C25K Newb questions...

LarryPGH

Guys,

I've been considering starting a C25K program, to add to my exercise. In high school I ran cross country and track, and ran 10K's in my 20's, but hadn't done any real exercise over the past 10 years or so. Five weeks ago, as I started counting calories and "doing" MFP seriously, I also started using the EA Sports Active program on my PS3. I completed the Easy Cardio Start, and am now in week 3 of the Easy 9 Week program, so I'm hoping that I'm a bit more flexible and ready to start jogging, and thought that C25K might be a good way to ease into it (and to avoid the shin splints that plagued me in track!).

I was wondering how to account for calories, though, so that I can keep tracking them reasonably here on MFP. Looking at the calc at http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php, I can compute calories based on running at a given pace given my current weight. However, do I just sum up the total amount of time running and count that, and sum up the total time walking and add that to it?

In other words, day one of week one of C25K looks like 8 minutes of jogging and 27 minutes of walking. Jogging 8 minutes at a 5 MPH pace burns 102 calories (for me at 210 lbs) and walking 27 minutes at 3 MPH burns 131 calories. Is it a good enough approximation, then, to just put down 233 calories for week 1 day 1, and to use this approach throughout the program?

Also, I looked at http://www.c25k.com/c25k_treadmill.html for the guidance on how to run the program, and it doesn't list a recommended pace. Does 3 MPH walking and 5 MPH jogging sound like a reasonable pace to start out at?

Thanks!

Larry

JPriceGA

Good luck with C25k.. it's a fabulous way to work into jogging. Your experience with pace will vary from mine, but generally I recommend going at a comfortable pace - you'll be more likely to finish it if you don't try to kill yourself on the run segments. If you can get a heart rate monitor, that's a good way to get a really good idea of how hard your body is working either walking or running. I never entered it in as two activities, I logged a total time and an average pace - which in my case was usually listed as "walking" in MFP even though for me, I was running.

UpToAnyCool

Not sure if this is helpful or confusing, but I used the Podrunner Interval downloads at this link
http://www.djsteveboy.com/1day25koutline.html

and it lists pace in BPM - I found the following conversions:

[Convert the bpm to mph using the following numbers: 6 mph is 150 bpm, 6.7 mph is 160 bpm, 7.5 mph is 170 bpm, 8.8 mph is 180 bpm, 10 to 12 mph is 190 bpm.]

at How to Convert Beats Per Minute to Miles Per Hour at eHow
http://www.ehow.com/how_7908777_convert-minute-miles-per-hour.html#ixzz1DrtkWNDG

So if you use ratios, then 125bpm roughly equals 5mph, etc. Maybe you can use that as a guideline...

Enjoy the C25K! :flowerforyou:

LuckyLeprechaun

that is my pace exactly, and when I use MFP to count up the calories burned, I use vigorous walking. That way I won't overestimate what I burned.

Good luck!

sarah44254

Before I bought my heart rate monitor I used this method.

Go for my 'run' doing the 60 second jog, 90 second walk. Ran around the block sort of in a route that would add up to about 20 minutes. Then when I got home, I used GMAPS Pedometer website to plot the course I took. It showed me how many miles I traveled. Then I put the mileage and time into the rate calculator at coolrunnings.com. It told me if I ran 10mph or 12, or 8, whatever I did as an average of total time spent and total mileage traveled.

Then I came here to MFP and entered in 'jogging' under cardio, and chose the option that had the closest mph to mine. Usually the first week added up to a little under 400 - a lot like you are calculating with your method!

Now I just use my heart rate monitor for everything, I absolutely love it!!

LorinaLynn

I added the total amounts run and total amounts walked when logging c25k. I did it on a treadmill, though, so I knew what speeds I was going.

shaheerahs

First of all let me say, I love C25K! I definitely would recommend it if you want to get back into running. I am on week five and I can't believe how much longer I can run now. I calculate my calories exactly how you explained it. I go to the online calories burned calculator and enter my weight, the total number of minutes I ran, the total number of minutes I walked, add it all together, and use the total for my MFP tracking.

dlaplume2

I have just completed week 5. I just go by the calories on the treadmill. I think I probably burn more than is says but not by too much. If you are doing it on a track or street you could do it your way.

Best of luck.

FYI- I have never been a runner and I did not get shin splints. I think if I can do it you should be able to. If you get shin splints again it might just be something you are proned to.

LarryPGH

Thanks, everyone, for your recommendations!

LarryPGH

OK -- Week 1, Day 1 ... all done!

Didn't feel too bad, either! I could definitely feel a little stress in my shins, and I can still feel it now, so hopefully, it won't be really sore tomorrow, but it felt really good to get a little jogging in -- can't wait to get my endurance up, so that I can get out there and hit the trails this spring!!!