5k Training Intensity

[awood08]

Let me start by saying I'm proud of where I am now. I'm about to run my first 5k on Thanksgiving morning. I started out in June at 235 pounds and could barely walk a mile without being out of breath. Smoked a pack of cigarettes a day and was very unhappy & unhealthy. Now I'm down to 186 (49 pounds down) and I'm completely tobacco free. I used the couch to 5k and the few pre runs I've done I have completed the 5k in 40-45 minutes with 4.5-4.8 mph jogs. Should I push myself harder this first run or just focus on completing it? I'm an overachiever so it's hard to just get by with the bare minimum and feel accomplished. Just curious as to what a good finish time is?  

[I-train-hard]

Can I use a bicycle?

Good luck, defiantly I couldn’t do it.

[awood08]

@daffyduck

Thank you and I appreciate your response. I am not worried about being a competitive athlete or winning a race. I was a champion softball player in high school and also played volleyball and was a cheerleader, I'm now a mom and wife and this run is just for personal accomplishment. My high school weight was 160-170 from my freshman to senior year. Being below anything other than in the 150's is not realistic for me unless I get a leg amputated or I'm on some heavy drugs. lol

I'm large frame, my wrist is close to 7 inches, so for my 5'3" height being a 25 year old female I should weight between in the 130's to mid 140's according to my doctor and charts. Here's the kicker....my hips are not going away, bone wise, I have wide hips and muscle wise my legs are like boulders, there is little fat on my legs and lower body. It's all in my torso and arms

[awood08]

@I-train-hard

Haha we can start our own 5k training program involving just bicycles, the heck with all this running 😉

[Salts]

Just relax and enjoy, it's the next race that has to be better than this one!

[I-train-hard]

I do like running, 30 min top. I can’t see myself running longer than that….

O man, I remember when I was 22 and 172 lbs.

[Mcore]

I agree with @Salts. You can push yourself and try improving your own time when you train but for your 5K race, just try to enjoy the experience and finish the race feeling good and satisfied, not exhausted or frustrated. 

I wish you the best!

[saraj91]

Hi @awood08 

Huge congratulations on all you achievements so far, being part of the other Challenges with you has been great as you are so positive & a great motivator. I was unaware that you had also given up smoking so congrats on being tobacco free! 

As far as the 5k goes, I think 40-45 mins for your pre-runs is brilliant! When I started running I was completing mine in about the same time. When race day came I found with all the excitement & the encouragement of running alongside others I was able to run a PB without even thinking about it so you might find the same. It is a really great feeling running in an event like a 5k, they can be so much fun. Personally my aim for my 1st 5k was to run it without walking but your aims might be different depending on the course & conditions that day. I will say though that ending on a 'sprint finish' is an amazing feeling. Crossing the line at full speed is a great way to end a race & it makes for some great action shots lol!

All the best for the race! 

[awood08]

@Salts @Mcore @saraj91 Thank you all!

Definitely Sara, I plan on finishing in the full sprint at the end. Once that finish line is in sight, I'm turning up the speed. These pre runs I've walked the first few minutes, then started jogging for 10 min increments, then a 2 minute walk once I hit a mile, then jog again until the next mile, walk 2 minutes, then run again till the 3 miles are up. So far it seems to have worked good at keeping me from over exerting. But I definitely want to hit that last stretch full force in the actual run!

[Mcore]

You'll do fantastic @awood08. Have fun! 

[TandemWalker]

Hi @awood08. I apologize for getting into this thread a little tardy.

But to your orginal question, as to whether or not you should push yourself harder, you're young and healthy; so I don't think there is anything wrong in pushing harder. But for me, I would try to push harder in ways other than jogging (while keeping it up, of course.)

Jogging every day, pushing yourself further, even with the interval scheme you describe, may not give you the benefit that you expect, both in terms of fitness or weight loss goal.

I may have missed some of your earlier posts and perhaps you are already giving your jogging joints and muscles a rest every second day or so; if not, it would definitely be a good and allow this muscle group to recover and give your joints a well-deserved break.

On the off days, you could do something else, another type of cardio (stationary bike, elliptical...): or even better still, strengthening workouts, either with weights, bands or both, to tone you up and improve your metabolic rate for the balance of the day. Or do some abs workout here and there.

At the end of the day, the most important is to stay active and motivated; and you're doing great on both fronts. Congrats!

    TW     

[awood08]

@TandemWalker

Thank you very much for the tips! I do mix up my workouts, Monday I did my 5k training run. Saturday I did a mix between the chest press & biceps workout with a few floor ab workouts. Every Thursday is my Les Mills Bodystep class. Yesterday I took a break, and today i'm going to hit the elliptical and do a little strength training. My run is tomorrow morning!!!

I've definitely progressed with my runs.

Starting the first month day 1, I was around an hour to finish my 3 miles.

Gradually it has gone from 60 minutes, to 50, to 40, my Monday run I was able to complete it in 35 minutes. If I'm anywhere near 35-40 minutes I wll be very happy. 🙂 And that's something I can just push harder for in the future!

[TandemWalker]

That's excellent @awood08! Keep up the good work!

_______________________________

    TW     

[PatrickOstar]

Awesome tale of encouragement, curious how your race went?

[mattymatt79]

How did the race go? 

What I found that worked well for me after completing the C25K was switching training programs to something a tad bit more intensive, the Nike Plus app has a brilliant coach in it and it mixes running with distance, speed workouts, hills, fartleks, tempo runs as well as cross train days. 

I've had huge successes with that. 

Keep kicking butt though. 

[Mcore]

I'm also curious to know how did it go @awood08? I bet you did awesome! 

Congratulations on your achievements as well @mattymatt79, sounds like you are doing great! Any other great tips you might have, please feel free to share them. 

Welcome aboard!

[awood08]

Sorry we have been so busy this holiday weekend everyone, thanks for checking in on me!!

I'm proud to say I survived, I completed it in just under 43 minutes!!! I lost momentum in the second mile because I wore a long sleeve shirt because it was a little chilly that morning. So I had a few issues with fixing my number tag onto my shirt underneath! I was not use to the wind resistance and uphill running we had lol

I feel soooo accomplished!!! and I convinced my aunts, and sister to run with me in the Mardi Gras run in February!

[WendyB]

Woot Congrats  @awood08 Very proud of you!

[Mcore]

Congratulations @awood08! We're rooting for you for the Fabruary race, you'll do fantastic.