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Hello all. Glad to have found this group! You can put me in the "working on speed" camp. I started C25K in October and did most weeks twice, and took a week off, so I finished a couple weeks ago. Just in time for my first 5K race -- the Shamrock Run in Portland. It was super fun and I felt like I could have done the course again!
That experience made me realize I was ready to start looking at the 10K. My only thing, though, is that I am VERY slow. 15 minute miles are about as fast as I go. I think of my run as a "jog in place, with a little bit of forward momentum." When I read through the B210K program it looked like it would allow for speed work once a week, so I decided to go with it. If anyone knows of a great training program for improving speed, I'd love to hear about it.
Which reminds me -- I always run with active.com's C25K or now B210K program on my phone. I also have Runkeeper running because I like how it monitors elevation, pace, etc. and how it keeps track of it all on the Runkeeper site. But running both programs (plus my music) kills my phone and I'd love to pare it down. I'd love to hear what apps people use (if any) to monitor their training.0 -
Hey, Meredith, Welcome in!
The more I read, the more I understand that the reason why there's a 10k program and not a "faster 5k program" is that beginning runners are better ready to work on distance than speed. Long, slow runs are what we need to develop our innate capacity.
That being said, I used the Runner's World SmartCoach feature to create another 5k training plan, to improve my speed. It probably looks a lot like the early weeks of your 10k program
I write the workouts on my wall calendar (for instance "2 - Easy" for two mile easy run) and check them off with a red pen. I also have them programmed as intervals into my Endomondo app.0 -
Sup everyone...Hey to my girl Vardaeml! 35:40! That was my time this past Saturday...
So anyway...for those who don't know me, I just finished my first ever 5K run on my birthday, this past Saturday. The time above was my finish time. Not to shabby for someone's first run. I am continuing on to 10K distance. I am scaling back just slightly, working on a program to get me running 4 days a week. One long run, 2 normal runs and a recovery run (which I will pair with my strength training). All in all I will be working out 6 days a week again.
I am going about this a little different. I am actually increasing my distance to get me up to about 25-30 miles a week running and then will look into increasing speed. I want to get that base milage built up and just get the time on the feet if you know what I mean. I am finishing this week out with two final 3 mile runs and the distance increase starts next week. It will take me about 4 months or so to build up the base (I posted a link and the article to what I am doing on another thread in the group).
My ultimate goal, for those who don't know this, is either half or full marathon. I haven't really decided what I want to do. I do know that I want to complete a 10K by the end of the year. Anyway....good to see the old faces who have ventured over from C25K, and nice to see new faces as well. Let the running begin! Ha ha! Btw....I have offically become obsessed with running!0 -
Me too! Where are you located? I just read about the Eastern States 20 - you run through Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. It's not the prettiest 20 mile run, but it would be totally cool to say you ran through three states! I'm not in that region, but it fires my imagination.0
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Hi! I finished C25K about three weeks ago -- I'm in the in between stage where I can run for 35 minutes but I don't actually make 5K yet. It's getting closer though. My pace is between 13-14 minutes per mile. My first race is in a few weeks and I'm thankful it is a "run / walk" 5K. I'm racing with a good friend who is a few weeks behind me in the program.
I have been running about 2 years and started and stopped C25K three or four times-- I'm still kind of surprised I finished it. I never thought I would enjoy running as much as I do, I love being out in nature, I'm a bird lover. I ran all winter in New England and found out I like winter running much better than summer.
Personal wise, I live in New England, I'm 37 and sort of wish i had discovered my running side ten or fifteen years ago (when my ankles were younger -- heh) I'm a mom with 2 kids (6 & 9) glad I saw vardaeml's post and joined cheers!
I have heard of the eastern states 20, that's not far from here. It would be fun to go and cheer them on.0 -
You will totally be able to run the whole 5k. Typically, during a race, you can run farther and faster than when you train. It's the excitement of the day, the crowd, the fact that you're running behind people just a *bit* faster than you so you're inspired to keep up.
As long as you slow down and find your own pace - just like during that first 20 minute run - you should be able to run the whole way...and you'll probably be surprised at your time too.0 -
I think of my run as a "jog in place, with a little bit of forward momentum."
Hi! My name is Beth, and the above describes my situation exactly! At that pace I am capable of a 45 minute "run", but my distance covered has still not quite equalled 3.1 miles. I've come close, but no banana. I am signed up for 5K on the 5th of May.
I started C25K on Dec 28th and then got off-track for a few weeks. I picked it back up steadily in Feb. and joined a women's running club. I technically didn't finish because I skipped from the 20 min runs in week 5 or 6 and went straight to a 46 minute run.
I run 3-4 times a week but my cross training habits are spotty. I want to exercise every single day, but the reality is that I work full time at a job that demands more than a 40 hour week and I have three kids aged 13, 12 and 11 that also have very active schedules. I do not believe in eating out more than once a week, so fitting in home prepared meals also figures into the equation. My husband is very supportive (thankfully!) and shares equally in all the facial duties/activities. I do cherish my run time!!!
I'm also trying to get back to my pre-baby weight 11 years after my "baby" was born! My goal is my high school weight which was just inside the range of a healthy BMI, but never slim.
Some days are good some days are not. I have experienced that feeling of getting a groove after the first mile a few times before, and that helps keep me motivated. But the last few times out (I run outside in my neighborhood mostly against hills and wind in Northwest Pennsylvania), I have felt very clunky and "un-oiled" and never hit my stride. I'm hoping for better tomorrow.0 -
"familial" NOT "facial"...darn auto correct!!!0
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"familial" NOT "facial"...darn auto correct!!!
Oh. Hmm. I was wondering what kind of facial duties your husband had. LOL.0 -
Hi Beth
That is a lot on your plate. I'm kind of right there with you (three kids, job, etc), so I'll keep you company. Also, my original goal was about 160-165, also my high school weight. Right now I'm plateaued, though, so I don't know how long it will be until I get there. I may actually go lower, now that I'm within range of that goal and can see that my body could handle smaller. I just never saw myself with a goal of less than my high school weight.
Anyway, are you spotty on the cross- training because you are all or nothing with needing lots of time for workouts? I do spend a huge amount of time right now exercising, but I started by adding a few things here and there, sometimes not even a whole hour. I had to realize that 20 or 30 minutes was better than nothing. And that had to be in house, because it didn't include extra time for driving. Now I work around the kids' schedule and it seems easier to get the execise in, but I had to really rethink where we were, what I wanted to do for exercise, and how I would get it in. One good thing that happened in the creativity is that my kids are also now getting more exercise.0 -
Hi Kathleen! I would like to send to you a friend request.
About the cross -training...I struggle to get my runs worked into my family's schedule...so cross training has happened very little. I love swimming and I have a YMCA just 5 mins from my house...that is my favorite cross-training activity. But it requires about a 1 hour total time commitment. Hard to find. My second favorite cross training activity is biking. Again until this week that has had to be done at the Y. Again the time issues. BUT it has finally stopped snowing and we got out bikes out today, so hopefully I can bike with the kids as much a possible on non-running days.
As for something I can do in a half hour or so, I haven't found anything that motivates me. Swimming works because love the water. Biking works (and running works) because I love the outdoors.
In high school and college I took ballet. I was never a great dancer. I do love to dance though, especially if the music is good. You mentioned you tube zumba? I never have tried zumba, but it sounds like something I might like. My daughter and I do occasionally battle it out by dancing to the Michael Jackson experience on the wii. I have an Apple tv, so I can stream internet to my tv in the family room...that might just be my ticket! :-)0 -
I will accept your friend request, but I haven't got anything exciting on my page! I'm not techy,, so I haven't figured out how or taken the time to get pics, goals, etc loaded. Maybe some day....
That's great that you live so close to the Y! But I know it's hard to work with schedules, and especially getting in laps around swim lessons and free swims... I am hoping to take my kids out for a bike ride in a bit. We are on Spring Break this week.
Another option for you might be stairs at work, if you have them.
For YouTube, I like ReFitRev. They have a mix of Christian and main-stream music and their choreography is pretty easy to get. They are also modestly dressed...good for when your kids are around. GRDancefitness is mostly good when my kids (boys) are around, too, but the choreo is a little harder to get. When my boys are NOT in the house, I like Sensazaocrew (suggestive clothing and most dances/lyrics to boys, maybe not the best for young girls to see, depending on how you feel about that) and DawnLaurenFitness (although this one isn't bad for my boys from the clothing standpoint). The last two are my favorite, but I do have to do that when everyone is gone...it lets me get my "club" dancing in (I have never been a bar/club person) I like mainly hip-hop style as opposed to mainly salsa style Zumba. There are others you will run across as suggestions, but I usually like just a song or two of theirs. You can search for "playlist" and I've found complete workouts that just cycle right on through. Or you can create your own for the 20 or 30 minutes that you have... Playlists don't work on my iPad, though, so I wonder if they will on the AppleTV? I have to select and hit play for each song. If you are not familiar with YouTube (I wasn't until I started looking for Zumba dances), just put those names in the search box and their songs/dances will come up.
If you are already running three times a week, and you add in 20-30 minutes of stairs once a week, YouTube dancing once or twice with your daughter, 30 minutes of swimming once or twice, and a bike ride with the kids when the weather is nice...next thing you know, you are going exercise crazy and the workouts become longer. The hardest part is finding the time to get the 20-30 minutes in, then it gets easier (for me) to extend the time. When I approached it with a rigid time schedule (due to classes at the gym), and thinking everything had to be an hour...it just didn't happen.0 -
I'm tapped out with three runs a week, a day or two of lifting and the yogilates class on Monday.0
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And chasing after those two babies, Varda!0
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Mostly I sit on the couch and watch them squabble over the baby dolls and toy stroller. LOL.0
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Oh...so you really WERE couch to 5K???0
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Hi Kathleen! Thanks for the tips! I will definitely be searching those once I get back from my trip. I'm traveling for work. Which means this week is going to be a challenge to my fitness! I will be walking-lots. My job is to shop the Naples, Sanibel, Ft. Myers area. I do love my work! But that also means eating out and unfamiliar territory for my runs...I haven't decided if I will be brave enough to run outside. I so want to try a run on the beach, but I'm a bit of a scared-y cat since I'm not familiar with the area and I would be by myself. The hotel does have a pool and a gym, so I can do that at least.
If I can get my family more and more sucked into this fitness thing, I think that it will be easier to make time (and will alleviate guilt for taking the time). The weather being better and better will encourage them too.0 -
Do you tend to hit the same areas again and again? If you do, it's worth learning the trails in each area. There's usually a couple around that are well-used.
And I do like the NHS podcasts for the treadmill. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/running-podcast.aspx0 -
My Intro....
I finished C25k last week - Zombie, Run edition....so of course I 'needed' a program to keep motivated :-) Anyway, today I will do Week 1 day 3 of the bridge to 10k.....should be good - although as I look outside, the wind is moving the trees quite a bit - so it may be 'fun'.
Carrie0 -
Do you tend to hit the same areas again and again? If you do, it's worth learning the trails in each area. There's usually a couple around that are well-used.
And I do like the NHS podcasts for the treadmill. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/running-podcast.aspx
Yes. I do go to the same areas. I tried mapmyrun to see what routes others run in that area. I ended up asking the concierge and found a great neighborhood along an estuary to run in. Beautiful scenery and birds... I had my best run yet. I need to find new and interesting places to run in my home town too, because the novelty of a new route made such a difference.0
