I have returned to the measured 5K (3.1 miles) route beginning from and ending at my driveway that I used for week 1. This means that I do a 5K each time I complete one of these routines. I also walk the 5K route 2 or 3 times a week. This gives me 25K - 30K (15-18 miles) "roadwork" a week.
My average time for the 5K route for Week 1 was 50:44. By comparison, my time today was 49:21. I have shaved off almost 1:30 minutes time wise plus (and it is a big plus) I am not as wiped out after exercising. My home office is on the second floor so after I return from the exercise, I have to climb the stairs to the office. I do not even notice this now whereas in week one I almost had to crawl up the stairs.
I have also joined Weight Watchers and will write about that in an upcoming entry. The teaser is that I started on 2/11/2010 at 229.4 pounds. At the next weigh-in, I was at 225.8 pounds, which was a loss of 3.6 pounds. I weigh-in on Thursdays at 6pm.
For those who may be interested, the following are the workout routines/results for Week 5 of the Couch-to-5K program.
The Week 5 Day 1 routine is:
warm up
5 min jog
3 min recover (brisk walk)
5 min jog
3 min recover (brisk walk)
5 min jog
cool down
My W5D1 time: 49:21
The Week 5 Day 2 routine is:
warm up
8 min jog
3 min recover (brisk walk)
8 min jog
cool down
My W5D2 time:
The Week 5 Day 3 routine is:
warm up
20 min jog
cool down
My W5D3 time:
Monday, February 22, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
2010-02-08 (W3D1) The dreaded 3 minute jog!
Pant, pant, pant! I told She-Who-Must-Be-Adored that running was 80% mental and 50% breathing. She gave me “the look”. Guys, you know which look I received. The one we might think after looking at an English bulldog. It is the oxymoron (with the emphasis on “moron”) look. You know which one. It is the look that says, “It’s kinda of cute that you are so ugly”.
Pant, pant, pant! I ran outdoors for W3D1 and it sure felt good not running around that 1/11 mile track. You have to make 44 left turns just to go a mile. And, it is really a big morale deflator when a blue-haired grandma looking woman in pink spandex laps you for the third time. As she passes you by, she gives you here “there, there sonny” looks and kinda of wiggles her head in a sideways nod. After she passes you, you want to hold up one finger in support of her geriatric efforts but can’t raise your arms passed your waist.
Pant, pant, pant! They really expect me to jog for 3 continuous minutes during week three? My goodness, they think more highly of my abilities than I do. I’m dying here! My breathing routine is to forcibly exhale every other time my left foot plops on the floor. Sometimes, sweat or spittle is caught up in the air that is expelled and may spray those close to me. If you are within 15 feet of me, not only will you hear my imitation of a old-timey locomotive with a busted boiler, but you will most likely get sprayed.
Huff and puff, huff and puff, huff and puff! What, my three minutes walk time is up already and I have to start running again? So soon?
Pant, pant, pant!
Pant, pant, pant! I ran outdoors for W3D1 and it sure felt good not running around that 1/11 mile track. You have to make 44 left turns just to go a mile. And, it is really a big morale deflator when a blue-haired grandma looking woman in pink spandex laps you for the third time. As she passes you by, she gives you here “there, there sonny” looks and kinda of wiggles her head in a sideways nod. After she passes you, you want to hold up one finger in support of her geriatric efforts but can’t raise your arms passed your waist.
Pant, pant, pant! They really expect me to jog for 3 continuous minutes during week three? My goodness, they think more highly of my abilities than I do. I’m dying here! My breathing routine is to forcibly exhale every other time my left foot plops on the floor. Sometimes, sweat or spittle is caught up in the air that is expelled and may spray those close to me. If you are within 15 feet of me, not only will you hear my imitation of a old-timey locomotive with a busted boiler, but you will most likely get sprayed.
Huff and puff, huff and puff, huff and puff! What, my three minutes walk time is up already and I have to start running again? So soon?
Pant, pant, pant!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
2010-02-06 (W2D1, W2D2, W2D3) - Good news and bad news in C25K Week 2
There is good news and bad news in week 2 of the Couch-2-5K program. First, the good news. She-Who-Must-Be-Adored expressed an interest in becoming more active. She further expressed an interest in joining me in the doing the C25K program. This is exciting to me because she had never expressed any interest in doing any form of jogging/running. Definitely good news to start my week. But, this also leads to the bad news.
As I have mentioned before, my plan was to negotiate my self-measured 5k course three times a week as I did the C25K program. Two recent experiences have caused me to rethink this decision. The first was the wintery weather we had in our area last week, which delayed my return. There was no way for me to complete my run prior to darkness. I do not like running after dark unless someone is chasing me. Additionally, since She-Who-Must-Be-Adored is going to start the C25K program, I needed an alternate venue to do the program with her.
I have returned to my former workout facility Total Fitness. This facility is also the workout facility of the students and athletic teams of Piedmont College. It houses an indoor 3-lane running track, which requires 11 circuits to complete 1 mile. Other amenities include more exercise machines than I want to use and some exercise classes.
On Monday, I sampled one of those exercise classes. It was called Body Fitness and was advertised as a “low-impact cardio workout” and that it was “great for beginners”. I’m glad I spent a little time in the Marine Corps because I had to low crawl as I left the class an hour later. The only good thing to come out of the class, besides my tired tail, was that the blue-haired ladies were encouraged that they could do all the moves and exercises while I could not. I was again reminds that one does not mess with the blue-haired ladies because they are very experienced in getting their way.
I completed Week 2 this morning and am looking foward to Week 3. In week 3 the routine, after the 5 minute warm up, is a 90-second jog, then a 90-second walk. This is followed by a 3-minute jog and a 3-minute walk. This is then repeated. Total jog time is 9 minutes and walk time is 9 minutes. I am already looking forward to those 3-minute walks.
My nephew, Mark, and I are planning on doing the Spartan 5K next Saturday (2/13) at the Athens Academy in Athens Georgia.
As I have mentioned before, my plan was to negotiate my self-measured 5k course three times a week as I did the C25K program. Two recent experiences have caused me to rethink this decision. The first was the wintery weather we had in our area last week, which delayed my return. There was no way for me to complete my run prior to darkness. I do not like running after dark unless someone is chasing me. Additionally, since She-Who-Must-Be-Adored is going to start the C25K program, I needed an alternate venue to do the program with her.
I have returned to my former workout facility Total Fitness. This facility is also the workout facility of the students and athletic teams of Piedmont College. It houses an indoor 3-lane running track, which requires 11 circuits to complete 1 mile. Other amenities include more exercise machines than I want to use and some exercise classes.
On Monday, I sampled one of those exercise classes. It was called Body Fitness and was advertised as a “low-impact cardio workout” and that it was “great for beginners”. I’m glad I spent a little time in the Marine Corps because I had to low crawl as I left the class an hour later. The only good thing to come out of the class, besides my tired tail, was that the blue-haired ladies were encouraged that they could do all the moves and exercises while I could not. I was again reminds that one does not mess with the blue-haired ladies because they are very experienced in getting their way.
I completed Week 2 this morning and am looking foward to Week 3. In week 3 the routine, after the 5 minute warm up, is a 90-second jog, then a 90-second walk. This is followed by a 3-minute jog and a 3-minute walk. This is then repeated. Total jog time is 9 minutes and walk time is 9 minutes. I am already looking forward to those 3-minute walks.
My nephew, Mark, and I are planning on doing the Spartan 5K next Saturday (2/13) at the Athens Academy in Athens Georgia.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
2010-01-30 (W1D3) - Oops, I blew it off because of the ice storm
Ok, I did not even complete the first week of C25K before my first excuse is marched out for all to see. I do not think it is a good excuse but it is all I got. I drove my parents to Greenville, South Carolina to attend a scheduled lunch with my mother’s siblings. The trees were iced over here in northeast Georgia when we left in the morning but the roads were good. About 20 miles this side of Greenville, one of the lanes of I-85 was iced over. After eating at Cracker Barrel and a time of visiting, we did a few errands. We left Greenville around 3pm and after stopping off at Panera Bread Company in Anderson for hot cocoa, made it back home just before 5pm.
On a good note, I was able to purchase the running shoes I wanted. I found out a number of years ago that my foot is particularly hard to fit correctly. I am an 8.5EEEE. I also have medium to high arches. I am also over 200 pounds. All of these were considered when I looked for the closest New Balance store.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I discovered New Balance while on active duty in the Marine Corps and have never fallen out of love with them. The only question I had was which model would best “best” for me. I used their online fitting tool and produced a short list of 4 models. They are the 1063, 1062, 758, and the 757. After trying on the 758, 1063, and 1064 (latest in the 106x series), I selected the New Balance 1063. They were priced at $130 but were marked down to $100. I also purchased some new inserts.
W1D3 - Postponed until next week.
On a good note, I was able to purchase the running shoes I wanted. I found out a number of years ago that my foot is particularly hard to fit correctly. I am an 8.5EEEE. I also have medium to high arches. I am also over 200 pounds. All of these were considered when I looked for the closest New Balance store.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I discovered New Balance while on active duty in the Marine Corps and have never fallen out of love with them. The only question I had was which model would best “best” for me. I used their online fitting tool and produced a short list of 4 models. They are the 1063, 1062, 758, and the 757. After trying on the 758, 1063, and 1064 (latest in the 106x series), I selected the New Balance 1063. They were priced at $130 but were marked down to $100. I also purchased some new inserts.
W1D3 - Postponed until next week.
Monday, February 1, 2010
2010-01-28 (W1D2) - iTunes ate my week one C25K podcast
I pressed the start button on the stopwatch as I left the driveway in a brisk walk. After walking down the road about 20 steps, I started looking for the Week 1 podcast for use on Day 2 of the Couch-to-5K (C25K) program by Robert Ulrey. I found Weeks 2 – 9 but not Week 1. By the time I was about ½ K into the walking portion, I had figured out that iTunes ate my podcast the last time I synced my iPhone with iTunes. As Pooh is prone to say, “Oh, bother!”
While continuing my brisk walk, I started reviewing my options. I listed them as (1) return to the house and get Week 1 or, (2) do W1D2 from memory or, (3) do W2D1. I chose to promote myself to Week 2 Day 1.
As a reminder, the following are Weeks 1 – 9 of the C25K program:
All weeks begin with a 5 minute warm up in a brisk walk, following by intervals of jogging and walking for timed intervals (s=seconds and m=minutes).
Week 1 - jog 90s, walk 90s (do this 8 times).
Week 2 - jog 90s, walk 2m (do this 6 times).
Week 3 - jog 90s, walk 90s, jog 3m, walk 3m (do this 2 times).
Week 4 - jog 3m, walk 90s, jog 5m, walk 2.5m, jog 3m, walk 90s, jog 5m.
Week 5 - jog 5m, walk 3m, jog 5m, walk 3m, jog 5m.
Week 6 - jog 5m, walk 3m, jog 8m, walk 3m, jog 5m.
Week 7 - jog 25m.
Week 8 - jog 28m.
Week 9 - jog 30m.
W1D2 - My 5K time today was 49:44 (I used W2D1 podcast).
W1D1 - My 5K time today was 51:45.
While continuing my brisk walk, I started reviewing my options. I listed them as (1) return to the house and get Week 1 or, (2) do W1D2 from memory or, (3) do W2D1. I chose to promote myself to Week 2 Day 1.
As a reminder, the following are Weeks 1 – 9 of the C25K program:
All weeks begin with a 5 minute warm up in a brisk walk, following by intervals of jogging and walking for timed intervals (s=seconds and m=minutes).
Week 1 - jog 90s, walk 90s (do this 8 times).
Week 2 - jog 90s, walk 2m (do this 6 times).
Week 3 - jog 90s, walk 90s, jog 3m, walk 3m (do this 2 times).
Week 4 - jog 3m, walk 90s, jog 5m, walk 2.5m, jog 3m, walk 90s, jog 5m.
Week 5 - jog 5m, walk 3m, jog 5m, walk 3m, jog 5m.
Week 6 - jog 5m, walk 3m, jog 8m, walk 3m, jog 5m.
Week 7 - jog 25m.
Week 8 - jog 28m.
Week 9 - jog 30m.
W1D2 - My 5K time today was 49:44 (I used W2D1 podcast).
W1D1 - My 5K time today was 51:45.
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