Week 9, Day 3. I should have posted this yesterday but the final 3-mile run in our couch to 5K training plan kicked my butt. Could have been the not so great sleep from the night before. Or the 25 mph winds we were running in. Or that I’d been at the grocery store all morning with the kids and thus was on my feet more than usual before a run. Yeah, I’m hoping it was one or all of those things. Phil, on the other hand, said it was his best run yet. He’d only had 2 hours of sleep the night before. He’s half seriously considering that as a strategy for running the 5K. Head in a fog = no pain. I think I’ll choose sleep, thanks.
38 minutes and some change. Running into the wind was a killer.
My encouragement is this: No matter what happens on Saturday, we completed a 9-week running program and can now run 3 miles. Two things I never imagined I would do and enjoy.
It’s been a crazy, wonderful journey and I know it’s not over, per se, but I feel a bit like the Biggest Loser contestants who go home — We’re on our own now to keep up the training.
Thanks for all your encouragement, support and advice through this whole thing. Two more days. I can’t wait.
I want to be the first to congratulate you both on completing the program ! ! !
Yes, I too found it rather hard to kept motivated after the structure of the program was complete. For me I have gone with running about 2.5 to 3 miles on Mondays, Bike 3 miles on Tuesday, Run/Walk a couple of miles worth at the High School Track on Wednesday, Bike again on Thursday, and then run 3.5 to 4 miles on Friday. With that all being said it sounds like a plan and that I’m driven to abide by it, but in actuality I probably only maintained that strict schedule about 3 or 4 weeks across the summer. If I don’t do the full week it’s not a big deal. I don’t train in the rain, that doesn’t mean I won’t race in the rain, but I don’t want to make training miserable. Even at a couple of days a week I’m able to maintain a good fitness level and feel that I’m still a runner. If it gets down to once a week in the dead of winter it starts to feel like work :).
Sometimes the head fog is a good thing as Phil found out, but there are times that I prefer a couple of tylenol and advil prerace to get a start on the pain relief that I know is going to be necessary afterward.
I can’t wait to see how you guys do on Saturday. I think you will be surprised at what will happens to your times when you run with a group of people. More people around you can make for great motivation. GOOD LUCK
Good luck Saturday! This couch to 5K thing seems pretty cool. Joel tried to get me running after we got married, but he pushed me way too hard the first two days and I ended up in bed for days with the flu. Kind of put a bad taste in my mouth for running. Maybe I can get him to consider this method next year rather than his previously uxoricidal version (no, I didn’t know that word, but I figured “wife killer” had some sort of -icide word.)
I would totally recommend this plan, Nikki. I’m sure it’s not the most challenging for someone who has a running background, but it is really easy to stick with because it’s so gradual. Try to convince him to do it! 🙂