Day 2 - C25K faster!

I'm finally caught up on my blogposts.  This is my run journal for tonight.

Today's Run:
5 minute warmup
1 minute run

1.5 minute jog
Repeat Run/Jog interval 7 more times
1 minute run
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day 2:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=300909

Total distance: 2.30 miles (.80 short of a 5k)
Total time: 31 minutes

Current weight: 217.5 lbs (lost .5 lbs)
Walk pace: 15:22 /mi (slower)
Run pace: 10:19 /mi (:28 faster!)
Fastest run pace: 8:43 /mi (:20 slower)

It was really freakin' hot outside.  Luckily, I started running at 8:30, and the sun was down mostly before I actually started running.  I kept my 9 minute run pace for the first 6 runs, then I slowed down slightly.  I'm very excited about that.  : )  I couldn't imagine myself doing this 9 weeks ago!
Day 2 complete!

Day 1 - C25K faster!

August 3, 2011

Since the catalyst of me wanting to run was that I wanted to lose weight, I think my next choose makes the most sense. In reading forums and talking to folks I know that run, it seems that running at a faster pace will cause you to lose weight faster, which makes complete sense to me. I have decided to do the same program again (C25K), but I am actually running (a 9-11 minute pace) when it tells me to run, and I am jogging (aiming for a 13 minute pace) when it tells me to walk. By the time I get to the longer runs, I'm planning on keeping the faster "run" pace.

Today's Run:
5 minute warmup (15-16 min pace)
1 minute run (9-11 minute pace)

1.5 minute jog (13 minute pace)
Repeat Run/Jog interval 7 more times
1 minute run
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day 1:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=300909

Total distance: 2.30 miles (.80 short of a 5k)
Total time: 31 minutes

Current weight: 217.5 lbs (lost .5 lbs)
Walk pace: 14:55 /mi (faster)
Run pace: 10:47 /mi (2:38 faster)
Fastest run pace: 8:23 /mi

The running was challenging, but I like the change of pace of doing interval training again.  I kept up the running pace for the first 3 runs, then I started to get slightly slower.

Day 1 complete!

Day 27

June 28, 2011

This is a little late posting, but I wanted to post the details for my final run of the program.  I finished!!!

Today's Run:
5 minute warmup
30 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day 27:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=300906

Total distance: 2.74 miles (.36 short of a 5k)
Total time: 40 minutes

Current weight: 218 lbs (same weight)
Walk pace: 15:56 /mi (slower)
Run pace: 14:11 /mi (slower)

Don't remember much about the run, and I put in my app that I felt good.  So proud of myself for remaining commited to this program and finishing it out!

Day 27 complete!  PROGRAM COMPLETE!

Day 26

Next to last run, before I complete my training program.  Now I'll be on the lookout for a new program.  I think that I want to build up my speed, but I'm not totally sure.  I also have been working on a drumline t-shirt, and here is the concept that I created!

Hopefully, that doesn't go through any anti-aliasing when you blow it up to see it.  Totally ruins the effect.  : )  The back is all 5x5 pixel lettering that lists all of the kids.  I had to do all of this pixel by pixel.  Kids loved how it turned out.  I know a couple of art ppl read this...any suggestions?

Today's Run:
5 minute warmup
30 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day 26:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=296568

Total distance: 2.81 miles (.29 short of a 5k)
Total time: 40 minutes

Current weight: 218 lbs (lost 2 lbs)
Walk pace: 16:42 /mi
Run pace: 13:25 /mi (29 seconds faster)

A very easy run.  I'm looking forward to training myself to run a touch faster.  This has gotten so easy!  The real challenge is going to be making the hour time block to devote to getting ready, running, and showering during the school year.

Day 26 complete!

Day 25

I went back and did the last day of Week 8 for this run, since I skipped it in Colorado.

Today's Run:
5 minute warmup
28 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day 25:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=295600

Total distance: 2.58 miles
Total time: 38 minutes

Current weight: 220 lbs
Walk pace: 16:39 /mi
Run pace: 13:54 /mi

I wish I could show you what my pace looked like!  According to my Nike+ GPS app, I maintained a 12:30 /mi pace for my run...the entire time!  It showed my walking as a Yellow level pace and my running as a Green level pace.  Usually you can see my pace flucuating up and down, but this time, my run was all green!  I could maintain talking while running, and it would have been no problem.  I'll begin to slowly pick up the pace, but not too much, and not too quickly.

Day 25 complete!

RMNP Hiking - Flattop Mountain

July 14, 2011

We hiked up to Flattop Mountain on Thursday.  A strenuous hike, but entirely worth the effort!  8.60 miles round trip. According to the books, it is 8.8, but they must have measured further down the trail than where we stopped! Burned over 1200 calories on this hike.  3.5 hours up and 2.5 hours back down.  Awesome!

View from Flattop Mountain

RMNP Hiking - The Loch

July 13, 2011

We hiked Glacier Gorge to The Loch on Wednesday.  Little bit harder hike, but still awesome.  5.60 miles round trip. According to the books, it is 6.6, but they must have measured further down the trail than where we stopped! Burned over 800 calories on this hike.  3.5 hour hike.

The Loch

RMNP Hiking - Emerald Lake

July 11, 2011

We hiked Bear Lake to Emerald Lake on Monday.  Great view and hike.  3.30 miles round trip.  According to the books, it is 3.5, but they must have measured further down the trail than where we stopped!  Burned over 500 calories on this hike.  2.5 hour hike.

Nymph Lake

Dream Lake

Emerald Lake

Day 24

July 10, 2011

Morning run in wonderful Estes Park, CO.  We were staying at the YMCA of the Rockies and I ran around the camp.  OMG, HILLS!  Everyone told me to watch out for having trouble breathing.  Let me dispel the myths now, breathing was not the problem!  It was the hills that go FOREVER.  : )  I accidentally ran week 9, day 1 instead of week 8, day 3.  Oops!

Today's Run:
5 minute warmup
30 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day 24:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=295054

Total distance: 2.5 miles
Total time: 40 minutes

Current weight: Unknown (No scale in the cabin)
Walk pace: 16:02 /mi
Run pace: 15:43 /mi

This was a hard run, but I am proud of myself for getting up and doing it, even though I am in Estes Park, CO, on vacation!

Day 24 complete!

Day 23

Morning run.  Very cloudy and cool today!  Slow and steady wins the race

Today's Run:
5 minute warmup
28 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day 23:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=291564

Total distance: 2.78 miles (.8 more than last run)
Total time: 38 minutes

Current weight: 220.0 (or 219.5)
Walk pace: 16:14 /mi (:01 seconds slower)
Run pace: 12:40 /mi (:53 seconds faster)

Today felt great.  My shins are not bothering me any more.  Never had trouble breathing.  I love that I have found a very consistent walk pace.  I can't wait till I find my run pace like that!  I'm so close to running a 5K!  My next run is going to be in Colorado, but I would still love to improve my distance slightly for it.  Here's hoping!

Day 23 complete!

Day 22

Morning run.  Nice and cloudy!  3 minutes longer, but I ran much slower at the start so that I could keep a more consistent speed.  I still sprinted the last 2 minutes at about a 8.5 min/mi pace.

Today's Run:
5 minute warmup
28 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day 22:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=290878

Total distance: 2.70 miles (.9 less than last run)
Total time: 38 minutes

Current weight: 222.5
Walk pace: 16:13 /mi (:13 seconds slower)
Run pace: 13:33 /mi (1:37 seconds slower)

Walk pace slower.
Run pace a lot slower.
3 minutes longer, to go the same distance.

This must be a resting day for me, but that doesn't make it any better.  I would rather run faster at the beginning for better results, and actually feel tired, than what I did today.

Day 22 complete!

Day 21

Katie ran with me tonight.

Today's Run:
5 minute warmup
25 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day 21:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=290455

Total distance: 2.79 miles (.19 more than last run)
Total time: 35 minutes

Current weight: 222.5
Walk pace: 16:00 /mi (:18 seconds faster)
Run pace: 11:56 /mi (:24 seconds faster)

Walk pace faster!  : )
Run pace a lot faster!  : )
Longest distance traveled in a workout!  : )

Check this out:
Run pace for Mile 1 - 12:17 min/mi  <---------Good
Run pace for Mile 2 - 11:35 min/mi  <---------BETTER!

I freakin' knocked this one out of the park.  On cloud 9, but man does my body HATE me right now!

Day 21 complete!

Day 20

To Recap:
49 days since I began running.  The furthest that I have run without stopping is about 2 miles.  I could go longer.  25 days and 7.5 lbs since I began really watching what I ate.  If I did a 5k tomorrow, I would be able to do it in around 35 minutes.  I would say that overall, I'm very proud of my progress.  This post's run is from Saturday, July 2.

Today's Run:
5 minute warmup
25 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day  20:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=290298

Total distance: 2.60 miles (.13 less than last run)
Total time: 35 minutes

Current weight: 224.5
Walk pace: 16:18 /mi (1:08 seconds slower)
Run pace: 12:20 /mi (2 seconds faster)

Note to self....don't tell C25K app that you are done when there is 5 seconds left!  It thinks you are a quitter!!!  Dumb.  Luckily, it did save all my info.  It just didn't complete that day with a green dot, and darn it, I want my green dot!
Took Katie's water belt today.  Don't think I really need that yet.  Wore my perscription sunglasses (cool) and they worked great.

Day 20 complete!

Day 19

Long days and pleasant nights, do ya kinnit?

5 minute warmup
25 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day 19:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=289483

Total distance: 2.73 miles (.13 more than last run)
Total time: 35 minutes

Current weight: 224.0
Walk pace: 15:1 /mi (52 seconds faster)
Run pace: 12:22 /mi (21 seconds faster)

Run and walk pace were improved and I went further, so today was a sucess.  I maintained between a 9 1/2 min to a 10 min/mi for the first half of the work out according to my Nike +GPS app!  Around there, my lower back really started to ache, and my right shin is bothering me.  Going to go ice it down.  It usually goes away by the next morning.

In three weeks, I'll be running at least a 30 min 5k!  : )

Day 19 complete!

Thankee-sai

Day 18

I updated my iPhone yesterday and my c25k app got deleted....

I'm using one iTunes account.  I seriously wish that Apple would figure that crap out.  I want the apps on my phone to stay there, and I want the stuff on my computer to stay there.  I don't four hundred questions about which apps to sync...especially when it is all marked DON'T SYNC.

Good thing I'm OCD about my running and have a great log here!

This was the longest straight jog that I have done in this training.  Here's the schedule:

5 minute warmup
25 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day 18:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=288830

Total distance: 2.60 miles (.2 more than last run)
Total time: 35 minutes

Current weight: 225.5
Walk pace: 16:57 /mi (23 seconds slower)
Run pace: 12:43 /mi (18 seconds slower)

This was a good 25 minute jog.  Mile 1 was a fast pace about 9:30 /mi.  Mile 1.5-2 was an average (slower) pace.  I picked it up for the last bit of the jog/walking.  Great breathing this rep, and only minor pain in my right shin.  I need to force myself to actually run more often during my jogs.  I've gotten to where I can regain my breath and slow down my heart rate while I'm running, so it's easier to stay in the jog groove.  So easy, I sometimes slow down too much, when I could still be pushing!

On to Week 7.  No more walking in the middle of runs from now on.  Bring it on!  Surely by the end of Week 8 I can have my distance up to 3.1 miles.  : )

Day 18 complete!

Day 17

My schedule has changed again.  This is Day 2 of week 6:

5 minute warmup
10 minute jog
3 minute walk
10 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day 17:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=288011

Total distance: 2.40 miles (.4 less than last run)
Total time: 33 minutes (1 minute less than last run)

Current weight: ??? (unsure; away from scale)
Walk pace: 16:34 /mi (about 1 minute slower)
Run pace: 12:25 /mi (19 seconds faster**)

This was on my last day at my friends' house after the past week of teaching drum camp.  It was relatively cool outside, but there was sadly not much of a breeze.  My pace was great for the first 10 minute jog, but just okay for the second one.  I want that to get better.  Pretty much the same distance as last time, considering that I ran for 1 minute less.  I have a slight ache in my right knee, but it goes away as soon as I start walking instead of jogging.  I am not slowing down because I get winded, but because my legs get tired.  I probably just need to keep building muscle mass to improve on that. 

Monday is my longest straight running day, so hopefully I can keep a great pace and improve on my performance from Day 15!!!  I may run tomorrow if I get in the mood.  : )

Day 17 complete!

Day 16

There's a new running schedule for this, the first day of Week 6:

5 minute warmup
5 minute jog
3 minute walk
8 minute jog
3 minute walk
5 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

I am in disbelief that I have continued to run for 6 weeks!  I am very proud of my progress, and I can't wait to continue to improve.

Map of Day  16:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=287235

Total distance: 2.44 miles
Total time: 34 minutes

Current weight: ??? (still unsure and away from scale)
Walk pace: 15:44 /mi (fastest this has ever been!!!)
Run pace: 12:44 /mi (31 seconds faster)

It's a LOT more hilly in Belton than in Melissa.  This much more of a city run than what I am used to as well.  I also think that I saw a drug deal go down on my run today.  A man rolled up next to a house, leaned across the front seat and motioned for someone to come to him.  About 30 seconds later, a small child (approx. 7-8 yo) runs to his car, glances both directions, leans into the car, talks to the man for a second, opens the door to the car, gets in the passenger seat, and the man starts to creep forward.  All the while the man and boy are talking and I see some upper arm movement from the man.  He advances two houses down the block, stops in the middle of the road, the boy hops out and glances both ways before running back to his porch.  The man then does a 5 point turn-around in the middle of the road and comes back down the neighborhood road, seemingly to avoid going onto the major road less than 20 yards from where he is.  EXCITING!

This is the longest distance that I have actually traveled in a workout!  I am not including the 5K since that took me an extra 15 longer than my real workout.  My right shin hurt a little bit today (the day after the run,) but overall I feel good/tired.

Day 16 complete!

Day 15

I had some computer problems, and I am using my friend's laptop to write this post.  I'm down in Belton, TX, for a drum camp.  This run was my first 20 minute straight run, and I did it at home in Melissa.

Map of Day  15:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=287229

Total distance: 2.15 miles
Total time: 30.5 minutes

Current weight: ??? (Didn't check that day, and I don't have a scale now)
Walk pace: ??? (app error)
Run pace: ??? (app error)

I made it through this run without stopping, which was my goal.  I did add in some running, but only a little.  I was just glad I finished without skipping anything!  My app recording all of my running and walking under the "Walk Pace," so that got screwed up and everything was averaged.  I need to start pushing myself to jog a little faster.  My walk pace is gradually getting faster, but I think that I can start jogging faster for more immediate gains.  The distance I jogged today was the same as what I walked/ran at the Komen Race for the Cure 5K (minus the additional 12 minutes of walking at the end!)

I am VERY pleased with my progress.  : )

Day 15 complete!

Day 14

There's a new running schedule for this, the second day of Week 5:

5 minute warmup
8 minute jog
5 minute walk
8 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day  14:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=285668

Total distance: 2.10 miles
Total time: 31 minutes

Current weight: 225.0 lbs (5 days in a row with weight loss!)
Walk pace: 16:15 /mi (2 seconds slower)
Run pace: 13:15 /mi (2 minutes slower)

I did the jogging portions all very slowly (compared to the last week's worth of runs).  I really wanted to make sure that I would be able to make it through 8 minutes of running, without wimping out and stopping early.  I totally succeded.  I was not winded at all and I will definitely take things at a faster pace next time.  I am planning on interspersing actual running with my jogging for Sunday.  Sunday I move on to a 20 minute jog with 5 minute warmup/cooldown.

Next week, I get to see how my running skills hold up down in Belton, TX!  I'll be down there to work at my buddie's drumline camp.  It's going to be pretty awesome.  : )  It's okay, I really do enjoy working during my summer!

Day 14 complete!

Day 13

There's a new running schedule for Week 5:

5 minute warmup
5 minute jog
3 minute walk
5 minute jog
3 minute walk
5 minute jog
5 minute cooldown

Map of Day  13:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=285042

Total distance: 2.33 miles
Total time: 31 minutes

Current weight: 225.5 lbs (4 days in a row with weight loss!)
Walk pace: 16:13 /mi (40 seconds faster)
Run pace: 11:05 /mi (58 seconds faster)

For 6:45 AM it was pretty hot outside.  I was happy with my first two jogging sections, but the last one was mostly up hill and I was really unsuccessful at maintaining a good pace.  I was at about 10:00 /mi for the first two (awesome!) but the last chunk brought my pace WAY down.  : (

On Friday, I jog for 8 minutes, walk for 5, then jog 8.  On Sunday, I jog for 20 without walking.

Day 13 complete!