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Main
Date: 18 Nov 2006 12:13:36
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Couch to 5K finished
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Eighteen weeks and four days ago, on July 11th. I started the couch to
5K program; I began with the second week because I had been running
essentially what the first week called for the previous two weeks.
Today I finished the program. What else is there to say?
Well, actually, there's a bit more to say. Finishing seems almost
anti-climatical. During the previous week or two, my confidence had
built up that, although there were some instances of doubt, I was sure
that I would be able to finish the program without any further problems.
If I had to pick a highlight of the program, I'd say that running 20
minutes without walking on the last day of week five was it. That's the
first time I was able to run any appreciable distance or time without
having to stop to walk. And that accomplishment feels greater/better
than the thirty minutes I did each day this past week.
It's also a bit of a let down; I achieved a goal, but now I have to set
a new goal--and I'm really not a goal oriented person. A very short
term goal is to complete the Iron Girl 5K in two weeks. After that, I
don't know. I do have some very long-term tentative goals, namely to
run a half marathon in December 2007 and a full marathon in December
2008. But for the interim, I'll probably just keep gradually increasing
the length of my runs. I had planned to go for 33 minutes the next two
weeks, but I think that I'll cut that back to 31 next week (but when I
reach 31, if I feel like it, I'll continue a bit further, but no more
than 33 minutes).
After the 5K on Dec 2nd, I have no idea whatsoever right now. I looked
at the 5K training plan at coolrunning.com and I'm not ready yet even
for the beginner's program.
So I guess that I'll just continue running and gradually increase the
lengths of my runs--and maybe step up to four and then five days a week
from the current three days.
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 16:27:08
From: tfactor
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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Beginning runner wrote:
> That's one thing that I haven't been able to understand yet; why it's
> not necessary to train at the race distance to be able to finish a race.
> "Common sense" tells me that if I want to race 10K, I should train at
> 10K or longer. Obviously, "common sense" is wrong in this regard.
I didn't sign up for my first 5K until I'd run three times that
distance in training! But that's just me; I'm not recommending you do
the same, although I find it a bit of a psychological boost when I'm
racing to know that I've run much greater distance, albeit much slower,
in training. And speaking of slower in training, in my first 5K I aimed
for a time of X, which was about what I was doing in training. I
finished 6 minutes faster than X. So the racing atmosphere can inspire
you to do much better than you expect or thought possible. I'm not sure
I could run a single mile, on my own, at the pace I maintain for 3+
miles in a 5K race.
Congratulations on finishing your program. I've enjoyed following your
progress here. I hope you continue to find running both challenging and
satisfying and that you'll keep us posted.
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Date: 19 Nov 2006 11:38:03
From: Doug Freese
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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"tfactor" <timefactor.public@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1163896028.406537.165400@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Beginning runner wrote:
>
>> That's one thing that I haven't been able to understand yet; why it's
>> not necessary to train at the race distance to be able to finish a
>> race.
>> "Common sense" tells me that if I want to race 10K, I should train at
>> 10K or longer. Obviously, "common sense" is wrong in this regard.
Your common sense is not wrong but you can get by on less if your goal
is just to finish the race. Doing long runs of 6-10 will make your 10k
race feel easier and of course give you mental confidence. In addition
just running longer will help you race faster since you are getting
stronger which helps you hold pace better. Exceeding the distance is in
general the norm until you get to the marathon.
> I didn't sign up for my first 5K until I'd run three times that
> distance in training!
Sounds like you want to do more than just finish and you have a bit of
"red-liner" in your soul. Maybe the "t" in tfactor is time? :) This will
work for a 5k because the numbers are small. Are you going to train 18
miles to run a 10k or almost 40 miles for a 1/2? Hopefully you see the
ratio gets out of hand rather fast.
-Doug
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 23:59:46
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <1163896028.406537.165400@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com >,
"tfactor" <timefactor.public@gmail.com > wrote:
> Congratulations on finishing your program. I've enjoyed following
> your progress here.
Thanks.
> I hope you continue to find running both challenging and satisfying
> and that you'll keep us posted.
I hope that I do too, and I fully intend to keep you all
posted--probably in the weekly updates and and race results.
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 14:20:47
From: ange
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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All I can say is well done.
You have achieved an amazing goal. Just getting up and active is a
great thing.
When I started running I only had one goal - to run in a major fun run
in sydney called the city to surf (this year they had 65000 people
enter - I came in the top 20000). My new goal is simpler, to complete
this race with my mum who has just had her hip replaced and my two
kids, even if I have to walk it.
One other goal that came to me at the start of this race was that I
wanted to run a half marathon. So that is what I am training for now. I
will get there one day.
No matter what goal you set for yourself make it realistic and you can
never fail. Besides you body at this moment is just thanking you for
getting off the couch. Well done again.
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 15:46:26
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <1163888447.815764.29440@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com >,
"ange" <at524342@bigpond.net.au > wrote:
> One other goal that came to me at the start of this race was that I
> wanted to run a half marathon. So that is what I am training for now.
> I will get there one day.
Good luck with that. I expect that after you run that half, you'll want
to double it.
> No matter what goal you set for yourself make it realistic and you
> can never fail. Besides you body at this moment is just thanking you
> for getting off the couch. Well done again.
Problem is that I'm not sure what is realistic and what isn't. I don't
want to set the bar too high, but I don't want to set it too low either.
Two of my .sigs that I use in email are
"If you never achieve your goals, you've set the bar too high; if you
always achieve them, you've set the bar too low."
and
"When trying to reach a first down, don't forget that the ultimate goal
is to score a touchdown."
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 23:19:25
From: steve common
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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Beginning runner <bogus@invalid.com > wrote:
>Well, actually, there's a bit more to say. Finishing seems almost
>anti-climatical. During the previous week or two, my confidence had
>built up that, although there were some instances of doubt, I was sure
>that I would be able to finish the program without any further problems.
That is what I found when I did my first sub-3. I was so much "ahead of
schedule" in the weeks before, that actually doing it seemed almost like
"going through the motions: I didn't get the big kick out of it which I
was expecting.
>It's also a bit of a let down; I achieved a goal, but now I have to set
>a new goal--and I'm really not a goal oriented person.
Tell me about it :-))
> A very short
>term goal is to complete the Iron Girl 5K in two weeks.
Seriously now. I know that had been a goal you've fixed for some time and
it is not usually good to mess with goals BUT don't you think you can now
"up the ante" a little. ie no longer accept "complete the race" as a
proper goal, but use your "finish in less than" instead?
I don't want to mess up your winning streak, just maybe give you something
a bit nearer to your real possibilities, yet just hard enough to make
success a touch less than a certainty.
>After that, I
>don't know. I do have some very long-term tentative goals, namely to
>run a half marathon in December 2007 and a full marathon in December
>2008.
And yet she is not a goal-oriented person :oP
>After the 5K on Dec 2nd, I have no idea whatsoever right now. I looked
>at the 5K training plan at coolrunning.com and I'm not ready yet even
>for the beginner's program.
Just keep doin' what you've been doin' Seems to me that you've got all
the makings of a /bona fide/ fully paid-up endurance athlete (self-doubt,
less than orgasmic appreciation of goals achieved, harder goals ahead etc
etc :-)
If it's any use to you whatever to know this, your posts here directly
inspired me to go out and set a proper goal for myself for next year,
instead of just whining about how hard my cushy life is.
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 15:37:27
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <2t0vl2tc70h3fqv011d9lhds11npnv6lfr@4ax.com >,
steve common <steven.common@wanadoo.fr > wrote:
> > A very short term goal is to complete the Iron Girl 5K in two
> > weeks.
>
> Seriously now. I know that had been a goal you've fixed for some time
> and it is not usually good to mess with goals BUT don't you think you
> can now "up the ante" a little. ie no longer accept "complete the
> race" as a proper goal, but use your "finish in less than" instead?
Well, actually, yes. I keep saying "complete the race" because I do not
want to set up myself for failure by grasping further than I can reach.
I'm fairly confident that I'll finish it in less than 40 minutes, and
might even break 37 minutes, but since this will be my first 5K, I'm
trying for a modest worst-case goal. The reason I'm saying 40 and 37
minutes is that they are approximately 13 and 12 minute miles.
> I don't want to mess up your winning streak, just maybe give you
> something a bit nearer to your real possibilities, yet just hard
> enough to make success a touch less than a certainty.
Understood and appreciated.
> >After that, I don't know. I do have some very long-term tentative
> >goals, namely to run a half marathon in December 2007 and a full
> >marathon in December 2008.
>
> And yet she is not a goal-oriented person :oP
Well, it looks as if that's in the process of changing, doesn't it?
Seriously, if I set goals as being tentative, I can change them as
circumstances dictate. I guess that "not being goal oriented" is more
along the lines of life goals--"what do I want out of life?" type stuff.
One thing about the couch to 5K program is that it forced me to set
goals, but allowed me to modify them on the fly as necessary. Before a
friend told me about the program, it was an amorphous "I want to be able
to run" thing, without having much, if any, direction.
> Just keep doin' what you've been doin' Seems to me that you've got
> all the makings of a /bona fide/ fully paid-up endurance athlete
> (self-doubt, less than orgasmic appreciation of goals achieved,
> harder goals ahead etc etc :-)
*chuckle*
> If it's any use to you whatever to know this, your posts here
> directly inspired me to go out and set a proper goal for myself for
> next year, instead of just whining about how hard my cushy life is.
You're kidding? I actually inspired someone to do something?
So what, pray tell, is that proper goal?
-- Michelle
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Date: 20 Nov 2006 22:20:34
From: steve common
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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Beginning runner <bogus@invalid.com > wrote:
>So what, pray tell, is that proper goal?
Run a marathon at 15km/h = 2:48 (my best so far is 2:55).
It's a bit of a tall order, but I need a kick in the pants :-)
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Date: 20 Nov 2006 15:17:29
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <qq64m2tb4mf0ptukhm6qec1gl7ltn7kea1@4ax.com >,
steve common <steven.common@wanadoo.fr > wrote:
> >So what, pray tell, is that proper goal?
>
> Run a marathon at 15km/h = 2:48 (my best so far is 2:55).
Good luck on that.
> It's a bit of a tall order, but I need a kick in the pants :-)
And I gave you that kick in the pants? Does that mean that I have to
turn in my submissives card?
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Date: 21 Nov 2006 02:25:23
From: steve common
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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Beginning runner <bogus@invalid.com > wrote:
>And I gave you that kick in the pants?
You and Sofa spud's wife. Yes. Cos You set a (in my opinion) hard goal and
went out and did it, whilst I was whining about pseudo-goals.
> Does that mean that I have to turn in my submissives card?
Teehee :-)
No! I'm the submissive one round here :-D
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Date: 20 Nov 2006 19:04:21
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <60l4m25i1hbrq3n5mnjo6g1mttb6luvaih@4ax.com >,
steve common <steven.common@wanadoo.fr > wrote:
> You and Sofa spud's wife. Yes. Cos You set a (in my opinion) hard
> goal and went out and did it, whilst I was whining about
> pseudo-goals.
I'm glad that I didn't know that it was a hard goal; I probably would
have gotten discouraged and not attempted it. <g >
> > Does that mean that I have to turn in my submissives card?
>
> Teehee :-)
> No! I'm the submissive one round here :-D
if You say so, Sir.
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 20:13:28
From: Elflord
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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On 2006-11-18, Beginning runner <bogus@invalid.com > wrote:
> Eighteen weeks and four days ago, on July 11th. I started the couch to
> 5K program; I began with the second week because I had been running
> essentially what the first week called for the previous two weeks.
>
> Today I finished the program. What else is there to say?
>
> Well, actually, there's a bit more to say. Finishing seems almost
> anti-climatical. During the previous week or two, my confidence had
Congrats on finishing the program. In some sense, you "won" quite a while ago,
in terms of just settling into a routine and patiently sticking to it. Once you
get past the initial hurdle of doing that, you will inevitably stick with it,
which will lead to more progress. Basically, if you outlive the "new years
resolution" crowd, your chances of success are pretty good.
Depending on where you live, the racing calendar in Dec/Jan could be a bit
thin. I would recommend preparing to enter some races in Feb-April. If you
have some idea what the Feb race calendar looks like-- and when in doubt, last
year's schedule is a good guide as many races happen on a yearly basis at
about the same date -- I would suggest targetting something for Feb to keep
you motivated through winter.
Cheers,
--
Elflord
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 13:33:20
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <slrneluqb8.apu.abuse@panix3.panix.com >,
Elflord <abuse@aol.com > wrote:
> Congrats on finishing the program. In some sense, you "won" quite a
> while ago, in terms of just settling into a routine and patiently
> sticking to it.
Thanks. I didn't consider it a win/lose thing, though. As long as I
could keep improving, I was satisfied. I don't know what my limits are,
either in distance or pace, but if I ever reach them, I'll be content
knowing that I did my best.
> Depending on where you live, the racing calendar in Dec/Jan could be
> a bit thin.
I live in the Phoenix area. There are quite a few 5K events coming up
through March. The problem won't be to find them, but to decide which
ones to run in.
Entrance fees and other costs aside, how much time should I let go by
between races, considering that I would not be trying for best time, but
just to complete them? (But recognizing that in such an environment,
I'd probably succumb to the temptation of trying to go faster than my
training pace.)
And how long should I stick with 5K before starting to work on 10K?
-- Michelle
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 21:59:44
From: Elflord
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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On 2006-11-18, Beginning runner <bogus@invalid.com > wrote:
> Entrance fees and other costs aside, how much time should I let go by
> between races, considering that I would not be trying for best time, but
> just to complete them? (But recognizing that in such an environment,
More than twice a month is too much, but beginners can do quite well racing
frequently. So I'd recommend close to but not more than twice a month. I
would also recommend no less than once a month.
> I'd probably succumb to the temptation of trying to go faster than my
> training pace.)
>
> And how long should I stick with 5K before starting to work on 10K?
I would suggest starting to work on the 10k *now*, and aim to complete one
in March. That also gives you a fallback (April) if it doesn't go exactly
according to plan and you have to back off like you did with the 5k program.
Once you can run about 3/4 the distance in training (about 5 miles or so),
you're ready to enter the race. You should aim to complete your first one
before it gets warm, especially given your location!
Cheers,
--
Elflord
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 15:24:56
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <slrnelv0ig.li6.abuse@panix3.panix.com >,
Elflord <abuse@aol.com > wrote:
> > Entrance fees and other costs aside, how much time should I let go
> > by between races, considering that I would not be trying for best
> > time, but just to complete them? (But recognizing that in such an
> > environment,
>
> More than twice a month is too much, but beginners can do quite well
> racing frequently. So I'd recommend close to but not more than twice
> a month. I would also recommend no less than once a month.
Thanks. If I were a masochist, I could run two of them on December 2nd.
But not even I am that crazy. <g >
> > I'd probably succumb to the temptation of trying to go faster than
> > my training pace.)
> >
> > And how long should I stick with 5K before starting to work on 10K?
>
> I would suggest starting to work on the 10k *now*, and aim to
> complete one in March. That also gives you a fallback (April) if it
> doesn't go exactly according to plan and you have to back off like
> you did with the 5k program.
Thanks again. There's one on March 18th, but it's described as
"challenging" because it's in the hills. There's a 6K on March 7th;
they say that almost everyone should achieve a PR on this course.
There's an 8K near Tucson on the 25th.
There's a 4.2 mile run on April 7th.
Quite a few 5Ks, but that's about it for over 5K and not over 10K in
March and April.
> Once you can run about 3/4 the distance in training (about 5 miles or
> so), you're ready to enter the race. You should aim to complete your
> first one before it gets warm, especially given your location!
That's one thing that I haven't been able to understand yet; why it's
not necessary to train at the race distance to be able to finish a race.
"Common sense" tells me that if I want to race 10K, I should train at
10K or longer. Obviously, "common sense" is wrong in this regard.
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 22:47:31
From: Elflord
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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On 2006-11-18, Beginning runner <bogus@invalid.com > wrote:
> Thanks again. There's one on March 18th, but it's described as
> "challenging" because it's in the hills. There's a 6K on March 7th;
> they say that almost everyone should achieve a PR on this course.
Yes, because they don't run 6k on any other courses (-; I'm not sure if
that's what they meant but it's certainly possible ...
> There's an 8K near Tucson on the 25th.
Would recommend this, and the 6k as a tune-up for it.
> That's one thing that I haven't been able to understand yet; why it's
> not necessary to train at the race distance to be able to finish a race.
Because you're prepared to put more effort into a race than a training run. It
is *psychologically* easier to make a greater *physical* effort in a race, so
even if you don't deliberately go all-out, even when you do it "just as a training
run", a race is almost always a harder effort (in terms of physiological parameters)
> "Common sense" tells me that if I want to race 10K, I should train at
> 10K or longer. Obviously, "common sense" is wrong in this regard.
As above. There is some advantage to doing over-distance runs if you are aiming
to run fast times, but not necessary to finish the race.
Cheers,
--
Elflord
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 16:25:05
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <slrnelv3c4.53u.abuse@panix3.panix.com >,
Elflord <abuse@aol.com > wrote:
> > Thanks again. There's one on March 18th, but it's described as
> > "challenging" because it's in the hills. There's a 6K on March
> > 7th; they say that almost everyone should achieve a PR on this
> > course.
>
> Yes, because they don't run 6k on any other courses (-; I'm not sure
> if that's what they meant but it's certainly possible ...
For some reason, I don't think that's what they meant.
> > There's an 8K near Tucson on the 25th.
>
> Would recommend this, and the 6k as a tune-up for it.
I'll give both of them serious consideration. 8K is essentially 5
miles, so that's a good intermediate distance between 5K and 10K.
> > That's one thing that I haven't been able to understand yet; why
> > it's not necessary to train at the race distance to be able to
> > finish a race.
>
> Because you're prepared to put more effort into a race than a
> training run. It is *psychologically* easier to make a greater
> *physical* effort in a race, so even if you don't deliberately go
> all-out, even when you do it "just as a training run", a race is
> almost always a harder effort (in terms of physiological parameters)
That makes sense. And it sorta resembles what my attitude is during my
30-minute runs now. I find the first ten minutes the hardest; it takes
that long to get in the groove, but when I reach ten minutes, I'm
thinking that I'm 1/3 done; I have only 20 minutes to go, and I've done
20 minutes before. And when the iPod lady counts off each five minutes,
it's "Only so many minutes to go; I've done that before."
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 11:21:37
From: Twittering One
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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Congratulations.
A major paradigm shift accomplished.
More to come, I hope?
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Date: 18 Nov 2006 12:28:52
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <1163877697.274769.60610@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com >,
"Twittering One" <mournenwould@aol.com > wrote:
> Congratulations.
> A major paradigm shift accomplished.
Thanks.
> More to come, I hope?
Yes, more to come. I ain't about to quit now. <g >
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Date: 19 Nov 2006 09:22:04
From: Dot
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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Beginning runner wrote:
> Eighteen weeks and four days ago, on July 11th. I started the couch to
> 5K program; I began with the second week because I had been running
> essentially what the first week called for the previous two weeks.
>
> Today I finished the program.
Congratulations!
>What else is there to say?
>
> Well, actually, there's a bit more to say. Finishing seems almost
> anti-climatical. During the previous week or two, my confidence had
> built up that, although there were some instances of doubt, I was sure
> that I would be able to finish the program without any further problems.
This is always a good sign.
...
>
> It's also a bit of a let down; I achieved a goal, but now I have to set
> a new goal--and I'm really not a goal oriented person.
As you mention later, just keep building. Goals can be races or
distances or runs through the woods or just having fun. Do more races if
you want (saw your other posts).
Dot
--
"Dream big and dare to fail." --- Norman Vaughan
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Date: 19 Nov 2006 07:08:38
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
|
In article <0nV7h.77801$Fi1.58067@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net >,
Dot <dot.h@#duh?att.net > wrote:
> > Today I finished the program.
>
> Congratulations!
Thanks.
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Date: 19 Nov 2006 18:31:48
From: shinypenny
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
|
Beginning runner wrote:
> Well, actually, yes. I keep saying "complete the race" because I do not
> want to set up myself for failure by grasping further than I can reach.
> I'm fairly confident that I'll finish it in less than 40 minutes, and
> might even break 37 minutes, but since this will be my first 5K, I'm
> trying for a modest worst-case goal. The reason I'm saying 40 and 37
> minutes is that they are approximately 13 and 12 minute miles.
I am mostly a lurker here, but have been following your posts and your
progress with interest, since I've been trying to get back into a
regular running routine after several years off due to injuries, back
problems, wallowing in my pain, and taking up smoking because I felt
sorry for myself. After quitting smoking, I started 4 months ago with a
walking program.. one hour 6x a week. As the weather has gotten colder,
I have been adding in some jogging, because I know that I'm a wimp and
when it hits freezing I won't want to be out for longer than 30
minutes. :-)
But I have not been as good as you are at following a specific program,
though I probably should, especially because my primary goal is to
remain injury free. Most days I walk; some days I feel like jogging so
I do. It just depends on my mood and the song playing on my ipod.
A few weeks back, I entered a 5K that is held right in my neighborhood.
I intended to walk most of it, but felt good, so I just kept jogging
and ended up jogging the whole 3.1 miles, surprising myself. My time
was 37:59. I've never been fast to begin with, but my best time ever in
a 5K was closer to 23 minutes (10 years ago; I'm 41).... so I still
have a long way to go... and reality is that I may never have another
PR again since I'm older. Which is fine. I'm just happy to be able to
run again... at *any* level.
I also have a Nike+ kit, which I finally got around to calibrating on
the track yesterday. Much to my chagrin, it now reads "real" pace and
mileage, sigh. ;-)
Anyway, I have been relating to your posts, and just wanted to
congratulate you on finishing the couch to 5K! If you are interested,
perhaps after your 5K goal is past, and I've caught up with where you
are, we could set up a Nike challenge between the two of us?
jen
P.s. I suspect you will do much better than 37 minutes. It's amazing
how much faster you find yourself running when it's a race.
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Date: 19 Nov 2006 21:28:48
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <1163989908.583951.67970@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com >,
"shinypenny" <shinypenny0001@yahoo.com > wrote:
> Anyway, I have been relating to your posts, and just wanted to
> congratulate you on finishing the couch to 5K! If you are interested,
> perhaps after your 5K goal is past, and I've caught up with where you
> are, we could set up a Nike challenge between the two of us?
>
> jen
Sure, we could do that.
> P.s. I suspect you will do much better than 37 minutes. It's amazing
> how much faster you find yourself running when it's a race.
I'm trying to keep from setting myself up for failure, but I understand
what you mean. Back when I was fitness walking last year, my best 5K
time while training was about 45 to 46 minutes, but when I participated
in an event, I did it in 41'50".
The way I look at it, if your expectations are pessimistic, things are
bound to turn out better than you expect, but if they're optimistic,
things will turn out worse than you expect.
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Date: 20 Nov 2006 18:17:03
From: Robert Grumbine
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <bogus-35F21A.12133618112006@news.west.cox.net >,
Beginning runner <bogus@invalid.com > wrote:
>Eighteen weeks and four days ago, on July 11th. I started the couch to
>5K program; I began with the second week because I had been running
>essentially what the first week called for the previous two weeks.
>
>Today I finished the program. What else is there to say?
>
>Well, actually, there's a bit more to say.
:-) After reaching a finish line, we start thinking about more
finish lines, reaching them faster, etc.
Bask a bit in your success. Enjoy.
>It's also a bit of a let down; I achieved a goal, but now I have to set
>a new goal--and I'm really not a goal oriented person. A very short
>term goal is to complete the Iron Girl 5K in two weeks. After that, I
>don't know. I do have some very long-term tentative goals, namely to
>run a half marathon in December 2007 and a full marathon in December
>2008. But for the interim, I'll probably just keep gradually increasing
>the length of my runs. I had planned to go for 33 minutes the next two
>weeks, but I think that I'll cut that back to 31 next week (but when I
>reach 31, if I feel like it, I'll continue a bit further, but no more
>than 33 minutes).
One thing strongly recommended in a number of sources is to have
multiple goals simultaneously. For this immediate 5k, for instance,
you might have
conservative: finish race in reasonable comfort
moderate: finish at 12:00 pace
agressive/optimistic: finish at 11:00 pace
Also a good idea is to have goals through time. Something like
December '06: run a 5 k
March '07: run 8 k
June: run 10 k
September: _race_ 10 k (or, run 10 miles)
December: run half marathon (21.1 k)
where, for all these, the runs are your graduation exercises at a race
after another 3 months of training aimed at the distances involved.
These goals are progressive. If you can't run a 10k pretty hard
(whatever is pretty hard for you) then doing a half marathon is
going to be pretty nasty. Every time you knock one down, you're
clearly closer to the longer term goal. And, each one is a
significant thing in its own right.
For your question elsethread about how often to race ... temperment
and purpose matter. One rule of thumb, though, is that you need to
take it easy for 1 day per mile raced. When you race a half marathon,
then, you're looking at 2 weeks downtime. Even a 10k means a week.
If your purpose in running is mostly health, this downtime from your
regular running isn't helping you, so you'll want to race less often,
rather than more. ('downtime' doesn't mean no running at all, but
it does mean backing off intensity and mileage.)
5k you could race quite often, relatively speaking. And the running
community is usually a nice crowd of folks, so there's some good to
getting out to the races routinely to be with them. But you can also
join a running club and see people even more often (and less expensively).
>So I guess that I'll just continue running and gradually increase the
>lengths of my runs--and maybe step up to four and then five days a week
>from the current three days.
Good plan.
On your question elsethread about changing your nickname here:
whatever you like. I've had people come out to my beginning runner
program who had been running for several years and raced distances
from 5k to marathon. They felt they were still beginners.
You could always go with 'irongirl5k' after you finish the race.
--
Robert Grumbine http://www.radix.net/~bobg/ Science faqs and amateur activities notes and links.
Sagredo (Galileo Galilei) "You present these recondite matters with too much
evidence and ease; this great facility makes them less appreciated than they
would be had they been presented in a more abstruse manner." Two New Sciences
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Date: 20 Nov 2006 11:41:32
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <12m3s8vhncokv79@corp.supernews.com >,
bobg@radix.net (Robert Grumbine) wrote:
> :-) After reaching a finish line, we start thinking about more
> finish lines, reaching them faster, etc.
I've noticed that already. <g >
> Bask a bit in your success. Enjoy.
Thanks.
> One thing strongly recommended in a number of sources is to have
> multiple goals simultaneously. For this immediate 5k, for instance,
> you might have
> conservative: finish race in reasonable comfort
> moderate: finish at 12:00 pace
> agressive/optimistic: finish at 11:00 pace
That's what I've done, but the times I've set are 13:00 and 12:00. But
if my iPod is accurate, the times you suggested are more realistic.
> Also a good idea is to have goals through time. Something like
Again, that's what I've done, but I've made them a bit more tentative
than that. One thing that the C to 5K program taught me is that I do
need to have goals, even if they're on a day to day basis. Before I
started the program, I was trying on my own, not knowing how much I
should try for each day, let alone each week.
> These goals are progressive. If you can't run a 10k pretty hard
> (whatever is pretty hard for you) then doing a half marathon is going
> to be pretty nasty. Every time you knock one down, you're clearly
> closer to the longer term goal. And, each one is a significant thing
> in its own right.
Again, that's--at least, to me--obvious.
> For your question elsethread about how often to race ... temperment
> and purpose matter. One rule of thumb, though, is that you need to
> take it easy for 1 day per mile raced.
I'm not sure when I'll be ready to race; just because I enter a race
doesn't mean that I'll be racing. That's the reason I've been telling
people that I'll be running in this upcoming race, rather than telling
them that I'll be racing in it.
Thanks for the advice regarding downtime.
As for your suggestion about running clubs; all the ones I've looked
into around here consider 5 miles or 10K to be a short run, and rarely
schedule anything shorter than that. When I'm able to run 10K, I'll
consider joining one.
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Date: 22 Nov 2006 15:36:28
From: Robert Grumbine
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <bogus-B553CD.11413220112006@news.west.cox.net >,
Beginning runner <bogus@invalid.com > wrote:
>In article <12m3s8vhncokv79@corp.supernews.com>,
> bobg@radix.net (Robert Grumbine) wrote:
[snip]
>> One thing strongly recommended in a number of sources is to have
>> multiple goals simultaneously. For this immediate 5k, for instance,
>> you might have
>> conservative: finish race in reasonable comfort
>> moderate: finish at 12:00 pace
>> agressive/optimistic: finish at 11:00 pace
>
>That's what I've done, but the times I've set are 13:00 and 12:00. But
>if my iPod is accurate, the times you suggested are more realistic.
So 4 goals then. :-)
I've gone in with up to 5 myself (new distances, uncertain of
just how good my training was for the race, questions about the
course, ...)
The things (snipped) that you're finding obvious ... well, a
lot of folks are surprised by them.
>As for your suggestion about running clubs; all the ones I've looked
>into around here consider 5 miles or 10K to be a short run, and rarely
>schedule anything shorter than that. When I'm able to run 10K, I'll
>consider joining one.
And from the followup, apparently they don't have track nights.
Shame on them! If you were in my area, you could come out with
my club, no problem. We do both track workouts and have regular
runs down to 1.4 miles.
--
Robert Grumbine http://www.radix.net/~bobg/ Science faqs and amateur activities notes and links.
Sagredo (Galileo Galilei) "You present these recondite matters with too much
evidence and ease; this great facility makes them less appreciated than they
would be had they been presented in a more abstruse manner." Two New Sciences
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Date: 22 Nov 2006 09:12:03
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <12m8rjsqbu5qn4e@corp.supernews.com >,
bobg@radix.net (Robert Grumbine) wrote:
> >> conservative: finish race in reasonable comfort
> >> moderate: finish at 12:00 pace
> >> agressive/optimistic: finish at 11:00 pace
> >
> >That's what I've done, but the times I've set are 13:00 and 12:00.
> >But if my iPod is accurate, the times you suggested are more
> >realistic.
>
> So 4 goals then. :-)
The iPod is not accurate, as I indicated in another thread, and my
revised goals, based on the Garmin's readings, are 14 and 13 paces.
> And from the followup, apparently they don't have track nights.
> Shame on them! If you were in my area, you could come out with my
> club, no problem. We do both track workouts and have regular runs
> down to 1.4 miles.
I wish I were there, for that reason. But for more pressing and
non-running reasons, I'm glad that I'm here. <g >
Thanks.
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Date: 20 Nov 2006 09:58:50
From: Ed Prochak
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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First congratulations!!
and I look forward to your first race report.
Beginning runner wrote:
> In article <l6k3m25f7eoggsojejjor82iol1rmpv6pb@4ax.com>,
> Daniel <deltaechomike@usa.net> wrote:
>
> > One worthy goal for now might be just making it through the winter
> > still being a runner.
>
> Well, living in the Phoenix area makes that not much of a challenge.
>
> The big question now, is am I still a "beginning runner"? I think that
> I may have passed that stage, but don't think I've earned the right to
> call myself an intermediate runner yet. So should I keep this handle?
> If not, what should I change it to? Please keep the suggestions family
> and office friendly, please.
I'd say keep it for now. Even when you become intermediate, you can
then be a mentor to new beginning runners in the group. If you do
change it, just pick something you like. or here's and idea: add in
your first name:
mary runner (as if your last name was runner)
judy the runner (your name and title)
And regarding the future:
Once you run this first race, you'll have a new goal time to beat. Good
thing is this first race, no matter what is a PR.
If you are thinking marathon in '08, then spring/early summer could be
good for a 10k. For reference, I likely was conservative and ran my
first 5miler a year after my first 5K. I think I could have built up
distance faster, but I just didn't.
I do agree with Doug. Longer distance is good for building speed but
only to a point. I think that point is around the half marathon (or
around 2hours for you gazzelles!). I had my lifetime PR in 5K just a
few weeks after a marathon. I know part of it was the confidence I got
from running the marathon. But I don not think I could get much faster
in marathon distance merely by longer training runs ( >26miles), though
I have not tested that.
Keep training thru the winter. Snow is easier to cope with than rain.
Lastly, when you get to the race, just enjoy yourself. Introduce
yourself and you'll find runners can be the friendliest bunch of folks
around.
Enjoy the run.
Ed
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Date: 20 Nov 2006 11:26:28
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <1164045530.088868.55260@h54g2000cwb.googlegroups.com >,
"Ed Prochak" <edprochak@gmail.com > wrote:
> First congratulations!!
> and I look forward to your first race report.
Thanks. So do I, because I will have then have had my first race behind
me. <g >
> I'd say keep it for now. Even when you become intermediate, you can
> then be a mentor to new beginning runners in the group. If you do
> change it, just pick something you like. or here's and idea: add in
> your first name:
> mary runner (as if your last name was runner)
> judy the runner (your name and title)
That sounds too pretentious to me.
> Once you run this first race, you'll have a new goal time to beat.
> Good thing is this first race, no matter what is a PR.
I know; I've been thinking of that already.
> I do agree with Doug. Longer distance is good for building speed but
> only to a point.
Understood; it seems obvious.
> Keep training thru the winter. Snow is easier to cope with than rain.
That's not much of an issue; I'm in Phoenix, remember? <g >
> Lastly, when you get to the race, just enjoy yourself. Introduce
> yourself and you'll find runners can be the friendliest bunch of
> folks around.
I know that already. I participated in some 5K events a year ago, as a
walker, and discovered that friendliness.
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Date: 20 Nov 2006 08:45:30
From: Daniel
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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On Sat, 18 Nov 2006 12:13:36 -0700, Beginning runner
<bogus@invalid.com > wrote:
>Eighteen weeks and four days ago, on July 11th. I started the couch to
>5K program . . .
Congratulations! For me the completion of the C-to-5K was something
that strengthened my "identity" as a runner. I felt that when the
self-talk really started to include "I am a runner" then there I had
more of a chance of *continuing* my running even in the face of
setbacks such as weather, illnesses -- or, now, a broken bone!
One worthy goal for now might be just making it through the winter
still being a runner.
Peace,
--
Daniel ( deltaechomike@usa.net )
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
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Date: 20 Nov 2006 10:11:53
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <l6k3m25f7eoggsojejjor82iol1rmpv6pb@4ax.com >,
Daniel <deltaechomike@usa.net > wrote:
> One worthy goal for now might be just making it through the winter
> still being a runner.
Well, living in the Phoenix area makes that not much of a challenge.
The big question now, is am I still a "beginning runner"? I think that
I may have passed that stage, but don't think I've earned the right to
call myself an intermediate runner yet. So should I keep this handle?
If not, what should I change it to? Please keep the suggestions family
and office friendly, please.
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Date: 20 Nov 2006 02:13:23
From: TenKBabe
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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On Nov 19, 11:28 pm, Beginning runner <b...@invalid.com > wrote:
> The way I look at it, if your expectations are pessimistic, things are
> bound to turn out better than you expect, but if they're optimistic,
> things will turn out worse than you expect.
I guess this is why some people are satisfied with being homeless bums.
tkb
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Date: 20 Nov 2006 09:23:01
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <1164017603.275851.79220@j44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com >,
"TenKBabe" <tenkbabe@yahoo.com > wrote:
> > The way I look at it, if your expectations are pessimistic, things
> > are bound to turn out better than you expect, but if they're
> > optimistic, things will turn out worse than you expect.
>
> I guess this is why some people are satisfied with being homeless
> bums.
Nah, because things didn't turn out better than they expected, unless
they expected worse than being homeless bums.
But if I expect to ever run 5K in under 25 minutes, I'll always be
disappointed, so I set my expectations to be more realistic.
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Date: 21 Nov 2006 10:04:44
From: Ed Prochak
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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Beginning runner wrote:
[] >
> As for your suggestion about running clubs; all the ones I've looked
> into around here consider 5 miles or 10K to be a short run, and rarely
> schedule anything shorter than that. When I'm able to run 10K, I'll
> consider joining one.
Ask them if they have sessions at the track. yes it may seem boring,
but track workouts can be easier with a group. Even if you are slower,
that just means you do fewer laps. Just another thought on it.
Ed
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Date: 21 Nov 2006 11:45:18
From: Beginning runner
Subject: Re: Couch to 5K finished
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In article <1164132284.640302.179700@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com >,
"Ed Prochak" <edprochak@gmail.com > wrote:
> > As for your suggestion about running clubs; all the ones I've looked
> > into around here consider 5 miles or 10K to be a short run, and rarely
> > schedule anything shorter than that. When I'm able to run 10K, I'll
> > consider joining one.
>
> Ask them if they have sessions at the track.
According to the web sites of the clubs I've checked on, they don't.
They all have their schedules posted on their sites.
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