Couch to 5K and One Hour Runners

Weekly Thread July 14 - 20 (Read 437 times)

    So first I have decided to repeat week one for two reasons. First, gymnastics is starting again for the first time in 3.5 months and second, my mom wants to join me. I don't know how I feel about that Undecided. I like to be alone, but if my mom comes then I will be allowed to change up my route a little. But, she wouldn't help with the motivation. If anything I will be the one motivating. I guess you never know though, right? Anyway I figured why not re-do week one. It's better than rushing into it.
    Goals: Run.
      W7 complete! I had a fantastic run on Friday to finish out Week 7, then I walked 10K in a benefit for cancer research on Saturday with my mom and my aunt. It was a pleasant surprise, the trail was out through the woods and had a lot of steep hills and stuff and it really was a workout, not just a leisurely stroll. I walked a similarly hilly route with my mom about a month ago, that one was just over 7 miles, and I am certain that my fitness has improved since then cause man, those hills came up and I was like a mountain goat hoofin it to the top! And while I know I can't count an untimed walk as a real race, I did get my official first race number bib and t-shirt Smile So that's a minor victory. Week 8 starts tomorrow!
      2009 Goals:
      PR 5K (Ha, current 43:10)
      Run a 10K
      Meet Seasonal Weight Loss Challenges
      Complete my first Sprint Tri
      theyapper


      On the road again...

        Great job on the 10k walk! Isn't it wonderful when hills don't wear you out anymore?

        I write. I read. I run. One time, I ran a lot on my 50th birthday.

        Paul

          Oh, my gosh! I had the best run EVER this morning. Week 6 Done. 25 minute run Done!!!! Here I come, Week 7! I am floating on a cloud right now. Thanks for all your support and encouragement! Good luck with the week Big grin

          "Life is short... running makes it seem longer." - Baron Hansen


          running buddies

            Olivia - Repeating a week is a fine idea. You have your whole running career ahead of you. Be patient with your mom - it's a whole lot harder to start something new when you have a teenager than when you are a teenager. If she gets into it, she may be more willing to pay for new shoes, or race entry fees... Wink And take that cute hairy dog along, too! Quotidianlight - I am in awe. Shocked I just finished OHR week 5, but I've been sticking to the 3X/week schedule and don't really feel like I could pick up an extra day. I will say I'm finding I'm running faster during the second half of my runs, which is surprising to me. Maybe you just have a gift for this running thing. Smile For all you C25Kers - My first 20 minute run in C25K was awful, and I ended up repeating that week just to make it bearable. Now I find I just start to feel good after I've been running 20 minutes. So just keep going! Have a good week, everyone.
            "Be patient and tough. Someday this pain will be useful to you." Ovid 2009 Goals 1. Don't get injured 2. Run 3-4x/week for at least 30 minutes 3. participate in at least one run or tri (maybe 2) "And remember, Dead Freakin' Last is better than Did Not Finish which is way better than Did Not Start" (Allison)
            zzz


              Oliviars.... take it from a young mom with three teens herself... your mom loves you more than anything in this world... i'll bet you think she's probably a dork and pain in the butt, but you two will most likely bond a lot more doing this together... you will be so proud of her and she of you when you reach goals together. And yes you'll get better shoes I bet and new routes and feel safer with mom by your side. Jenner from the state up there (bah) great job on finishing week 7 and the 10K walk!! You go girl!! Big grin gruetz - great job on week six... can't wait to get there myself...
                Oh, my gosh! I had the best run EVER this morning. Week 6 Done. 25 minute run Done!!!! Here I come, Week 7! I am floating on a cloud right now. Thanks for all your support and encouragement! Good luck with the week Big grin
                gruetzgirl - I'm starting week seven this week as well. I was excited to see that it's just three 25 minute runs. I'm psyched to finally be able to just go and *run*. The intervals leading up to this were necessary and so important to getting where I am now. I'm really looking forward to getting into the groove on these longer, continuous runs. Everyone is really doing great! Last week was a weird one for me. I messed up week five due to a busy weekend schedule, so my day three rolled into week six. I ended up doing two week six runs - one was the official W6D1, the other was a two mile trail race with my dog, which I counted as my W6D3. It was about 29 minutes of continuous running with just a few short walking breaks to climb stairs Surprised ! I've decided to switch over to non-asphalt/non-concrete surfaces for as many of my runs as possible. I have some really great trails nearby and they are so much softer than the concrete sidewalks I've been running on. I really think the concrete was tough on my legs - I was requiring a good two days to recover fully from each run. After running that two mile trail run on Saturday, I was amazed at how refreshed I felt afterward and for the rest of the day.
                ~ Mary ~

                "Workouts are like brushing my teeth; I don't think about them, I just do them. The decision has already been made." - Patti Sue Plumer
                Wingz


                Professional Noob

                  So first I have decided to repeat week one for two reasons. First, gymnastics is starting again for the first time in 3.5 months and second, my mom wants to join me. I don't know how I feel about that Undecided. I like to be alone, but if my mom comes then I will be allowed to change up my route a little. But, she wouldn't help with the motivation. If anything I will be the one motivating. I guess you never know though, right? Anyway I figured why not re-do week one. It's better than rushing into it.
                  Best case scenario you find you enjoy running with a partner and this turns out to be a way you and your mom can enjoy each other's company. Believe it or not, she may actually like spending time with you and miss you as you're involved in your busy life. When I was 16, my mom and I started a ritual of "tea time" when we'd each get a mug of hot tea and drink it together most nights. It was a rule that it was okay to talk about anything during that time and there'd be no repercussions. When I had something on my mind, that was a safe time to bring it out into the open - I knew I wouldn't get in trouble for whatever. And there were a few things I could have gotten in trouble for... Blush You're right - repeating a week is much better than rushing. Because of your age you may find you're feeling ready to start leaping buildings skipping weeks pretty soon. Don't. Wink You might or might not be able to handle it, and wouldn't know until it was too late if progressing too fast would give you an injury. I know from experience that 16 year olds can get overuse injuries. I got a really really really bad case of runner's knee when I was 16. It got so bad that I couldn't walk without crying and the pain kept me up at night. (Yes, I was very stubborn in my teens!) I think that what I'm trying to say is that if you feel tempted to skip a week, maybe having an older running partner will help you resist that temptation. Your mom may need to repeat a week here and there too. Good luck to the both of you!

                  Roads were made for journeys...


                  The young Mama Bear!

                    W5D1 went off without a hitch. Honestly, I don't have much to say about it...shocking, guys, I know! LOL Tongue I spent ALOT of time trying to hike up my pants so I didn't flash everyone on the street. No drawstrings for me ever again...my hips won't allow for them. *confusion* I tried to focus on getting a semi-decent mile time. The last 5 minute interval rolled around and I had a few minutes to make my loop. So I did a jog-run (shocker) and made it back in about 5 or 6 minutes to make my full run about 2 miles at a little over 14 min. apiece. I figured my mile time will improve as the week go on and I am allowed to walk less. To be honest, today wasn't as hard for me as W3D2 or W4D1...so far, so good! I've been drinking this Fruit2O water for my run today...and I guess it worked? Does anyone drink something else besides water for their runs? Olivia, I know where you're coming from - I'm 19 years old and I went through growing pains with my own mom. I know it seems awkward, but this is a great opportunity to set up this trust system with her...and you both will get into shape! I know if my mom wanted to do it with me, I'd be a tad irked because it's my alone time in a fairly busy household, but she needs to get into shape as well. Think about it as lengthening BOTH of your lifespans. Smile No shame in repeating a week. I haven't so far, but I probably will in the coming weeks. This program ain't set in stone. Wink
                    Couch to 5K support group! Short-term goals: - Sub 35 5K - Complete my 16-week 10K training plan.
                    Long term goals: - Sub 30 5K. - Compete in a 5K. - Train for a triathlon. - Compete in a 10K.


                    More turtle than hare...

                      I spent ALOT of time trying to hike up my pants so I didn't flash everyone on the street. No drawstrings for me ever again...my hips won't allow for them. *confusion*
                      Sounds like some extra aerobic exercise there, Goddess. Wink So glad everyone is doing well, it's so nice to hear others making the commitment to fit running into a busy life. Makes it feel more normal when I try and explain myself to my husband. He's sweet and encouraging, but he certainly doesn't understand when I get up an hour earlier than I have to 3x a week. But, I have been! I'm pretty proud of myself since work/life have been crazy around here, not to mention the hot summer weather. But I'm doing 5k each Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Yay!
                        Hi Everybody, I've been out of action for a few days, so it is great to come back to the forum and read all these success stories. W9D1 - 30 min run today, completed 2.56 miles in the time and felt good after. Everybody keep going and have a good week.
                        MoonStar


                          Hey, I never got tea time. Not fair. She never changed your rules after coming clean? Wow. Shocked Guess there are some benefits of being 2nd. Cry Not fair...
                          theyapper


                          On the road again...

                            OHR W5D1 for me today. I've decided to take the first day of each week and pick the pace up a bit. (The longer runs each week will still be very slow). Anyway, after today's run, I was tired, but not to the point that I couldn't talk. I wasn't breathing too heavily, but definitely heavier than a normal run. I'm running based on nothing but time, so I didn't know how far I'd gone until I pushed the button on my Nike+ to see the distance and pace. My 30 minute run covered 3.18 miles! Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about that. One of my goals is to run a sub 30:00 5K and that pace equates to 29:22. Too bad it wasn't an actual race. Keep up all the great work everyone.

                            I write. I read. I run. One time, I ran a lot on my 50th birthday.

                            Paul

                              W1D1 again. With my mom. It was not so bad we both had music so we didn't talk much. I kept her pace which was slower than mine. I kind of felt good becasue I can run better than her Yes So it was easy for me but we'll see after gymnastics starts tomorrow.
                              Goals: Run.
                                W1D1 again. With my mom. It was not so bad we both had music so we didn't talk much. I kept her pace which was slower than mine. I kind of felt good becasue I can run better than her Yes So it was easy for me but we'll see after gymnastics starts tomorrow.
                                I think it's pretty neat that your mom wants to try out the program. And cheers to you for helping her out on her first run. I'm sure your companionship was a morale booster for that first day out on the road! I did W7D1 tonight. I decided to switch over to distance (rather than time). So, I did a five minute warm-up and a 2.5 mile run. It ended up taking about 33 minutes, but, hey, gotta start somewhere! Just trying to take it slow and steady.
                                ~ Mary ~

                                "Workouts are like brushing my teeth; I don't think about them, I just do them. The decision has already been made." - Patti Sue Plumer