Tag Archives: Running

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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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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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.

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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?

Couch to 5k Week 1 Day 2

Week 1 Day 2 is in the books and I honestly thought it wasn’t going to happen. The work schedule has been kind of weird and I find the evenings are the times that’ll work best for me. With that being said as I’m driving home it was dark and the thunder was rumbling so I knew the outdoors wasn’t going to happen so I took it to the treadmill. With my iPhone in hand I walked back into the spare bedroom and hopped on the treadmill to kick of Day 2. The hardest part was figuring out my pace, I know my paces outside but never really pay attention to them. So after kicking off the app and starting my training I finally found my paces and I was a tad bit surprised. My walking pace at minimum turned out to be 3.5 mph and my running pace for the intervals was 6.5 mph. The intervals were exactly the same as Day 1 but I found myself a bit more comfortable running and wanting to run more, but fought the urge and followed the training to the “t”. I know I have a long way to go but I feel as if I’m on the right track and definitely looking forward to the end result.

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Do you skip your training when the weather doesn’t permit? Which do you prefer indoor or outdoor training?

Couch to 5k Week 1 Day 1

Confusion has probably set in on those who just read the “Couch to 5K Week 1 Day 1” title as I’ve already ran several 5k races. With taking as much time off as I have and some knee problems starting to progressively get worse I’ve decided to start from square one. My first 5k I ran in February 2013 with minimal training. Even though I did well on my time, I didn’t totally run the 5k which is now my goal. I’d like to run a 5k from start to finish and have a respectable time. After speaking to several people who had never ran and trained they all suggested the Couch to 5k so I thought I’d give it a try. I went thru iTunes and found a C25K – 5K trainer from Zen Labs and that’s the app that I’ll be using throughout my 5k training.

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Looking thru the workouts it’ll be a 3 day a week program for a total of 8 weeks. Week 1 day 1 was 30 minute workout with walking/running intervals. The program started with a 5 minute warm up then into a 1 minute run. The 1 minute run was followed by a 90 second walk then repeat the process. Day 1 wasn’t too bad and I feel as if I’m off to a good start.

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So I chose to start Week one Day 1 at my most favorite place in the world (sensing a bit of sarcasm) – the Memorial Causeway. I say that jokingly of course as I actually do love that bridge. We met several years back and it’s been a love/hate relationship. I love the bridge and the challenge it offers but my knees hate it. Going forward the first day of the week for the entire program will be done at the bridge but days 2 and 3 will be done in the neighborhood as time doesn’t always permit me to go to the bridge. One thing is for sure, by the time the Best Damn Race comes around in 2014 I’ll be able to say that was the first Damn race I totally ran.

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What type of training have you done to prepare for your running? What type of progression have you seen over the years as you continue to train?

Failing a Challenge

Those familiar with me know I’ll never back down from a challenge so when the “Run Every Day in May Challenge “popped up I joined. At first I thought it would be a piece of cake and I’d breeze right through it, but the further into the month I got….. the harder it was. I’ll admit I made it ¾ of the way through the challenge before I gave in. Week one I was all pumped up and ready to take on the challenge, but by the end of week two it seemed monotonous and I was ready for it to be over. Week three brought procrastination and contempt for running and I actually found myself running the treadmill one night at 8:30 as I felt guilt for even thinking of skipping that day. Missing one day was the start of my downward spiral on the challenge and the end of my streak. That’s the one big difference between the wife and me. The wife runs because it’s her time to forget about everything and de-stress. For me on the other hand I run because I need to lose weight and also helps with my conditioning for paintball. While I’ve been slacking over the past few weeks (and it shows) I actually went for a birthday run with the wife Saturday. Granted it was under 1.5 miles we still went and I survived, barely but I did. I opted to skip this morning’s run but I have a feeling I’ll end up on the treadmill this afternoon for a mile or so to get back into a schedule.

Sleepy

Gaspiralla

Have you ever taken on a challenge only to fail?

This body was made for running?

Some years ago when I was in high school I played football. For those who knew me back then it wasn’t a stretch as I was 5’10 and 220lbs. I wasn’t the biggest guy but I managed to hold my own when it came to football. Here I am twenty-three years later with two bum knees and about ten extra pounds from what I was in high school so what do I do? I decide to take up, running of course. I know I’ll never be a runner to take on a marathon or even a half marathon, but I’m using running to try and reclaim my body and fitness level I was at in high school. The years of physical torture from football seems to have taken to my knees the most. Over the years it’s no secret that I’ve been in and out of training at the gym and managed to drop below what I was in high school, but quickly fell out of the routine and gained it all back and then some. Finding those activities and knowing my limits for what my knees can endure have been a constant challenge but I do have this knowledge. What I choose to do with it is a different story. I’ve been searching for that motivating factor to get me to commit to the gym 100%, but have yet to do so. Over the next few weeks I’ll have to do some soul searching and see what it’ll take to motivate me but for now nothing I seem to do or say works for me.

Have you ever lost motivation or desire to continue your fitness journey? What did you do to motivate or rekindle that spark or desire to continue on your journey?

New shoes for the road

The last few runs for me have been painful (both figuratively and literally). I’ve managed to get major shin splints which have caused me to do more walking than running. This past Saturday the wife and I went to Fit2Run over at International Plaza in Tampa so I could have a gait analysis done to see if it was my shoes. After arriving we were greeted by one of their sales staff and we proceeded to tell him about my issues. We discussed many things and then we proceeded to doing some tests so we can see if I had the proper shoe. They first did analysis on my feet which would show them the arch of my feet and how my weight is distributed. We then discussed shoes and we tried out a few pairs with me taking the new ones for a test run on the treadmill. I only ran for a minute on the treadmill but I could tell immediately the difference between my shoes and the proper shoe. That being said I made sure they came home with me so I could test them out. After trying on several pairs I ended up with the Asics Gel-Nimbus because they seemed to be the best fit for me and my training needs. The fit was perfect and the padding made it feel like I was walking on air.

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Sunday morning the wife and I woke up and went the Memorial Causeway for our weekly challenge of the bridge. It’s not really a challenge, but more like a test to see how we’ve both progressed in our training. She’s managed to progress and I’m at a stage to where I’m maintaining, which I’m perfectly fine with given the current issues with my shins. I’m very pleased to announce I ran my first day in my new shoes with far less shin issues than I’ve had in the past. I did have minimal pain, but I believe they could be irritated from running with the wrong shoe for so long. Given time I’ll make it to my end goal, but for now I’m taking it day by day. I’m now armed with the knowledge and the proper shoes to take me to the next level.

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Have you ever experienced pains or discomfort during any physical activities? What did you do to help correct the problem?

Land of Confusion

If I could sum up my life this past week “Land of Confusion” would pretty much tell it all. With everything needing extra attention and time I never even had enough time to blog. The week held many twists and turns that would prove to test me both physically and mentally. The week started off with a bang as it’s the end of the quarter and that means quarterly review time. While I went into it knowing full well what to expect, this was the one and only item that didn’t throw me for a loop.

Wednesday the wife and I went to the Memorial Causeway to continue her training for her upcoming half marathon next weekend. Confusion seemed to set in as I was barely able to complete the same route that I’ve been doing forever. The past few weeks show continuous progress for both of us, yet I feel as if I’m going backwards with the way I felt this past week of running.

Next up on the confusion hit list is my weight. I’ve been on what feels like a rollercoaster for the past few months. The constant ups and downs have really started to take a toll on me as it’s slowly starting to kill my motivation. I have no idea as to why this is happening , but I feel as if some sort of change needs to happen in order to help break this vicious cycle I appear to be in with my weight.

The last item on my list is paintball, see I haven’t been able to play for almost two months now and I was able to go Saturday to play which proved to be fun. Plagued by chronic problems from a simple O-ring to a non-functional marker where the highlights of my weekend. Don’t get me wrong I was still able to have fun, but now I find myself sitting here now needing to perform repairs. I’m sure it’ll take an hour or so to perform the repairs, but still an hour of time I could be doing so many other things.

What was the worst week you’ve ever had? What made it so bad?

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