C25k Week 4 Day 2

Today's run was a smidgin better. I never stopped the timer at all to give myself a breather. I did run both 5 minute stints although I will admit that the first of those runs came at a somewhat convenient time (I always get to a point that has a few steps upwards and I SLOWLY climbed them as the timer ran down!).

I have no indication on Heart rate as I forgot my HRM belt :( But from pure exertion, I think I was red-lining into Zone 5 again particularly for the last 5 minute run.

The good thing with the longer runs is that I have been (brute) forced to lower my pace. On the graphs, I am now firmly Walking + Jogging as opposed to Jogging + Running pace. That should fair me well for the future.


My Stats:

2.85 km @7:32/km

C25k Week 4 Day 1

Ow Ow, Ooh Ah, Yikes!!

First off, I did complete Week 3 with a re-run of day 3 which meant moderately ok. I had great trepidation about this first run of week 4. An extended schedule of 3 minutes run, 90 seconds walk, 5 minutes run, 2.5 minutes walk - rinse and repeat.

Did it suck - hell yes.

Run 1 - mostly downhill - not bad, but seemed longer than expected and I was glad when it had finsihed. But unlike the last week, there is not 3 minute resting - just 90 seconds and then onto a record 5 minute run!! Mostly this was up hill and halfway through I hit the dreaded webb rise hill. It killed me to the point where I had to walk. The next 3 minute run I managed ok but paused the run for 30 seconds to bring my heart down to the 140s for the final run. I did complete the whole 5 minutes this time round, but my heart rate hit 184!!

I'll be honest that I felt drained, dizzy and sick. Everything ached - even my arms as m body just depleted its oxygen. It's easy to see why many quit at this point, but I will carry on knowing that if I can keep going, these 3-5 minute runs will seem like childs play.

An interesting point was that I did my last week 3 run on a Thursday and I clashed along the route with the local running club which was nice to see. Maybe one day I will join them.

My Stats:

2.74 km @7:49/km

My Vitals:

166.4lbs, Body Fat 21.9, BMI: 23.9

Stinking Cold

I have had a horrible cold with a hacking cough since last Thursday (it's now Monday). I took the foolish choice of trying to run on Saturday - such is my desperation to finally finish off week 3! It was dreadful. I did the first 90 second and 3 minute runs, but just couldn't manage the second half of the routine. Despite being a warmish day, it felt like I was breathing in pure frozen air. My lungs were extremely painful and again I feel pretty down about it.

Not only have I missed out on that run, but my cold and chest are still pretty bad today meaning by the time I run next, I will have missed a whole week!!

Week three seems to be my downfall and I'm getting sick of doing the same intervals, yet I appreciate that I am unlikely to be able to step up to week four until Week 3 has been completed 3 times in a week.

C25k Week 3 Day 1 (2nd attempt)

Well I guess for the moment I can say that I am officially back on track. With my heart rate monitor in hand (well on my wrist actually), I was certainly more concious of how hard I was working and when it was time to slow the hell down. Paused the workout just before the second 3 minute run as my heart rate was still in the 150s after the rest period and I would not have completed. I got through the run. A fair bit of leg pain again but I am confident that I have a better chance of succcess this time and don't feel quite as much a newbie as before. I'm certainly happy to slow down when required other than cause myself heartache and pain.

So anyway, I completed the 90/90/180/180 x2 intervals.

My Stats:

2.30 km @7:56/km

My Vitals:

167.0lbs, Body Fat 21.4, BMI: 24.0

Questioning C25k

Before my run today, my legs were not brilliant to start with. I switched back to the Nike ASTs today as the Lunarglides were hutrting my feet, but my legs really struggled to much today - shin pain, calf pain etc. I don't kow if this is just because I ran from a bad starting point or whether the ASTs excacerbated the problem.

The issue I have got is with the data I picked up from my new Garmin HRM. I think I should be doing the majority of my running in Zone 3 and the walking in high Zone 2 to low Zone 3. My figures show me spending about 50% of the time in Zone 3 and 50% in Zone 4.

I ran for the first time without Music and it felt like I was running like a snail on my first run, yet I ran a 5:30/km first interval!! It was only when I was struggling that my pace slowed but by then I could not get my heart rate down at all. I took the oppurtunity to pause my workout halfway round to get my HR down a bit, but it didnt last long.

My Stats:

2.46 km @7:40/km

My Vitals:

168.0lbs, Body Fat 23.5, BMI: 24.1

Back out and (sort of) running

I have had a couple of "recovery runs" over the past couple of weeks but they have not gone particularly well. On both occasions I started out going fast - in fact faster than before my injury. The latest run a couple of days ago saw me log a sub 6 minute kilometer. Bearing in mind that part of that is walking. My first 90 second run was 4.5 min/km!!

The problem is that I got puffed out on both runs. I managed 2.25 km in the first run and just 1.99km in the second. My body isn't ready for this kind of pace, not even with fully fit legs. My lungs were seriously burning after the second and third intervals and recovery, although 2 minutes was not enough.

Next time (tomorrow) I will slow down - I promise. I think I will aim for a 6.5 min/km run and 9 min/km walk which is reasonable and in line with what I was doing before the injury.

To make things easier, I have purchased a Garmin forerunner (a 305 brick). That should hopefully stop my GPS cutting out and give me more realtime results. I'll use the Heart rate monitor to prove one way or another if I am working too damn hard of not!

So here is to tomorrow and hopefully a new start!