Fat People Run Too!

Tuesday was my day to complete W8D2.  I managed to complete 28 minutes of jogging w/o stopping!  I can't believe that I only have a week and a day left of C25k and then it's off to the races so to speak.

Tuesday's run brought a new path, and it was descent.  I decided to just run out the front door, and around town a bit.  You can review the run by clicking HERE.  Not a bad little path to take in Owatonna.  There were very few stop signs/traffic lights etc.  Somewhat flat roads with a bit of elevation mixed in..just enough to make it a little tougher of a workout.

I don't have a ton to say about W8D2, other than I did it, and I manged to complete over 2.8 miles in 33 minutes, which included 5 minutes of cool-down walking at the end.  This was a good run for me.  I felt good about it, I felt good in the end, didn't have any breathing issues, muscles weren't too sore etc.

I am really looking forward to completing this program!  Should I finish Week9 next week, that means obviously that I've completed 9 weeks of training, 9 weeks of working out consistently, 9 weeks of not giving up on something!  If you're thinking of doing C25k, YOU CAN!  I am proof of that!

Yesterday was W8D1 of C25k, and it did not go well.  It seemingly started off OK, but it was a disaster by the end, but at least Jack got ot play @ the park!

It was a mere 80* and 50% humidity, but it was windy as well, and I was tired.  No excuses though, it just sucked!  I only made a mere 2.04 miles in 28minutes, granted I was running into a 15mph wind and was pushing Jack (50lbs) in a jogging stroller!  I forgot to start RunKeeper for the first minute too.  ABout a mile into the run, I approached a park called Mineral Springs, and the bugs were 100% nasty.  Both my sweaty arms were covered in bugs and they were just everywhere!  Just an overall bad run day.  It happens I guess!

I am looking forward to W8D2 tomorrow, and want to get as close as I can to 5k in the 28 minutes.  It's time to ramp it up.  Time to push it a bit.  That's what Ibuprophen is for right??! 

A lot was done today! I helped with Childcare at MOPS, updated the blog format and COMPLETED W7D2! I even managed to get a buddy to come out and run with me!

Here's how W7D2 goes: 5 minute warm up, 25 minute run, 5 minute cool down. Easy enough! I am starting to get the hang of this running stuff. I am impressed that I was able to run for 25 minute and not die! Woohoo. I was more impressed with @blivingood who managed to come along and run with me for 25 minutes! Nice Job man!

Tomorrow, I am going to pick up a Jogging stroller that we're borrowing from a friend that I'll use for Thursday evenings and Saturday's runs. I'll be toting along our 4 year old son Jack on two runs as my wife will be in California to spend time with friends! She deserves it. She's been staying @ home raising our son for the last 4 years without a real break! You're the best honey! So, W7D3 and W8D1 will be done with the jogging stroller and a 50lb 4 year old! Should be good times!

Looking forward to W7D3 and beyond! P.S. Let me know what you think of the new blog layout!

Sunday I decided that two days of rest was enough for the ankle, and set out to do W7D1 of C25k. Outside temp was 83 degrees and 59% humidity. It was a little sticky out, but I didn't want to slack off, or wait until later in the day because I knew I would've probably got lazy and decided not to do it.

Since my right ankle had been bothering me, before I ran, I went and picked up a medium duty lace up brace for my ankle for some added support.

I was a little slow on Sunday, maybe due to the heat and getting used to the new ankle brace.  I did manage to run/jog for the continuous 25 minutes though, which I felt pretty good about.  Since the rest of the training program's runs are at least 25 minutes in length with no walking intervals, I am going to work on picking up the pace from here on out until my first 5k on October 17th.  My goal is still to complete the 3.1 miles in just over 8 minutes per mile!  Time to push it a little bit...

We'll see how W7D2 goes on Tuesday. You can checkout the map of my most recent run by clicking the map just to the right of this post, or by clicking Here!

Thanks for the votes in the poll yesterday.  I decided, despite the results, to go ahead and complete W6D3.

At about 3:30, I made it to the local trail I've been using most often.  It was 82* with 60% humidity.  The air was a little heavy, and man are the Mosquitos in MN TERRIBLE right now.  No sooner than 2 seconds after getting out of the yukon did I hear/see/feel 4-5 mosquitos trying to get a snack.  Gross.

There is something to be said for running outside vs. on a treadmill inside.  I think it pushes your body more, makes you work harder etc.  There's not moving belt under your feet keeping you going.  No wind resistance in your face.  Either way, if you're running inside or out, you've made the choice to be healthier!

I completed the 25 minute run, and included my 5 minute cooldown walk on Runkeeper.  The details of the map etc. can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/P1po4

I am going to rest up Friday and Saturday and will pickup with W7D1 on Sunday, which is another 25 minute run.  From here on out, I am going to work on increasing my speed/distance, hoping to get at least 1 mile down in the just over 8 minute pace I want to complete the 5k in.

I never thought I'd say that I am looking forward to running, but I am actually looking forward to it now!  I used to HATE It.  I think that's why I used to be able to do the mile in 6:30 in high school, because I didn't like it and just wanted to get it over with!

Anywho..it's a great day outside today in Southern, MN.  Might be a bit on the humid side this afternoon for a run, but nice out none-the-less!  Week 6 Day 2 consists of a warmup walk, 10 minutes of running, 3 minutes walking, another 10 minutes of running and a cooldown walk.  We'll see how it goes!  Check back tonight!

Ahh! I am now more than halfway to running a 5k. My goal is to get it done in just over 8 minutes per mile, which would be pretty good for never having run a 5k before. I am at the point now of being able to do about 2.5 miles in 30 minutes, which includes a 5 minute warm-up and 5 minute cooldown walk, with running/walking intervals during the rest of the training session.

Sunday I completed Day 1 of Week 6 following the Couch to 5k program. It's pretty tough, but I'm getting there. Day 1 of Week 6 went as follows:

5 minute warm-up stretch
5 minute warm-up walk
5 minute run
3 minute walk
8 minute run
3 minute walk
5 minute run
5 minute cooldown walk
5 minute cooldown stretch

I am a huge fan of this interval training. I've got to the point now where my legs are tired before I run out of breath. It's great. I've also moved all my running to outdoor running. I started the first 3 weeks on a treadmill, but then it died, so I bought some new running shoes and hit the asphalt. Running outside seems tougher than the treadmill, but it's much more motivating to keep going. Here in Owatonna we have a lot of miles of descent trails and good scenery, so that too makes it easier to run outside.

Shortly after starting to run outside, I found an app for my iPhone called RunKeeper. It uses the built in GPS of the iPhone to track all your runs and the stats associated with them such as pace, total time etc. With the Pro version that I purchased, you're able to create your own training workouts, such as setting up the Couch to 5K intervals, which is great. Then, while you're working out, it will chime in and tell you when to run, at what pace etc. You can select your iPod playlist from within the app as well, which will auto start it when you begin your training session.

RunKeeper tracks your run and when you've completed your session, it tweets the stats of your run with a link to a map of your run! Awesome! Here's an example of one of my runs:

Just completed a 2.58 mi run with @runkeeper, check it out http://bit.ly/grysj #RunKeeper

This is pretty sweet. Then, once uploaded, you can view the map, edit it if your GPS signal was weak etc. You can keep track of your weeks, see your total distance etc. Just a great app, from a great development team! If you have an iPhone 3g or 3g S, I recommenf you spend the $10.00 on this app in the AppStore. Click HERE to get it! You can also check out RunKeeper.com for more details on this app.

Thanks RunKeeper!