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Some advice about my C25K - by Roark (Read 247 times)
Wingz
posted: 4/21/2007 at 9:40 PM
Hi,

I am in the middle of week 04 of my C25K program, and since I've been recording my workouts with a HRM I'd like to post the graphs here and check if you can see something wrong with them. I am 27 and using these zones:

- Heavy to maximal intensity 90-100%
- Moderate to heavy intensity 70-89%
- Light to moderate intensity 60-69%

And these are the graphs:

Week 01: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3
Week 02: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3
Week 03: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3
Week 04: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Can you see something wrong with them? Should I worry about the 92-93% HR intervals in week 04? (I mean, it's only five bloody minutes!)

Any kind of advice is appreciated Smile


Hi Roark.

The way I'm reading the graphs you have is that when you're walking your HR is in the yellow zone and then you're running and it's shooting up into the red zone and doesn't come down until you're at another walking interval, is that right?

Based off that, I'd say that you're most likely just trying to run too fast too soon. Slow down, man! When you're running you should be doing it at a pace that would allow you to hold a conversation with someone. Or recite the Pledge of Allegience if you're alone. Wink If you're out of breath... and I'm guessing that if your HR is in the 190's you're pretty out of breath... then you're training too hard. Strange as it may sound, at this point in the game training at a more moderate pace is better for you than running as fast as you can maintain for 5 minutes.

My best suggestion to you would be to go ahead and give yourself an extra week - do week 4 over again. Leave the HR monitor at home for the week and instead spend your time listening to yourself breathe and get in touch with how it feels with how hard you're working. This will help you more in the long term. Perhaps a change of terms might help - if you're having trouble "running" at a slower pace, call it jogging. Call it a slow jog. Call it a turtle's pace. Call it whatever you need to in order to get the idea across to yourself that the object is NOT to run as fast as you can for as long as you can.

Good luck!

Janell
Bonkin
Reboot
 posted: 4/24/2007 at 1:23 AM
Janell speaks wisely.

I definitely agree with the slow it down advice. My experience with the C25K and getting back to running is that it is very easy to get into the trap of trying to run too fast. I soon learned that when I slowed it down a bit, not only could I run farther, but I enjoyed it a LOT more. Trust me, the speed will come in time - but get through the C25K plan first.
Your monkey gives me the creeps. - andahuff
Roark
posted: 4/27/2007 at 9:37 AM
Hi Janell and Bonkin,

Yeah, in the light of the HR graphs you are probably right that I should slow down a bit. However, the point is that I feel that I am not running THAT fast. Actually, at times when I go over 90% I try to slow down to reduce the HR and even at a "turtle's pace" Tongue it doesn't go below that percentage.

I don't know, my evolution seems to have stopped after week 4. Perhaps it is because things are becoming more difficult, but at the moment it is a little bit stagnant. I think I will repeat week 4 and see how it evolves :s
PRs 5K 21:44 10K 51:35 51:09 48:41
Wingz
posted: 4/27/2007 at 10:53 AM
It's pretty common to repeat a week here or there... nothing to stress about. Everybody's body adapts at different rates to what we ask of them.

I tried HRM training for a while last year. Had to take it down to an 18 minute mile pace in order to keep my HR where it was supposed to be. Talk about ego crushing!!! It's better now, but I continue to struggle with it from time to time.

Hey, I've always been a turtle. Wink A turtle that loves to run... Big grin
Roark
posted: 4/27/2007 at 10:13 PM
By the way, I've been pondering quite a lot about your on "being able to run forever"... Haha, I still get kind of tired after walk/running for 25 mins, but hell, that's a sensation I *want* to feel someday. Man, it must be such a powerful feeling... Somebody out there should make a movie dealing with that sensation, I tell you! :p
PRs 5K 21:44 10K 51:35 51:09 48:41
Wingz
posted: 4/27/2007 at 10:47 PM
It really depends on how hard I'm going. I've got a max HR somewhere over 203 (hit that in a 5K once last year)... when I'm training well I'm somewhere around 155-165. I don't know for sure where I am when I'm in that zone of running "forever" but I know it's below that. Probably 145-ish. And it's usually out on trails. The soft surface and the trees and shade put me at ease, and everything just kind of flows together. I actually forget that I'm supposed to be "exercising" and am just out, enjoying the day. I like trail running. Smile
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