I graduated today!!
Today I did my final run for the C25K workout. Now I can run jog for 30 minutes straight without stopping. This is something I’m not sure I’ve ever been able to do? I’m pretty sure I never thought there was a good reason to be running for this long, which means I probably never attempted it.
C25K is a 9 week training program, but I probably took 15 weeks to finish due to my laziness, the weather, and my travel schedule. I am SO HAPPY to be done though! I sort of never thought I would make it but I did. I remember that time I thought I couldn’t run for 18 minutes, or 20 minutes. Now I can do 30!
I am still somewhat of a bad runner. I mean, I am jogging pretty slowly, averaging between 13 and 14 minute miles on my good days. I am not stretching before and after my runs, and I have ankle injuries I am nursing. Today’s run was a bit painful. Even though I didn’t run for 2-3 days, no sooner than I started to jog, my legs just felt achy all over. I don’t know if it was the weather or my lack of stretching but….it felt like my femurs were trying to quit on me.
I am mulling over the idea of racing. Well, running a race. A friend from my Haiti trip posted some info about a 5K coming up which supports her grad program and medical research. It’s really informal (it’s a walk/run), and she said the goody bag is really good so I should try it out. I am a little afraid though. I almost don’t want to go by myself but I also don’t want to tell my friends to come. I need to stop caring what other people think and just do what’s best for my health. Either way, I have a few more days to think it over.
Now that I finished the program, I need to focus on getting a better time and staying active. I honestly feel like my running time is not going to get better until I lose more weight. The pain in my legs made it seem like my body is saying, “Look. We can’t be carrying all this weight around when we’re running. Lose some poundage, then we’ll talk.” Sigh. My eating habits are a MESS right now (due to stress), so I don’t feel confident in being able to change this as I did before. I am going to pray about it though. I really need to see some improvement in my diet so I can make a solid attack on my unhealthy lifestyle.
Besides the 5K race I may or may not run, I was thinking of moving on to the Bridge to 10K app, which is a program designed by the folks who did the C25K app. It’s only 6 weeks long, and looks doable. I guess I just can’t figure out should I work on speed for my 5K or continue to work on longer running endurance. I’m not even sure what is best right now considering my injuries.
On my next run I am going to go back to one of the old C25K workouts and run intervals, but just run them faster. I mean the smaller intervals, like run hard for 30 seconds, then walk 90 seconds. I think the C25K app is great for helping time intervals for you.
Actually, I might do both: faster intervals and the 10K training program, then see how it goes. Glad I wrote this out so I could think it through :)
Happy running!
Doubtful Running
So remember that post I wrote about my fear of running for 20 minutes straight? Um yeah. I TOTALLY RAN FOR 20 MINUTES STRAIGHT TODAY!!!!
It took me a few more days to get the courage to run this workout, but since I am going to Haiti in a few days, today was now or never because I am not running while in Haiti.
I really didn’t want to run. I’ve had excuse after excuse. The other day I tried to run and I let my ADD get the best of me and made some hot chocolate instead. Five minutes into my hot chocolate I remembered I was on my way to run. Oops. It was dusk by then, so yet another day had eluded me.
Today marks a very important day for me and I really needed to clear my head. I haven’t published a post I wrote weeks ago about how I pray/talk to God when I am running (some day I will post it), but today I felt I needed to get a praying run in ASAP.
The weather was cold as usual, but mid-30s temps seem like child’s play. Oh, it’s 34 degrees? I got this.
You don’t know how much I had to argue with myself during this run. It was so ridiculous that by minute 2, I was already telling myself I wouldn’t be able to run for 4 minutes, knowing good and well I’ve run 8 minute intervals before. I spent the first five minutes of the run allowing several negative thoughts to creep into my mind:
“You seriously can’t run for 20 minutes. It’s impossible for you to do it.”
“Well, you can probably do 9 minutes, but definitely not 20.”
“This workout is rigged. You are not ready for a 20 minute run.”
“Seriously? You’re gonna die at 12 minutes, tops.”
And on and on and on. I kept trying to shoot down the negative thoughts but they felt like they were going to consume me. It didn’t help that my breathing was not in sync with the rest of my body. I tried to focus on my music, and my prayer agenda, but the thoughts kept butting in.
At some point in the run, I started to feel confident. Even though I haven’t run in a few days, and even before then I hadn’t run in over a week, I was handling this running thing. The scenery on my course was familiar and consoling, and there were a few people out running as well. Eventually, I found my rhythm. I was able to focus on something else other than my looming failure.
At about the 9 minute mark I started to panic a little because I knew I was going to have to turn around soon. I considered running a further distance and walking back, thinking that if I turned around this would somehow discourage me from completing the run. I don’t know why I was overanalyzing my run, but I was. I ended up turning around at the halfway point. This was a good thing, as it was helpful for me to visually measure how much further I had to go.
The last third of the run I was able to let go and just pray and sing along to my music. I was no longer in defeatist mode, as I’d conquered the halfway point and figured there was no failing now.
Finally, I finished. My thighs hurt a bit. I was out of breath. But I did it. I even blurted out loud, “I did it!”
It felt pretty great. It felt easier than I thought it would feel.
I really need to get these negative thoughts and doubts out of my system. It’s never as bad as I think it will be.
P.S. I was happy to discover my C25K iPhone app has been updated! The interface is looking nicer now. I’m not entirely sure there any new features, but I appreciate improvements.
C25K Workout #9: Week 3 Day 3
Wow. So it’s been 7 whole days since I last ran. HOW did that happen?
I wanted to run yesterday, because I knew I’d be eating up everything in sight for the holiday, but it didn’t quite work out that way.
This morning I woke up and had this internal fight with myself:
Self: I need to run today.
Self #2: Yeah you should.
Self: But I don’t feel like it.
Self #2: Nope, you don’t.
Self: Maybe tomorrow?
Self #2: True.
Self: Wait a minute. This don’t sound right though.
Self #2: Hmm?
Self: Yeah. I have health goals and I don’t wanna wreck them now.
Self #2: Yeah you right.
Self: You stay agreeing with me.
Self #2: *silence*
Self: This is just like that whole bible concept of your flesh being the opposite of your spirit.
Self #2: Word? Ummm…are we really bout to have a bible lesson right now?
Self: I’m just sayin. I should probably try to do the opposite of what I FEEL like doing. My flesh is running the show too much.
Self #2: Yeah, you right. Let’s go.
Self: Let’s go.
And so, I put on my workout clothes and went out into today’s 51 degree weather, and ran. I hate the cold. I hate exercise. But I did it. Twice.
I decided to run the workout twice because I have been out of exercise for 7 days and because I am at the end of a C25K workout week (i.e. next workout will be harder, so I need to make sure I can handle this one).
The run went okay. I thought I was getting shin splints while running, but it seems like it was more like the tibialis anterior muscle in my right leg getting an extra workout or something. My running form was good. Strides were pretty small or medium. In some places I felt a burst of energy, and lengthened my stride. Other than that, I focused on running LSD (which brings back memories from one of my most annoying track coaches when I was younger).
I feel much better after having run. It feels good to feel in tune with your body for some reason, even if it’s not where you want it to be at the moment.
First workout: listened to my Nicki Minaj playlist. Second workout: listened to my Jesus Is My Running Homeboy playlist.
