From My Couch To A 5K... And Beyond!

I ran 1.5 miles yesterday, today I did 2.25 miles, and tomorrow I am trying for the full 5K - 3.1 miles! I'm going to start slow and build my speed at the end. I will consider it a success if I make it without stopping! :)

I need to stop obsessing over the number on my scale. I went down to 146.8, but ever since then, I have been bouncing back and forth between 147 and 148. It makes no sense to me! I have been doing more exercise than ever before, and I am still eating carefully. I am starting to wonder if I need to bump my calories up a tad bit. But will that have a negative affect? Will it cause me to gain before I lose? Right now I am eating abut 1300, which I know everyone is going to say is way too low, but I'm never hungry for more than that! Honestly! It's not like I'm starving, yet only allowing myself 1300 calories. I go over some days, I go under some days, but never, ever less than 1200. I know people say it's impossible to live on only that, but it isn't hard for me at all. Ugh. My body looks pretty good, but I still have some body fat I want to lose. There's still plenty I can grab at! :)
 
The route that you run for 3.1 miles, do you have the mile and half mile marks known? This will help you with getting your pace right.

I've had days where I was real low on the calories and I just did not lose weight. Bumped up the protein and I started again. Might give it a try.
 
I use my Nike+ to track my distance and pace. It tracks it the entire time, so I always know how much I have left and what my pace is. I have been trying to be very careful of pacing myself the last couple of runs. I have found that I consistently start too quickly and have to make myself slow down. In the beginning of a run, it just feels so easy that I want to go fast, but if I do that, I poop out way too quickly!
 
That's very cool about the Nike+. I'll have to check it out. I'm wondering how it knows how fast you are going. Does it know the length of your stride and just average or is it actually measuring? very cool, though.
 
Trops said:
That's very cool about the Nike+. I'll have to check it out. I'm wondering how it knows how fast you are going. Does it know the length of your stride and just average or is it actually measuring? very cool, though.
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Yes, it's very cool. It also measures your calories burned, but it does that by using your weight and gender. I use my HR monitor at the same time, and the numbers are pretty comparable.

As far as the stride/speed/etc., when you first get it, you have to calibrate it. I found a .25/mile track and entered that as the distance I was going to run. I ran it, then stopped it. It used that information to calibrate itself, and it's been good to go ever since. I know it's accurate, because I have worn it during both of my 5K races, and it always tells me that I have completed the 5K right as I hit the finish line.

You can choose your workout... as in you can say you want to run for a certain distance, a certain time, or until you burn a certain number of calories. Of course, you aren't limited to what you choose, though. For example, lets say you enter that you're going to run 5K, but after you run your 5K you still want to keep going... you can do that! Just keep going, and it keeps recording. After that, it tells you a workout summary that includes everything, and you can also upload all of your information to nike.com, and it tracks everything for you... it even does graphs of each run! You can check all of your past workouts and personal bests (longest distance, fastest mile, etc) on both the computer and your iPod.

It's really neat. Definitely worth the $30!
 
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That's so very cool. And you don't have to get a Nike shoe, just the sensor. I'm going to look into that. Thanks.
 
Trops said:
That's so very cool. And you don't have to get a Nike shoe, just the sensor. I'm going to look into that. Thanks.
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Right! I don't run in Nike's. I bought for my shoes on eBay for $7.50. I lace it onto my shoe, and it holds the sensor! The sensor just pops in and out whenever I want it to! :)

I hope the link works! If not, just search "Nike+ lace" on eBay, and it should pop up!
 
daiseeangel said:
Right! I don't run in Nike's. I bought for my shoes on eBay for $7.50. I lace it onto my shoe, and it holds the sensor! The sensor just pops in and out whenever I want it to! :)

I hope the link works! If not, just search "Nike+ lace" on eBay, and it should pop up!
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Wow thats so awesome!

I wanted to get the Nike + kit but didn't want to fork out the money for the shoes, im going to see if I can get one in Aus :)

Do the Nike + only work with iPod nano's? Or do they work on any ipod (except the shuffle obviously)?
 
Saw your post about the race... like everyone said... just take the silver lining and realize that you did not only one 8 minute mile but TWO... the only way that would ever happen for me is if I found out Sawyer from LOST was waiting at the end for me and I only had 8 minutes to get there!!! ;)
 
I have the Garmin Forerunner 305 and I love it. It has a GPS signal and tracks my distance accurately. I've heard about the Nike but my H got me this instead for my birthday last year. I use it daily!

Good luck with your 5K! I remember my first one, completely addictive. Just remember to pace yourself from the very beginning. I used to start off to fast and would tucker out at the 2 mile mark. I found that I may be behind at first due to my slower pace but I always passed them toward the end.

Have a great day!!!!!!!!
 
Hmmm. That sensor thing you have sounds pretty interesting. I might look into one. I'm glad to hear you don't have to wear Nike shoes while you run to use it. That would be torture for me, lol ;)

-Sam
 
austin_88 said:
Wow thats so awesome!

I wanted to get the Nike + kit but didn't want to fork out the money for the shoes, im going to see if I can get one in Aus :)

Do the Nike + only work with iPod nano's? Or do they work on any ipod (except the shuffle obviously)?
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I have one of the older iPod nanos, and it works great! I think it is compatible with pretty much any iPod but the Shuffle. I bet you could find it online!

brunettegoddess said:
Saw your post about the race... like everyone said... just take the silver lining and realize that you did not only one 8 minute mile but TWO... the only way that would ever happen for me is if I found out Sawyer from LOST was waiting at the end for me and I only had 8 minutes to get there!!! ;)
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HAHAHAHA! I can't even imagine the speeds I could conquer knowing that Sawyer was at the end waiting for me!!!! Hell, I may even figure out a way to sprout wings and fly if that were the case! :biggrinjester:

sammyboy24 said:
Hmmm. That sensor thing you have sounds pretty interesting. I might look into one. I'm glad to hear you don't have to wear Nike shoes while you run to use it. That would be torture for me, lol ;)

-Sam
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I bet you'd enjoy the Nike+! I have one pair of Nike shoes that are designed for running and to be used with the Nike+, but I can't imagine running in them! No thanks! I'll stick to my Asics. :)

AmyRB said:
I have the Garmin Forerunner 305 and I love it. It has a GPS signal and tracks my distance accurately. I've heard about the Nike but my H got me this instead for my birthday last year. I use it daily!

Good luck with your 5K! I remember my first one, completely addictive. Just remember to pace yourself from the very beginning. I used to start off to fast and would tucker out at the 2 mile mark. I found that I may be behind at first due to my slower pace but I always passed them toward the end.

Have a great day!!!!!!!!
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Pacing is definitely my big problem, but I am working hard at it!

I LOVE your Garmin watch! Very, very cool! Thanks for stopping by! :)
 
Hey there, everyone!

Today I ran the full 3.1 miles, and I'm happy to say I never stopped! I'm still no speed demon, but at least I never had to stop and walk. I ran the whole thing in 35:08. Not real happy with the time, but again, I am happy that I didn't walk. My average minutes/mile was a little over 11 minutes. I started off slow, but I picked it up a bit at the end. In the beginning I was going about 12 minutes a mile, and in the end I was going 9/10. I think I need to start a little faster... no slower than in the 11 minute/mile range. No more 12 minute miles. I don't like that! It's still a challenge for me, but I think that's a good thing.

I think I have decided that I will be happy if I finish the 5K race in the 34 minute ballpark. I don't anticipate finishing any faster than that. Heck, I may not not be able to finish in 34 minutes! The fact that I finished my first one in 32 minutes is a both a blessing and a curse. I'm still so proud of that, but I keep wanting to achieve it again, and I just can't! At least not right now. But the weird thing is that I should not have been able to do it the first time, either! I was even slower then than I am now, yet I finished in 32 minutes. I think it was the excitement and adrenaline of it being my first race that made it possible. Just a few days before the race it took me almost 36 minutes to finish a 5K, but I miraculously knocked 4 minutes off that time during the race. My body was pumped, though. I really wish I could recreate that feeling. Maybe I'll do better on this 5K race since it's on my birthday. That can be my gift to myself! Along with all the other stuff I buy! :D
 
I have only read the last few posts so forgive me if I am telling you something you already know. I noticed you are running every day. This normally isn't a good idea as you need to rest in between runs. I'm training for a marathon and I only run 3 days a week and cross train another 3 days. Have you visited Runner's World or another similar website that lays out training schedules? If not, I highly recommend doing so.

I'm worried that you might get stress fractures or shin splints from running every day...once you get them it's painful and really disruptive to your training schedule. I run Tues, Thurs, and do my long runs on Saturdays. I would like to "suggest" to you that you find something similar that will give you adequate rest so your muscles can repair in between runs.

Good luck to you on your race. Your pace is respectable and you shouldn't feel bad about it. You have the rest of your life to sign up for more races and improve on your pace. If this is your first race it will set your initial time so you will have something to improve upon afterwards :)

Like Amy, I have the Garmin GPS watch and I LOVE it!! I got it from Costco. What I love about it is that it keeps my time, distance, and PACE. When I see myself going too fast I slow it down so I can go the distance w/out crapping out. If you have "extra" energy towards the end of the race, then by all means sprint to the finish...hehehe

If you are running this 5K for the first time I guarantee you will beat the 34min goal you set for yourself. You'll be so pumped up you'll be running on straight adrenaline. Make sure to get a proper breakfast in and adequate sleep the night before.

Good luck to you girlie!!
 
LovelyLadyHumps said:
I have only read the last few posts so forgive me if I am telling you something you already know. I noticed you are running every day. This normally isn't a good idea as you need to rest in between runs. I'm training for a marathon and I only run 3 days a week and cross train another 3 days. Have you visited Runner's World or another similar website that lays out training schedules? If not, I highly recommend doing so.
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I do visit Runner's World, and I have actually printed out Hal Higdon's 5K plan. I haven't been following it recently, because I only have a little less than 2 weeks until my next 5K. I hadn't run for a few months, and I entered a 5K last Saturday. I have only started running again (seriously) since then. I am going to take a day or two off this week.

Good luck to you on your race. Your pace is respectable and you shouldn't feel bad about it. You have the rest of your life to sign up for more races and improve on your pace. If this is your first race it will set your initial time so you will have something to improve upon afterwards :)
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Thanks! I'm trying to improve my "must be fast" mentality. This will be the 3rd 5K I have entered. The first was my best, and I have been trying to recreate it, with no luck doing so. I need to just chill and let my body do it's thing. I will gain speed as I do it more.

Like Amy, I have the Garmin GPS watch and I LOVE it!! I got it from Costco. What I love about it is that it keeps my time, distance, and PACE. When I see myself going too fast I slow it down so I can go the distance w/out crapping out. If you have "extra" energy towards the end of the race, then by all means sprint to the finish...hehehe
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I really like that watch! I use my Nike+ to do the exact same thing... it tracks my time, distance, speed, etc. I have been very careful to pay attention to my pacing, so I won't crap out at the end. I also wear a Polar Heart Rate monitor to track my heart rate and calories burned.

If you are running this 5K for the first time I guarantee you will beat the 34min goal you set for yourself. You'll be so pumped up you'll be running on straight adrenaline.
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Yep, that's exactly what happened when I ran my first one, and I wish it would happen again! I was running purely on adrenaline the first time, and it felt amazing! I wish I could recreate that feeling!

Good luck to you girlie!!
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Thank you very much, and I appreciate you stopping by!!!
 
You and I are a lot alike. My pace has been nearly exactly the same all 3 half marathons that I did. I had the best time at my first 1/2 marathon but the course was also completely flat. The other 2 half marathons had some serious hills. The one I ran on July 13th had nearly 2 miles uphill!! Brutal!! LOL

Here were my results:
2:45:15
2:46:21
2:45:47

Pretty consistent ehh? The funny this is I was so sick after the first 1/2 marathon. I had a friend that pushed me all the way to the finish line and once I reached it I fell apart. The other two I did were solid performances and I finished strong and healthy :)

Once I committed to my upcoming marathon on October 19th I started a 4 month training program. So it definitely helps that I have been running for a little while but it is still going to be very difficult for me. I'm shooting to finish the 26.2miles 5hrs and 30mins. If I can keep a consistent pace I should be able to accomplish this :)
 
Geez, that is so amazing! Beyond inspirational!

How long did it take you to move up to half marathons? I can't even fathom it!

Edited to add: I just noticed we have the exact same ticker!! :)
 
I went from no running to running a half marathon in 3 months :) My friend encourage me to sign up for a half marathon and I said, sure, what the hell. Little did I know how difficult it would turn out to be!
 
And that is exactly why I "fell apart" at the finish line after my first half marathon. My 3 months of training was half ass and I paid for it!!
 
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