Koopas attempt at couch to 3 mile jog

Urban ranger is an inspirational metaphor to get you walking. Warning: there is poetry involved. Discuss it here.
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koopa
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Koopas attempt at couch to 3 mile jog

Post by koopa » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:36 am

Obviously, jogging is not exactly urban rangering, but while I work in NYC, I live in the country life of CT and there isn't much to walk to. This is a shame as I love walking, but I did read about the couch to 5k (I am american, and not going to run in a marathon anytime soon, hence 3 Mile :)) from urban ranger, so figured it wouldn't be too far off to post my progress here. For more information, here is a repost of a link:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

At Week 0, I am not able to (never have been able to) run/jog a mile, so to be able to condition myself to run 3 miles is going to be tough. I have a feeling, it will take me longer than 2 months to get there, but the only way to find out is to start trying!

Goals:

Primary: Jog 1 Mile
Secondary: Jog 3 Miles
Secondary: lose more weight. Currently, I am not seriously looking to lose weight as I am not willing to give up my love affair with food. No S seems like a good opportunity to tackle that challenge when I get there, but I am doing this to get more fit, not look better. I personally am not ashamed of my fatty appearance so the weight aspect doesn't bother me.

The motivation for me doing this is that I had lost my child when she was 2 in December after a long fight with congenital heart defects. While I have very little regrets about what happened, the two factors that replay in my head was I never could carry her for more than 10 minutes (shovelglove workout) and I was less than motivated to physically play with her (modified urban ranger) for long periods of time. While Faith never minded this, now that she is gone, it definitely is something I will rectify with the next child (June 14th)

*End Rant*

Week 1 Weight: 260 (down from 275/280 prior to Shovelgloving since January)

Workout: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. (I do not count the warmup walk in the jog, so my total is 25 minutes, 5 minute walk, then interval jogging)

Workout 1: Success. Completed last friday. It was tough towards the end but was able to complete the 25 minute session.

Workout 2: Success. Completed last sunday. It was a bit easier, and was not as physically sore the next day as the friday session.

Workout 3: Success. Completed yesterday. It was snowing and nasty, and I had to do it with my sweatshirt on, which was getting damp so the extra weight caused back and shin pains during the workout. I had a bit of a snapfoo with my timer (it thought I hit the stop button) so I estimated that I did the correct amount of time, but not 100% sure. Regardless, counting it as a success.

End of Week 1, scale comes in at 257 this morning. While I have a feeling that some of that might be the foods I ate the night before on the beginning of week 1, it is a promising sign, so lets go with it.... :twisted:

koopa
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Post by koopa » Fri Mar 25, 2011 9:17 pm

Week 2 workout 1:

Success. (just barely). For some reason, the 90 seconds of jogging affected me much more than the 60 seconds, have a strong feeling that the week2 workout routine will be repeated next week as well.

koopa
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Post by koopa » Mon Mar 28, 2011 3:15 am

Week 2 workout 2: success. Went a little better than the first workout in week 2. Corrected my lower back issues; I was leaning forward while jogging which causes the back to tense up (or so the Internet tells me) and causes pain. I still am having shin problems which I am hoping to work out next. With just the shin issue, I was able to get through it much easier.

The other thing I am going to change is to add Monday into the mix, which gives me the potential for 4 workouts. This should help build up my stamina and make it so I can move forward each week. As it stands I think I am going to repeat week 2. We'll see how I am doing by the end of it.

koopa
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Post by koopa » Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:18 am

Week 2 workout 3 is also a success. Adding the extra workout (back to back sunday to monday) didn't cause any extra stress on the body, so I will continue to do this until I notice a performance decrease.

The workout was better than the last 2, I was able to go 2 sets without shin pain. Back pain is pretty much taken care of as long as I don't lean forward. Unless I can make it through most of the workout without shin pain, I will stay on the week 2 level. (90 seconds of jogging, 2 minutes of walking for 20 minutes)

Soreness factor is nonexistent.

On a side note, I was doing gardening over the weekend and a small tree stump (similar to bamboo, but obviously, I live in CT :)) cause the sole of my running shoes, and it went through the shoe. Somehow, I missed my actual foot, but I am going to replace my running shoes either wednesday or friday.

koopa
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Post by koopa » Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:26 pm

Week 2 workout 3 (repeat) success

Had easier time performing the routine. Shin pains were less intense than other workouts, though towards the end, it hurt. The pain almost seems to be more in the calf than the shin, so I am chalking the extra stretching as working. The pain did not start to appear until the 3rd set of jog/walk, which is improved from before. All in all, I believe that the pain will be manageable by the end of next week. Will still repeat week 2.

koopa
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Post by koopa » Sat Apr 02, 2011 2:41 pm

Week 3 Workout 1: success

Weight: 258

Nothing like going for a jog in the rain to inspire someone to attempt to jump to the next week worth of training. This is jog for 90 second, walk for 90 seconds, jog for 3 minutes, walk for 3 minutes.

Shin pain was less, which seems to just be adding muscle or something. Also bought new sneakers, so going to see if that helps or hurt me :)

Kevin
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Post by Kevin » Sat Apr 02, 2011 2:54 pm

Just wanted to stop in and say hello. I'm sorry about your daughter. It must have been heartbreaking.

I would like to set a goal to do something like you are doing - I currently run/walk about a 50/50 split, but the running is faster than jogging. I might look at that site and see about it!

One thing that always helps when I begin to get shin splints - I concentrate on landing with my foot under my hip and running "behind" me. I don't know how to better describe it, but landing with my foot further forward seems to hurt my shins a lot more. Just a thought. You may have already worked through this.

Good luck!
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

koopa
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Post by koopa » Sat Apr 02, 2011 3:07 pm

Kevin wrote:Just wanted to stop in and say hello. I'm sorry about your daughter. It must have been heartbreaking.

I would like to set a goal to do something like you are doing - I currently run/walk about a 50/50 split, but the running is faster than jogging. I might look at that site and see about it!

One thing that always helps when I begin to get shin splints - I concentrate on landing with my foot under my hip and running "behind" me. I don't know how to better describe it, but landing with my foot further forward seems to hurt my shins a lot more. Just a thought. You may have already worked through this.

Good luck!
Kevin,

I know if I ran, I wouldn't be able to condition myself. People that use this program to run marathons say that first you need to get the conditioning, then the speed will follow. I am faster than I was at week 0, so it seems that it would be the case.

As far as my daughter goes, thanks for the good words. Her smile had touched hundreds, if not thousands of people, and I was so thankful to have every day that I had with her. My wife and I knew about her condition before she was born, and glad we made the right decision. If it was not for her, I would be well on my way to 300 lbs, so I have her to thank for my motivation. During every shovelglove workout, I look at the pictures that we have on her for extra motivation.

I'm sure my form is not ideal, and I've been focusing on leaning too far forward which causes my lower back pain. I'll have to read up on how to improve for my legs as well.

Bill

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Post by koopa » Sun Apr 03, 2011 11:57 pm

Week 3 Day 2: Success

New shoes have done some interesting things.

1. no back pain.
2. Minor shin pain (not sure if it was the shoes or just time)
3. Foot pain - this is new. I'm chalking this up to needing to break in the shoes.

This time, I didn't shy away from the big hill in the track. Last workout, I opted to reverse course and avoid this, but I decided I would tackle this hill, which I was forced to do twice. The course I run on is only .5 miles, so I am currently doing about a mile and a 1/2 to 2 miles (counting the warmup and cooldown walks) so me and the hill meet each other a lot.

Where is the fun if it was easy?

Next week, I am training a new employee, and my work schedule is going to be all messed up. They are making me go into NYC for 3 days in a row, instead of my normal tuesday thursday routine so this is going to screw up my running schedule. Typically, I do great at workouts until something changes, so I'm hoping that I can work through this. Here is the current plan:

Monday - Urban ranger from grand central to the office (25 minutes) then UR at end of day. (35-40 minutes. For those of you that are not familiar with the walk to grand central from the chelsea area, it is all up hill) When I used to take the train into the city, I would typically walk to the office, but take the subway back. In true UR spirit, I'll walk both ways.

No run for monday.

Tuesday - Repeat monday's schedule

Wednesday - Repeat tuesday's schedule. Run after dinner in the dark. I'm not overly pleased with this, and not sure if my park is open at night. The worst case, I can run on thursday and Saturday, but time will tell.

koopa
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Post by koopa » Sat Apr 09, 2011 8:08 pm

Well, all good plans never unfold as designed.

Monday: Success. I walked from grand central and back again. A co-worker joined me on the walk back to GC, it was fun.

Tuesday: Failure (softa): I drove into the city due to the fact that the president of my company was going to take myself and my new employee out to dinner. Needless to say, it made more sense to drive in. I did walk from little Italy to the Chelsea area, which was about a 1/2 an hour walk.

Wednesday: Failure: I walked from GC and back. So this was a success, but I did not run.

Thursday: Failure: The new plan was to run on thursday, but I this also fell through. I had to leave work on time since I was going to visit my wife's cousins new babies and we had to leave at 5. Needless to say, I got done with work at 5.

Friday: Success: Finished up Week 3 day 3. Had more shin pain, but not sure what to compare it to since I do not have a good memory of how it felt prior. Amazing what a week without running will do!

Saturday: Success: UR'd it up since it was a nice day out. Picked up a Nike+ and it said that I burned 267 calories and walked for 1.4 miles. Amazing what 25 minutes will do!

Kevin
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Post by Kevin » Sun Apr 10, 2011 12:40 pm

I looked at the web site, and I'm starting today. Thanks for the unintentional inspiration. :)

Only question, do you have a 30 second countdown timer or something that helps you keep track of the time? Or do you just use a watch?

Would it make almost as much sense to count paces rather than seconds? It seems like it would relate fairly well, although walking paces are longer in duration.
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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Post by koopa » Mon Apr 11, 2011 12:56 am

Kevin wrote:I looked at the web site, and I'm starting today. Thanks for the unintentional inspiration. :)

Only question, do you have a 30 second countdown timer or something that helps you keep track of the time? Or do you just use a watch?

Would it make almost as much sense to count paces rather than seconds? It seems like it would relate fairly well, although walking paces are longer in duration.
Kevin,

I use a two tiered system to keep time.

1. I have a stop watch to know what interval I'm in. Its simple and hits comfortably in my hand. This does not hinder me while running.
2. I purchased the nike+ app for the iTouch. Its great because it gives the breakdown of my running and provides stats. It is like a treadmill while running outside. This keeps track of my total workout, warmup, the workout, the cooldown. I set this for 30 minutes to keep track of my pace.

I think counting paces would be too hard, especially later on in the program.

Bill

koopa
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Post by koopa » Mon Apr 11, 2011 1:04 am

Workout 4 Day 1: SUCCESS!!!!!!

Weight: 256

This equates to running for 3 minutes, walking for 90 seconds, running for 5 minutes, walking for 2.5 minutes. Repeat.

Considering, getting into this initially, I remember having problems running for a minute, I am now able to run for 5! Had a bit of shin pain, but nothing like friday. I think I had my shoe laces on too tight as I loosened em up for this run, and much more successful.

I'm toying with the idea of going out on Monday and performing the week 3 workout. I think the W4 workout is a bit intense on a back to back, but the week 3 was a bit easier to do. Time will tell tomorrow.

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Post by reinhard » Tue Apr 12, 2011 1:20 pm

Koopa,

Nice work, fellow ranger!

Sorry it's taken me so long to pop in here.

My heart goes out to you regarding your daughter. I can barely imagine.

Give my regards to NYC (my old home town),

Reinhard

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Post by koopa » Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:58 pm

reinhard wrote:Koopa,

Nice work, fellow ranger!

Sorry it's taken me so long to pop in here.

My heart goes out to you regarding your daughter. I can barely imagine.

Give my regards to NYC (my old home town),

Reinhard
Reinhard,

Indeed, I have spent a lot of time in Boston as well (the most amazing children's hospital in the world) and enjoy romping around there. Glad I don't live in NYC through. Like Boston, its nice to visit (and work) but much rather being in CT (except for the commute)

Thanks for stopping by and saying hi... (It only took you a month :)

Bill

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Post by koopa » Tue Apr 12, 2011 3:02 pm

Extra Monday workout: Success

I performed a week prior workout to ensure that I didn't go in excess and it was mostly successful. I was able to get through the time allotted (1.5 minute jog, then 3 minute jog with walking in the middle) but I did not have an "on" day. There is a few factions that contribute to this:

1. It was bizarrely hot yesterday. My car said it was 80 degrees. I had sweat pants on.... :?
2. W4D1 was a killer workout and the legs probably could have used the day recovery. My shins didn't really bother me, but moreover leg soreness. This is a much happier feeling than the shin pain, but made the jogging portions drag on.

Thankfully, I didn't give up, but I might have to invest in a treadmill if I cannot adjust to the heat. I am not worried as of yet.

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Post by Kevin » Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:05 pm

Just wanted you to know I started the Couch to 2K program yesterday. So, by my birthday (June 15) I should be ready to run the whole 5K...

Thanks for the inspiration.
Kevin
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"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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Post by koopa » Tue Apr 12, 2011 10:45 pm

Kevin wrote:Just wanted you to know I started the Couch to 2K program yesterday. So, by my birthday (June 15) I should be ready to run the whole 5K...

Thanks for the inspiration.
If you run by distance, then yes.

If you run by time, then possibly not. By the end of the program, I will probably only be able to run 2.5 miles. Regardless, it is a well worth endeavor.

Also you probably could start a week 2 since you have a better conditioning than I did. It's a nice program and pretty easy to follow.

Koopa

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Post by koopa » Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:18 pm

Wednesday: Success

Had a bit of a tough time with going 3 minutes, then only having a 90 second walk before the 5 minutes. I can tough through it, but it is a rough session. I did cheat a little, the 90 second walk ended at the peak of the big hill, so I walked up the rest of it prior to running. I wouldn't mark this in the failed category as the course that I use is really not productive for beginning running. Of course, if I stick with it, it will make me a much better runner, so I just have to suck it up.

I also have a problem with my pace. The first 3 minute and 5 minute jog sessions were too fast and burned me out for the second round. The second round, I was going much slower, but my legs stopped co-operating with me... I know the last 5 minute run was not good form as my right leg didn't bend as much and I was kinda hobble jogging as opposed to having a fluid form.

As I always say at the middle of the week, I'm debating holding back and repeating a few of the days as this current regiment is pretty tough to accomplish. I'm looking ahead at W5D1 and it actually looks easier to do though, besides the fact that it is 3 5 minute runs, it also has longer cool-off times as well, which is what my body would have liked.

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Post by sarah.grace » Thu Apr 14, 2011 2:13 pm

Congrats on your progress thus far! Especially sticking with the program! :)

I was doing c25k recently, I think I quit in week 9. (I was doing the program to convince myself to like running, and when I still hated it after 9 weeks I gave up.)
going 3 minutes, then only having a 90 second walk before the 5 minutes
I remember ^^ that one- I think it was one of the most difficult of the whole program for me!

koopa
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Post by koopa » Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:57 pm

Seems I did a bad job of updating so no time like the present...

Thursday: Success. Due to high gas prices, I plan on taking the train some more, and I UR'd from the train station to the office, to the client site, to the train station again. All in all, it equated to a few minutes. Good times.

Friday: Success. Finished the W4D3 session and felt like I could have gone longer. A great feeling. Also do not remember having major pains which is bueno!

Sunday: Success: Finished W5D1 which I believe is easier than week 4.

Week 5Day 1 is 5 minutes of jogging, 3 minutes of waling, 5 of jogging, 3 of walking, 5 of jogging. Much easier than the 90 seconds rest between jog sessions.

I think I will redo W5D1 today as I continue to do 4 days in the week instead of 3. Legs are sore, but should be fine.

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Post by Kevin » Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:48 pm

Just finished Week 1 of Couch to 5K. Thanks again for talking about it.
Kevin
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"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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Post by koopa » Tue Apr 19, 2011 11:22 am

Kevin wrote:Just finished Week 1 of Couch to 5K. Thanks again for talking about it.
Excellent! Lets knock it out of the park together! Though tough, it gets a lot more fun around the week 3 or week 4 period when you start to notice significant improvements in your running distance.

Monday: Success. Since I do not count monday's in my weekly schedule, I did another session of W5D1 since it gave more walking periods than W4 did. While you are jogging more, it was by far an easier workout than the W4 was.

I also read on another forum that to fix my sleeping feet problem to un-lace my top loop on my shoe. I did this and WOW what a difference! I had feeling in my feet the entire time, takes a load off of me that there was any problems...... :D :D :D

I still have some problems with my right leg in general, but I think that is due to the fact that my left side is stronger due to the fact that I do more dominant activities with my left hand. I prime example would be that I bowled for several years. The issues are no where near as bad as they were when I started, so this is definitely a good thing.

As of now, it looks like Wednesday is not going to happen on the running front. My wife is demanding that I give blood to have an official determination of my blood type. She wants to avoid the RH shot with this new child on the way. I think that she is nuts, as this creates a huge liability if the child is not mine (not reason to think that it is not, but on a hospital standpoint, they have no reason to trust her) and the shot has very small side effects but the rewards are much higher; like not dying and having the ability to have children again.

Regardless, I have learned a long time ago to not disagree with a pregnant woman... I will now have to swallow my fears of needles and give blood for the first time. Who knows, maybe this is all I needed in order to give blood on a more consistent basis. My daughter needed blood after several operations, so if nothing else, at least I am giving back.

koopa
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Post by koopa » Tue Apr 19, 2011 11:33 am

sarah.grace wrote:Congrats on your progress thus far! Especially sticking with the program! :)

I was doing c25k recently, I think I quit in week 9. (I was doing the program to convince myself to like running, and when I still hated it after 9 weeks I gave up.)
going 3 minutes, then only having a 90 second walk before the 5 minutes
I remember ^^ that one- I think it was one of the most difficult of the whole program for me!
Shame you didn't finish it....I mean, you only needed to go one more week!

Running is a huge commitment and I'm not sure how I will handle it in the hot summer and snow. ATM, I'm worried about the summer time as I don't do well in the heat. I think I'd do better in the winter, (as I started doing this in 30 degree weather) but the track I use is closed from Nov to March, so I'd need to find a different place to work out or purchase a treadmill.

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Post by koopa » Sun Apr 24, 2011 12:55 am

wednesday: pass. I indeed did give blood on wednesday so I did not end up going for ur. no problems with it, went better than I expected.

Friday: success - did W5D2 with flying colors. The first 8 minutes went perfect, and walked for 5 minutes. Then the second 8 minutes, it was rough, but I was able to get through it.

Ovbously, Sunday is easter, so no URing for me... :) I'm looking forward to Monday to perform the 20 minute jog. For everyone of you who are keeping track, monday will complete the primary goal of being able to jog for more than 1 mile without walking. Exciting times!!!

koopa
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Post by koopa » Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:06 am

Monday: Failure

Primary goal: SUCCESS!!!!!

Technically, this is the first workout that falls under the failure category. the goal was to be able to run for 20 minutes, but I only was able to sustain continous running for 16 minutes. I was able to run a mile in 13 minutes, so all not a bad workout. It was hot out and the hill had direct sunlight, so after going over the hill for the third time, I had to call it quits. 16 minutes of cotinous runs is nothing to scuff at though!!!

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Post by Kevin » Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:23 am

No, it isn't, especially if you went from winter to summer this week like we did.
koopa wrote:Monday: Failure

Primary goal: SUCCESS!!!!!

Technically, this is the first workout that falls under the failure category. the goal was to be able to run for 20 minutes, but I only was able to sustain continous running for 16 minutes. I was able to run a mile in 13 minutes, so all not a bad workout. It was hot out and the hill had direct sunlight, so after going over the hill for the third time, I had to call it quits. 16 minutes of cotinous runs is nothing to scuff at though!!!
Kevin
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"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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Post by koopa » Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:29 am

Kevin wrote:No, it isn't, especially if you went from winter to summer this week like we did.
Indeed, it was much nicer out for me to do my exercise, I preferred it when it was about 40 degrees out. Wednesday is the next day to try out the 20 minute monster, but I figured I already can bang out 16 minutes, if I can hit that, then perhaps I will be able to get to the 20, or at least 17. Baby steps...I'm in no rush :)


BTW: How are you doing with the program?

Bill

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Post by koopa » Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:40 am

Wednesday: Success

I must admit. I cheated. I decided to perform the 20 minute session on a treadmill instead of outside. I heard rumors that running on a treadmill is easier than running outside, so I wanted to the extra boost to ensure that I am able to run for 20 minutes. Of course, it turned out to be BEAUTIFUL outside, and I really wish I would have just attempted it outside again. Here is how I found treadmill running:

1. I am slower on a treadmill than I am outdoors. I walk at a pace of 24 minutes to a mile instead of the 18/20 minutes outside.
2. I jog slower on a treadmill than I am outdoors. I found I was comfortable at a pace of 17 minute mile, compared to my 13 minute mile I did on monday.
3. I felt like I was power walking more so than jogging. My stride is wider, and it feels like I was walking instead of my jog stride. I think if I spent more time on a treadmill, I can clear this one up.
4. My gym has a TV mounted on the wall, but the treadmill is right up against it, so I am breaking good form in order to view the TV. This caused my legs to hurt more, which made the exercise session more dreadful.

Due to my slow pace, I did not have any problems with breathing, and I sure sweat up the place, so it isn't like I didn't get a good workout in there. I stayed with it until I hit 2 miles and I'm pretty content with that.

The lesson is, I will only go on the treadmill if it is too hot to run, the experience didn't really impress me all that much.

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Post by koopa » Sun May 01, 2011 12:52 am

Friday: failure

Didn't get a chance to run. I had to assist an employee do a network install two hours after I was supposed to leave work. I did get to go for a walk with my pregnant wife for 20 minutes. It wasn't a complete waste.

Saturday: Success.

Weight: 252

W6D1 is in the bag. I had some trouble getting through it, but made it. My right leg was not feeling right, and cramped up after the second interval. I had to walk an extra minute for it to go away, but then was able to complete it successfully.

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Post by Kevin » Sun May 01, 2011 1:20 pm

I guess you'll sweat more because you don't create a "head wind" on the treadmill.

I'm not doing too well on the program. It's been hard to find a consistent time to do so. Because of the Type I diabetes, running around dinner time is hard (my Bg plummets), and my wife runs the dog in the morning... I'm going to try a little harder this week.
koopa wrote:Wednesday: Success

I must admit. I cheated. I decided to perform the 20 minute session on a treadmill instead of outside. I heard rumors that running on a treadmill is easier than running outside, so I wanted to the extra boost to ensure that I am able to run for 20 minutes. Of course, it turned out to be BEAUTIFUL outside, and I really wish I would have just attempted it outside again. Here is how I found treadmill running:

1. I am slower on a treadmill than I am outdoors. I walk at a pace of 24 minutes to a mile instead of the 18/20 minutes outside.
2. I jog slower on a treadmill than I am outdoors. I found I was comfortable at a pace of 17 minute mile, compared to my 13 minute mile I did on monday.
3. I felt like I was power walking more so than jogging. My stride is wider, and it feels like I was walking instead of my jog stride. I think if I spent more time on a treadmill, I can clear this one up.
4. My gym has a TV mounted on the wall, but the treadmill is right up against it, so I am breaking good form in order to view the TV. This caused my legs to hurt more, which made the exercise session more dreadful.

Due to my slow pace, I did not have any problems with breathing, and I sure sweat up the place, so it isn't like I didn't get a good workout in there. I stayed with it until I hit 2 miles and I'm pretty content with that.

The lesson is, I will only go on the treadmill if it is too hot to run, the experience didn't really impress me all that much.
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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Post by koopa » Tue May 03, 2011 11:58 am

Kevin wrote:I guess you'll sweat more because you don't create a "head wind" on the treadmill.

I'm not doing too well on the program. It's been hard to find a consistent time to do so. Because of the Type I diabetes, running around dinner time is hard (my Bg plummets), and my wife runs the dog in the morning... I'm going to try a little harder this week.
Indeed finding the perfect time to exercise is always a tough one for me. I had to wake up an extra 15 minutes a day to shovelglove, and that was a chore in the beginning. It is especially hard for the days I go into NYC, I need to wake up at 4:15 AM and every day my body SCREAMS to have the extra time asleep. Sometimes the brain needs to just kick in and say who is boss!

I am lucky as I work from home 3 days a week, and after work, I go for my runs. I get out at 4 PM, so it is a decent time to go out and get some exercise. I am sure in another month or 2, I probably will be cursing this time, or just moving my workout to a treadmill :P

W6D2: Success

I found that this day was a bit tough to get through. I had some issues with the first 10 minutes, and during the 3 minute walk, my right ankle cramped up again. Instead of running after 3 minutes, I decided to give it another minute to walk through the cramp. This seemed to help, and I was able to complete the second 10 minute jog, but it was a chore to get through to say the least. The last 2 minutes of the second interval were like torture and my right ankle was KILLING me. I knew it wasn't anything serious, and just needed to chug through it. It took 2 minutes after the run in order for the pain in my foot to subside. I feel fine today, not sore at all.

I think that my ability to just squeak by each week is starting to catch up to me, and I need to listen to my body and I will repeat W6D2 again until it feels better and not like I am giving everything I got to stay upright. Can't complain too much though, I was able to run outside for 20 minutes, something I never would be able to accomplish before this program!!!

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Post by koopa » Thu May 05, 2011 12:40 pm

W6D2 R1: Success

Weight: 251.1

Yesterday, it was a treadmill day as it was yucky out. Still did the 10 minutes, 3 minutes, 10 minutes of running and had some ankle issues. I found an article that detailed running as a minimum instead of your maximum and it hit home for me. The new goal is to continue doing W6D2 of the program until I do not have any ankle or shin pains. What I like about W6D2 is that it is the last day of the program that does interval training (walking in the middle) but you get a decent amount of run time (20 minutes) so I feel productive, even though I am not "moving forward" with the program.

Basically, I was not doing the program correctly. I was doing the program to my maximum abilities, instead of doing it as my minimum. Just because I have the potential to run 10 miles, doesn't mean I SHOULD be running 10 miles on every workout session.... Think about it!

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Post by koopa » Mon May 09, 2011 5:05 pm

W6D2 R2: Success

Did this outside on Saturday and the weather cooperated perfectly. Using my new theory of minimum being my maximum, the run went so much easier than it has prior. My legs did not hurt as much, no shin pain. The first 10 minutes went by without a much to do. It almost made running enjoyable as opposed to work! Hopefully, I will do today as well, then proceed with moving forward on the program.

Unfortunately, I had pulled a muscle on Saturday gardening (Go shovelglove protected my arms nicely) in my upper leg. I took Sunday easy and just push mowered a little bit. I didn't go walking like I normally do. It is feeling a bit better, and I think with the proper stretching, it should be fine to do the run, but we'll see. If it is bothering me after the 5 minute walk, I might just walk for a 1/2 an hour instead. Time will tell.

Also, due to all the work on Saturday, the scale says I weigh 249 lbs!

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Tue May 10, 2011 12:58 am

koopa wrote: Also, due to all the work on Saturday, the scale says I weigh 249 lbs!
congrats! :)
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Post by koopa » Tue May 10, 2011 11:46 am

W6D2 R2: Success

So, I decided to change it up a little bit. I figured that 10 minutes was getting me close to a mile, I might as well actually RUN the mile, so I did. I did the mile in 13 minutes, my best recorded time. This is, of course, injured. I jogged a little bit slower yesterday because while it didn't HURT, I could feel the muscle not be overly happy with me the entire time. Today, I feel 90%, and I think the jogging actually helped it rather than hurt it.

So back to the jog! I did the first mile, then walked for 3 minutes, then decided that I would do a total jog of 20 minutes and ran for 7 minutes.

As always, the legs cooperated better before the walking in the middle. I contemplated just continuing on with the program and attempting the 25 minute jog, but I probably am not ready to do it and didn't want to set myself up for failure. The new strategy is to do 2 minutes past the mile and see how we do. Then continue to tack on 2 minutes until I get to the 25 minute mark, and will just continue with the program. This is how the trainer that came up with minimum as the maximum outlines getting to run for 30 minutes, and the strategy has definitely been working for me so far.

While it might take a little while longer to get to run for 30 minutes straight, I'm also not in a rush! I much rather enjoy going for my runs rather than to force myself to do it. Not to mention, avoiding getting injured!

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Post by koopa » Thu May 12, 2011 1:54 am

W5D3 R1: Success

So, yes, I know, I am on W6D2 right? Why on earth am I going back in time? Well, I proceeded to run my mile again, and was like, you know, I never did complete W5D3 outside, perhaps today is the day? YES! Here is the new plan. I am going to do W5D3 2 more times, than increase to 25 minutes and continue to W6D3. I was feeling it after going the 20 minutes, I need more time to build up the feet. Hitting that hill every 1/2 mile is what is killing me. The more I run, the more I hit it. It takes a long time for me to get adjusted to going up it, but thats part of the fun!

Today, I did 1.5 mile jog, the most that I have ran continuous, EVER! I then proceeded to walk the rest of the 5k and clocked in at 54 minutes. Its hard to believe that in another month, I will be able to run this distance, but I also never EVER would have believed that I would be able to jog 1.5 miles either!

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Post by koopa » Sun May 15, 2011 8:26 pm

W6D3: Success

Well, as anyone in the NYC area knows, it is bad weather out, so I decided to hit the treadmill and see how things go. Well, I set the speed and went at it and it was a remarkable success. I had no pain in my legs, and breathing was just right. I went the 20 minutes, and decided, why not go for W6D3 and get it behind us.

Done.

Then, noticed that I was close to running for 2 miles, so why not acheive this.

Done.

Well, with 2 minutes left to go, why not run for 30 minutes.....

Done.

Honestly, I had enough gas to go even farther, but figured I would quit while the gettings good. I then decided to walk for the next 30 minutes, ended up completing a 5k in 55 minutes.

This is just another prime example of how my normal route is much harder than if I just ran on a track. If I wanted to take the easy way out, I could just perform the rest of the runs on the treadmill and call it a day. Running for 30 minutes on the track I started seems like a victory that I want to taste though.

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Post by koopa » Wed May 18, 2011 1:27 pm

W7D1: Success

For those of us in the NYC area know, the weather has been rather dismal, so it was another treadmill day. This run was hard and had a lot of issues, but they can all be logically explained.

1. I did not get good sleep monday night. I went to the mets game and didn't get home until 1 AM.
2. I do not typically run on tuesdays. Since the mets game was a company sponsored event, I had no guilt to work from home and get some much needed sleep.
3. I ate wayyyyy too much food at the mets game. I mean way too much. Seriously. Just because it was free, doesn't mean I had to eat it all....
4. I am getting a tad of a cold. I could have pushed it more, but didn't want to overdue it.
5. My wife had dinner plans and wanted me to get home no later than 5:30. I like to have a nice long cooldown walk, didn't want to impose on that.

Anywho.... 25 minute run is still in the bag, and I get to move forward with the program. I may just do treadmill for the rest of the program as I know I can do the time intervals on the treadmill, while I still struggle outside... I would love to have the program finished by the time the baby is born, just so I can say I completed it...silly isn't it?

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Post by koopa » Wed May 25, 2011 2:30 am

Seems I haven't updated in awhile....

W7D2: Success. On treadmill and no major issues.
W7D3: Success. On treadmill and was done after 4 days of rest. I went on vacation to wildwood and didn't get a lot of exercise in, but did manage to eat too much food. Thankfully, weight gain did not occur too badly, still hovering at 247. If it wasn't for my "setback" I would be enjoying a 245/240 weight, but hey, whats life if you can't go living it right?!?!?! :D

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Post by koopa » Tue May 31, 2011 2:32 am

W8D1: Success
W8D2: Success - Performed 3k in 49 minutes. Ran two miles, walked the third.
W8D3: Success - Performed 3k in 44 minutes. Ran 2.3 miles, walked most of the rest. Did run the last .15.

Weight: 246

I am still hovering around 246, but the summer food season is happening, and well, I am partaking... No weight gain is a good thing though!

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Post by koopa » Thu Jun 02, 2011 7:34 pm

W9D1: Success
W9D2: Success
W9D3: Success

Well, I just wanted to recap the goals that I had when I started this journey:

Primary: Jog 1 Mile - ACHIEVED
Secondary: Jog 3 Miles - ACHIEVED
Secondary: lose more weight. - ACHIEVED - Down to 245 as of this morning

So, I wanted to graduate the C25K program by running a 5K. I mean, I've spent all this time but I was only running about 2.2 miles. 2.2 miles is NOT a 5k, last time I checked. So, since the wife had to work a night shift yesterday, I decided I would run at 7 PM after eating 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at 5:30. I figured this would give me enough energy to last a full 3 miles.

I get on the treadmill, and so, man, I should have a lot of gas, lets crank it to 4.5 instead of 4.4. W9D2, I had run a bit on 5 to finish up a walk/run of a 5k so I figured 4.5 was a piece of cake. Well, mentally, it was KILLING ME. My form was off, my legs hurt, I was getting out of whack with the run. I decided to slow it down but my running was all off and it was heading straight for disaster.

I decided to use a technique that I've read about and used before to get me through it. In my mind, I started chanting the following variations of this:

I LOVE TO RUN BECAUSE I AM STRONG
I LOVE TO RUN BECAUSE I AM STRONG
I LOVE TO RUN BECAUSE I AM STRONG

about 10 minutes of this, I am feeling better.
30 minutes into the run, I start to cramp in my side. This is probably due to eating dinner before running, something I don't typically do. I slow the treadmill to 4.3.
2 minutes later, I speed the treadmill to 4.4 again.
35 minutes go by.
40 minutes go by.
42 minutes, 5K of complete running has been achieved! I can say, this program does work, and it is amazing what I have been able to accomplish in such a short period of time.

Since I like programs, I think the next program I am going to try is the one hour runner guide. Honestly, I think in a week or two, I will be able to hit running for an hour, but I figured I might as well use the guide to keep me moving on a track. I've tried running in the past without a guide and gave up within a week or 2 of trying. Guides for me work!

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Post by Too solid flesh » Sun Jun 05, 2011 10:52 am

I've only just seen this thread. I'm so sorry about your daughter.

Very best wishes for the future. Please let us know when your baby is born. I do admire your determination to get fit for her/him.
Be kind, for everybody you meet is fighting a hard battle.

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Post by koopa » Tue Jun 28, 2011 2:41 pm

Baby was born last week. She is healthy (thank god) and doing great. She has been home since Friday and has been doing all the things a baby should be doing.

Weight: lowest was 241. Currently 245

Exercise:

2 days a week, I run for 30 to 33 minutes. I do roughly 2.6 miles total including warm up and cool down.

1 day a week, I run a 5k. It takes me about 40 minutes to complete.

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Thu Jun 30, 2011 1:59 am

koopa wrote:Baby was born last week. She is healthy (thank god) and doing great. She has been home since Friday and has been doing all the things a baby should be doing.
Congratulations! :)
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

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Post by reinhard » Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:46 pm

Congratulations, Koopa! Both on the running and your baby!

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Post by Joyofsix » Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:36 am

Congratulations! Thanks for giving me some inspiration to get moving.
Lisa, mom to 7

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Post by koopa » Thu Jul 07, 2011 5:29 pm

Here is the picture of the family


Image

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Post by koopa » Thu Jul 07, 2011 5:32 pm

Grumble. I hate dealing with HTML. Here is the link instead.


"http://blog.sillica.com/wp-content/upl ... G0052.jpg"

And with this :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: I give up :)

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Post by Too solid flesh » Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:22 am

What a lovely photo of your beautiful family. Many congratulations and very best wishes to you all.
Be kind, for everybody you meet is fighting a hard battle.

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Post by koopa » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:27 pm

Too solid flesh wrote:What a lovely photo of your beautiful family. Many congratulations and very best wishes to you all.
Thank you! The baby has been here for one month now (as of yesterday) and it is just good to have a child in the house again. Life feels much more natural again.


I'm still hovering between 240-245 but I'm expecting the weight to drop a bit more when my wife goes back to work (August 9th). She works nights 1/2 of the week, and those nights I eat a much more frugal dinner than when she is home.

BTW, today is my 30th birthday. The only disappointing thing is that I didn't hit 239 by my 30th. I much rather have the little one to take care of though!

New goal for 239 is the end of August. Considering thats only 4 lbs, I don't see why I wouldn't hit it :P

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Post by Joyofsix » Sat Jul 23, 2011 1:00 am

Happy Birthday
Lisa, mom to 7

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Post by Too solid flesh » Sat Jul 23, 2011 7:49 am

Many happy returns!
Be kind, for everybody you meet is fighting a hard battle.

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Post by koopa » Fri Oct 28, 2011 1:16 pm

Just rehashing my rantings in this thread. So weight seems to have stalled out at 235 but still going strong with the running. I am running 5 days a week, doing 3 to 5 miles a session. On saturdays, I am running about 7-12 miles depending on what the guides tell me to do. So far, this has been working for me.

Baby is 4 months old and doing great. This is a good time to have a baby as all they do is smile all the time. They also don't move, so perfect children!

Faith's birthday was a little rough....hard to plan a birthday for a child that is no longer here. Not looking forward to Christmas as it will mark the 1 year of losing her.

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Post by koopa » Fri Mar 09, 2012 2:48 pm

Well, if anyone cares, still doing well on the weight loss front. Down to 226. Started and completed P90X which didn't really do much for weight loss, but took 2 inches off my middle region. During the P90X craze, I scaled back the running, doing 3 miles 4 days a week and no long running days. Instead of doing the P90x cardio, I did running as I felt I got better results.

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Post by prettysparklies » Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:53 pm

Awesome work!! It makes me want to get out there and do some running :) Congrats on your better health!

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Post by smithld » Wed Jan 21, 2015 8:30 am

I just started a couch to 5k program this week. Reading your progress gives me inspiration that I can do it too!! Thank you!
You satisfy me more than the richest of foods. Psalm 63:5 (NLT)

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Post by tatyana jones » Mon Aug 20, 2018 1:37 pm

koopa wrote:Week 3 Workout 1: success

Weight: 258

Nothing like going for a jog in the rain to inspire someone to attempt to jump to the next week worth of training. This is jog for 90 second, walk for 90 seconds, jog for 3 minutes, walk for 3 minutes. I workout these days and get Crazy Bulk https://getveriuni.com/ Shin pain was less, which seems to just be adding muscle or something. Also bought new sneakers, so going to see if that helps or hurt me :)

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