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

Dude!!!! You can so do it! I promise. Don't get too into your head and sike yourself out. I bet you will be surprised. That is awesome! Just go with an open mind and see what your finish time will be. Your running it spur of the moment and that is terrific! I like your new shoes too. Asics are the best, imo.

-Sam
 
sammyboy24 said:
Dude!!!! You can so do it! I promise. Don't get too into your head and sike yourself out. I bet you will be surprised. That is awesome! Just go with an open mind and see what your finish time will be. Your running it spur of the moment and that is terrific! I like your new shoes too. Asics are the best, imo.

-Sam
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Thanks, my love!

I was freaking out for a bit, but James calmed me down. I just hate the idea of not doing as well as last time. But the thing is, before I was running consistently to prepare (physically and mentally!) for the 5K. This one was completely unplanned!

I have been running in boot camp (a lot! sprints, intervals, backwards, etc), but not for 3 miles at a time.

I've also been running this large loop around my neighborhood... it's .75 of a mile. Yesterday I did it in 11:47, because I wasn't trying to rush. Tonight (knowing about the 5K tomorrow), I did it in 6:59 (which translates into a 9:50 mile - my fastest ever!)! That's quite a huge difference, and I was pretty impressed! But I was also pretty winded, and that's a very short distance compared to 5K!

I just worry about not being conditioned enough to complete the entire distance, and stopping to walk IS NOT an option for me. I refuse to do that.

I'm telling myself that if I can make it through my hour long boot camp workouts, I can definitely make it through this. I think it's more mental than anything, and I refuse to fail! I need to chill and do the damn thing! I don't know why I am doubting myself! After all, I've done it before, and I'm almost 10 pounds lighter this time!

Plus, this time I have a cool heart rate monitor and new Asics to wear! :D
 
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Tyly, you'll do fine. The thing you aren't taking into consideration is that at boot camp, you might not run for three miles, but you are running you ass off for an hour. Running at a steady state for that long and you'll be almost at 10k. You'll do fine. Keep an eye on your HR and don't let it get too high. That way you'll have the energy at the end when you need it.

Oh, and get some sleep.
 
I hear ya.

I'm someone that doesn't like to stop and walk either. I will slow down to the slowest snail of a jog if I have to but I will not walk, so I understand.

Don't worry about not being able to finish the distance. That is common with a lot of people who run. It's the whole mentality of it all. I suffer from it too. Every time I run three miles part of me worries that this time I will only be able to run like half of it or something but, I always end up running the whole thing. Especially after the first mile or so, you will have your rhythm and your body will just allow you to keep going. It's going to be a good thing, I promise ;) Running outside is so much better than running on a treadmill anyways, I've come to find out. Your moving and going somewhere at least, and it just seems to flow and be easier, imo.

Have fun in those new shoes and with the HR monitor. I always love trying out my new gear.

-Sam
 
Trops said:
Tyly, you'll do fine. The thing you aren't taking into consideration is that at boot camp, you might not run for three miles, but you are running you ass off for an hour. Running at a steady state for that long and you'll be almost at 10k. You'll do fine. Keep an eye on your HR and don't let it get too high. That way you'll have the energy at the end when you need it.

Oh, and get some sleep.
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sammyboy24 said:
I hear ya.

I'm someone that doesn't like to stop and walk either. I will slow down to the slowest snail of a jog if I have to but I will not walk, so I understand.

Don't worry about not being able to finish the distance. That is common with a lot of people who run. It's the whole mentality of it all. I suffer from it too. Every time I run three miles part of me worries that this time I will only be able to run like half of it or something but, I always end up running the whole thing. Especially after the first mile or so, you will have your rhythm and your body will just allow you to keep going. It's going to be a good thing, I promise ;) Running outside is so much better than running on a treadmill anyways, I've come to find out. Your moving and going somewhere at least, and it just seems to flow and be easier, imo.

Have fun in those new shoes and with the HR monitor. I always love trying out my new gear.

-Sam
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Thanks, friends! You guys are the best!

I do enjoy outdoor running more than indoor running. The thing that really drew me to this is that they described it as a "scenic, beautiful route". We'll see!

That was one of my favorite things about the first one I did... the route was beautiful! We were running along a lake, then across a bridge. It was so pretty!

I also like the challenge. I kind of like the unprepared aspect of it - I'm curious to see how it goes without all the preparation! :) I'll definitely slow down to a snail's jog before I walk. Hopefully it doesn't come to that!
 
I'm not sure I'd wear new, unbroken-in shoes for a 5K...

But good luck, I know you'll do fine. You are in the best shape of your life!!
 
About the 5K...

Well, I finished! And that's about the only good thing I have to say! :nopity:

I did exactly what I knew NOT to do. I knew not to do it, and I did it anyway.

I ran into a couple of boot camp people, and they run 5Ks all the time. They're the type that always place in them and whatnot. Stupid, stupid me and my big head was determined to keep up with them. What a dumbass I was! I kept up with them for the first 2 miles (my fastest 2 miles ever!), but after that, my body was DONE. Just to give you an idea, we were done with the first 2 miles in about 16/17 minutes, and my heart rate was at a 207!!! I am just not ready for that kind of speed, and I knew it, but I was being so stubborn about it. An 8:15/8:30 mile for 3 miles is just too much for me to handle right now! That would put me finishing at around 25/26 minutes! Not for me, unfortunately. I'm more of a 10/11 minute mile kind of girl. So, after those first 2 miles, I had to do the unthinkable... I had to walk.:banghead: That is the part that pisses me off more than anything. I DID NOT want to do that, but I just couldn't keep up. Even with walking, my heart rate was still in the 180/190 range. It eventually lowered, but it took a while. I am so mad at myself, because part of me still feels like I could have pushed that last mile out of me. I could have done it. I could have forced myself to continue. But I just didn't want to. It also makes me feel more out of shape than I thought I was. :(

GRR. I ended up at close to 35 minutes. Almost 3 minutes more than the first one I ran. And I'm almost 10 pounds lighter now than I was then! :( I really feel like if I would have paced myself correctly, I could have finished (without walking) in the 32 range again and felt a whole lot better about the whole thing. Stupid, stupid me.

There's another one on my birthday (August 2). I'm a little scared of it, because it's a pretty hilly area. I'm not used to hills! But I think I am going to start training for it (ie: run longer distances on a daily basis), and hopefully that will help. I think that was another problem... I hadn't done a long distance run (5K is long in my mind!) in 2 months, and I even had a break from working out all together for about 3 weeks in those 2 months. Enough excuses.

At least I learned from my mistakes, I guess. :icon_bs:
 
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wow, that's amazing that you kept up with them for 2 miles. I can't believe you did 2 miles that fast. It sounds like you did a great job for your first 5k, and I'm you'll pace yourself on your next one.
 
Thanks!

It was actually my 2nd one, and I did better on the first one... which is partly why I'm so irritated with myself.

Oh well! It's done, and I can only move on and get better.

Thanks for stopping by!
 
Girl, the fact that you ran those first two miles so fast is something to be proud of. :hurray: Sure, you didn't run it the way you'd planned, but it wasn't a failure in any respect imo. There's no way I could do what you did. And I don't think you could've done it a year ago, either. This just shows how far you've come and how well you've improved your fitness over the last few months. Don't be mad at yourself. Be proud!! You've earned the right to be. :)
 
Are you ready for some football ??

omg omg omg !! less than 3 weeks away !!

The shape you're in, you thinking about tryouts ?? huh ?? :p
 
bikinibound said:
Girl, the fact that you ran those first two miles so fast is something to be proud of. :hurray: Sure, you didn't run it the way you'd planned, but it wasn't a failure in any respect imo. There's no way I could do what you did. And I don't think you could've done it a year ago, either. This just shows how far you've come and how well you've improved your fitness over the last few months. Don't be mad at yourself. Be proud!! You've earned the right to be. :)
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Thank you so much for putting a positive spin on it! I should be proud of those 2 miles! :)

Plus, now I have learned. I have (only!) 2 weeks to get ready for the next one, and I am going to focus on pace and longevity. I have already used both my pedometer and Nike+ system (used both to make sure it's accurate!) to measure a route around my neighborhood that equals to the 3.1 miles. If I can complete it in 32/33 minutes, I'll be happy!

Thanks, BB!

T2 Trucker said:
Are you ready for some football ??

omg omg omg !! less than 3 weeks away !!

The shape you're in, you thinking about tryouts ?? huh ?? :p
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Putting it like that, it doesn't feel so far away!!! Less than 3 weeks?! YESSSSSS!!!!
 
Damn right you should be proud. :)

Ah...football season. My H will be so annoyed. :smilielol5: Can't wait to see what the new Michigan team does.
 
Ok, so I am trying to get a handle on this running business. Forgive my ramblings, but here they go...

I looked up my previous running information on my Nike+:

March 26: 2.47 miles: 30:30: 12:10 minutes/mile

April 8: 5K: 37:32: 12:06 minutes/mile

April 28: 2 miles: 23:53: 11:53 minutes/mile

April 29: 2.50 miles: 29:54: 11:55 minutes/mile

May 3: 5K: 32:03: 10:20 minutes/mile

July 19: 5K: 35:37: 11:29 minutes/mile

July 20: 1.5 miles: 16:27: 10:54 minutes/mile

Ok, so here's the point I'm getting at...

I have never been fast! Looking at all of my minute per mile averages, I have always been pretty slow. I bolded the 5K I did in May that I am still soooo proud of. Judging by all of my other results, there was no way on Earth that I should have finished that fast! And yet, I did. It was all adrenaline, I tell you. I was tired, but not as dead as I should have been for that speed. I WISH I could find that adrenaline again!

I don't know why I expect myself to finish these 5Ks so fast, when clearly I am no speed demon. I just end up so frustrated and upset when I don't run it as fast as I feel I should. After my run today, I was pissed that I didn't finish quicker. But then I look at my minutes/mile, and that was my 2nd fastest pace!

I need to just run the 5K on August 2 at a pace I am comfortable with. I need to stop upsetting myself and torturing myself by trying to force myself to finish in a time I can't accomplish. I am only setting myself up for failure.

I feel my priorities are in the wrong place. It's hard though, because I am sooo competitive by nature, and I want to be fast. But I'm not. But I need to be ok with that, because I am faster than I used to be! And I can run longer distances than I used to! I need to focus on that stuff! I need to stop trying to compete with others and be happy with what I have accomplished for myself!
 
I am no runner, but I know what you mean b/c I do the same thing with my walks..lol. Always trying to improve my speed. One thing to keep in mind is that the farther you run, the slower your overall pace is going to be. For example, I can do 2-4 miles with a 14-15min mile pace. But if I do 6 miles, that drops to 16-17 min miles. I can do 1 mile in 12 min--jogging and walking.

Do you keep track of your time while you're out running? If not, I'd start doing that, so you can see where you need to be to reach your goal. What do you eat before you run? My H never eats anything even remotely heavy less than an hour before he runs.

Also, you HAVE taken 2 min off your mile avg from the March and May 5k runs. That's a lot in a short time. It doesn't happen over night. I'd concentrate on gradually shaving off seconds as you go. Even the Olympic sprinters break world records merely by shaving off 10ths of seconds from the clock. :)
 
Tyly, just catching up on your 5k now. I understand why you are disappointed with Saturday's results. You wanted to do the 5k without walking and you let the goal of getting a good time get in the way of your strategy. Well, that's a shame for Saturday. You did some kick ass running for two miles, though. While you think it's something that killed the race for you, what it did is show your body that running an 8 minute mile is possible. You do realize that is what you were doing, right? That is not just commendable, but jump up and down great! See, you can do this, so now you need to do it just for a little longer, and a little longer and then you'll be doing it for the whole 5k. 5k in 32 min is really good. At this pace you'll be looking at 25 min. Try to keep up that pace when you are doing the shorter runs.

I am wondering about that heart rate. I'm no doctor, but 207 sounds like you are close to something bad. Don't let your competitiveness take over from staying healthy. What's your at rest HR?
 
bikinibound said:
I am no runner, but I know what you mean b/c I do the same thing with my walks..lol. Always trying to improve my speed. One thing to keep in mind is that the farther you run, the slower your overall pace is going to be. For example, I can do 2-4 miles with a 14-15min mile pace. But if I do 6 miles, that drops to 16-17 min miles. I can do 1 mile in 12 min--jogging and walking.

Do you keep track of your time while you're out running? If not, I'd start doing that, so you can see where you need to be to reach your goal. What do you eat before you run? My H never eats anything even remotely heavy less than an hour before he runs.

Also, you HAVE taken 2 min off your mile avg from the March and May 5k runs. That's a lot in a short time. It doesn't happen over night. I'd concentrate on gradually shaving off seconds as you go. Even the Olympic sprinters break world records merely by shaving off 10ths of seconds from the clock. :)
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Thanks, love! :) I have my Nike+ thing that tracks my pace for me as I run. I have been working on that since Saturday. I am trying to find the pace where I can finish the entire thing without walking.

I usually run about an hour after dinner, but I think I am going to bump it to an hour, 30 minutes - 2 hours after dinner. That way, I won't feel full, and the sun will be further down. The sun makes things so darn difficult!


Trops said:
Tyly, just catching up on your 5k now. I understand why you are disappointed with Saturday's results. You wanted to do the 5k without walking and you let the goal of getting a good time get in the way of your strategy. Well, that's a shame for Saturday. You did some kick ass running for two miles, though. While you think it's something that killed the race for you, what it did is show your body that running an 8 minute mile is possible. You do realize that is what you were doing, right? That is not just commendable, but jump up and down great! See, you can do this, so now you need to do it just for a little longer, and a little longer and then you'll be doing it for the whole 5k. 5k in 32 min is really good. At this pace you'll be looking at 25 min. Try to keep up that pace when you are doing the shorter runs.

I am wondering about that heart rate. I'm no doctor, but 207 sounds like you are close to something bad. Don't let your competitiveness take over from staying healthy. What's your at rest HR?
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I know... the 207 heart rate was out of hand! I didn't even realize it until I was looking at my stats after the run. I never hit that high - EVER. At the highest, I'm usually in the 180's.

I really don't anticipate being able to shorten my time to 32 min / 5K by August 2nd. I think I'm going to have to set my goal to like 34 min / 5K with NO stopping. That sounds a bit more attainable for me, unfortunately. I wish I were faster, but I'm just not! :cuss: I can (I guess...) do an 8 minute mile, but I can't keep up that sort of speed for a race. I have learned that if I start off that fast, there's no way I can finish. I think I need to start a bit slower, then pick up speed.

How do you do your intervals? As in, how long do you sprint, then how long do you walk?

Thanks Trops. :)
 
Hola :)

Sorry about the race. You know where you screwed up. Learn from it and move forward. People get excited or 'greedy' all the time in the world of fitness and sports.

I've done it multiple times. I'm feeling strong in the gym so instead of going up the planned 10 lbs in a given exercise, I go up 25.

I either end up plateaued long before I should've or with nagging pains. Either case, it's really frustrating.

Not something to beat yourself up over though.
 
Hey there :)

Glad to hear you finished the 5k, even if it wasn't exactly how you had been planning it. Running two miles at an 8 min/mile pace is awesome. I think you should really take that positive out of the situation as a whole. Your doing great, and I totally hear you on the "competitive nature" thing. That's how I am a lot too, at least things i feel pretty confident in. Your running another 5k here in a couple weeks, so you have that one to train and look forward to. You'll do great.

-Sam
 
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