Couch to 5K (week 1)

Max_Power

W6D2 this morning, and I'm sorry to say it was my hardest day yet. I'm not sure what my problem was again, but I was as close to quitting (well, not quitting entirely but stopping the run early) as I have been since the first week. I am proud to say I did not quit, I pushed through, but I did not feel nearly as invigorated as I had been the last couple weeks. Maybe I'm getting to the point where I need a little extra fuel to get through the run. Instead of running on an empty stomach and eating breakfast afterwards, I will try having a banana first for some quick carbs and then still eat my normal breakfast afterwards.

Sounds like many of us are having our share of issues, which probably is not unusual at this point in the program. I know we'll all keep pushing through, we can do it!

goal30Lori

W6D2 this morning, and I'm sorry to say it was my hardest day yet. I'm not sure what my problem was again, but I was as close to quitting (well, not quitting entirely but stopping the run early) as I have been since the first week. I am proud to say I did not quit, I pushed through, but I did not feel nearly as invigorated as I had been the last couple weeks. Maybe I'm getting to the point where I need a little extra fuel to get through the run. Instead of running on an empty stomach and eating breakfast afterwards, I will try having a banana first for some quick carbs and then still eat my normal breakfast afterwards.

Sounds like many of us are having our share of issues, which probably is not unusual at this point in the program. I know we'll all keep pushing through, we can do it!

Way to go on getting through it Max!!! I seem to have an easier time running in the evenings, which is the opposite of what everyone says should be the case... it's going to start getting darker earlier very soon though, so I am going to have to get used to those morning runs!

I did W6D3 last night, and it did feel harder than last week, but even so, I kept running after the 25 minutes until I got to a 5k distance... it was AFTER I got to 25 minutes that I started to feel good! I think I make my legs hurt because I go slower than I should in an effort to save my lungs from hurting! So, I'm going to have to increase my pace a little bit and see if that helps...

For those of you interested in keeping better track of your distance, I highly recommend getting a Nike Sensor!! It's less than $30 and it works with your ipod/iphone, which most of us use anyway!! It also tells calories burned, which is super helpful!

Here is my run from last night:
http://go.nike.com/033ndk59

keep it up everyone!!!

meokk

Hi Everyone,

Completed Week 2 this evening...finally. After about 10 days off between being sick and weather constraints I have to say I felt pretty good. No soreness, running fairly fast, I even sprinted a few times just for "FUN"?? Whoa, that doesn't sound like me :huh: :laugh:

Welcome AnnieeR - I'm running between 5.5 and 6.5 miles per hour myself my terrain is slightly hilly so def. 6.0 on the flats or at least that's where I try to stay. Doesn't matter how fast you run for now though, you'll get stronger and fitter as you go along and the speed will come eventually. BTW - like the DMs !

Sundinsgurl - great job not looking at the time !!

So I run outside and after a 10 day hiatus I realize I won't be running at my usual time anymore. It was officially DARK when I ended this evening and that's a problem since the roads don't have any street lights. We have too much wildlife for me to be running around in the dark with a flashlight - I might become prey :noway:
Au Revoir long summer days

Max_Power

W6D3 this morning, and it went much better than my first two runs this week for some reason. I did have a banana before I started, so maybe my theory about needing a little boost is correct since I run first thing in the morning. My pace isn't TOO far off, I hit exactly 2 miles when the 25 minutes was up, and I stopped running at that time. As I was walking back home I kind of wished I had done one more lap to hit the 2 1/4 the program calls for. It looks like I will get my chance next week though, as it is a 25 minute run every day! Each day is supposed to be 2.5 miles, I think I will make it my goal to hit 2.5 miles by the last day.

How is everyone else doing?

ljc1057

Finished W6D3 this morning. I ran 2.25 miles! It took a lot longer than 25 minutes, probably more like 35 minutes, but I did it. I think I'm going to have to go with distance and not time. Then after I get to a 5K distance I can work on speed. Also, I ran at a park on a trail with slight hills. That was harder. I think I need to do that more instead of a flat run.

I have some awesome news. My son, who just got back from Afghanistan on Thursday, proposed to his girlfriend last night, and she said yes! YEA! More incentive to lose weight. I definitely have to look good in a dress!

I'm so glad all of you are doing great. This form has really been helpful to me.

annecolorgreen

CONGRATULATIONS on SOOOOO many things! Yay on your running, woo hoo on your son getting engaged, and I can't even express my feelings for your son being home. (my son was over there for 15 months and it was SO hard!!!) YES, you do want to look amazing for the wedding. :bigsmile:

annecolorgreen

...now the "downer" news. I have self-diagnosed the fact that I have a torn meniscus in my knee. It "pops" (very painful) at various times--completely catches you off guard. The possible way to have it heal is to not use it and it might heal. It hasn't happened when I'm running *yet* but did today AFTER my run and it usually happens after long walks. I'm not sure what to do since I leave for Hawaii in 2 1/2 weeks. I think I'm going to wait until I return to see the Sports Medicine doctor...and keep going "as is" in the meantime. I am using ice on it, taking anti-inflammatories, and doing LOTS of stretching.

On a positive note: my running is going pretty well....two miles today but not without a break but that's okay with me right now.My breathing was pretty easy too...I was able to hold a conversation the entire time.

ljc1057

Thanks Anne! I can't imagine 15 months. What branch is your son in? We've been fortunate with only 2 and 4 months at a time, but he is expecting to go again in January. They are thinking of a quick wedding before he leaves and real one next fall. That way she'll get the advantages of being a spouse. It's been hard for her not being in the loop.

I'm so sorry about your knee. It sounds to me like you're doing what you need to do, especially before you leave for Hawaii (which sounds like SO much fun). Do you have access to a pool? Swimming might be a good alternative, at least until you get back from Hawaii.

annecolorgreen

yes, we actually have a pool but I'm planning to run a 5k in maui so I need to keep going.

Both my sons were/are in the Army. #2 is supposed to get out next month!

I went to a running store today to get my shoes checked. The pair I've been wearing are a "super-stability" shoe and I've had concerns that they have caused some of my knee pain. The owner checked them out (and me) and said that I DO pronate...but not when I walk so he put me in "stability" shoes (kind of a compromise) since I'm walk/running. He said when I'm only running to go back to the other shoes and to wear these when I walk. He gave them to me at his cost!!!

ljc1057

Just finished W7D1. I'm not really sure of the distance because I ran a trail that wasn't marked, but I ran 34 minutes, so I figure 2.25 miles again. It really wasn't that bad, except for up the hills. Coming down was nice though. Then I got stung by something TWICE, on the back of my leg, right above and below the back of the knee. It hurts

Anne - What a great store owner. Hopefully the new shoes will help. I'd forgotten you were running the 5K in Hawaii. What a great challenge. So, both your sons will be out soon? I'll bet you're happy! My oldest is making it a career and my youngest is just starting ROTC. They'll be in for a while, but they are happy..

AnnieeR

Hi guys! I hope everyone's feeling good and nursing their injuries and illnesses carefully! I'm doing W8D2 tonight. I'm finding W8 pretty challenging, but I did manage D1 on Sunday, so I'm determined to do D2 tonight.

I've decided that on my non-C25K days I'm going to try doing short intervals at a considerably higher speed to try to improve (and because while I feel like I'm going to keel over at the end of my workouts, I'm not particularly sore the next day, so I reckon I can up the ante a bit). Yesterday I jogged for five minutes at 8.5KPH (normally I do 7.5) four times with 5 minute walks in between. It was hard, but I think it'll help. Unfortunately I also pulled weeds in the garden for a couple of hours and I feel like I spent the day doing squats - who knew gardening could be more painful than running?!

ljc, I hope your stings are feeling better - I keep getting bitten by ants when I mow the lawn - not fun!!

goal30Lori

Hi All! I haven't checked in in a while... I'm still trucking along but I have been just running 5k instead of stopping after the allotted time. Last night I just used my own music instead of the podcasts, and it felt weird, LOL! So - I may go back to using the podcasts and just continue running until my Nike Sensor tells me I've reached 5k like I had been.

Hope everyone else is doing well also! Being back at work I can't check in as much as I'd like!

Max_Power

Well, today was not a good day for W7D1. I stepped out my front door at 6am like I always do whether it's C25K day or just a walking day, and there was a huge thunderstorm approaching. It wasn't raining yet, but I could tell it was going to and I could also see lightning off in the distance. I should've just turned around and gone back inside, eaten breakfast and gotten to work 45 minutes early, and planned on doing my run after work (even though there is a chance of rain this evening too). But no, I decided to go for it, not caring if I got a little wet. It might be invigorating, I thought. I did the 5-min warmup and ran the rest of the way to the track. It started raining right as I got to the track and before long it was raining hard. Not to mention, a thunder and lightning storm was right on top of me. So after 2 laps on the track I started running home. Of course once I got home, it pretty much stopped raining. The worst part was I probably only ran about a mile total, but I was exhausted and slowed to a walk a few blocks before I got home. I think that disappointed me more than anything, even if it was just because I lost focus and knew my run was a lost cause.

Sorry for the rant, but I'm just venting a little I guess. What does everyone think I should do? Should I run another mile after work to get the full day's run in? Or should I just start my recovery now and hope that I can do the whole run on Thursday?

By the way, good job everyone else! I'm jealous of those of you who are running "above and beyond" what the program calls for! I was in such poor shape when I started, I am not discouraged that I'm not doing extra yet, until today I was proud that I'd been sticking with it. Hopefully this morning was just one bump and I'll get back on track right away.

ljc1057

Max, not a good way to start the day. I'm sorry. I'm really not sure what to tell you, but I'm probably too late anyway. Some days don't work out, even with our best intentions.

You are right, just count it as a bump in the road. I think either way you'll be fine. Thursday will be a better day, hopefully!

I planned to go walking today, but I didn't, and I ate more than my allotted calories.

annecolorgreen

Oh Max, that stinks! Chalk it up to a bad day and move on from here.

We had our running group tonight and I did really well. I went with the run/walk group instead of the "run" group since my knee is still a problem and did 3 min/1 min with no problem. Actually ran more than that because my knee would catch occasionally while I was walking but NOT while I was running! Crazy.

I did go to the doctor today and she agrees--torn meniscus. She's ordered an MRI and thinks that I can get away with wearing a soft brace, anti-inflammatories, and ice. That's what I've been doing with the exception of the brace. She also gave me a form to get a handicapped parking sticker (temporary) for while we are in Hawaii!! She said that my knee could get worse and that would really stink in Hawaii with all the walking we will be doing. So...guess I will get it.

She was SO excited over my weight loss. I'm down 13 lbs from when I saw her in January! (that's big for me...I'm losing very slowly now)

Yes, both boys will be done with the Army. Yay! good luck to yours!

~~anne

(tomorrow is a yoga day for me--which also doesn't bother my knee)

Max_Power

Well I just got back on the horse!!! After yesterday morning's debacle I decided not to try again after work and throw the rest of my week off, plus my running shoes were still wet I was planning to get back on track tomorrow morning, but I was a little antsy tonight and nervous about it so I walked over to the track after work. I just listened to the radio and started my stopwatch, with the goal to run at least 2 miles no matter how long it took, and try to stretch it to 2 1/4 if I could. The first mile was hard and I started to get really worried I was going to fail again, but the second mile was quite a bit better. After I hit 2 1/4 I decided to do one more lap, which brought me to 2 1/2 miles, my goal for the end of this week. I know 2 1/2 is what we're supposed to be running every day on Week 7, but I was so far off pace I just made it my goal for the end of the week.

Anyways, needless to say I feel A LOT better now. Glad everyone else is doing good, Anne I hope your knee gets better!

annecolorgreen

Congratulations! Sounds like you made the right decisions. (I think newspaper wadded up in shoes help them dry) This running thing gets kind of addictive, doesn't it?

goal30Lori

That's awesome Max!! Way to go! I think you would really love having the Nike sensor to track your distances.

AFM - I had a great run last night, but then realized my Nike sensor was in upside down, so it only said I went 2.5k! I googled my route and it said 5.9k - I'm so disappointed that i don't have an accurate graph of that run - I felt like I had increased my pace even!

I'm actually going to run again tonight, but not a big run, just enough to recalibrate my sensor now that I have it in correctly again!

Anne - how's the knee? Feeling better?

JPotvin

I just started Week 2 yesterday (skipped week 1)on the C25K program. Perfect "graduation" date for me is October 20th...Right as my husband is leaving for 7 weeks for training. I can improve when he is gone (pushing the double jogger as I go) and be in really great shape when he returns...My goal is to be able to go for runs with him when he returns...and not slow him down too much!

ljc1057

Hey all! Welcome JPotvin. What training is your husband going to be doing?

Lori - Can you help me? I have the iTouch and the Nike Sensor. I don't have Nike shoes, but I've goggled it and many people say you can just attach it to your shoelaces. I've figured that part out. I've now got the icon on the iTouch too. (that was difficult). Now when I try and add a run in it says "Walk around to activate your sensor". I try moving it around, but it just sits there. Is there an on/off button for the sensor? Do you have any suggestions? And btw, you are doing awesome!

Max - I'm so glad that was only a bump in the road. I really had fun (is that the right word?) on the last run in the woods. You're doing more distance than me right now. I'm going to try and catch up this long weekend.

Yes, Ann - How's the knee?

goal30Lori

Morning everyone!

ljc - I don't have the I touch, but I have an Iphone ordered, yay!! I can't wait till it gets here! Let's see if I can help you... Do you have your sensor upside down, maybe? There is a little button on the back you may have to press at first... it's a reset button but I can't remember if I had to push it to 'activate' it initially?? I bought this to attach the sensor to my shoes:
http://www.amazon.com/Tune-Belt-Sensor-Pouch-Sport/dp/B001KP3NZS and I do have to take a few steps before it will tell me it has found my sensor.

Also, did you update your weight? Maybe it needs that information first before it will begin?

I hope that helps! You are doing awesome also and once you get the sensor working you will love the feedback you get from it!!

I ran 5k for real last night!!!! It took me 38 minutes, but I ran the whole darn thing! It felt great!! I didn't even include my 5 min warm up in the 5k like I usually do. Now, to try and work on increasing my speed!

JPotvin

Going for Week 2 day 2 today...provided the horrid weather stays away until later...otherwise I will do it inside at the fitness center (blah). Still trying to motivate myself to run...love being active....hiking, walking, etc...but running will take some getting used to!

ljc : my husband is going on a 7 week Senior Master Sergeant training for the Air Force in Alabama. Should be interesting because I will be here with 2 kids (the oldest just turned 2) and moving to MD from VA while he's gone! Thank goodness the AF pays to move us!

annecolorgreen

Lori--great job! It's amazing how much "easier" everything gets over time!

LJC--maybe I can help. I had SOOOOO much trouble with mine at first...even took it back to the running store where I bought it. Tried a different sensor but still couldn't figure it out. Dh messed with it, depressed the button for longer than what it said, and it worked! Now I have no trouble getting it to "activate".

My knee--still "popping". I ran yesterday without any trouble and did hot yoga today. Went to a festival and walked around and then had to find my car in a parking garage...and it started popping. Made me wish I'd used the temp handicapped tag that I have. I'm leaning toward using it when I'm in Hawaii now. Running in the morning with our group. I'm hanging with the slower group now due to my injury but that's okay. Still improving! Yesterday, I did 2.25 miles not including the warm up and cool down...but I did 3/1 intervals.

I bought something tonight for my aches and pains but haven't tried it yet! It's a foam roller...have you seen them? They had them at the running store but they were more expensive than the one I got at Target--and it came with an instructional DVD. I'm going to try it out tomorrow.

I'm on-call tonight but hoping to get some sleep so I will do well on my run in the morning.

Enjoy your holiday weekend but be active!

annecolorgreen

JPotvin--your kids are beautiful! I just know you will do well while your husband is gone! (it will help with the stress )

Max_Power

Let's see... Week 7 Day 3 today, I think? It's getting harder to keep track now that I'm rarely using the podcasts, pretty much just basing it on distance. Did 2 1/2 miles again, in just about 30:00 even this time, where it took me 31:30 on Wednesday evening. I made a definite effort to pick up the pace a bit, but I know I'm still slow. I don't care about that at all right now though, just want to get through the distances. Before this program, the furthest I had ever run at once was 1.5 miles.

I've heard good things about the Nike+ sensors, and I usually have Nike shoes with the spot for the sensor, but I don't have an ipod. I have an Android phone, and I'm sure there are GPS based distance apps, I just need to look around and see what my options are.

JPotvin- Definitely be careful not to get caught running in bad weather, it's not fun!

ljc1057

I'm so excited! I got my Nike Sensor to work. (Thanks Lori and Anne! I held the button down longer and it just started to work). Then went out and did a 5K. Well I walked 3/4 of the 1st K, but then I ran. Went out into the woods again. Nothing stung me this time, just a bug up the nose. :laugh: I LOVE the Nike Sensor. Max, you have to look into something like it. It told me the distance, how fast I was running, and I could play my own music. I actually used the DJ Beatsmith week 9 Podcast. The beat helps. I was REALLY slow. 49 minutes, but I did it.

More exciting news. My son is officially engaged. He asked his girlfriend's dad's permission yesterday (so old fashion haha). They are planning on getting married at the courthouse some time this fall and then a wedding next October. He is in the Army and will be deployed again in January for 4 months. This way she will have all the benefits of being a spouse. JPotvin, my son is stationed at Ft. Benning in Columbus GA, but lives in Alabama. Good luck with the move and little ones.

It is an absolutely gorgeous day here. After a summer of high 90s and 100s, it's middle 80s. I'm going to take the dog to the park. Everyone have a great holiday weekend!

goal30Lori

JPotvin - Good luck with W2D2! Hope the weather stayed nice for you!

Anne - I have a friend that rund half-marathons, and she swears by the foam roller! I hope it helps you!

Max - you can get a sportband for the Nike sensor instead of using an ipod. I've heard good things about the Runkeeper app too though! Way to go on picking up your pace! I agree too though, I'm just happy I can do the distance, I'll work on speed after!

ljc - Yay for getting the sensor working! YOu are going to love it! I've had a bug up the nose too, LOL! It's no fun! That's FANTASTIC news about your son too! Congratulations!!

For those of you with the Nike Sensor, I've started a Couch to 5k 'challenge' here:http://go.nike.com/28v6sn
It's not really a challenge, but a great place to support each other and keep motivated!!

Have a great long weekend everyone! I'm going to a birthday party with my son today. First time in a public pool in over a year - I hope my bathing suit looks okay!

ljc1057

I was planning on going out for a walk/run this evening, but when I ran out of calories at 5pm, I really had to. I went down by the river and thought I'd try 5k since its so flat. It was different because before, when I was running for time only, I didn't want to go too fast. This time I kept thinking if I run faster, I'll be done sooner. Yesterday the 5K (with a little walking) took me 49.21 min, but that was on a trail with hills. Today it took me 40.44. I was pretty excited when I was finished.

JPotvin

I completed W2D3 today....mostly following the directions....I pushed myself to the limit to be able to run as much of it as I could....Basically just walking for no more than 90 seconds at a time, and running no less than 2 minutes at a time. Feeling pretty good!

Anne, What a bummer about your knee! Glad it is just your meniscus though. I have had surgery on both of my knees...replacing the ACL on my right knee several years ago. Only acts up in cold weather...so gotta keep them warm, even when it still seems nice out! Thank you for the compliment on my kids I think they are pretty cute most of the time too

ljc, Congratulations! I completely understand about them getting married at the courthouse for the benefits (before the big wedding)....the benefits are great

goal30Lori

ljc - way to go!!! on our Nike+ challenge we are only seconds apart! I like the way you think, I have to try that too!!

JPotvin - Good for you!!! Soon, it will become an addiction, you'll see! (And I also think your kids are adorable!!)

Just did W8D1, but kept running until the 5K mark again! It felt really good today!! I can feel it in my shins though, I need to get in tha habit of stretching beforehand!