Aggressive Couch-to-5k Training Group (Page 8)

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Thank you SO much for sharing your accomplishment with us! I bet a lot of fellow BTers will be inspired by this in the future!

I love it! You turned everything about running on it's head and made it work for YOU!

 Got sick with the Flu and missed a week.

We just finished week 9 and are running 3 minute intervals with 2 minute walks between. Feeling pretty good! Amazed to be running this duration after where we were during the first weeks.

Really looking forward to our first 5k in May.

I am really looking forward to hearing all about your first 5K. Glad you guys have not let the flu sideline your goals!

We’ve modified the last few weeks of the plan to continue to build interval lengths and our overall distance travelled based on Becky's pace of 12 min / mile.

Last night’s was 4 intervals of 8 minute runs with 2 minute walks between. Last walk interval was about 3 minutes so Becky could get her wind back but she made all 4 runs for the full 8 minutes and she covered 3 miles in about 39 minutes. I covered a bit more since I ran 8 min/mile pace during 3/4 of the last interval.

I contacted the race director for a super sprint tri in June and we'll be volunteering durring that event to see how the whole event looks before we participate in our first super sprint in Sept.

Becky mailed off the registrations for our first 5k today.

Excellent! I think it is SUCH a great idea to go to a triathlon before you try one yourself. You will learn so much from watching a transition area and seeing how everything works.
You are guys are doing great and are such great role models for the others here in this forum.

Yesterday's run was tough. We were bumping up to 9 minute intervals. First one started on level ground but about 5 minutes in  the trail started to rise a bit and we were up and down for the rest of that interval. By 9 minutes my calves were done. We walked about 3 minutes and picked up again for our second interval. Only made about 5 minutes of that one before Becky needed to walk again. We did eventually finish 30 minutes total run but it was stretched over nearly an hour. I know from the last few months that some days are just like this, but it still gets you down a bit when it happens. Hoping tomorrow's run will go better. Today will be a true rest day. Nothing but a 1/2 hour walk at lunch so that the muscles can recover. Our 5k is in a week and a half. Looking forward to seeing how we do. Already looking for the next 5k event for after this one.

Also thinking we'll move into one of the 16 week Sprint plans after this.

Let us know how your run is today!

We ran our first continuous mile to start today's run. Almost exactly 12 minutes. That means we are right on the pace Becky has been hoping for. We had to do shorter intervals after that. Total run was 27.5 minutes. Becky was disappointed she couldn't go longer on the latter intervals, but I reminded her she had just run the first continuous mile of her life at 38 years old and that 3 months ago she couldn’t run more than 1 minute continuous.

We covered 3 miles in just over 40 minutes.

We’re not quite ready to run the whole 5k yet so our current goal is for Becky to be able to finish in less than 40 minutes.  We’ll be running/walking the event together so whatever her pace is that’s where we’ll be.  

Excellent!

Just finished 3 - 10 minute intervals @ 12 min/ mile pace. 3 minute walks between. Covered a bit less than 3 miles.

Just one more like that Wednesday and then it's time for our first 5k Saturday.

We ran in Folsom’s 28th Annual Run with Nature 5k run today! Becky's goal was to finish in under 40 minutes. It was an out and back course with quite a bit of downhill to start and of course all that same hill to climb on the way back. We had to walk some of the hills but the event was a blast and according to the clock as we crossed the line we finished in 37:17 ! Almost exactly the 12 min / mile pace we had hoped for!

Hooray!! Thank you for sharing your journey with us and tell your wife we said CONGRATS!!

Finally ran the first 5K of my life!  Obviously I have a new PR,  28:30! I'm felt great considering I'd been training on a flat track and the race was like 70% uphill. It was brutal!

Now, I plan to add swim training.  Got to find me a swim coach.....

Cheers!

Great job!

Great job and excellent time.

Oh my gosh! I just read through this entire thread, and I would just like to let everyone know how incredibly inspiring your stories are! It was so much fun to follow people from "hey I'm getting ready to start this crazy adventure" to "I DID IT!!!", and I cannot WAIT to tell my story too!

My name is Ashley, I'm 24 years old, and I am fat and lazy. I'm about 40 lbs overweight, and aside from horseback riding, I don't have much in the way of athletic experience in my entire life. In February, I decided to start running, but I pushed myself way too hard, way too fast, and ended up with my knee joints in such bad condition I could barely walk. I moved from Idaho to Washington in March, decided to try again, and after just 2 workouts, I fell down the stairs and tore a ligament in my right ankle. Now it's been about 12 weeks since I hurt myself, my ankle is all better, and I'm ready to try again.

It has always been on my bucket list to compete in a triathlon, and I know I have to start from square one. Since my track record is to push myself too hard and end up hurt and unable to work out, I will have to be really careful not to ignore the training plan. My hope is that this forum will give me the encouragement I need to keep going when it's hard, and not to try to kill myself on day one!

I will be doing my first workout on Tuesday, and I would like to thank you in advance for your kind words and encouragement!!

Ashley, Welcome to BT and welcome the adventure of training for a 5k run. 

There will be plenty of times where it seems the progress is too slow, but trust that following the plan will get you there. 16 weeks will pass before you know it and you will look back and be amazed at your progress.

If you have access to a running specialty store; Get yourself fitted for a good pair of running shoes. Believe me it did make a big difference for both my wife and I.

Thanks Jonny! I am really excited about this program

I am going shoe shopping this weekend...there are a few running shops here that will do gait analysis and everything, and I'm looking forward to getting the perfect shoes! For this first week, my old Nikes will do just fine, though.

Speaking of which, I had my first workout today! Even though it was just walking, I had to keep reminding myself that I WAS working out, and to push myself not to stroll along, but to really power walk. I was sweating and my muscles are all kinds of tired now, so I think I did pretty good. Plus, I got some extra protein in my diet today by swallowing a moth while I was out

Hi Ashley, and welcome! I am so excited for you! I am glad you will be following this plan. It will help you progress slowly and safely so you can get closer to your goal without getting injured. Please keep us up to date on your progress so YOU can inspire the people that follow!!

Thanks, Jessica! I've been having a great time so far, and no injuries! I got new Saucony running shoes on Saturday, and they are wonderful. They really help take the pressure off my knees and hips.

I started week 2 today, and the running part was really easy. Unfortunately, the other 27 walking minutes were AWFUL! For some reason, it felt like flexing my toes was the hardest thing anyone had ever asked me to do, and that made every step an effort. I don't know what it was that made today's workout so hard, but I am definitely hoping that Thursday is better!

Update: I should note that it's not shin splints...just a muscle tightness that made it hard to flex my feet.

Thats great that the running was easy. Hopefully the day off between will let your foot heal from whatever was causing the flexing problems durring the walk. Stick with it!