C25K Starting 8/8- Open group for encouragement!

Hey Everyone!

brendalyne - Thank you so much for posting that thread. There is some great information there. I'm glad your 25 minute run is starting to feel a little better. I understand the need to do something besides run. I am still doing 30DS, on the days that I don't run.

Shannon - lucky you, a foot rub. I have actually already scheduled my spa appointment after my 5k on Saturday. So, in addition to thinking about reporting back to you guys during my run, I'll be thinking about the heavenly massage and facial waiting for me when I finish.

linbee - great job completing the 25 minute run, even though you skipped Day 2. It's really amazing what our bodies can do, if we just push them a little bit.

Jenny - you are a Superwoman, running for 44 minutes with a cold. And running fast on top of that!

Well, as you all know, I'm just trying to keep my nerves under control as I wait for Saturday. I did my 2 miles yesterday, and decided that since I was only going to do 2 miles, I should try to push my pace a bit. I was able to complete the first mile in 10 minutes, which is much faster than I've ever done, and did the second in just under 11 minutes. Now, there's no way I would have been able to do another mile at that pace, since I was already starting to feel a stich in my side at the end of the second mile, but it was good to know that I can pick of the pace a bit. I think when I finish the C25K program, I'm going to stick with the 3 miles for a while, and just try to do it faster each run.

So another thing for me to fret about, the forecast for Saturday morning is 46 degrees. I guess it's better to be cool than hot, but now I don't know what to wear. I don't want to freeze, but I don't want to dress too warmly either.

I ran 40 minutes yesterday. I did awesome the first half hour, doing a 12 minute mile pace, but the last ten was a killer.... my time really suffered.

Does this mean I'm not pacing myself enough?

My race is October 8th. A week from tomorrow!!!!! I won't get through the entire 5K training program in time, though. I'm doing a beginners program from fitness magazine that's supposed to last eight weeks, but I'll only be at five on race day. Hopefully, it will be enought to improve my time from this past spring's race!

Shannon

My Body is Stonger then My Brain gives it credit for
I realized this while doing w5d1
I want to sign up for 5k the race is Oct 29 The only thing that worries me is the, Fact I wont be done with c25k by then What do guys think I should do? but I am not worried about winning the race or any thing like that I just want to do for fun and personally I like trying to get the family together.
I am super excited about day 3 of week 5 because I know I can do it
SN Can you guys explain stride to me? is that different from pace?

ariel or should i say the mfp'er formerly know as ariel?- thanks! i have never been a "tough cookie" so it feels great to be determined about something! :-) i've certainly learned some self discipline since i started here... my eating habits, food choices, and dedication to exercising have all benefited! wimps to warriors rule!!! i may not be a warrior yet, but i'm no longer a wimp! :blushing:

j: i agree so much!!!! it does feel really great to be completing something and you're doing such a great job at it! totally inspiration for me. w2w hooray!!!

I want to sign up for 5k the race is Oct 29 The only thing that worries me is the, Fact I wont be done with c25k by then What do guys think I should do?

MizzLisa: I think if you feel like you can do it then you totally should!!! Just like you said, give yourself some credit and do it up!

Ariel - sorry to hear about your lap top. It sounds to me like you're running pretty fast. I am usually in the 4.5-5.0 range when I'm on the treadmill (so I guess that's between 12-13.3 minute miles). I notice when I run outside that my pace is in the 11:16 mile range...and I find it MUCH more challenging, can't seem to maintain that pace on the treadmill....

lizzy: yeah see i should probably tone it down for these upcoming 4 & 5 min runs in week 4 that I start tomorrow... I was able to push through 3 minutes at 6mph but it definitely felt like a serious possibility of throwing up on the treadmill LOL!! i just figured since it was supposed to be 3 miles in 30 minutes that i was going too slow and so thats why i've been trying to run at 6mph but i think i would definitely have an easier go at like 5mph or 5.5mph for these longer runs.

Hey everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long to post. When I was heading home from the 5k on Saturday, I developed a horrible migraine, that I wasn't able to shake until yesterday afternoon. I don't know if it was related to the 5k or not, but it was awful.

So anyway, the 5k was great. I had a really good time. When I woke up Saturday morning, it was 49 degrees. You'll remember that I was fretting about what to wear. I ended up wearing my running tank, then the race t-shirt over that, then a long sleeved running shirt, and shorts. It ended up being perfect, and during the race, I was able to take off the long sleeved shirt and tie it around my waist after I warmed up.

So the 5k was held in conjunction with a local golf tournament, at a private country club and golf course. Since parking was at a premium, runners were instructed to park at a nearby park, and were shuttled to the race. My friend who was running with me actually lives near the race (she told me about a 20 minute walk), so we decided to meet at her house and walk over as a warm up. Unfortunately, the other friend running the race with us was a little late, so we didn't start walking until about 7:30 (the race started at 8am). The walk was about 1.5 miles, and since we were running late, we had to walk faster than my usual warm up walks. I was really worried about over-exerting myself before the race even started. We got to the race at about 7:55, while they were wrapping up the group warm-up and stretching, so not much time to spare.

I definitely made some mistakes as the race started. I found myself getting frustrated having to maneuver around people in front of me who were walking or running slowly. So I started out faster than I should have, trying to get around people. Then I was running at the same pace as my two friends (both experienced runners). I know I can comfortably maintain a 12 minute mile pace for 3.1 miles, so that was my goal pace. At the end of the first mile, my running app said that my pace was 10:53, so I tried to focus on slowing down, but I had a really difficult time doing so. My mile two pace was a bit better at 11:04. Up to this point, I hadn't walked yet (except at the water stations, when I found myself unable to run and drink out of a cup at the same time). I definitely felt myself getting tired at about 2.5 miles, but there were people along the route, yelling encouragement to us. That's also when I really relied on my friends encouraging me to keep going. I was never so happy to see the Mile 3 marker, knowing that I just had 0.1 mile to go.

Crossing the finish line was such a high. I was exhausted, but so happy that I made it. My goal was to complete the race in under 40 minutes. I wasn't immediately sure what my time was, but the timer set up at the finish line read 35:45 when I crossed. My friend said that my time would be lower that that because we were near the back of the pack when the race started. When I saw the official results, I was so excited. 34:50!!!

I've obviously never run 3.1 miles that fast before, and I am definitely feeling it. My legs have been very sore since the race.
But I can't wait until my next one!!