Wednesday, 13 January 2010

• Couch-to-5K Running Plan

  Guest post from MamaTRUE

  

  Today, I started the couch-to-5k running plan. My friend Courtney mentioned it in a status update on Facebook, then as a comment on one of my mamaTRUE posts. So I emailed her to ask her what it is. I’m starting from the couch. I wasn’t sure how long 5k was. Turns out it’s about three miles, just the length of my favorite walking loop around Ladybird Lake here in Austin.

  I hadn’t read anything from the link yet but when I ran into Courtney today at a playgroup, I asked her about it. When I went to the gym this afternoon, I thought she’d mentioned something about running for 60 seconds and then walking for 90 seconds until you’d gone for 30 minutes. Turns out my short term memory did not fail me and now I’ve embarked on week one of a physical training program!

  I’d started some interval training this fall using the treadmill at the gym, but wasn’t sure how long or fast the intervals should be. I think I pushed myself too hard because I quickly found myself not running anymore. One minute and 90 second intervals sounded totally doable though, so I started today.

  I got to the gym 20 minutes before my Bodyflow (tai chi, yoga, and pilates) class, so I hopped on the treadmill. I’d gone 1.48 miles in 20 minutes, so I came back after class and did another ten minutes and .75 miles. So today was almost 2.25 miles and 30 minutes PLUS a class. Talk about physical self care!

  Once I got home, I went to the C25k site and started reading. Courtney uses Robert Ullrey’s C25K Podcasts so I tried listening to one. Too much techno for me. It was easy enough on the treadmill to shift my speed from 3.5 mph to 5.5 mph at the timed intervals, but I imagine a podcast or playlist would be nice if I were actually running anywhere other than a machine. I tried Lestyn’s C25K Podcasts: No Music but the computerized voice is kinda creepy. I’ll figure something out though. I am going to use the nine week schedule at Cool Runnings and I’ll let you know about my progress.

  We’ll see how running at 7500 feet in zero degree temperatures through snow goes when I get to Taos this weekend. I will literally have some cool runnings—sorry, my Dad’s a punner so I come by it naturally. Now, I can be a punner and a runner!

  Seeing as exercise is one of the top resolutions people make at New Year’s, I figure I’m not the only one. Are you embarking on any new exercise plans?

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