Well, I finished my first week of workouts. Yesterday was tough - I jogged/walked on a trail at work, rather than on the sidewalks around my neighborhood (and discovered that I hate running on a trail as much as I hate biking on one ). It was windy, too - made worse by the fact that I forgot to tie my hair before getting out there. I did the whole thing, though.

On to week 2!

Genesia said:

Well, I finished my first week of workouts. Yesterday was tough - I jogged/walked on a trail at work, rather than on the sidewalks around my neighborhood (and discovered that I hate running on a trail as much as I hate biking on one ). It was windy, too - made worse by the fact that I forgot to tie my hair before getting out there. I did the whole thing, though.

On to week 2!

Way to go!

I actually prefer running on paths cause the ground is generally softer than sidewalks. Interesting you don't like it - or is it just cause there are more people in your way?

CarrieMpls said:

Genesia said:

Well, I finished my first week of workouts. Yesterday was tough - I jogged/walked on a trail at work, rather than on the sidewalks around my neighborhood (and discovered that I hate running on a trail as much as I hate biking on one ). It was windy, too - made worse by the fact that I forgot to tie my hair before getting out there. I did the whole thing, though.

On to week 2!

Way to go!

I actually prefer running on paths cause the ground is generally softer than sidewalks. Interesting you don't like it - or is it just cause there are more people in your way?

Most of this trail is pretty new, which means the surface is still rather "shifty" and soft. So I sort of feel like I'm having to work hard to make headway - and losing energy to the trail (if that makes sense).

artist76 said:

I first had couch to 5k, then got the 10k. I'm on week 4, day 3. It says I have the badge for "1/2 way to 5k," but actually I'm already running 3 miles. I am NOT a runner either. I don't like to sweat, and I don't like my boobies bouncing. I swim recreationally, and did occasional leisure bike rides along the beach, but really no exercise otherwise. I am not overweight, don't smoke, and eat pretty healthy more or less. So when I started the 5k (now 10k) program, it was not easy, but not unmanageable either. I like that the program portions out the time and the gradual increase for you. I don't know if this makes sense, but without this program as a guide, I'd probably do too little (like, running for 5 minutes straight seems like forever) AND also do too much (what, walk for 4 minutes then run for just 2? I can do more then that! Or, I can keep run/walking more than 30 minutes!). I remember trying to start a couple of years ago, and I pushed myself running 15 minutes straight and then I felt so bad the next days that I didn't get back to running. So this gradual paced program helps. I stop and walk when it tells me to and run when it tells me to, whether I think I can/need to or not. After they first couple of weeks, I started doing the program every other day instead of 3x per week. I'm almost at that point that people talk about, where you want to go do it because your body misses it - ALMOST. But I can imagine that happening, whereas before I couldn't imagine how people would want to go run/workout. And I can imagine myself getting to 10k. So yeah, I think the app is good. Especially at the price of $5. It's worth it. I'm sure you'll make the 5k! Good for you for taking up the challenge! Let us all know how it goes.

Yeah, I'm one of those people who has ruined many earlier attempts at running by trying to do too much too soon. I made the mistake of thinking that, because I was already in pretty fair shape, I should be able to just go out and run. Well, no...running is totally different from doing step aerobics or Tae Bo (remember that?) or kettlebells. It requires completely different conditioning - especially if you've never done it before.

I'm mostly doing this to change the way I think about myself. As a kid, I was pigeon-holed as the "non-athlete" of my family. While my sisters were playing softball and otherwise running around, I was playing the piano and reading - or leading cheers. Now, there's nothing wrong with that - except that I was humiliated every time I had to run the 600 to get a Presidential Fitness patch (which I never did - I passed everything but that stupid 600 run) or do the annual 12-minute run in gym class. It's colored every athletic endeavor I've undertaken. And I am bound and determined to put those notions to bed.

I did a little 5K reconn yesterday - and I am now officially scared. 5K is a helluva long way and the route ain't exactly flat. I'm going to have to go out and train on-site several times between now and the event so I know exactly where my trouble spots are going to be.

And I need to incorporate more hills into my training.

Genesia said:

Well...I don't know if I'm going to be able to do it. I have pes anserine tendonitis in my left knee, which means I need to back off a little on the training - which, in turn, means I may not be able to run a 5K by Thanksgiving.

[Edited 10/31/13 12:12pm]

Well, I seem to have worked through the knee issues (lots of stretching, ice, and not doing hills 'til I get stronger). I'm back on track to complete the training in time.

The run is four weeks from today.

Genesia said:

Well, I seem to have worked through the knee issues (lots of stretching, ice, and not doing hills 'til I get stronger). I'm back on track to complete the training in time.

The run is four weeks from today.

Triathlon's are next, watch.. Lots of respect that you'd buckled down to get yoursefl ready, I could not run a 1/4 of a mile let alone 3.

TD3 said:

Genesia said:

Well, I seem to have worked through the knee issues (lots of stretching, ice, and not doing hills 'til I get stronger). I'm back on track to complete the training in time.

The run is four weeks from today.

Triathlon's are next, watch.. Lots of respect that you'd buckled down to get yoursefl ready, I could not run a 1/4 of a mile let alone 3.

I actually said to one of my friends, "Y'know...if I can run a 5K, all I'd have to do is brush up on my swimming [I swam competitively as a kid] and I could do a sprint distance triathlon. "

[Edited 10/31/13 8:06am]

Genesia said:

TD3 said:

Triathlon's are next, watch.. Lots of respect that you'd buckled down to get yoursefl ready, I could not run a 1/4 of a mile let alone 3.

I actually said to one of my friends, "Y'know...if I can run a 5K, all I'd have to do is brush up on my swimming [I swam competitively as a kid] and I could do a sprint distance triathlon. "

[Edited 10/31/13 8:06am]

Glad your knee is feeling better. Injury is a main reason for people giving up on running - it's wise to be very gradual in training.

I'm sure you're going to feel great crossing that finish line for your 5k!

Looking ahead to your possible first triathlon-

My husband just did his first triathlon, the LA Triathlon. The swimming was the hardest part for him because he has motion sickness in the ocean, and he's not a good swimmer to begin with. He's done many marathons & 1/2 marathons, so the running was the resting part for him. But do not take the biking lightly. The first time he did a 20+ mile bike ride (it was 26 miles in Santa Barbara), he had cramping in his legs and didn't think he'd make it. Again, it is a different sport using different muscles. It's harder on the back, for example. If you're not used to riding a lot, it's also painful on the butt. There were also inclines, which are harder than they may look to cycle up.

He told me also that triathlons draw a much more athletic crowd than runs like 10ks, 1/2 and full marathons. There's cross-training, plus lots of (expensive) equipment required, so these are pretty serious people - $100+ wetsuit, $25+ goggles, racing cycle (you cannot do this on a regular street bike or mountain bike!) & helmet (not cheap!), and really good running shoes.

There are 1/2 triathlon options, too. Those distances are quite doable, especially if you're a good swimmer, as you are.

He started running a couple of years after injuring himself in soccer (he was a very good soccer player), just doing a couple of miles. Then he found, the more you do it, the more you want to keep doing it and pushing yourself. So that's how he ended up training for a triathlon. Maybe you'll feel that way too! I haven't gotten there yet. I'm still stuck at 3 miles running at a time, no more.

Good luck with everything!

artist76 said:

Genesia said:

I actually said to one of my friends, "Y'know...if I can run a 5K, all I'd have to do is brush up on my swimming [I swam competitively as a kid] and I could do a sprint distance triathlon. "

[Edited 10/31/13 8:06am]

Glad your knee is feeling better. Injury is a main reason for people giving up on running - it's wise to be very gradual in training.

I'm sure you're going to feel great crossing that finish line for your 5k!

Looking ahead to your possible first triathlon-

My husband just did his first triathlon, the LA Triathlon. The swimming was the hardest part for him because he has motion sickness in the ocean, and he's not a good swimmer to begin with. He's done many marathons & 1/2 marathons, so the running was the resting part for him. But do not take the biking lightly. The first time he did a 20+ mile bike ride (it was 26 miles in Santa Barbara), he had cramping in his legs and didn't think he'd make it. Again, it is a different sport using different muscles. It's harder on the back, for example. If you're not used to riding a lot, it's also painful on the butt. There were also inclines, which are harder than they may look to cycle up.

He told me also that triathlons draw a much more athletic crowd than runs like 10ks, 1/2 and full marathons. There's cross-training, plus lots of (expensive) equipment required, so these are pretty serious people - $100+ wetsuit, $25+ goggles, racing cycle (you cannot do this on a regular street bike or mountain bike!) & helmet (not cheap!), and really good running shoes.

There are 1/2 triathlon options, too. Those distances are quite doable, especially if you're a good swimmer, as you are.

He started running a couple of years after injuring himself in soccer (he was a very good soccer player), just doing a couple of miles. Then he found, the more you do it, the more you want to keep doing it and pushing yourself. So that's how he ended up training for a triathlon. Maybe you'll feel that way too! I haven't gotten there yet. I'm still stuck at 3 miles running at a time, no more.

Good luck with everything!

Thanks!

I will never take it to that level because I have too many other interests to put all my eggs in the triathlon basket - which is what doing an iron or half-iron event would take. A sprint distance (1/2-mile swim, 12-mile bike ride, 5K run) would be plenty for me. I routinely ride 15 miles, so that doesn't faze me (much). It'd be getting the swimming up to snuff and putting the whole thing together - and that'd be plenty hard.

If I did one (still a big "if"), it wouldn't be about competing with anyone else or trying to achieve a particular time. It'd just be about finishing - as this 5K is. I'm not going to buy a spendy triathlon bike or go in for any of that other stuff. It's great for people who want to do it - I am just not athletic on that level. I'm built for comfort, not speed.

The good news is: I jogged a mile and a quarter.

The bad news is: I was supposed to do two miles.

I did it on the 5K course yesterday which, holy mackeral, is even more difficult than it looked from the car (and it looked plenty tough from the car). By the time I came upon some knob walking his dog - and he let the dog jump on me as I jogged past - I was already tired. Having that dog go after me knocked out what little breath I still had at that point (especially since it happened when I was just about to start another hill), so I walked from there.

It's taking longer to get my endurance up than I had hoped. But, hey - a month ago there was no way in hell I could have jogged a mile or more. And my knees seem to be fine, now - no sign of tendonitis, at all. I just have to keep going.

Genesia said:

The good news is: I jogged a mile and a quarter.

The bad news is: I was supposed to do two miles.

I did it on the 5K course yesterday which, holy mackeral, is even more difficult than it looked from the car (and it looked plenty tough from the car). By the time I came upon some knob walking his dog - and he let the dog jump on me as I jogged past - I was already tired. Having that dog go after me knocked out what little breath I still had at that point (especially since it happened when I was just about to start another hill), so I walked from there.

It's taking longer to get my endurance up than I had hoped. But, hey - a month ago there was no way in hell I could have jogged a mile or more. And my knees seem to be fine, now - no sign of tendonitis, at all. I just have to keep going.

Keep at it. I might make a wee bit more effort myself.

do not give up! I assure you if you keep it up you will doing 1/2 marathons by this time next year.

OnlyNDaUsa said:

do not give up! I assure you if you keep it up you will doing 1/2 marathons by this time next year.

I have to keep going - I bought a headlamp and a reflective vest over the weekend, so I can run after work. (It's totally dark by the time I get home.) I have to make that investment pay off.

Genesia said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

do not give up! I assure you if you keep it up you will doing 1/2 marathons by this time next year.

I have to keep going - I bought a headlamp and a reflective vest over the weekend, so I can run after work. (It's totally dark by the time I get home.) I have to make that investment pay off.

Like I said...

Triathlons are next, watch.. I've seen this befo'... just saw it last week in fact. The running bug can grab some folks. Just wait ttill they put that medal around your neck. Please share when you bump up your swimming distance.

Keep the Faith!

So last night was my first run with the headlamp. Oh, my gosh - I love that thing! Obviously, it's nice being able to see anything on the path or sidewalk that might trip me up. But the best part is that it gives me a focal point - so if the going gets tough, I can just focus on the light and on staying relaxed.

I actually ran two days in a row - the tough run on Sunday, then a recovery run last night. I wasn't going to do it - had a terrible headache when I got home. But I made myself go out - and I felt amazing when I was finished. The run felt easy all the way (even up hills) and my headache was gone by the time I got home.

Last night, I ran a mile - twice.

It was the last interval workout of C25K - two one-mile runs with a quarter-mile walk in between. It was so hard - and I was so slow. (There are people who walk faster than I run.) But I can't worry about the pace right now - I have to get the distance up. It's more important to me that I run the whole 5K than that I get a particular time.

Race day: T minus three weeks.

jaimestarr79 said:

Genesia keep up the good work!!! hang in there it gets easier.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Easier would be good.

I just keep telling myself, "Hey - you're doing the same distance as the person who does it twice as fast, but you're running longer and working every bit as hard." (Maybe harder.)

Woot! go you!

it's time to hear this....

Chariots of Fire

TD3 said:

it's time to hear this....

Chariots of Fire

I hate that song!

This, on the other hand...

[Edited 11/7/13 12:47pm]

Genesia said:

TD3 said:

it's time to hear this....

Chariots of Fire

I hate that song!

This, on the other hand...

Chariots a tad wussy, uh?

The last week of training you'll have to find some steps to something and .... well you know whatcha have to do.

Genesia said:

TD3 said:

it's time to hear this....

Chariots of Fire

I hate that song!

This, on the other hand...

[Edited 11/7/13 12:47pm]

i was so going to play "eye of the tiger"! But I heard that the route he takes in this clip is something like 50miles!

Ok it was 30 miles and in a diffrent rocky movie! But still!

http://www.phillymag.com/...-rocky-ii/

[Edited 11/7/13 16:01pm]