My running plan

lockedcj7

I hate running... I always have, but I hate it less than most other cardio exercise and I know I can do it. The mistake that I've always made in the past is in trying to do too much, too soon and hurting myself. I took the Cool Running: Couch-to-5K Running Plan and modified it. I think it assumed a level of fitness that I didn't have so you'll notice that my plan is longer. The original plan is here:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

All this was done on a treadmill so that the weather wouldn't interfere and give me an excuse to slack off. I do cardio on M-W-F so each week represents 3 - 30 min. workouts.

Week 1 - walk for 30 min. @ 3.5 mph.
Week 2 - warm up for 5 min. @ 3.5, walk for 20 min @ 4.0, cool down for 5 min. @ 3.5.
Week 3 - warm up for 1 min. @ 3.5, 4 min. @ 4.0 then alternate jogging for 2.5 min. @ 6.0 with walking @ 4.0 for 5 min. for a total of 7.5 min running, walk the last 5 min. getting progressively slower .5 mph each min. (From here on I use the same warm-up and cool-down routines.)
Week 4 - Same as above but running 3 min each leg.
Week 5 -Warm up then alternate 5 min running with 5 min walking for a total of 10 min running. Cool down.
Week 6 - warm up then run 7.5 min, alternate walking 2.5 min with running 2.5 min, cool down.
Week 7 - warm up then run 10 min, walk for 5, run for 5, cool down.
Week 8 - warm up then run 15 min, walk for 5, cool down.
Week 9 - warm up then run 17 min, walk for 3, cool down
Week 10 - warm up then run 17 min @ 6.1, walk @ 4.0 for 3 min, cool down.
Week 11 - warm up then run 18 min @ 6.1, walk @ 4.0 for 2 min, cool down.

* This is where I am at the moment. From here I want to increase my speed until I'm able to run 2.0 mi. in under 17:42. This is the minimum Army Physical Fitness Test standard for my age group. I'm not in the Army any more but I'd like to get back into the shape I was in then. I'm being realistic in not using the standard for 18 year-olds though!

I've also read that jogging is difficult and painful for the first 6 weeks, hard work for the next 6 weeks and as easy as walking from then on. I really hope that's true. I can say that it's not nearly as painful as it was when I started. I'll also admit that I've missed several workouts due to Christmas, a death in the family and other extenuating circumstances but I did the "week 11" workout this morning and I feel great!

lockedcj7

I hate running... I always have, but I hate it less than most other cardio exercise and I know I can do it. The mistake that I've always made in the past is in trying to do too much, too soon and hurting myself. I took the Cool Running: Couch-to-5K Running Plan and modified it. I think it assumed a level of fitness that I didn't have so you'll notice that my plan is longer. The original plan is here:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

All this was done on a treadmill so that the weather wouldn't interfere and give me an excuse to slack off. I do cardio on M-W-F so each week represents 3 - 30 min. workouts.

Week 1 - walk for 30 min. @ 3.5 mph.
Week 2 - warm up for 5 min. @ 3.5, walk for 20 min @ 4.0, cool down for 5 min. @ 3.5.
Week 3 - warm up for 1 min. @ 3.5, 4 min. @ 4.0 then alternate jogging for 2.5 min. @ 6.0 with walking @ 4.0 for 5 min. for a total of 7.5 min running, walk the last 5 min. getting progressively slower .5 mph each min. (From here on I use the same warm-up and cool-down routines.)
Week 4 - Same as above but running 3 min each leg.
Week 5 -Warm up then alternate 5 min running with 5 min walking for a total of 10 min running. Cool down.
Week 6 - warm up then run 7.5 min, alternate walking 2.5 min with running 2.5 min, cool down.
Week 7 - warm up then run 10 min, walk for 5, run for 5, cool down.
Week 8 - warm up then run 15 min, walk for 5, cool down.
Week 9 - warm up then run 17 min, walk for 3, cool down
Week 10 - warm up then run 17 min @ 6.1, walk @ 4.0 for 3 min, cool down.
Week 11 - warm up then run 18 min @ 6.1, walk @ 4.0 for 2 min, cool down.

* This is where I am at the moment. From here I want to increase my speed until I'm able to run 2.0 mi. in under 17:42. This is the minimum Army Physical Fitness Test standard for my age group. I'm not in the Army any more but I'd like to get back into the shape I was in then. I'm being realistic in not using the standard for 18 year-olds though!

I've also read that jogging is difficult and painful for the first 6 weeks, hard work for the next 6 weeks and as easy as walking from then on. I really hope that's true. I can say that it's not nearly as painful as it was when I started. I'll also admit that I've missed several workouts due to Christmas, a death in the family and other extenuating circumstances but I did the "week 11" workout this morning and I feel great!

deanea

Good for you and thanks for sharing. Running is truely challenging yourself to the max, probably why it is dreaded.

zenmama

I run but I HAVE to run alone...I am the crankiest runner. I have ran competively since I was 9 however, I was a sprinter. Long distance kills me. I can run a Mile in about 10min. I can run the 5k in about 30min...I love your plan. I had to stop running a few times in the last year plus due to a couple of hospital stays and a degenerative hip problem. I am starting again but I am doing 30 min intervals of 5min walk/2 min run...then another 20min 3min walk/2 min run. One day i would love to run a half marathon...we will see? That is a lot of people to hear me complain LOL.....IPOD I know...

dd

:grumble:

ariannedavis

Just curious, what is the military standard for a 27 yo female?

I ran cross-country & track Jr.high-college. When I was recruited for cc in 8th grade, I couldn't finish a lap around the track! Now, even after a few years of little to no running, I'm back at it. I was o.k, but not great. Right around 21 min for a 5k in college. Avg. a 10 min mile on my 5mile trails now. My OB actually told me not to run because I had gained so much weight with my son. Uh, yeah, problem is, running is how I loose weight! What a conundrum! :laugh: I didn't listen and I've dropped about 20lbs.

Once you reach that "easy as walking' level mentally, you will never go back! It is totally a mental thing. People ask me how I can run like that, and I tell them something in my brain is disconnected! Maybe I'm sadistic (I did have natural childbirth) or maybe I like the challenge; I don't know. It's funny, if you ask me to walk across campus, I would probably gripe about parking so far away, but if you tell me to go run 5 miles, I'm all "o.k.! See ya in an hour". Yeah, there's definitely something wrong with me! :laugh:

lockedcj7

Just curious, what is the military standard for a 27 yo female?

20:30

Thanks for all the responses. I managed to eat well and drink all my water this weekend and I managed to squeeze in some pretty intense mountain biking on Sat. Wish me luck on the treadmill tomorrow!

ariannedavis

How was your run?

lockedcj7

It went great, thanks for asking. After the warmup walk I was able to run 18 min. @ 6.2 mph and I wasn't gasping for air or hurting too bad at the end.

RunningRatty

I LOVE running so if you ever need encouragement I can give you that. Yes it was hard in the beggining and never thought I could do it, but do 5K races and have even done 2 half marathons and that is my goal for next year.

Do you run with music? I now run with my IPOD and have a playlist for running and it helps me so much.

Keep on running!

Jane

lockedcj7

I have run with music in the past but this time I'm taking a different approach.

I usually run from 6:30 to 7:00 in the morning and I watch the morning news. If I feel like I can't continue, I try to make it through the next segment and then the commercials, then the next segment and so on.

When the time changed back in the fall, I was waking up at 6:00 AM and then laying in bed for the next hour. I've always had a problem fitting exercise into my schedule so I decided to go ahead and get up and take advantage of that time I was wasting. I joined a gym that's on my way to work so now I go and work out, then shower and go to work from there.

I have thought about getting some Army running cadences (Jodie calls) to run to but I'm what they call a "late adopter" of new technology. I don't have an MP3 player or IPOD. I don't want to be laughed at when I carry my old-school Walk-Man or Disc-Man into the gym. I also hate fidgeting with the wires.

We have several 5K races in the area and I would love to be able to do one when the time comes.

ariannedavis

Where in SC are you? You should come up this summer and join me on "The Bear' 5 miles up Grandfather Mountain!

lockedcj7

Where in SC are you? You should come up this summer and join me on "The Bear' 5 miles up Grandfather Mountain!

I'm near Anderson so Grandfather Mountain is do-able. I'm def. planning on doing Midnight Flight in Anderson but it's not 'till Sept. IIRC.

The run this morning went well but about 5 min. into it, I had a pain shoot up the right side of my back. It felt like a combination cramp / pinched nerve. I finished the run but now that part of my back is sore. Getting old ain't for sissies!

zmonster

I love the routine that you have so eloquently mapped out. I have been using the elliptical for the last two weeks and plan to jump in on your week three this Monday. I'll let you know how it goes...I hate this time change, it is much easier running with the distractions of outdoors, even if the terrain has more hills!

bigjug1967

I am too big to run , I love to play ball though and the next day i hurt bad

hgrant4

To get my cardio in it took me a while to figure out how to keep wanting to do it. But finally I have found that it takes me listening to a book on tape by some of my favorite authors. This keeps me coming back for more because I want to find out whats going to happen next.

Nich0le

I run, only on the treadmill, I don't need all my neighbors witnessing the inevitable black eye my boobs might give me.

Anyway...

Try cardio coach cd's, I went from walking on the dreadmill for an hour and barely getting in 4 miles to running and getting a little over 6 miles in and it took about two weeks. The music is good and the "coach" doesn't talk except for when you are just about to give in he chimes in and pushes you that little extra bit. There are 7 in the series and they vary in length from 40 minutes to just over an hour.

You can go to cardiocoach.com and check it out, I swear by them!

borjanap

An I pod is a life saver. Without it I would not be able to run not even a mile.