23 days until race 1.

I went for my run first thing this morning, before I could let anything get in my way. Today was my first time running to the 'Gate-way to 8K' Podrunner series. I ran week 1 which alternated 7 mins running with 1 min walking. I felt like the intensity was a higher than it was in the C25K series, and it was definitely faster than the playlists I made to run to, but that's probably a good thing!

The weather was quite cool this morning, but once I got running I felt fine. I think I'm getting back into my running grove :-)

Getting back on the wagon...

As I pledged last night, I went for a run after work tonight. All afternoon I actually looked forward to getting back out and running. I hadn't downloaded the Podrunner podcasts yet (I'm actually downloading as I write), so I just used the 30 min run playlist I made. To make it an interval run/walk I did my warm up, then ran for 2 songs, then walked for about 1 minute of the next song, then ran for 2 songs again. I think I managed the run quite well despite the break I've had.

I took a route I've never run before because I don't normally run near my work. I enjoyed running in a different environment, and even thought of some route variations I could try in the future. Now that winter is nearly here and the days are getting shorter I think I'll have to schedule my runs straight after work more often. It's good to know there are some enjoyable safe routes nearby.

I feel good knowing I have taken the first step to get back on track with my running.

Only 2 runs in the past 2 weeks.

I'm disappointed in myself. I have only run twice in the past 2 weeks.

I have not been prioritising my runs and I have allowed myself to make excuses. I've told myself I'm busy with uni work and that uni is more important than running. I've told myself it's too wet/cold/dark to run. I've told myself I will skip running today, and run tomorrow instead, then I repeated the same excuse the next day. The excuses stop today. RIGHT NOW!

I did not complete the C25K only to give up running a month later. I now enjoy running. I want to get back to my running schedule. I want to be a runner. So I WILL get back on track.

First step to getting back on track is addressing my excuses. If I am tempted to use the excuse that I am too busy with uni work to run, I will remind myself that a run takes less than an hour and it's good to take a break while studying. If I am tempted to use the excuse that it is too wet/cold/dark to run I will put on a rain coat and hat, or go to the gym and run on the treadmill. If I am tempted to use the excuse that I will skip today and run tomorrow, I will remind myself of my running goals, and change into my running gear.

Second step is reminding myself of my running goals and recommitting. Tonight I registered for my first official race, the Mother's Day Classic 4K. It is 26 days until the race on 10 May 2009. I am still committed to finishing the 4K in 25 mins or under, so I have to get back to training.

Third step is planning a new training program. I am missing the structure of the C25K program, so I have decided to download the Podrunner Intervals Gateway to 8K podcasts. Even though they are aimed at training for a longer distance, I think they will still be a good next step. I had planned on starting the one hour runner program, but I think intervals will be a good way to get back into a regular program of running. I commit to running the weekly Podrunner interval track twice a week, plus 1 long run per week (starting at 30 mins and building up 1 min per week). I will also continue with my weekly yoga class at the gym.

This week I will run intervals on Tuesday after work, and on Thursday morning before uni. I will do my longer run on Saturday. I will post here after each run so that I am accountable.

It feels good to have a plan. I am confident I can get back on track with my running. 26 days to go till my first race!

I am still running!!!

I kind of fell of the blogging wagon... but I am still running! I finished my 10th week this week!! Week 9 was hard work, the first 30 min runs were a challenge, but it's gotten easier by the end of week 10. The first 10 mins of running is hard work, and the last 5 mins I have to push myself, but I can feel it getting easier in the middle.

I am starting to get a bit bored about half way through my runs. To try to combat this I have made some playlists of my favourite up tempo songs to listen to on my iPod while I run. I've also been trying to keep it interesting by mixing up my running routes a bit so that I am not always running the same paths.

I plan to continue with 3x30 min runs per week until the end of March, then start on the one hour runner program. I think a couple of weeks of running for 30 mins will help build my fitness level before I start tackling the longer runs.

I have started going to a weekly yoga class at the gym. I am enjoying the class, and I think it really helps to stretch my muscles so I think I'll keep it up. I'm hoping to start strength training a couple of times a week at the start of next month.

I mentioned in a previous post that I would share my goals for continuing running after I finished week 9. Well, since I finished over a week ago I thought I would share now...

1. Run the Mother's Day Classic 4k on May 10 2009 in 25 mins or under.
2. Continue to run 3 times per week through the winter.
3. Run the Burnie Ten 10k on 18 October 2009. Aim to finish!

Week 7 DONE!

I'm only two weeks away from finishing the C25K! That's 6 runs!! I'm so proud of myself and I'm not even there yet :)

I ran W7D3 on Saturday morning and it felt great. I took it easy and just enjoyed the fact that it was my last run for the week. I took a slightly different route today which added about an extra half a km to my normal route. I didn't have to back track at all so the new route seems to be a better distance. I'm still not sure exactly how far I am running, but I decided a while ago not to focus on distance or speed, but concentrate only on the time period.

After C25K I plan to do the One Hour Runner program. I'm not sure if I'll start it straight away, or spend a couple of weeks just getting really comfortable with the 30 min run. I'll keep you posted...

Also, I've decided to reward myself with a 'technical' running outfit when I graduate C25K. I want some tights made of something other than cotton (butt sweat is not pretty or comfortable!!). I also saw a green tank top with a hidden sport bra in a sports store the other day. Green is my favourite colour, so I think I'll buy the tank and a pair of tights after I finish week 9 :)

I borrowed a couple of books on running from my local library to help keep me motivated and interested in running. I've really been enjoying reading "Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running" by Dagny Scott. It's got some good advice about starting out, some training programs for different levels, advice on keeping motivated and weight-loss. It's really easy to read too.

I've also been giving my running goals some thought now that I have almost reached my first goal - Graduating C25K. When I graduate, I'll post my 5 running goals for 2009 :)

W7D2

I conquered the 25 min run today! I feel this way because finally it felt good to run for the whole time. I passed myself well and just ran. I also resisted the temptation to check my iPod and see how long I had left to go. So over all I feel really good today :)

W7D1

I'm a bit late post about W7D1. As I mentioned, I started back at uni this week and things have been a little bit hectic! I actually started week 7 on Mon 23 Feb.

I spent Monday rushing around town organising things for uni, I spent a few hours waiting in lines, then in waiting rooms, then talking to advisers. I felt pretty exhausted by the time I got home at about 6pm, but I was determined to get my run done. I got changed and set out. I considered going back to week 6 and running the 2x10min interval podcast, but I decided against it. Instead, I gave myself permission to walk if I needed too during the 25min run. I'm pretty happy with how I ran overall, I took 2 very short walking breaks of about 30 seconds each at about 8mins and 15mins. These little rests made it possible for me to complete the workout, and after such a tiring day I felt happy that I had still made the time to run. I feel like I'm learning to listen to my body and push myself just hard enough.

The past few days at uni have been quite busy, but I'm looking forward to my run tomorrow. I plan to do it in the morning before other things get in the way, and before I get too tired.

W6D3 = 25 min run!!

I did it!! No iPod malfunctions, without a doubt I know I ran for 25 mins without stopping! I went out for dinner on Friday night so I had to postpone my run until Saturday morning. This actually worked for the best because I was so tired after work on Friday that I don't know if I could have completed the run.

I woke up fresh on Saturday, had a light snack then set out. I took the whole run slow but steady. I felt pretty fatigued at the 20 minute mark, but I pushed on. I was so relieved to hear the descending chimes that Podrunner uses to signal it is time to stop running! I felt a little light headed and shaky when I first stopped, but after the cool down walk I felt pretty good.

I really need to work out a new longer route now that I am running for longer. I think I'll have a look at an online map and see if I can work out how I can extend my current route.

This week I'm changing my running days around a bit to fit in with my uni schedule. I'm planning to run on Monday, Thursday and Saturday this week. I'd like to try to fit in a yoga or stretching class this week as well. There is a really good gym at my uni campus so now that I am back at school I'd like to make yoga a regular thing.

W6D2

I realised something as I set out for today's run - today was my last interval run of the C25K! After today it's all running. I am proud of myself for getting this far :) The run felt good. I pushed quite hard during the first 10 min interval, then took it a bit easier in the second interval. I felt like this worked quite well.

I'll be undergoing a lifestyle change next week when I return to university for 2009. On the plus side, this means I will no longer be working full time so 'should' have more time. On the other hand, my life is less structured when I'm at uni. I will have to work hard to get into a routine which incorporates my 3 weekly runs. But I am determined!! Only 3 weeks till I finish the C25K!!

Speaking of life after C25k... I've decided to run the 4k course of the Mother's Day Classic. I'm not sure why the organisers haven't made it a 'standard' 5k. Then I could count it as my first 5k race! By May a 4k should be like a walk in the park.

W6D1

I set out for my run today not knowing the length of the intervals I would be running. This worked out ok for me, but I had some issues with passing my runs. I took the first run quite easy, because I didn't know how long I had to run for. Since I took the first interval so easy and it was only 5 mins, I had extra energy, so I ran pretty hard during the second interval (8mins). I was glad when the second interval was over! I did not have a lot of energy left for my final interval of running, but I still managed to make it to the end without stopping. I covered a longer distance today than I ever have before, probably because of my faster second interval. I will have to work out some longer routes to run now that I am increasing my running distance.

W5D3

I was strangely excited as I prepared for today's run. I was looking forward to conquering my longest run yet. All in all, the run went well. I had a dull pain in my lower left leg during in the middle of the run - I'm not really sure what caused this. I don't stretch before I run and I think this may have contributed? The pain seems to fade as I get really warm up.

I 'ran into a problem' (pardon the pun), when I was almost finished the run today. I was running along, feeling tired, but quite proud of myself, when all of a sudden my iPod skipped to the next playlist! I mustn't have locked it. I didn't know exactly where I was up to in the run! I kept jogging for 100 metres or so as I fumbled with the iPod but it was too late to skip back. So I stopped running. I ran my normal route today, so based on the distance I covered on the W5D2 run I'm guessing I was pretty close to completing the 20mins but I'll never really know. I actually felt really frustrated and annoyed. I had set out to conquer the 20 min run and all of a sudden I had no idea how long I had run for. As I walked the rest of the way home I shook of the frustration and relaxed. I reminded myself that this isn't about one run and the podcast isn't everything. I still ran for a damn long time today! I am much fitter than I was 5 weeks ago! I am still proud of myself!

I tossed up whether or not I should repeat today's run, but I don't think I will. I'll continue onto week 6, and remember to lock my iPod in the future!

W5D2

Another day down! I still feel surprised at how much I am enjoying running! The first 4 minutes of running was a bit of a challenge, but after that I warmed up and felt great. I am unnervingly excited at the prospect of running for 20 mins on Friday!

It's strange how the C25K program makes me feel like I CAN run. I feel like I trust the program, and if it says I can run for 20 mins this Friday then I must be able to do it. This trust outweighs any self doubt... I hope the program doesn't let me down!

And an extra note, I used to always listen to Robert Ullery's podcast's during my C25K runs , but this week I have changed to the Podrunner Intervals First day to 5K . With a different run each day this week I liked the idea of a different podcast for each run. Sometimes I get a bit bored listening to the same track for all 3 of my runs so it's been nice to change things up a bit - I personally don't mind the techo/dance music in the Podrunner tracks, but some people hate it. I feel the podcasts are essential for me to complete the C25K because there is no way I could be bothered looking at my watch to time my runs. I love how the podcasts let me switch off and just follow the prompts to run and walk.

W5D1

Today's run felt really good. It took me until half way through the first run to warm up and feel really comfortable, but after that the run flew by. I tried to push myself during the last run interval and I think I covered a bit more ground. I'd be interested to find out exactly how far I am running - it might be hard to work out though cause I don't follow roads the whole time.

I've been thinking about adding some strength training into my routine. I'm not sure of the best way to go about it. I'm not a big fan of weight machines at gym so I might look into a workout I can do at home with small dumbells. If you've got any ideas or tips please leave a comment. Also, there is a 10 week pilates class starting soon at a local gym and I am considering enrolling. I've done pilates before off a DVD and really enjoyed it so I thought signing up for a class might commit me to practicing regularly.

W4 done!

The rain kept falling on and off so I decided I would put my jacket on and venture out despite the rain. I'm glad I did! It rained lightly during my warm up walk, then half way through my first 3 min run the rain stopped! I took my jacket off and finished the run following a slightly different route to avoid running on wet grass.

Even though it was a bit awkward running with my jacket tied around my waist the remainder of the run felt good. I'm finished week 4!

Going forward, I feel excited. Running is starting to feel natural, rather than like torture. Running for a solid 30 mins still seems a long way off, but I know I can make it :)

It's raining

I'm waiting for the rain to stop so I can go outside and run W4D3. I'll give it till mid afternoon, and if the rain doesn't stop I might put on my rain jacket and run anyway! Or that's what I'm telling myself!

I could go to the gym and run on a treadmill, but I find that really boring. I went to the gym with some girlfriends last night and spent 15 mins on the treadmill to warm up before doing some weights and I hated it. I find running inside so monotonous. I like taking the scenery and the variety of surfaces I cover when I run outside. I felt like I just couldn't hit a comfortable stride on the treadmill. I found the TV, noise and other people in the gym too distracting. Granted I didn't have my iPod - that may have helped me focus. I just don't think I'm a gym girl.

W4D2 done!

I really felt like running today. It's strange how some days I have to talk myself into training, and other days I can't wait to get my shoes on. I found W4D1 (Monday) REALLY challenging. I felt like I struggled through the second 5 min run. Then, today I felt so strong all the way through, I felt really good about my run. I felt like my form was good and I breathed well. I think I even covered a bit further distance today.

I've been thinking about what I'd like to do when I complete the C25K because I've heard that once the motivation of ticking off the weekly runs is gone a lot of people stop running. I really want running to be a permanent part of my life so I need to plan for life after C25K. I'd like to run the Mother's Day Classic this year, it's on Mother's Day (10 May in Australia) and there is a 4k or 8k option. I think I'll set a conservative goal and plan to run the 4k. Although with the time I have before the race I could almost be ready for 8k. I think? I can't believe I'm considering running 8k!

I should have run today.

I worked an early shift today and had planned to go straight home and run W4D2. When I finished work my boyfriend called and asked me to meet him at his parents house because his mum had invited us around for dinner. We haven't seen his parents for ages so I went, telling myself I would leave early enough to run when I got home. Needless to say I didn't leave early enough so no run today. I made the choice not to leave early, but now I am feeling annoyed at myself for missing a training day. I finish work early again tomorrow so I can run then, but now my run day/rest day schedule is screwed up for the rest of the week... I'm really becoming a creature of habit.

My reason for blogging...

I've decided to start this blog to chart my progress through the C25K 'journey'. I started my second attempt at the C25K in January 2009. My first attempt was in February 2009. I didn't finish the first time because I let my 'motivation' fizzle out and allowed life to get in the way of reaching my 5K goal. This time I am determined to finish the 9 week program. I am no longer talking about the C25K and feeling motivated. Instead, I've realised that if I want to make it to 5K I have to make conscious choices everyday to continue with my training program.

I am currently in week 4 (which is when I gave up last time!). So far, I'm feeling good about my progress. Week 4 is definitely the hardest so far, but I'm persevering and I believe running can only continue to get easier.