Category Archives: Running Indoors

Couch to 5K Week 5 Wrap Up

With the week coming to a close, I’ve completed yet another week of my Zen Labs Couch to 5K program and I’m on my way to hopefully being able to run my first full 5K race. Week 5 definitely came with it’s challenges as two of my three days were spent running indoors on the treadmill due to timing issues. Day one seemed to be a normal routine and I’ve definitely become accustomed to it.

Week 5 Day 1 (31 minutes)

5 minute warm up

5 minute jog

3 minute walk

5 minute jog

3 minute walk

5 minute jog

5 minute cool down

Day two of this week’s training brought me less intervals with higher run times. While they weren’t any issues I definitely found myself noticing the additional run time the training program threw in, but I survived. Day two was done indoors on the treadmill as I had to resort to an evening run and it was just too hot outside. Needless to say I still sweat my butt off even though I was indoors.

Week 5 Day 2 (31 minutes)

5 minute warm up

8 minute jog

5 minute walk

8 minute jog

5 minute cool down

Day three however brought the ultimate surprise for me. See I normally pay attention to what the program has in store for me but for some strange reason I failed to check ahead to see what day three had to offer. I was actually quite shocked after I finished my five minute warm up and the program told me to jog for 20 minutes. Yes that’s right the program had me running for 20 minutes which the wife came running into the spare room as I started yelling obscenities as I’m running. I accomplished the entire 20 minutes without slowing down or stopping at all. The pace remained consistent throughout the entire run and I finished strong.

Week 5 Day 3 (30 minutes)

5 minute warm up

20 minute jog

5 cool down

With my first five weeks in the books I’m feeling more confident about being able to run a full 5K from start to finish, but I’m still a bit off from accomplishing this goal that I’ve set for myself.

 

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For those who have done the Couch to 5K, which portion of the training did you find the hardest? How did you manage to make it through?

Couch to 5K Catch Up

For those who have been following my progress on the Couch to 5K, I’m a few days behind so I’ll do a wrap up of the past few days. Last week I was able to complete Week 2 Days 2 and 3 which obviously were an exact mirror of Day 1. I did change the experience a bit by doing one day outside and the other inside on the treadmill. I’ll have to admit even with as miserable it is out in the afternoon I still preferred to be outdoors. The heat was a tad bit unbearable but still worth it in the end over the treadmill. Treadmill training seems to have a negative effect on me; yes, it’s convenient but definitely not the same as being outdoors. Day 2 and 3 workouts were the same but I could tell a definite difference with indoor training vs. outdoors. The indoor training, while convenient, lacked the mental stimulation that you get from outdoors. The heat, humidity and over all change of scenery is what I require to keep me motivated.

Week 3 Day 1 did bring some changes as I’m starting to run/walk in longer intervals and it definitely feels a bit different but in a good way. I’ve noticed on my running portions that I’m able to pace myself and not feel any winding or fatigue from the increased intervals. The one thing I’m sure of is I’m definitely seeing the progress and I’m confident I’ll make my goal of running my first full 5K.

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sunday run

What type of training have you done in the past to train for any events? How did it help you prepare?

Couch to 5K Week 2 Day 1

This past Sunday brought me to the beginning of week 2 of the Couch to 5K program and this week was a slight modification of week 1. Week 2 brought an additional 30 seconds of running per interval and also an additional 30 seconds of walking for each interval. The change on the running portion was so subtle that I didn’t even notice the additional time and it felt great. Even the additional walking time was hardly noticeable on this training run. The total training time for this run was 31 minutes and which was just a minute over last week’s training sessions. Week 1 and 2 of the Couch to 5K consisted of the following workouts that I’ve listed below.

Week 2 Day 1

Week 1 workout: 8 minutes jog time and 12 minutes walking

5 Minute Warm up

(8) 60 Second Jogs

(8) 90 Second Walk

5 Minute Cool down

Week 2 workout: 9 Minutes jog time and 12 minutes walking

5 Minute Warm up

(6) 90 Second Jogs

(6) 120 Second Walk

5 Minute Cool Down

Week 1 didn’t appear to be that bad even though I ran 2 of the 3 days on the treadmill due to weather. The beginning of every week is run at the the Memorial Causeway in Clearwater and I wished I could do all 3 days there but time doesn’t permit me to during the week. Week 2 felt pretty much the same for me even though week 2 only added 1 additional minute of running. The intervals were longer and there were fewer, but I noticed my pace seemed a bit faster on the runs.

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photo 2

What training have you done to complete your first 5K? Was it a schedule you created yourself?

Couch to 5K Week 1 Day 3

Week 1 Day 3 of the Couch to 5K training is in the books and I’m happy to report I’m still hanging in there. While the routines were the same I noticed that my walk and run paces for day one had to be bumped on Day 3 as I felt they were too slow. The paces that I felt most comfortable with were 3.5 mph walk and 6.5 mph run. My warm up and cool down pace are always 3.0 mph, but other than that I’ve felt comfortable enough to increase my pace. I’m sure that there are some that’ll tell me to take it slow and let the program guide me, but I’ve never been one to go slow. Being committed to the program and my goal I’ve determined that the weather isn’t going to hold me back. I found myself on Day 3 having to seek the shelter of the indoors due to weather but I’m ok with that. Running indoors on the treadmill seems a bit boring as you’re generally staring at the same area, but I try to focus on the run rather than the fact that I’m indoors. Looking forward to the future training I’ve seen they take the walk duration down and running time up as you would expect but it’s a gradual approach. Over time I’m sure the goal of myself running a full 5k will be met and then some. Over the next few weeks I’ll keep you informed on my progress and what I’ve observed while completing the program.

W1D3

What type of training have you done to prepare for your first 5k? How do you feel it prepared you for your first timed event?

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