8 mile
Jog 1/2 mile
Walk 1/4 mile
Jog 1/4 mile
Walk 1/8 mile
Jog 1/2 mile

I made it through the first 2 jogs ok. The first one I did I think a 12:45 pace. The second I slowed down to a 13:02 pace, as I was pretty sure there was no way I could sustain the faster pace. During the 3rd interval, I stopped running about 2/10 mile in and started walking. I tried to start running again for the last interval, but didn't get far at all. So I walked the rest of the way. Ultimately, I did the 2 miles, but with way more walking than running.

Besides just getting tired, there were two other things that contributed to it's being a bad run. First was my clothes. I wore "regular" socks b/c all my running socks were dirty. So, those were bothering me. Plus, the seams from my pants (which I've run in before) were irritating my legs. Obviously the solution here is to make sure I wear running socks and not to wear those pants anymore. I usually just dress at home so I don't have to take a gym bag. Yesterday it was too cold to wear shorts outside. I guess I am going to have to start taking a bag so I can wear shorts.

The second thing was I was BORED! I don't have an mp3 player and our gym has an ancient TV system where you have to have an FM radio receiver to hear the TV's. I went by Target after I left the gym to see if they had any small FM radios w/ headphones but they didn't. I am going to check Best Buy today.

So, I'll be repeating this "day" again tomorrow and every day until I get it!

Couch to 5K - Week 3 Days 2 & 3

I am done with Couch to 5K, week 3!

Day 2 - Friday
I kicked the running up a notch on the treadmill, but kept the walking speed the same - so my running intervals were at a 12:45 pace and my walking still at 16:39. I forgot to write down my distance, though. Running at that speed wasn't too bad, though the 2nd 3-minute interval was hard.

Day 3 - Sunday
I was all over the place with my pace this time. I wasn't feeling too well, but decided to try and push through. I did both 1.5-minute jogs at 12:30. The first 3-minute jog I did 12:45. By the second 3-minute jog I was starting to feel a little worse so I did 1.5 minutes at 12:45 and slowed down to 13:02 for the rest. I did keep track of my distance, though and I went 1.25 miles, so a bit farther than Day 1.

Today I am going to start Week 4, which begins tracking the intervals by distance instead of time. The total distance is 2 miles, so that's farther than I've gone.

Couch to 5K - Week 3, Day 1

I actually did this Tuesday, but I just realized I never posted about it.

This week got *much* harder. As always, it starts with a 5-minute warm-up. Then jog 1.5 minutes, walk 1.5 minutes (not so bad, right? just wait . . .). Then, jog 3 minutes(!) and walk 3 minutes. Repeat that pattern. I did the same paces as I had before - 13:02 for the jogging and 16:39 for the walking. The time only adds up to 18 minutes (as opposed to 20 for the last round) so I only went 1.22 miles.

13 minute miles is our goal for Disney, but Alec says I should still try to be faster for a 5K. So, next time I'm going to try to kick the running up 1 notch on the speed next time I run - I am going to try to go tonight, and then Sunday.

Couch to 5K - Week 2 is Complete!

Today I did Week 2, Day 3 of Couch to 5K. I really didn't want to run at all. I had kind of a frustrating day of work. But, I figured I could either sit at the computer and stress, or get off my butt and go run. Plus, I didn't run this weekend - I planned it for Sunday so Rick could go to and then I ended up being sick. So, I knew if I didn't go today, I would end up in a downward spiral.

I didn't up my speeds from Thursday - I did the exact same pace for the exact same distance. It was very much a "just put one foot in front of the other and get through it run." Not fun, not really any big sense of accomplishment.

And don't get me started on the kids on the treadmills beside me. . . or the staff at the gym's front desk who didn't seem to be the least bit concerned that two of the treadmills weren't even working. . . or the fact that when I got back in the car, I forgot that I had tossed my sunglasses on the seat and promptly sat on them and broke them. . .

So basically, I ran. I finished Week 2. There are 333 days until the race.

Couch to 5K - Week 2, Days 1 & 2

Tuesday, I started Week 2 of Couch to 5K. This week, the routine is a 5-minute warm-up walk, then alternating 1.5 minutes of running with 2 mintues of walking for 20 minutes total.

Since I had a hard time during Week 1 keeping up with the timing of the runs and walks, I decided to make myself a little notebook that I could prop on the treadmill where I would list the times when I should switch. I did that for Day 1 and brought it along to the gym with me. It really helped, because I wasn't constantly thinking, "what time did I start running?" and "do I stop at 3 minutes or 3:30". I also wrote down the speeds at which I did my running and walking and also the distance I went.

Then I lost the notebook. Well, "lost" is too strong a word. More like, "misplaced in my really messy office." I know it was here, I even remember moving it. I just don't know where to. Anyway . . .

For Day 1, I have no idea how far I went. I am pretty sure I did my running at a 13:02 minute mile pace and my walking at a 16:39 minute mile pace. I know it was around 1.3 miles, because I remember thinking that even though I ran for longer spurts, I ran at a slower pace than my last day of Week 1, which is why I didn't go further.

Today, I did Day 2. I got a different notebook and wrote out my intervals again. My pace was 13:02 for the running and 16:39 for the walking. I went 1.35 miles.

Days until the race: 338.

Couch to 5K - Week 1, Days 2 & 3

As of yesterday, I finished week 1 of the Couch to 5K program! Go, me!

Friday I did day 2. I wasn't able to keep track of my stats, though because I had to pause the treadmill mid-workout when I felt something in my shoe. While I was doing that, the treadmill reset itself. I guess I stayed paused too long. So, I lost the info on how far I'd gone. Luckily, I remembered how much time I'd done, so I was able to complete the workout, time-wise.

Yesterday, I did day 3. I went 1.36 miles in 20 minutes, which was a bit faster than what I did on day 1.

So, that's week 1 down with 341 days before the 1/2 marathon (as of yesterday).

I added a countdown ticker to the race over there on the right side of the blog, so everyone can keep track! I know all my readers are very excited!

Couch to 5K, Week 1, Day 1 (again!)

I haven't run since my last post about running. I don't even really have a good excuse. Except that we thought we needed for Alec to be at the gym with me so I could get the Channel 6 spouse's discount. Turns out we could have done it over the phone. But, oh well. At least now I am all signed up and I can go whenever I want even if Alec is too tired.

Since it's been so long, I decided to start the program over again from day 1. To recap, this is a 5-minute warm-up walk followed by alternating 60 seconds of running with 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes. This time I did remember to make a note of my distance when the warm-up was over so I could calculate how far I went during the actual workout. I did 1.32 miles in 20 minutes. I don't know how long the first mile took, which is the time I posted last time. So I basically have no comparison to that run.

Days Until the 2009 Disney 1/2 Marathon: 346.