Return to Running Recap : Week 15

I had an exciting run last week and I'm still feeling good about it. I love those runs--the ones that make me feel like I worked hard and that my body is happy about it (the photo above is after that run). Here is a recap of my runs for Week 15... 

Week 15, Day 1 : Run 3 miles (outside)

We've had some nice days lately where it actually feels like fall--I am SO looking forward to fall weather! It was probably the weather that made me decide to run outside.

It was supposed to be an easy run (I was planning to imitate the pace/effort of what I do on the treadmill), but my heart rate was so high before I even started. My anxiety has been increasingly bad the last couple of weeks; I'd had it under control (as much as I can, anyway) for a while, but it's getting bad again.

My resting heart rate (in normal circumstances) is about 60 bpm. This was right before I started my run; anxiety has this effect on me:

It shot up into the mid-160s almost instantly. I tried to focus on going for "a light jog" rather than a run. Sometimes just thinking of it that way helps me to relax a bit. I lowered my heart rate from the 160s to 152 after half a mile or so. When I saw that I finished my first lap under 12:00 minutes, I was surprised and I couldn’t help but try to stay under 12:00 (I truly don't mind being a slow runner--but it's a natural habit to compete with myself a bit). I couldn’t see my pace because I set my Garmin to just show my distance and heart rate, but I could feel that my speed was a little faster.

Second lap was 11:34, and then I could feel myself picking up speed again. Then I started thinking I could just turn this into a progressive run and call it my speed work for the week. A progressive run is a run that gets faster as you go, so I was hoping for sub-11:33 on the final split. 

I looked at my pace about halfway through that mile and was shocked to see 10:40-something! So I became kind of determined to aim for sub-11:00 that last mile. I was running hard, but not all-out. I could probably run a 5K at that pace if I wanted to really push myself.

I was so happy when I was done to have hit 10:30 for that last split! Seeing that pace shows I’m getting fitter, and THAT’S what I’m aiming for. Since my heart rate was high for this whole run and I pushed my pace, I considered that my speed work for the week and I didn't do intervals.

Week 15, Day 2 : Run 3 miles (treadmill)

I was still feeling pretty excited about my previous run (seeing progress is the biggest motivation to keep going) and I hoped that I would see a lower heart rate for this run. From the very beginning, I felt pretty good and I knew my heart rate wouldn't be as high this time. I refused to look at my Garmin the entire run because I didn't want to get frustrated if my heart rate was high.

After an uneventful three miles, I ended it feeling good. My heart rate wasn't exactly low, but it was definitely better.

Week 15, Day 3 : Run 3 miles (treadmill)

I've been really exhausted lately. The increased anxiety means even less sleep than I already get (I have bad insomnia) and it's mentally and physically exhausting. I really didn't have any motivation to get this run done. I was working on that secret project for Jerry (I'm giving it to him tomorrow!) all day and I just wanted to curl up on the couch. But I promised myself that I was going to get back to doing three runs a week, so I sucked it up and just did it.

My legs felt kind of heavy and my feet were dragging a bit. It felt like the treadmill was moving faster than I could keep up, but I knew it was just that my body was moving slower than it usually does. I didn't even think about my heart rate or anything--I just wanted to get done.

When I finished, I uploaded the data to Garmin Connect and I noticed that my heart rate looked odd for the first mile. It went from 92 to 160 in 30 seconds (and I definitely didn't feel like I was working that hard); and then after five minutes, it went from 161 to 140 in less than five seconds. This happens once in a while if there isn't good conduction; and since I didn't really break a sweat for a while, I'm guessing that's what happened. (To get good conduction, the electrodes on the monitor should be wet--when I put it on, I always wet it a little. That's why the conduction is better once you start sweating.)

So, I don't think the first mile was accurate as far as my heart rate goes. But I'm not worried about it.

While my last run definitely didn't leave me with a runner's high, I am still feeling great about my first run of Week 15. It sounds so simple--running a 10:30 mile used to be SLOW for me a few years ago--but when I think about how far I've come in the last 15 weeks, it feels like a big deal. Seeing the numbers validates that my fitness is improving.

For the first day of Couch to 5K (May 24th), I had to run 60-second intervals and I remember how HARD that felt. I was completely exhausted afterward (and that was with 90 seconds of walking in between each interval). Out of curiosity, I just looked up the data: my average pace for the 60-second intervals was 10:37. Last week I ran a mile in 10:30. So seeing those numbers is motivating!

(Eli had to run a mile in gym class yesterday and he ran it in 8:02! I think that's his fastest mile ever--even from when he was in cross country. I have no idea how that happened, because he hasn't been running in a few years, but I was super proud of him.)

Jerry is off this weekend and we are celebrating his birthday tomorrow. And then on Sunday, we're celebrating my dad's birthday a couple of weeks early. So, it should be a fun weekend--and I'm hoping that will help with the anxiety and I'll feel back to myself soon!

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Final Thoughts on the Couch to 5K Plan

A little over nine weeks ago, I started the Couch to 5K running plan (originally from the CoolRunning website, but no longer there). There are a ton of "couch to 5K" plans (meaning to get you from couch potato to 5K runner by following the plan) out there on the internet, but the one I followed was (I believe) the original. I had tried it way back in 2007 for the first time--before there were smart phones and apps to follow and/or track running.

Back then, I printed out the plan and followed the instructions. I knew NOTHING about running at that time! I had no idea what a slow or fast pace was, how far was "far" to run, or even the distance (in miles) of a 5K. I never finished the plan.

I tried a couple more times over the next few years, but never got very far. The plan has you do intervals of running and walking, building up the running portions while reducing the walking portions over a period of nine weeks--at which point, you're supposed to be able to run 5K.

I absolutely hated running intervals--I found myself constantly dreading the next running portion. The walks seemed to be so short and the running seemed to last forever.

Fast forward to 2010, when I wanted to start running after having lost about 60 pounds. I couldn't stand the thought of doing intervals again, so I worked my way up to running 5K with a make-up-as-you-go-along plan. Basically, I just ran as far as I could (which wasn't very far at all!) and then added a little bit each time I went out (three times per week). I wrote it out in my own sort of "couch to 5K" plan. Here is the plan I wrote that is basically how I became a runner--I call it the "Walk to Run" plan; and here are eight beginner 5K plans that I wrote with a variety of options.

I went on to run 5Ks, 10Ks, half-marathons, and even three full marathons. I'd become a "real runner".

Anyway, about the Couch to 5K...

Since I'd pretty much given up running in 2017 (aside from short periods here and there), I had gotten totally out of shape. I no longer considered myself a runner. Eventually, I found that I missed it! I missed the physical and mental health benefits I got from running regularly. And because I had never finished the Couch to 5K plan, I thought it would be fun to see if I could do it this time--dreaded intervals and all.

I located the old plan (via screen shots) from Google images and then I typed it out so that it was printable and easy to read. I printed it out and hung it on my refrigerator. (Here is the printable one that I made--remember, it's not my plan; I just typed it out so that it's easy to read.) I know it's old-fashioned to print out the plan these days, but I really like seeing it on my refrigerator and crossing off the runs as I complete them. Sometimes I prefer the old-fashioned method of things to the new apps.

The first week looks so simple on paper: Run 60 seconds, walk 90 seconds, and repeat 8 times (for a total of 20 minutes). It turned out to feel much harder than I anticipated! I was gasping for breath and my face was beet-red after that first workout.

Each week increases the amount of running for each interval and decreases the amount of walking. I found myself just wanting to get the running out of the way so I could walk the rest of the time. I didn't have enough time to catch my breath between the running intervals and I just wanted to be done!

Week 4 of Couch to 5K is pretty infamous because there is a huge jump in the amount of running. I was determined to get through the week, though, because I knew that I was capable of it. (The best advice I can give to a new runner is to slow down--even when it feels like you're running at a pace that you could crawl faster, you can go a lot farther than you think when you slow down.)

A lot of people choose to repeat weeks of the plan or create weeks that are something in between each. And I would definitely recommend doing that rather than quitting altogether. The only reason I didn't do that was because I really felt determined to do the whole plan as-written in nine weeks. But there is certainly no shame in repeating workouts. And I'd suggest creating a Week 3.5--that way Week 4 isn't so intimidating!

After the first few weeks, I did most of my runs on the treadmill (just personal preference). I also chose to do all of the running at the same pace so that I could see if my fitness was improving (if the same pace felt easier after running it over and over again, I would know that I was getting fitter). I like to use my heart rate as an indicator of my effort as well.

So, my overall thoughts of the plan itself:

I still don't like intervals. If I was starting from scratch as a runner (again), I would prefer to follow my own plan--doing all the running first and then finish with walking. I actually progressed faster and found it easier without doing the intervals.

I think the Couch to 5K plan is definitely too much, too soon for true "couch potatoes". The first workout has you running 8 minutes--even though there are walk breaks in between each minute, it's still a lot to ask of someone who has never run before.

I followed the plan exactly as written and it did, in fact, take me from couch to 5K runner. But it was HARD--even for someone who used to regularly run long distances.

I liked that it was only three days a week. When someone is going from "couch to _____", asking them to exercise 6-7 days a week sounds impossible. Three days a week of short workouts of 20-40 minutes or so is much more do-able and less intimidating.

I did enjoy the variety of the workouts--which I know directly contradicts what I said about hating intervals. I just liked that each week was a little different, which kept it from getting too monotonous.

I didn't really FEEL the progression of the workouts. I guess I hoped that they would feel easier over time, but they really haven't (yet, anyway). I am still dripping sweat after each run and my heart rate hasn't noticeably improved. However, now that I am up to the entire distance, if I continue to run three miles at a time, I'm hoping that I'll start to notice improvements.

For my FINAL final thought: I think the Couch to 5K plan works to get someone to run the 5K distance, but I think it's too hard for the average couch potato--which will make it not-very-fun, which will likely make them quit. It's a good plan for people who have taken a short hiatus from running and want to get back into shape. If you do the first few workouts and find yourself dreading each interval, then it's not the plan for you--the intervals only get longer.

[It's important to note that all of this is MY OWN opinion of the plan--obviously everybody has their own thoughts about it. Tons of people love the plan! I'm not saying whether it's a good or bad plan, because that entirely depends on the person who is following it. We all need to figure out what we like best and what works for us, which is why I did my own plan back in 2010.]

I'm really happy that I completed Couch to 5K because I'd felt like it was unfinished business from 14 years ago. Now I can put it to rest. And now I am at the point that I can run three miles, which was the goal in the first place!

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Couch to 5K : Week 9 Recap (the final week!)

It's over! I finally completed the Couch to 5K plan. (I'm referring to the really old school plan from way back in 2005-ish.) I've attempted it several times, but this was my first time actually finishing. I'll save a "final thoughts" post for later this week, but I just wanted to write a recap of my Week 9.

For Week 9, all three workouts are the same: Run 3 miles. Simple! But definitely not easy.

Week 9, Day 1: Run 3 miles

I went up north on Monday. I packed clothes to do two runs while up north. As it turned out, I only ended up doing one. It was really hard to push myself to go do it, but I'm happy that I at least did one while I was up there. And I chose to do it outside, despite the fact that my sister has a treadmill at her cabin.

Her road is all dirt/gravel--and the gravel is pretty big. It's the kind that will cause you to roll your ankle if you're not careful, so I threw away any sort of ideas of what my pace might be. I even changed my Garmin to show only my distance, time, and heart rate so I wouldn't know what my pace was.

The gravel is 2/3 of a mile, and then there is asphalt. It's extremely rural, so I was only hoping not to encounter a bear. I ran straight on that road (no other options) until my Garmin showed 1.5 miles, and then I turned around. I just kept hoping to get to the dirt road, so I knew I only had 2/3 of a mile left. The last quarter mile or so was really hard. I just wanted to be done!

Overall, though, I felt pretty good. I knew I was probably going at a slower pace, but I was worried if I picked up speed, I wouldn't finish. It worked out well.

My pace ended up being much slower than on the treadmill (or on the streets by my house)--12:33 per mile. I was really happy with my heart rate, though--an average of 149, 150, 154 per mile, respectively. I was simply focusing on running easy--if it felt too hard, I went slower. Most of the run was in Zone 3, and what was in Zone 4 was on the low side.

Week 9, Day 2: Run 3 miles

I didn't do my second run until Saturday. I chose to do this one on the treadmill; it's been super humid here.

I don't know what it was about that day, but my run was horrible. One of the worst runs I've ever had! My heart rate was really high and I felt like I was going to die when I was done. I made it through the run, at the usual 5.0 mph, but the second I stopped the treadmill, I was gasping for air. I could barely gulp down water because I was trying to catch my breath. Jerry said, "Man, you must have been flying!" But I went the same speed as always, and it just felt so much different. I was even still trying to catch my breath after I took a shower.

My heart rate for each mile was 147, 155, 158 respectively. I was so sure it would be higher, based on how hard it felt.

After that, I had bad anxiety about running again. I was so nervous it was going to feel horrible. I planned to get it done yesterday, but like I wrote in yesterday's post, I was extremely tired. I'd even put on my running clothes early in the day, but I couldn't get the energy to do it. So, I put it off to today--knowing that today was my last shot.

Week 9, Day 3: Run 3 miles

I chose the treadmill again. Running in the humidity makes my heart skyrocket, and I really like passing the time on the treadmill with whatever book I'm currently reading. During the morning, I felt very "off". I did manage to sleep a little last night, thanks to my anxiety medication (I rarely take it because it makes me super tired, but sometimes it comes in handy).

Despite sleeping, I still felt lethargic (which was probably the medication still in my system). I knew I had to get my run done today, though, so I got dressed and onto the treadmill. I had a bad feeling about it, but I still just wanted to get it done. A mile in, I knew I wasn't going to be able to finish. I dragged on as long as I could, but I called it quits 1.3 miles in. My legs just felt super wobbly and weak.

I was so mad at myself! I knew I wasn't just being a baby about it--I really didn't feel right today. I laid on the couch, still in my sweaty running clothes, just staring at the ceiling. Two hours later, I woke up to the sound of Joey barking (someone was delivering a package). I had actually fallen asleep! That never happens.

After that, I started thinking about how I should just get back on the treadmill and finish out 1.7 more miles to hit my total of 3 miles. I didn't care if it was "cheating" by not doing it all at once. I wanted to do it--it was my very last day of Couch to 5K!

I was feeling much better than a few hours prior, so before I could talk myself out of it, I hopped back on the treadmill. The treadmill had cleared the data from the previous run, but my Garmin was still showing 15:00-something for the minutes I'd already run, so I was able to just continue on that. Since I was running at 5.0 mph, I knew if I ran until the minutes read 36:00, I would have gotten in 3 miles (the distance on the Garmin isn't correct when running on the treadmill).

The time actually went by pretty quickly--I was so relieved when I saw the 36:00 approaching on my watch! But I still felt like I was cheating somehow. I knew I wouldn't feel like I'd really done it. I wondered if I could keep running until I ran three miles straight. I would only have to run another 1.3 miles.

And I decided to keep going! It was SUCH a hard decision, considering how I felt earlier, but as I got closer to 3 miles, I knew I'd made the right decision. I was thrilled when I finally did it!

In total, I ran 4.41 miles--1.31 of it was at 11:00 AM, and then 3.00 was at 1:30 PM. I think that because the earlier one was so hard, I was probably still feeling the effects of the medication I took last night. A few hours later, I felt better (not good, but definitely better!).

Interestingly, my heart rate was still really high for the second run (in all, my average heart rate per mile was 150, 152, 162, 165). Look how much of it was in Zone 5! Usually, if I hit Zone 5 at all, it's only for a few seconds. Today, I spent 21 minutes in Zone 5. It's weird how the same exact run can feel so different.

I feel like I'm kind of going backwards in the heart rate training--I have been hoping to run at the same pace and eventually my heart rate will get lower (less effort). The logical solution is MAF training, but I don't want to do that (that would mean a lot of walking and I am just now getting back into running). I miss running; it just makes me feel good in a way that no other exercise ever has.

Anyway, now that I've completed the Couch to 5K, my plan is to continue running 3 miles, 3 days a week. I'm going to stick with the 5.0 mph speed on the treadmill and hope to see my heart rate improve over time. I'd like to start noting things like my hydration, amount of sleep, whether I've eaten, and things like that affect how I feel during my runs.

Overall, Week 9 was successful in the sense that I did it, but it was (by far) the hardest week of the plan! I'll write my final thoughts about the entirety of Couch to 5K later this week.

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Couch to 5K : Week 8 Recap

I made it through Week 8! That means I have just one week to go and I'll have finished the Couch to 5K plan.

This week's workouts were all the same: Run 2.75 miles (no walk breaks)

I did all three of them on the treadmill, mainly because it's been hot/humid outside. I ran all of them at the same speed I've been doing each week (5.0 mph). I'm going to stick with that speed until my heart rate can stay in Zones 2-3 for the entire run. Like I keep repeating, my end goal is to be able to run three miles and have it feel easy again. I don't remember how long that took for me when I first started running.

Anyway, here are the details from my runs in Week 8...

Week 8, Day 1 : Run 2.75 miles. (treadmill)

I was really nervous about this run. Even though I'd run 2.5 miles in Week 7, I still worried I wouldn't be able to do it. But I really wanted to focus on keeping my heart rate down--trying to run easy and focus on my breathing.

I was reading a book that I really wanted to finish (it was exciting) and when my Kindle said I had about 45 minutes left in the book, I figured I'd better get on the treadmill so I would have something to read while I ran. I actually felt really good! It didn't start to feel very hard until after I got about two miles in. Still, though, I didn't struggle to finish, which was encouraging.

I was happy with my heart rate, too! I spent more time in Zone 3 than in Zone 4. My average heart rate was 152, so I was borderline between Zones 3 and 4.

Week 8, Day 2 : Run 2.75 miles. (treadmill)

I had a feeling that this was going to be a bad run because I just didn't feel good even before I started. I felt weak, tired, and my heart rate was already fast (my resting heart rate is usually 55-60 bpm, but it was at 90-ish--I have no idea why). I hoped I'd feel better once I started running.

That definitely didn't happen. First, I forgot to turn on the floor fan that I put right behind the treadmill. I was SO HOT. I didn't want to stop running to turn it on, but after about a mile, I couldn't take it anymore and I hopped off the treadmill to turn it on.

My legs felt so heavy and weak. No matter how carefully I tried to run, and no matter how much I concentrated my 3:2 breaths, I just didn't feel good. And my heart rate showed it when I was done. It took everything I had just to finish. As soon as I stopped running, I was gasping for breath. Even when I was showering 10 minutes later, I was still trying to catch my breath.

My average heart rate overall was 154--but the second mile was 156 and third mile was 159 (compared to 150 and 152 respectively during the previous run).

Week 8, Day 3 : Run 2.75 miles. (treadmill)

I was dreading this run because of how hard the last one was. I really didn't want to feel like that again! My anxiety about it didn't help, because it made my heart speed up before I even started running. I texted Caitlin (who is doing Couch to 5K with me) and she said that when she ran Week 8, Day 2, she felt terrible and it was super hard to finish--same as me. She said her third run was much better, which gave me hope that mine would feel better.

It seemed so much longer because the book I'm reading is pretty slow-paced. I found myself looking at the treadmill display way too often to check my distance. I didn't feel terrible, however! I actually felt much better than the previous run. I have no idea why that is--it's so weird how two of the same runs can feel so different just a day apart. After this run, I was slightly out of breath, but not bad at all. Nothing like the run before!

My heart rate didn't show that the effort was any easier, though, which was kind of odd. My average for the run was 153 bpm--it was more consistent though, at 154, 153, and 154 for each split.

Overall, I'm proud that I was able to finish all three runs, especially the second one. I'm disappointed that my heart rate didn't improve, though. I was really encouraged after the first run went so smoothly. I'm going to start paying attention to what I eat/drink and maybe how much sleep I get and see if there is a correlation with how my runs feel and whether my heart rate is high.

Week 9 is going to be interesting... my first two runs will be while I'm at my sister's property in the upper peninsula of Michigan. I know she has a treadmill there, so I may do that if it's super hot outside. But it would be nice to do the runs outside if I can. It will be my first time running three miles in a long time, though, so running on asphalt in sun and heat would make it so much harder. I'll just have to wait and see!

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Week 7 Wednesday Weigh-In

Isn't that yellow shirt super cute? It's a loose cotton knit, so it's breezy and cool for warm weather, but I like that it covers my arms (the extra weight, PLUS my loose skin makes me self-conscious).

We're getting family photos taken at my sister's cabin up north next week and I needed a shirt. We're supposed to coordinate muted colors with our family members. I saw this shirt on clearance and I wanted to use it for photos, but finding a variety of yellow shirts for Jerry and the kids was difficult. So, I bought this same shirt in green and was able to get green shirts for the guys. 

It is so crazy to me that it's already been seven weeks since I started counting calories and the Couch to 5K plan. The time has flown by. Yesterday marked the end of the first month of my 6-Month DietBet. I haven't done my "official" weigh in for that yet, but only because I've had the busiest day ever today. I'll submit it later tonight or tomorrow morning.

So, I decided to finally do a Wednesday Weigh-In like I used to do back in the days when I was losing weight. When my weight is at a standstill or just going up frequently, it's disheartening and quite frankly, embarrassing to keep posting the weigh-ins. I wanted to make sure that I was going to stick with this for the long term before I decided to post them again.

The whole reason I even started all of this (calorie counting, Couch to 5K) was because of my initial DietBet weigh-in. I mentioned before that I was SHOCKED when I got on the scale for that! It scared me into counting calories, actually--I hadn't planned to count calories but when I saw my weight, I knew I had to pull out all the stops.

I want to explain more about the weigh-ins, but first, the actual numbers...

On May 23rd, I weighed in at 197.0. Yes, Friends, you read that correctly. I was almost up to the 200's again.

I remember when I was losing weight and I first weighed in at 199.5 in January 2010. I was ecstatic! To be under 200 was a dream come true. And I promised myself that I would never see the 200's again. Yet, on May 23rd, there I was at 197.0--so close to the 200's.

I signed up for DietBet that day, all set to do my official weigh-in the next morning. On June 24th, I did an initial weigh-in, which was rejected because I was looking at my phone and not the mirror for a scale selfie (they couldn't see my whole face). I had already eaten breakfast and drank quite a bit of water by the time I found out I had to redo it, but I had to take new weigh-in photos. So, my official start weight for DietBet was actually 200.4!

I really did not like that I was starting in the 200's, but I knew that it was higher than my actual weight--I was wearing clothes and I had eaten and drank water. So, for the purposes of my blog weigh-ins, I'm going to count the 197.0 as my official starting weight. If I use 200.4, it will look like I've lost more weight that I actually have.

I immediately got to work with calorie counting and the Couch to 5K. The DietBet didn't officially start until the following day, but I went ahead and started right away because I was horrified at how much weight I'd gained.

Just a week after my initial weigh-in of 197.0, I was at 189.4. I'd lost 7.6 pounds the first week! I didn't do anything drastic--just the same old thing I did before (because it works).

When I post weigh-ins on here, I'm only going to use my morning weight, no clothes, before eating/drinking. It's easier to stay consistent that way. My DietBet weigh-ins are higher because I try to simulate the same conditions as the first weigh-in (after eating and drinking water).

So, here's the rundown:

May 23: 197.0
May 30: 189.4
June 6: 188.0
June 13: 185.8
June 20: 183.4
Wednesday, June 23: 182.4
June 30: 181.0
July 7: 179.6

The first five that I posted above were Sundays, and then I switched to Wednesdays. Which brings us to today. I had a pretty big loss this week...

So, I'm down 20.8 pounds--I'm beyond thrilled with that! I've worked really hard to do it and I'm so glad that my hard work is paying off. I still have a long ways to go, but I feel confident I'll get there.

The best part about the last seven weeks is how much better I feel about myself. Not for the number on the scale, but because I just feel so much more in control. I don't feel disgusted with myself and/or my choices. Running again feels fantastic, even though I'm basically starting from scratch--I feel proud of myself each time I cross off another workout.

I was absolutely dreading our family pictures (and I still am, honestly, haha) but I feel a heck of a lot better about it now than I did 20 pounds ago. I'll be glad to have the pictures, even if I choose not to share them.

So, there you have it--the numbers that have so much power over us, hahaha. I won't be able to post a weigh-in next week because I'll be up north, but I will when I get home.

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Couch to 5K : Week 7 Recap

Seven weeks down!

First, I just want to update on the email subscription situation. I'm so sorry to keep writing about this, but I'm trying to get it all figured out. The switch from Feedburner to follow.it has been a total nightmare and I had a complete meltdown this morning (literally sobbing and catastrophizing everything).

I discovered this morning that the email notification for my blog went to my spam folder. I asked Jerry and my mom, and the same thing happened with them. So, if you usually get notifications and you didn't get one today, please check your spam folder. I notified customer service at follow .it and I'm still waiting for help. I'm praying that it will be delivered to my inbox tomorrow morning.

Okay, enough of that (for now). I finished Week 7 of Couch to 5K!

This was the first week without any intervals. All three workouts were the same: Run 2.5 miles. Seven weeks ago, that felt impossible. Logically, I knew I could do it (in 2009, I couldn't even run down my street, and three years later I ran a full marathon). Running just felt so hard seven weeks ago. The intervals were only one minute each, but I struggled through them!

My main focus this week was to "run easy". It sounds like an oxymoron, I know, but at some point running starts to feel easier. And eventually, if I keep training, an easy run will be just that--like going for a walk. I use my heart rate to determine what is genuinely an easy run.

To me, an easy run would be in my MAF zone. Since I'm 39, my MAF rate is 180-39=141 bpm. To figure the zone, you just start 10 beats lower. My zone would be 131-141 bpm. (Here is a post where I went into more detail about easy running. It's a good, informative post--check it out if you haven't already.)

I've mentioned before that my ultimate goal right now is to be able to run three miles while staying in my MAF zone. I'm not even close to that now!

Week 7, Day 1 : Run 2.5 miles

I chose to do this one on the treadmill again. I was kind of nervous--I hadn't run that far in a long time. I set the treadmill at 5.0 mph and read my book. I hoped my foot pod would be accurate this time because I worked on calibrating it, but after a little while, I realized that the Garmin had reset the calibration factor to 100%--so it was completely inaccurate. I don't think I'll ever have an accurate, consistent method to get my Garmin and treadmill to be in sync.

The first half mile, my legs felt so tired and wobbly. I was starting to doubt whether I was going to be able to complete it. Eventually, I managed to focus on my book and stop thinking about my legs feeling so tired. My heart rate showed that it was anything but easy...

My average heart rate was 155 bpm. My MAF zone is Zone 2, so clearly I have some work to do ;) Over time, I'm hoping to see a shift toward Zone 3 and eventually Zone 2.

Week 7, Day 2 : Run 2.5 miles

The weather was exceptionally nice that day and I decided to run outside. I figured I might as well take advantage of it because who knows when we'll have another day like that? Again, I was nervous. Extra nervous because it was outside and I would be venturing away from home.

I made sure my Garmin only displayed the distance and my heart rate; I didn't want to know what my pace was. Since my goal was to run easy, I wanted to run by feel and not let my pace dictate that.

The run felt really good! I was surprised at how good I felt, actually. Much better than the treadmill run. I thought it would feel like it took forever, but it went by more quickly than I thought. The last half mile was harder--my legs became like lead. They felt really heavy and tired. I was glad to be done after that!

I was very surprised at my pace. I was expecting something in the 13:00's, and I was cool with that. I was not prepared for a pace in the 11:00's.

I always subconsciously run faster the closer I get to home, so perhaps that's why my legs felt so tired at the end. I knew my heart rate was going to be up there--it gets higher outside than it does at home. However, my average heart rate was 153 bpm, so at least I'm at the low end of Zone 4.

Week 7, Day 3 : Run 2.5 miles

I did this one on the treadmill again. I usually do my third run on Mondays, but I actually really wanted to do it yesterday after dinner. I've learned to take advantage of the days I want to run, because they are few and far between!

This time, I tried my best to really focus on my breathing and running lightly. I wanted to see if I could get my heart rate down. I read my book while I ran and each time I found myself running too hard, I would try to ease my steps.

It definitely paid off--my heart rate was in Zone 3 longer than it was in Zone 4! After looking at the first two runs, it seems impossible. But it just shows how powerful the mind is--when I focused on running easy, it literally made the run easier, even though I was running the same pace (on both days 1 and 3). My average heart rate was 148 bpm! So my average for the run as a whole was in Zone 3.

I was really happy with my heart rate during that run. I'm going to stop fiddling with the calibration factor on my Garmin (I'll never get it to be consistent) and just focus on running easy. Maybe by the end of summer, I'll be solidly in Zone 3.

Week 7 is now complete. Just 2 more weeks to go for Couch to 5K!

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Couch to 5K : Week 6 Recap (and an important announcement)

First, the important announcement... I've been putting this off until the last minute, because I have a feeling it's going to cause all sorts of problems with my blog, but if you receive my blog posts via email (and want to continue doing so) this is important.

Google is getting rid of feeds for Blogger--which means I have to switch to using something else to reach email subscribers. I think I'm going to use mailchimp, but I may use follow.it--I haven't decided for sure yet. Regardless, I am *hoping* it will be a seamless transition... meaning you will continue to get a daily email with my blog post link. It'll likely look different and may have a different sender name, but it will still be the post link.

I'm going to make the change on Thursday (unless Google shuts down its system sooner). So, if by Friday morning you haven't received an email, please let me know so I can investigate (first check your spam folder, just in case). I am not good with this kind of stuff, so hopefully I can make it work! The biggest downside to using Blogger as a blogging platform is that you can't get support; there is no customer service to call.

Fingers crossed!

Now, on to the Couch to 5K : Week 6 Recap.

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Week 6 was a big adjustment--and kind of exciting! I actually had two rather exciting runs this week.

Week 6, Day 1:

This one wasn't really anything special, considering the previous run was 2 miles without walk breaks. This workout was: run 0.5 mi, walk 0.25 mi, run 0.75 mi, walk 0.25 mi, run 0.5 mi. I did this on the treadmill.

Interestingly, the running felt so much longer than Saturday's 2-miler! I think it was because I was expecting it to feel super easy in comparison, and when it didn't, it dragged on. But I finished, and was glad that there was only one workout with intervals left to go in the Couch to 5K plan.

As you know by now, I focus mostly on my heart rate to see if my fitness is improving. My average heart rate for the running intervals was 141, 149, and 150, respectively. I was happy about that! Getting closer to Zone 2, my MAF rate (still a long way to go, though).

Week 6, Day 2: 

This one was exciting--because I did it outside. I've been using the treadmill for pretty much every run in the past month, but the weather was really nice on Saturday, so I decided to do it outside. 

The workout was: run 1 mi, walk 0.25 mi, run 1 mi

I was very curious what my pace was going to be. When I used a measuring wheel on my treadmill (to finally test the accuracy), it determined that when the treadmill reads 1.000 mile, I've actually run 1.059; which is a speed of 5.3 mph and not 5.0 mph)--but I always just go by what distance the treadmill says, just in case. I don't want to unknowingly cut my runs short. Anyway, I always set my treadmill to 5.0 mph, which translates to a 12:00/mile pace (if it was accurate).

Running outside was HARD. It felt much harder than on the treadmill (which has always been the case for me). I noticed that I was going faster than 12:00/mile, so I tried to slow my pace to as close to 12:00 as I could get (I was hoping to run the same as what the treadmill reads at that effort level) but my "natural" pace just stayed in the 11:00's.

Anyway, my first mile split was actually 11:01! I was shocked. Back in my heyday, an 11:00/mile pace seemed really slow, but now that I'm a beginner again, I was pretty excited. That's something I really enjoy about starting over--the milestones (no pun intended) start fresh and I am proud of myself for the new distances. Running two miles at the end of Week 5 felt like a big deal; likewise, running an 11:01 mile outside was exciting.

I walked the quarter mile, the whole time working on catching my breath, and then started running again. It felt so hard! But I made it home, and that mile split was 11:44. I was SO HOT and dripping sweat when I got home--but it felt good!

My average heart rate for the running segments was 151 and 158. Quite a bit higher than my previous run! The running segments were longer this time, however, and I did this one outside. Not a great comparison.

Week 6, Day 3:

No more intervals! From here on out, I'll just be running without walk breaks. This final workout of Week 6 was simply to run 2.25 miles. I chose the treadmill rather than face the humidity outside. Also, I got hooked into a new book (I've been reading a lot lately!) so I wanted to read while on the treadmill.

If I'm going to be running on the treadmill regularly, I'd really like my Garmin to reflect a somewhat accurate pace. It always shows that I'm running much slower than I actually am; it also shows that I walk much faster. Now that I'm not doing intervals, I figured I could wear my foot pod and mess with the calibration until it reads close to what the treadmill says.

During this run, I just kept changing the calibration, bumping it up and down to find a number that gives me a reading close to the treadmill's. By the end of the run, I found it to be pretty close at a calibration of 91.10%. I'll see how it goes during my next run.

Messing with that made the time fly by--I felt like the run was over with SO quickly, which is great! (I'm pretty sure my heart rate was higher because of my playing with the watch rather than focusing on my breathing and a relaxed "easy" jog). I felt amazing, albeit exhausted, when I was done. I really do miss the way I feel after running.

I sat down in front of the fan to cool off and Duck was all over the treadmill (the picture at the top of the post). I don't know why, but he and Chick both love to climb the thing!

Well, Week 6 was a great success--and I'm starting to feel like a "real" runner again ;)  Week 7's workouts are all simply to run 2.5 miles.

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Couch to 5K : Week 5 Recap

Week 5 of Couch to 5K is in the books!

I'm more than halfway done now; it's going by super fast. Just as I was nervous about Week 4, I knew that the third workout this week was going to be a tough one. The amount of running without walk breaks was a huge leap from last week.

First, though, Week 5 Day 1 - Run 0.5 miles, walk 0.25 miles, run 0.5 miles, walk 0.25 miles, run 0.5 miles.

This one started out great. I've been reading a book while I run instead of watching a show (I just can't find a show to get into lately, which is probably a good thing.) I'm currently reading 'One of Us Is Next'--the sequel to 'One of Us Is Lying'. Reading makes the time go by a lot faster than watching TV while I'm on the treadmill, which is nice.

I was caught up in the book while I was running my first 0.5-mile interval and when I looked down, I saw that I'd run 0.64 miles and my Garmin hadn't beeped. I realized I'd forgotten to turn off the GPS on my watch--AGAIN. (I wrote about this on Friday Night Photos.) So, I wrote a note and taped it to the treadmill to ensure that I don't do it again.

These two "accidental" runs have actually been a little helpful to check out my heart rate, though--since they include only the running portion (no walking), I can see what my heart rate was strictly from the run. This 0.64-mile run wasn't good as far as my heart rate goes. I spent almost the entire thing in Zone 4. (Remember, my ultimate goal is to run three miles in Zone 2--my MAF heart rate.)

When I realized my mistake, I stopped the treadmill, caught my breath, and started all over again after turning the GPS off. I felt pretty decent, but judging by my heart rate, I was working very hard. Too hard. By looking at this in comparison to the one above, I know that the only time my heart rate is in Zone 2 is when I'm doing the walk breaks.

Week 5 Day 2 - Run 0.75 miles, walk 0.5 miles, run 0.75 miles

I remembered to turn off the GPS, thanks to my note. This run wasn't as hard as I expected. I actually was tempted to cut the walk break short because it felt really long. But after the second 0.75-mile interval, I was definitely ready to be done!

Since my main goal is my heart rate, here is what it looked like for this workout:

Week 5 Day 3 - Run 2 miles (!!)

This was the "scary" workout--a random two-mile run at the end of Week 5 (next week goes back to intervals). I wondered if I'd even be able to do it. The farthest I'd run without a walk break so far during the plan was 0.75 miles.

Interestingly, I was looking forward to this workout. First, because I still hate doing intervals; I much prefer to do all of the running at once. Also, I was genuinely curious to know if I could complete it.

I turned off my GPS, set up my book, filled my water bottle, and set the speed at 5.0 mph. I tried to just focus on my book and not think about the fact that I was running. And I did it! I finished two miles--and honestly, I felt like I could have kept going. I was definitely tired when I was done, but I didn't feel like I was going to drop dead or anything. The time actually went by really quickly.

I was pretty happy with my heart rate, too--I stayed out of Zone 5 completely, and I spent more time in Zone 3 than I did in Zone 4. Considering this was a two-mile run--no walk breaks--that's pretty remarkable in comparison to the accidental 0.64 miles I ran on Week 5 Day 1.

I think that keeping the speed low has been most helpful--if I'd tried to bump the speed up, I'm sure I would have collapsed when I was done. I'm just going to stick with this speed until my heart rate is able to stay quite a bit lower, and then maybe I'll increase it a bit. But even if I stay at this speed forever, I'm cool with that.

I'm really excited about how this week went. That two-miler was a big confidence boost!

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Couch to 5K : Week 4 Recap

I have finished the infamous Week 4 of Couch to 5K! Week 4 is the point in the program where it really makes you question whether you can even finish or why in the heck you thought it was a good idea to start.

Rather than quit, my advice is to make up your own "Week 3.5" to make a smaller jump in the running intervals. Or repeat weeks until they are more comfortable.

I already wrote about my first workout of Week 4. I had been super nervous about it, but I did it! I was thrilled. And then I realized it wasn't the first time. (Here is that post, in case you missed it.)

My second workout was another face-in-palm moment...

I did it on the treadmill again, and I started my Garmin. When I'm on the treadmill, I use the Garmin for the timer because the timer on the treadmill is too fast. But my Garmin doesn't accurately track my mileage and pace, so I use the mileage shown on the treadmill. (I really wish there was an accurate way to use a Garmin on a treadmill! If you've been reading my blog from the beginning, you know that already, haha.)

I have my Garmin set to the workout, which is based on distance--so even though the Garmin reads, say, 0.25 miles, I actually ran a little farther than that because the calibration isn't accurate. 

The workouts this week were:

run 0.25 miles; walk 0.125 miles
run 0.5 miles; walk 0.25 miles
run 0.25 miles; walk 0.125 miles
run 0.5 miles

I was waiting for the beep of my Garmin to tell me it was time to walk. When I looked at the treadmill display, it said I'd run 0.28 miles; the Garmin should have beeped, but it read that I'd only gone 0.03 miles. Then I noticed that I'd forgotten to turn off the GPS!

I stopped the treadmill and debated what to do. I could count that as my first interval, but I didn't have the "proof" on my Garmin (and even though it doesn't matter to anyone but me, I wanted that on there!). Other option was to do it all over. That's what I chose to do.

I ran an extra 0.28-mile lap during Week 4! But I'll tell you what--I'll never forget to turn off the GPS again ;)

I'd planned to do my third workout last night at around 11:25 PM so that I could start the run in the springtime and continue until after summer officially started at 11:32 PM. Basically, I wanted my workout to start before 11:32 and end after 11:32.

It didn't work out that way. I was SO TIRED yesterday. I hadn't gotten more than 2-4 hours of sleep each night for a few days and it hit me hard yesterday. (Even when I'm very tired, I have a hard time sleeping. My mind never shuts off.)

At around 11:00, I just decided to take a shower, get ready for bed, and then at 11:30, I'd walk for 10 minutes at a super slow pace--that way, I could complete the solstice run on my checklist challenge. And I saved the Couch to 5K run for today.

I was tired enough last night that I managed to sleep for six hours (that's a great night for me!) and I felt so much better this morning. I decided to do my "lunchtime run" on the checklist challenge--which means to run between 12:00 and 2:00 PM. The run itself was uneventful.

My heart rate definitely did not have the same decreasing pattern as last week, unfortunately. I expected it to be higher overall, which it was, because I doubled the distance of the running intervals.

The goal is to get my heart rate to stay in Zone 2 as much as possible. Zone 2 is comfortable; it's the perfect heart rate for an "easy run". Running was much more enjoyable when I was able to run for miles and miles in Zone 2--so I am hoping to build my endurance back up to be able to run just 3 miles in Zone 2.

Interestingly, the accidental 0.28 miles I ran on Friday before my C25K workout gave me some good insight into my heart rate...

This segment contained NO walking. I was running at 5.0 mph on the treadmill. So, you can clearly see that my heart rate is in Zone 4 during all of my running segments. The lower zones are when I'm walking. So my first goal is to lower the amount of time spent in Zone 4. I know it'll get there if I'm patient and keep working on it!

Next Monday, my Week 5 Day 3 workout is a 2-mile run. Yikes!

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If you have a transformation to share for Transformation Tuesday tomorrow, please email it to me! Just send a before photo and an after photo, along with your name and a description of the transformation to me at: katie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com. Thanks!

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The Infamous Week 4 Workout (and a Cringe-Worthy Mistake)

I did it!

I was planning to wait until Monday to post about my Couch to 5K progress, like I usually do, but as you know, Week 4 was a big deal for me. I finished Week 3 on Monday and yesterday was my first workout for Week 4.

I know I've explained this several times, but just in case someone is new here, here's a quick backstory:

I had attempted to do the original Couch to 5K plan several times (maybe not several--maybe 3-4?) back in 2007-2008-ish. I hadn't yet lost the weight (I didn't start losing weight until 2009). I would do okay with C25K until I got to Week 4. Week 4 is a HUGE jump from Week 3--the running intervals in Week 3 are 1/8 and 1/4 mile long. Then in Week 4, they are 1/4 and 1/2 mile. When you're a beginner runner, that's really tough!

Each of my attempts ended during the first 1/2-mile interval in the Week 4 workout. I just couldn't do it--and I got discouraged and quit.

When I was losing weight, I was thinking about trying it again... but I found that I was dreading each and every interval. I really don't like run/walk intervals--I'd rather get all the running out of the way at the beginning. So, that led to my creating my own plan (you can find that here). I was able to bump my distance up to 5K pretty quickly!

From there, I went on to do 10K's, half-marathons, and even three full marathons.

BUT.

I never finished the damn Couch to 5K plan! And it's been in the back of my mind for all these years. Now that I'm back to losing this weight I've gained and focusing more on my health, I want to get back to running again. I've tried lots of other exercises over the years, but I like running the best.

And since I'm a true beginner again, I decided that it's a good time to attempt the Couch to 5K plan. Again.

It's been very humbling, to say the least. Running for a couple of minutes at a time is much harder than I expected! But that's what happens when you quit running for three years (other than 12 weeks of half-marathon training in 2018 and some three-milers here and there).

I'm slow, but I'm totally okay with that. Someday, if I want to get faster, I know how to do that. But my ultimate goal is to be able to run three miles at an easy pace 4-5 days a week--just for fitness.

Anyway, I was really nervous about yesterday's workout! The start of the infamous Week 4. This is the workout:

run 0.25 miles
walk 0.125 miles
run 0.5 miles
walk 0.25 miles
run 0.25 miles
walk 0.125 miles
run 0.5 miles

[For those that asked, I don't use an app--I just printed out the plan and keep track the old-fashioned way. There is something I really enjoy about crossing off each run! The plan is no longer available where it used to be (Coolrunning.com) and I can't find the whole plan written out as it used to be. I typed it out in a spreadsheet--you can get it here if you'd like.]

I decided to do it on the treadmill so I could control my pace--I wanted to set the speed at 5.0 mph for the running intervals and 3.3 mph for the walking. To keep my mind occupied, I actually read my library book! I increased the font size on my Kindle to enormous (believe it or not, that was only at about 75% of the largest font) and I put it in the tablet holder on my treadmill. Then I got to work.

Last week, the 0.25 mile intervals were really tough--and I had to do those again yesterday, PLUS two 0.5 mile intervals. Lowering the speed to 5.0 mph (I did 5.5 mph last week) was a big help. I concentrated on my book the best I could and hoped I could make it.

And I did it! I got through all four running intervals. I was very sweaty when I was done, but I was THRILLED that I completed the workout! I'm officially the furthest I've ever made it in this plan--and I am determined to finish it :)

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Ohmygosh. You guys.

I was just getting ready to post this when I thought it would be fun to look up my first Couch to 5K workouts (from 2007). As I was looking at them, I realized there were more than I expected--if I only did Weeks 1-3, that would be 9 workouts total (10 if you count the attempt at Week 4, Day 1).

You can forget about everything I wrote in this post. It turns out that I actually DID complete Week 4... and Week 5, Week 6, and Week 7!

How totally embarrassing to have come up with this whole story about never having gotten further than Week 3--but also hilarious. All this time, I was so sure that I never made it past Week 3. But here it is--the first workout of Week 4, completed November 5, 2007:

I went back through the download of my old blog (it's no longer online) to see if I wrote about it, and I did--here is what I wrote after Week 4, Day 1:

"Okay, yesterday's C25K... UGH! I started Week 4, and was a little stunned by the huge jump between Weeks 3 and 4.

Week 3 was:

Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)

Run 0.11 miles

Walk 0.11 miles

Run 0.25 miles

Walk 0.25 miles

... and repeat one time. The longest part was the run of 0.25 miles, which was difficult for me, but I managed.

THEN, moving along to Week 4:

Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)

Run 0.25 miles

Walk 0.13 miles

Run 0.5 miles <-------(wha-wha-what???!!!!) 

Walk 0.25 miles

Run 0.25 miles

Walk 0.13 miles

Run 0.5 miles <------(jeez mother!)

To jump from not-even-a-quarter-mile to 1/2 mile in one stretch like that was reeeeally hard. Not to mention that it was so windy I almost drove my car off the road on the way home from working at the doctor's office, AND it was raining, AND I was on Day 1 of my period, AND I hadn't eaten lunch. Complain much? But I fucking did it!!!"

This is so funny (and totally cringe-worthy!). Reading my old posts is embarrassing--which is why I took that blog down when I started this one in 2011. However, going through it just now after realizing that I actually DID get pretty far into Couch to 5K (I'd started Week 8, Day 1 and quit during that) is interesting.

I thought it would be fun to share quotes from my old blog about my runs in the past when I post about them in the present. 

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Couch to 5K : Week 3

Just a quick recap of how Week 3 of the Couch to 5K plan went for me...

That expression, "It's all relative", perfectly describes my feelings about this week of running. I was not, at all, expecting to jump right back into running long distances and have it feel easy. I took a few years off, so of course I feel like a total beginner again! I just had no idea how hard it would feel to run for just a couple of minutes at a time when I used to run for hours at a time (and at a faster pace, too!).

When I was marathon training, an "easy three-miler" felt like a rest day; and now, running just a couple of minutes at a time, those couple of minutes seem five times longer. And the thought of running three miles seems impossible. I'll get there--I know I will, as long as I keep working on it--but wow, it's humbling.

My end goal right now is to eventually be able to run three miles easy again (and have it actually feel easy).

The Week 3 of the Couch to 5K plan is as follows (it's the same for all three workouts):

Running at 6.0 mph on the treadmill last week was really tough--and that was for just 90 seconds at a time. For this week, I decided to ease back on the speed to ensure that I can get through each 0.25-mile running interval. I used the treadmill for all three runs this week because it's been a HOT week here.

I chose to set the speed at 5.5 mph (10:55/mile) for my running intervals and 3.3 mph (18:11/mile) for my walking intervals. I didn't vary them because I figured that since I can't really see fitness progress based on speed or distance right now (especially on the treadmill), looking at my heart rate data would probably be the best way to see changes in my fitness level. If I run at the same speed each time and my heart rate gradually gets lower, then I'll know that I'm getting fitter.

It really doesn't make any difference, since my main goal is to just finish this plan, but you know how I love looking at running data ;)

Because the runs are different each week, I can't really compare this week's data to last week's. But here are the three runs from this week--all done on the treadmill, all at the same speeds. (Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 in that order:)

Not enough to draw any conclusions, but I noticed that on the first day, I hit Zone 5; the second day, I did not; and by the third day, I hadn't even hit Zone 4. Today I spent half of the run in Zone 1! So if this trend continues, my goal of running three miles easy isn't just a pipe dream ;)  (Ideally, my heart rate will be in Zone 2 for an entire three-mile run--that's my MAF zone).

Reducing the speed this week made a HUGE difference in how I felt during the runs! I felt like I could have run farther if needed, though it was still tiring and I was grateful to start walking again. Whenever someone tells me that they are having a hard time building any distance, my first piece of advice is to go slower--even if you feel like you're already running as slowly as you can! It really does make a huge difference.

Next week, Week 4, is going to be a big obstacle; I've never gotten past Week 3 of the Couch to 5K plan! I attempted Couch to 5K a few times, starting in probably 2006-ish, but each time I got to Week 4, I just couldn't get through it. Eventually, in 2010, I did my own thing instead of C25K, and that's how I was able to "become a runner" (this is the plan I made up as I went along, and I found it much easier than Couch to 5K).

So while completing Week 4 is (again, relatively) easy compared to all of the other running accomplishments I've achieved over the years--5K's, 10K's, half-marathons, marathons--I feel just as nervous. It's kind of funny! Here is the schedule for Week 4:

So I have to run 1/4 mile (twice) and a half-mile (twice). This workout is double the amount of running from last week, for each interval. I feel like there should have been a week in between 4 and 5 because that's such a big jump. I know that I can always add my own week in there, but I'd really like to complete the program as written--simply because I've never done it before. And I know that I can--I just might have to reduce the speed quite a bit, which is fine.

Hopefully I'll report good things next week ;)

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