I can hardly believe it but I just finished Week Four!!
I am so proud of myself for doing it but man those five minute intervals were tough!
I am worried about week five (which I should start on Friday) but am trying to keep my focus on each interval at a time andnot psyching myself out. That and the fact that I got my period today...ug.
Keep at it everyone! It is inspirational to see how others just ahead of me are doing.
I went and did another 5k this morning. I cut 4 minutes off my total time since last week. I'm still sorta in shock that I was able to get it done in 45 minutes. My longest running stretch was 4:30. The rest were considerably shorter but so were the walks.
No kidding. I still don't. I gave up very quickly on the speeds estimated in their charts. No matter. I did just fine using the time parameters. Then, when I finished the program and was doing 30 minutes (but not 3 miles), I just then started adding distance and eventually got up to the 3 miles.
Then I started doing very moderate and informal intervals, and I was amazed at how that really started improving my overall pace.
Thanks, Julie, this is good information to have! I was feeling kind of bad that I wasn't anywhere near their timelines but I thought that was just because I'm kinda old and kinda fat!
I completed W2D3 today and start week 3 Saturday morning. I can't believe I've completed two weeks already.
momof5k - congrats on completing week 4!
Velveteen - good luck on completing week 5 in Berlin!
Windchime, how's week 6 going? I'm still over 200 too, but this morning, completing week 2, I actually felt good while running. Even this heavy. So I'm starting to really believe I can complete the program too.
Just a quick post- wanted to let you all know we completed W5D2 yesterday at the Tiergarten park and D3 WILL be completed by tomorrow! Eating in Berlin has been a bit of a challenge, at least in the evenings but I'm sure the exercise will at least keep me maintaining and not gaining. We shall see!!
I did just fine using the time parameters. Then, when I finished the program and was doing 30 minutes (but not 3 miles), I just then started adding distance and eventually got up to the 3 miles.
Then I started doing very moderate and informal intervals, and I was amazed at how that really started improving my overall pace.
It's worth reading this again and noting how distance and speed aren't increased at the same time.
W6D2 was supposed to be last night but I didn't quite finish. I had about a lap to go and had a sudden "potty emergency" situation strike! It's a good thing I had decided to drive my car up to the track because I don't know how I could have walked home without having an accident--it was that sudden and that urgent.
So here's the question.....do I repeat that day? I did the first 10 minute run, the walk, and then I would say around 7 minutes (out of 10) of the second run. I think part of me wants you guys to say, "Oh yes, you must repeat it" simply because I'm afraid of the 25 minute run that I'm facing! LOL
zinkemom-- I'm impressed at how well you're doing. You are a good example for me to watch!
mette-- Congrats on finishing week 2! You're right, we CAN do this!
Velveteen-- Good job on keeping going, even on vacation! I'm impressed.
momof5k-- isn't it amazing? A few weeks ago, I was also dreading a 5 minute run; now I'm praying for one because I'm facing a 25 minute run! It is AMAZING how quickly our bodies adapt and I'm sure that, in a few weeks, I'll be wondering why a silly 25 minute run seemd so intimidating.
Hang in there, chickies! We are all doing so well!
DH & I finished w6d2 last night. My L knee is a little sore and my R butt cheek and upper hamstrings feel it. After about minute 7, I usually get a 2nd wind. Next up--a 25 minute run... Can we do it? I guess we're going to find out!
Everyone is doing such a great job. Let's keep it up!
DH & I finished w6d2 last night. My L knee is a little sore and my R butt cheek and upper hamstrings feel it. After about minute 7, I usually get a 2nd wind. Next up--a 25 minute run... Can we do it? I guess we're going to find out!
Everyone is doing such a great job. Let's keep it up!
Congrats on W6D2, LM! I found this one pretty tough and, as I mentioned, didn't really finish it. If I can repeat that run today, then you and I will be on exactly the same day. I'm scared to death for the 25 minute run but I keep telling myself that I felt the same way about the 20 minute run and it was OK.
LM, can you feel a difference in your figure since you started C25K? I swear that I can! I am losing weight at a very slightly quicker rate (1.35 lbs/week rather than 1.25 lbs/week), but it really feels like I'm losing off my hips and waist more quickly. Unfortunately, I didn't really measure my hips before I started losing so I don't know if it's truth or perception, but clothes seem to be fitting differently!
Oh, I have a question to ask you guys: What time of day do you run? If you run in the evening, do you do it before or after dinner? It doesn't really cool off here till around 8 PM so that's when I try to go out, but here it is 6 PM and I haven't eaten yet. If I wait to eat, that means dinner at 9 PM and I'll be really hungry! On the other hand, if I eat at 7 then that's really only an hour before running and probably not really good to run on a full stomach.
The answer seems to be "eat dinner earlier!", but that can be tough. What do you guys do?
I think I run slightly better mid morning. That being said I often lose track of time and forget about it until we sit down for dinner at 5pm'ish. Those nights I get the kitchen table cleaned off and the dishes soaking then go change. It is around 6-6:30 before I leave. Running on a full stomach hasn't bothered me yet.
I think that everyone is different regarding eating before or after running. I am comfortable running after about 1.5 hours after eating or on a somewhat empty stomach. DH cannot run after eating at all. So we are constantly negotiating dinner & running. Sometimes we run at 5-6pm and eat afterwards. Other times we eat and run at 7-8pm. For some reason, I can't just pop out of bed in the morning and go for a run. That may change in the future, but for now it doesn't work for me. I can however, ride my stationary bike for 30 minutes 6 mornings a week with no problem. Maybe it's all in my head.
Windchime, since starting c25k, my weightloss has remained steady but slow. I'm getting close to goal and the lbs are coming off more slowly now. But I have lost an inch off my waist, at least 3/4 inch off my hips and 1.5 inches off my thighs. I don't know if it's c25k or if it's because I'm getting close to goal, but I'll take it either way. I actually have a waist now! I always thought that I was a rectangle and now I have some curves.
We did w6d3 late yesterday afternoon. It was in the high 70s and sunny--a beautiful day. I was scared but managed it until Robert prompted me that we had 2 minutes left. I started to stop and told DH that I couldn't do it, that I had to stop. I didn't think I could go any longer and we were in the full sun. He was so supportive. He said, "Let's go until the end of the block." And once I started up again I managed to finish. But I don't think that I could have done it without DH. I'm not sore this morning so I'm taking that as a good sign.
I did download the c25k app, but have only used it once. I vascillate between enjoying running with music and no music so I can concentrate on my breathing. But I think I'm going to go with the app from now on because those prompts at the end that tell you that you have 1 or 2 minutes left are killing me. It's happened before too. There's something about knowing that you have a couple of minutes left that makes the journey so much harder for me. I just need to run without knowing what's coming up--it makes the time go much faster for me.
Last edited by losermom; 06-14-2009 at 07:43 AM.
Reason: added info
I failed W5D3 but it's ok - prior to that we'd done a 6.5 hour bike tour in Berlin, of which at least 5 of those hours were spent cycling! I think it was all a little too much and we were kind of exhausted as well once we attempted it. Things were going wrong right and left; my iPod got "stuck", so no music or cues, it had been raining on and off and the park path that we chose was really muddy, it was humid and I was having problems breathing... it just wasn't our day to do it.
Later on we went to dinner (mexican! in Berlin! ) and I felt a bit stuffed so we walked a good 3 - 4 KM from where we were to a train station that we could catch a metro back to our apartment. I think this helped the bad feeling I had earlier (I started to cry a bit in the park for failing - I'm such a baby!! TG my husband knows how to handle me the right way!) and ultimately, I weigh less than I did the day we left to go to Berlin!
I am definitely losing in a different way this time around - I can definitely feel it mostly on my bum and my waist/hips! I took my measurements a few weeks ago and have it scheduled to do again every 6 weeks (in my outlook calendar) so check the results.
So, here I go again with Week 5 (if I don't attempt D3 tonight - it's been raining here as well)... I refuse to quit so I'll just keep doing it until it's done!
Oh and I normally go out first thing in the morning - not awake enough to argue with myself and it's an amazing time of the day to do it (5am). Because of my schedule I just really don't have time/energy in the evenings, but that may change now that I have no extra activity in the evenings at the moment (my belly dancing class is over until the fall!). I have a pretty hard time running after dinner - I have to wait a good hour after - and sometimes dinner is at 8pm for us. I don't want to exercise too much before I go to bed; I have the feeling it disrupts me getting to sleep on time.
Congratulations!
) and I felt a bit stuffed so we walked a good 3 - 4 KM from where we were to a train station that we could catch a metro back to our apartment. I think this helped the bad feeling I had earlier (I started to cry a bit in the park for failing - I'm such a baby!! TG my husband knows how to handle me the right way!) and ultimately, I weigh less than I did the day we left to go to Berlin!