Signed up for a 5K - Ack!

[Raviv]

I have always been able to walk.  My last job had me walking tons because I was reading utility meters.  I got in 10-15 miles most days, whatever the weather (it gets HOT here), and some days were 19 or 20 miles, all at a fairly fast pace.  The walking was punctuated with climbing over block walls or piles of trash, with an occasional sprint from psycho dogs or scary people.  I did that for 6 years, starting when I was 42, up until I got laid off a couple of years ago.  Honestly, walking around all by myself felt pretty good, both physically and mentally.

But running is a completely different thing.  And I've had an office job for a year and a half.

I started going back to the gym in late May, and I was walking 1.5 to 2 miles.  Now I'm up to about 2.25, quitting at that point mostly because I'm bored out of my mind and want to go home.

A couple of weeks ago, I started tossing a little bit of running into the mix.  I started with 1 minute runs every 10 minutes, then up to 1 minute every 5 minutes, and now I'm up to 1.25 minutes every 5 minutes.  I'm trying to get outside, but I'm up at 5am for work already, and it's monsoon season.  Highs over 100F and stormy.  But I do make sure I get out at least one morning on the weekend.  My stamina is a lot better with distractions and changing scenery.

Anyway, to push myself, I signed up for my first ever 5K.  I already know I can walk that far in about 50 minutes.  I can walk/run it in about 45 minutes.  So yeah, I can run, but it's slow.  For now.  I have 2 months to get ready and increase my longevity as far as running.  Bones and joints and muscles are (surprisingly) not my problem.  They're all doing fine.  I'm just out of shape now, so my lungs are the biggest problem at this point.

The only thing that's making me leery is that the race starts at 8:15 and they start giving out awards for my run at 8:45.  As it stands, that's 15 minutes before I even cross the finish line.  It's not like I'd be expecting to get a ribbon my first (or second race) anyway, but I would like to finish before they send out a search party.

[short-n-sassy]

Congrats on signing up for a 5K.  We do a 5K walk/Run for work. I have never been brave enough to try to run it but like you, I can walk.  Sounds like you are making a positive move forward.  I'm rooting for you to do well.  Keep us posted on how you are doing.  Best of luck.

[Raviv]

Thanks!

[trainer]

You can do this. Go into it with the idea that you can run for as long as you can and then walk. And then run a bit more and walk. Over and over. A 5k is definitely a doable race! 🙂

[WendyB]

You can do it! I think you are putting to much prressure on your self

You will do it

[DominicJ]

In January, I ran my first ever 5k (on a treadmill)

It took nearly 38 minutes

So I worked out my average speed, and ran 0.1kmh faster the next time, and with 500m to go, I ran as fast as I could

And I worked out my average speed again, and I ran 0.1kmh faster the next time, with a sprint finish

Over and over and over

Sometimes, I got stuck, so I dropped back 1kph, added an incline for a few runs, and then had another go at my flat pace, and got through it

Over and over and over, untill yesterday, I beat my year end target of a 25minute 5k

[Raviv]

My walking pace is 3.5 mph or about a 17 minute mile.  I can keep that pace up pretty much forever.  Running is 5.5 - 6.0 mph or an 11 - 10 minute mile, but I can only do that for a little over a minute at a time (no matter what the pace).

What I'm working on now is extending the time spent running and minimizing the time spent walking.  That should automatically up my overall pace.  If I could run the entire 3.1 miles, I would have it done in a little over 30 minutes, and I would be absolutely thrilled with that.

[Raviv]

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@DominicJ wrote:

Over and over and over, untill yesterday, I beat my year end target of a 25minute 5k

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That's a really good time!

[DominicJ]

I tried the run/walk method a few times but couldnt get it to stick, building up my running speed worked a lot better for me.

[Raviv]

I can go fast, I just have zero endurance when it comes to running.  Apparently my muscles are no problem (I have no pain), but my lungs hate me for now and they're what's holding back the rest of me.  They're just going to have to learn to deal with it (gradually).

[pidgeon92]

Have you considered trying a couch-to-5k program? It lasts 8-9 weeks (depending on the one you choose), and it does work. I started it mid-April of this year, and completed it early June. I now do 5K non-stop 2-3 times a week, where when I started the program jogging for a minute and a half was utterly exhausting. The intervals in the program are great for building stamina over time.

[Raviv]

That's what I'm basically doing, just on my own schedule since my situation is a little different than most.

On the advice of some more experienced runners than myself, tonight I'm going to try actually slowing down my running (to what feels like an unbearable pace) and see if that helps some.  According to them, I'm running too fast for so early in the game.

[pidgeon92]

I suggested the program because I think the way they stagger the intervals may increase your stamina quicker than the way you've been doing it. Certainly there is no doubt that slowing down will help. I started out at about an 11 minute mile, and I now average a 10 minute mile. Speed comes after stamina is established.

[Raviv]

The problem I had with the C25K programs I saw (and there appear to be a lot of them) is that they seemed to start with increasing your walking stamina (which I have TONS of already) and then moved right into "Okay, now run for 2 minutes" and a week later had you running for 3 minutes, and then continued like that without any real physiological support other than to do what is on the list.

I'm doing basically the same thing, but just taking into account that I'm starting from a really weird position of being able to walk miles and miles at a fast pace without even breaking a sweat, but my body has no clue what to do when I start running.  So I'm increasing the time spent running as I decrease the time spent walking, just doing it on my own schedule because I know I'm kind of an anomaly in this particular area.

[pidgeon92]

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I'm doing basically the same thing, but just taking into account that I'm starting from a really weird position of being able to walk miles and miles at a fast pace without even breaking a sweat, but my body has no clue what to do when I start running. 

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And you think people who have started a couch-to-5k are different some how? I would wager most of us were able to walks tens of miles at a quick pace without a sweat.  Good luck.

[Raviv]

Thanks.

Yes, I know I'm a little different.  I'm not saying I'm a special snowflake, but I spent 6 years walking about 15 miles (or more) per day out on the streets reading utility meters.  Any time I wasn't walking, I was pulling myself up on block walls or climbing over them because we had to get into the backyard without having someone open the gate.  The weather could be anything from snowing to 115F right before a monsoon starts.

So it just makes sense that 40-60 hours of that every week puts a person in a different state than the average person who sits behind a desk all day and then goes out for a 2 mile walk at sunset.  I'm not saying that's a good thing - it actually made it harder for me when I left that job because that activity level became my new "normal" as my body adapted and became more efficient.

Like I said - it doesn't make me special, it just means I'm starting from a different place where my body does some things easier than some, while also doing other things with more difficulty than others.

[Raviv · Accepted solution]

So I did take the advice of some experienced runners I found.  They agreed with you that part of my problem was that I was running too fast.  It seemed odd to me, but they told me how fast they were running, and my beginner pace was more like a racing pace.

I cut it back quite a bit, and was pleasantly surprised to find I could keep running for 3 or 4 minutes at a time instead of just over a minute.  Honestly, I didn't think I was running all that fast.  It certainly didn't feel like it.  So I'm VERY happy!  It's a huge step forward!

[williamhj]

I was also going to suggest a couch to 5K program.  I also walked a TON previously and would find myself wanting to add some jogging to my evening walks.  The initial weeks of the C25K program were very boring for me since it seemed truly designed for someone who is on the couch, but the program worked as the running bits increased over the weeks.  I went off program a bit - they had me going 3 days a week and I went 4 just repeating the day with the most running.  Once I got near the end I just bailed and started running the full distance.  It really worked for me.  That was less than a year ago and my running has continued to build.  My longest is 15 miles and just this morning did a 10 miler.  I don't run/walk anymore. 

My sense of the C25K program is that it is designed to develop both your bones/muscles/etc for the run as well as your lungs and I found different days would hit one or the other.  I think it is worth just following the program and trusting it will get you where you need to be, even if it isn't perfect and even if some weeks seem to easy or perhaps a bit tough. 

[Raviv]

Thanks for the advice.  I appreciate it.

[thethinker]

I participated in a lot of 5k's last year. Do not fall into the "ego" mentality that many of these runners have. Do the 5k because you believe in the cause. Also, a 5k race, walking or running, is at a fast past. I always consider my first race as the way to see what I need to work on. Due to allergies and cuts/abrasions from trailing, rock climbing and mountain scailing on the Indian Trail path on Mt. Kineo a few weeks ago, I have not been able to train or participate in a 5k. I am aiming for one in early November.

Remember the race is against yourself, not other people. You are new to this so like anything else, you have to work at it over time