finish the couch-to-5k program

I’m very proud to say I ran my first 5km race at Mooloolaba today. The course had 4(!!) hills and by the last one I was thinking it might be time for a chuck. When I got on to the home straight I gave it everything to finish strong, only to realise the finish was about 25 meters further than I thought. I managed to keep the pace up for the extra distance and I surprised myself with what I was capable of. I haven’t got my official time yet but I think I did it in under 23 minutes. Whatever the outcome, it was better than my goal of under 25 minutes… very happy :)

I bet I’m going to be sore tomorrow!

I’ve decided to enter a 5Km race on Friday 27th March. I’ve been running 5km (without walking) for about 2 weeks and my best time so far is 25 minutes. The race has more hills than I am used to so I’d be happy to make 25min in the race.
I think the key is to take it easy at the start until my body settles into a rhythm. Then its easier to up the pace a bit if its feeling comfortable. Too fast out of the gate and you need to slow right down for a bit to get your wind back.
Very exciting to be entering my first race in over 10 years!!

I’ve been working on this consistently since Christmas 2008. I have quit smoking (a stupid habit I picked up while living in the mountains) and I’m starting to feel fit again.
I’m up to the 6th week of the program. I stayed at a couple of the levels for a couple of weeks at different stages because I have injured myself by rushing up the levels in the past.

Also, just read “Its not about the Bike” by Lance Armstrong and I am totally inspired… it was so good I ripped through it in a couple of days! So, if you haven’t read it already, check it out!!

Since moving up the mountain I have not only stopped training but also taken up smoking. I am ashamed of myself but I really came to enjoy that nicotine hit. However, chronic lung disease and cancer are not a part of my vision for my future. I want to be a hopping blues man, touring the world and having a ball into my eighties and beyond. Can’t do that with emphysema, chronic bronchitis and heart disease.
So now the last cigarette has been had and I am turning a new leaf… again.

my training has fallen by the wayside. Time to give up the recent bad habits and get back into a healthy routine.

training stopped for a week due to a head cold. getting back into it today.

I’ve done 25 minutes without a break, 3 or 4 runs in a row. It feels really good and I find myself letting the reins out a bit which I should probably watch… don’t want an injury. The ham-strings a still a bit tight and I still have to focus on extra stretching for them.
I was getting a bit tired last week from all the training so I’m going a bit easy this week… just running and a bit of light swimming.
Training has become a routine part of my lifestyle now and I love it. I’m amazed at how quickly I’m improving in both the running and the swimming.

Last week I did my first 20minutes continuous run… should have been about 2 miles!
Swimming is also improving very fast. Today did 6X100m… felt a lot stronger and could last longer at 6 strokes per breath before changing gears to 4 strokes per breath.

Couple more weeks and I’ll be doing 5km continuous running 3 times a week!! Please God, no more injuries or illnesses!!

I am still sitting at around half-way through the running program. I have added other training to week. So in addition to the running 3 times a week, I swim 2-3 times a week and surf 2-3 times a week. I also try to get in a weights session 2-3 times a week.
I am feeling healthier than I have in over 10 years! I’m losing a bit of body fat I think but my overall weight is going up a little (muscle I hope). My cardiac health is improved too. My BP is about 127/70 with a resting HR of 62, compared with about 130/80 and a HR of 75-80 before I started training.
The main thing holding me back with the running program is concern over my left hamstring. It feels tight and a little sore sometimes so I’m reluctant to increase its workload at the moment. I’ve increased the frequency of stretching and added some new stretches to my repertoire and it seems to be improving.

2 of my sisters and myself are training to do the 5Km running leg of the Mooloolaba triathlon in about 2 months from now.

My training was a little upset by Christmas, a short-lived head-cold and some seriously bad weather.
I am now back to about Week 2 or 3 of the C-2-5K program.

Well, no-one said it would be easy.