C25K Week 5 Day 2

I got up earlier than normal (8:15 AM) in order to get my wife over to a friend's house this morning. It's kinda thrown my schedule, but at the same time it feels pretty good. I didn't have time to get down my normal pre-workout smoothie before hitting the gym (I didn't want to see said smoothie returning during my first run :P), but I managed extremely well, I think.


When I went running on Monday, my legs were a little tight at the beginning and didn't loosen up quite like I'd hoped until well over halfway through the workout. Today, my legs were incredibly limber before I even got started, and I'm thinking that's part of the reason I feel so good after my two longest running intervals of the program yet.


I think this week I've been feeling the best ever since January, which tells me it's time to start adding to my exercise regimen (that, and the fact that my waistline isn't getting any smaller). Tomorrow I'm going to start using the Power 90 program from BeachBody to strengthen my upper and lower body as well as my core. Power 90 is the pre-cursor to P90X, both featuring trainer Tony Horton. With the running programs I have set up scheduled to take another 24 1/2 weeks, I am going to try to incorporate Power 90 at least two days a week, if not three, through the end of what I have planned for running. At that point, if I'm feeling up to it, I might give P90X another go-round, though it'll be hard to maintain my running if I do so (why can't I work 4 hours a day and get paid for 8?).


Anyway, here's how it went today:
0.00-5.00 - 3.6 mph
5.00-13.00 - 5.5 mph
13.00-18.00 - 3.6 mph
18.00-25.00 - 5.5 mph
25.00-25.30 - 6.0 mph
25.30-26.00 - 7.0 mph
26.00-31.00 - 3.6 mph
31.00-36.00 - 3.0 mph


I went a total distance of 2.63 miles, which is a 13:41 mile pace. Friday will be a big day with my first solid 20-minute jog. I'm not sure if I can do 5.5 mph for the whole thing, but if I have a day like today, I should come close.


How is your week going?

C25K Week 5 Day 1

Even though I kinda didn't feel like going to the gym this morning, I went anyway, and I'm glad I did. I feel great having gone, and am looking forward to Wednesday when I should get there again.


This week is the fifth week of the C25K program, and each day is a different workout, unlike the four previous weeks (Week 6 will also have a different workout every day, and then I'll be back to each week having the same three workouts). Today's workout consisted of three 5-minute jogs. My next workout will have two 8-minute jogging intervals, and the one after that will be a solid 20-minute jog. It'll be interesting to see how I handle that.


From today:
0.00-5.00 - 3.6 mph
5.00-10.00 - 5.5 mph
10.00-13.00 - 3.6 mph
13.00-18.00 - 5.5 mph
18.00-21.00 - 3.6 mph
21.00-25.00 - 5.5 mph
25.00-25.30 - 6.0 mph
25.30-26.00 - 7.0 mph
26.00-29.00 - 3.6 mph
29.00-34.00 - 3.0 mph


I made it a total of 2.48 miles today, which breaks down to a 13:42 mile.


Have you gotten your week started off with some exercise?

C25K Week 4 Day 3

I managed to get to the gym this evening with just enough time for my workout before they closed. I took my wife to the Farmer's Market in downtown Des Moines today, which is when I normally would have gone running, and while I was down there I had almost 2 gyros and three pieces of chicken kabob, so when we got home from the market I wasn't in any condition to do my workout. Plus I was tired after several short nights in a row, and ended up taking at least a 2-hour nap. I'm still a little tired now at almost 8 PM, so I should sleep well tonight.

Today's intervals:

0.00-5.00 - 3.6 mph
5.00-8.00 - 5.7 mph
8.00-9.30 - 3.6 mph
9.30-14.30 - 5.7 mph
14.30-17.00 - 3.6 mph
17.00-20.00 - 5.7 mph
20.00-21.30 - 3.6 mph
21.30-22.30 - 5.7 mph
22.30-23.30 - 5.8 mph
23.30-24.30 - 5.7 mph
24.30-25.30 - 5.8 mph
25.30-26.30 - 6.0 mph
26.30-29.00 - 3.5 mph
29.00-34.00 - 3.0 mph

I hit a distance of 2.58 miles, which works out to a 13:10 mile. I'm getting close to breaking a 13:00 mile, which is pretty exciting!


Next week starts two weeks in a row where the program is different every day. Three 5-minute jogs the first day, two 8-minute jogs the second, and a solid 20-minute jog the third. I'm expecting my distance to go down a little bit as I don't want to push too fast and conk out before finishing.


What activities have you done today?

C25K Week 4 Day 2

I'll fully admit that I was lazy yesterday and decided not to to go the gym. Would I have felt good if I had gone? Sure. But that's life. I'm not training for the Olympics, just looking to be overall healthier.


Having that extra day off might have been a good thing, though. When I went on Monday, I could feel myself approaching a bit of a wall during the last interval. Today, even with a little more speed, I finished strong.


Stats for today:
0.00-5.00 - 3.6 mph
5.00-8.00 - 5.7 mph
8.00-9.30 - 3.6 mph
9.30-14.30 - 5.7 mph
14.30-17.00 - 3.6 mph
17.00-20.00 - 5.7 mph
20.00-21.30 - 3.6 mph
21.30-25.30 - 5.7 mph
25.30-26.30 - 6.0 mph
26.30-29.00 - 3.5 mph
29.00-34.00 - 3.0 mph


I increased my distance from Monday by 0.08 miles, bringing my total to 2.55 miles, which is a 13:20 mile.


Have you moved today?

C25K Week 4 Day 1

Today was the first day of Week 4, which means 5-minute jogs. Miracle of miracles, I survived! Okay, it wasn't really that bad; I feel great, and I enjoyed myself during the workout.


My intervals today:
0.00-5.00 - 3.5 mph
5.00-8.00 - 5.5 mph
8.00-9.30 - 3.5 mph
9.30-14.30 - 5.5 mph
14.30-17.00 - 3.5 mph
17.00-20.00 - 5.5 mph
20.00-21.30 - 3.5 mph
21.30-26.30 - 5.5 mph
26.30-29.00 - 3.5 mph
29.00-34.00 - 3.0 mph


I hit a distance of 2.47 miles, which translates to a 13:45 mile. With a little extra speed, I'll break 2.5 miles this week.


Have you started your week with some activity?

C25K Week 3 Day 3

Normally I wouldn't do this, but today I went to the gym after only about 30 hours since my last session. I've been off my schedule lately, and wanted to get back into it. Hopefully, then, I will be there Monday, Wednesday, and Friday next week, which is the schedule I'd prefer to keep.


I'm feeling pretty good right now, and I'm glad I went for that reason. I decided to add just a little bit of speed to my walking intervals and was able to break 2 miles in my 28 minutes.


Here's the breakdown:

0.00-5.00 - 3.5 mph
5.00-6.30 - 6.0 mph
6.30-8.00 - 3.7 mph
8.00-11.00 - 6.0 mph
11.00-14.00 - 3.7 mph
14.00-15.30 - 6.0 mph
15.30-17.00 - 3.7 mph
17.00-18.00 - 6.0 mph
18.00-19.00 - 6.5 mph
19.00-20.00 - 7.0 mph
20.00-23.00 - 3.7 mph
23.00-28.00 - 3.0 mph


So the distance today was 2.01 miles, which comes out to a 13:55 mile. Woo-hoo!


Next week the running times increase even more. Each session will have two 3-minute runs and two 5-minute runs. I'm going to give Monday a go with a 5.5 mph pace during the runs and see how that feels. I'm not sure if I'll make it all the way up to a 6.0 mph pace, especially on the 5-minute runs, because I don't want to burn myself out.


Have you had an active weekend?

C25K Week 3 Day 2

It's been a busy week, so my plan had been to go to the gym last night after work. However, I was tired enough that I decided to come home instead and went this afternoon. I have enough time to shower and eat lunch before going to work, so that's good for me.

My journey for today:

0.00-5.00 - 3.5 mph
5.00-6.30 - 5.7 mph
6.30-8.00 - 3.5 mph
8.00-11.00 - 5.7 mph
11.00-14.00 - 3.5 mph
14.00-15.30 - 5.7 mph
15.30-17.00 - 3.5 mph
17.00-18.00 - 5.7 mph
18.00-19.00 - 6.2 mph
19.00-20.00 - 6.7 mph
20.00-23.00 - 3.5 mph
23.00-28.00 - 3.0 mph


I hit 1.94 miles in my 28 minutes, which is a 14:25 mile.


Are you moving today?