C25K Training Revisited

When I wrote my last post I knew I was forgetting to write about something else. I have a horrible memory!!! I need to start taking some ginkgo biloba or something! Saturday, the 15th, the my 4 month running anniversary! I cannot believe I have been exercising that long...especially RUNNING!!! The longest I have gone without running is nine days, which happened twice, but the first time I walked 7 miles with my Crim training group in between runs...and the second time I walked the 10 mile Crim race in between so I think I'm justified. : )

I hardly EVER stick to anything for this long...the last time I did was when I lost the 40 lbs. in 4 months back in 2009-10. So while I am very proud of myself for the accomplishments I have made during this past four months...which include two 5k races, a 10 mile and an 8 mile race and FIFTY-THREE other running/walking workouts...I do worry that I'm just moments away from falling off the fitness wagon back into my old habits.

I still struggle daily with the nutrition aspect of this journey. While I have been able to stay within my desired daily caloric intake for the most part I still struggle with making healthy food choices. I am finding that, while I use to think that the exercise part of getting healthy was the most difficult, in reality it is the nutrition aspect that completely bewilders me! I'm not so dense that I don't know what "healthy" foods are, but it just seems so difficult to make a meal that not only will I find appealing and palatable, but that my family will as well. I can look at a million different healthy recipes and websites with healthy eating tips...but I seriously feel like I need to have someone come into my house and take me grocery shopping and then cook the meals with me! I am a visual learner, I guess.

Oh well, I had to start somewhere and if that's with getting into an exercise routine and counting the calories in my Lean Cuisine's then so be it!!!

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On Saturday night I went to an 80's themed rollerskating party for a friend of mine. She always wanted to have a rollerskating birthday party so she decided to throw one for herself...at 29! : ) I use to take rollerskating lessons when I was a kid. I wore the little costumes, did routines, and took 'tests' for medals. When I was about eleven I started taking ballet classes to help with being more elegant and dance-like in my routines. I ended up enjoying dance a lot more and dropped the rollerskating, but I still went to the roller rink on the weekends with friends. It was the IT thing to do when I was in 7th grade! After I outgrew my skates though I think I've only been rollerskating at a rink (David and I roller BLADED around Mackinac Island when we were 19) maybe 3-4 times...including this last Saturday. The last time being a few years ago and I did HORRIBLY!!! I wasn't much better on Saturday but I got the hang of going around in circles by the first hour! WHAT A WORKOUT!!! My thighs, calves, ankles, and feet killed...but I was having so much fun I didn't stop for TWO HOURS!!! I didn't realize just how much I was exerting myself until I did sit down for a minute and the sweat started to pour off of me! Zipping around the rink gave a nice steady breeze to keep me cool...I was thankful for the sweat head band I was wearing along with my side ponytail for the 80's theme.

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I was suppose to start round 1.5 of C25K training on Saturday, but I went to the party instead. I was going to just run on Sunday...but I was SOOOO sore when I woke up on Sunday! I'm thinking maybe I should take up skating again as a cross training workout!!! So I didn't run until tonight and I was still pretty sore...especially my left ankle. I had my ankle wrapped all day and wasn't sure if I was going to run at all, but I convinced myself that my ankle was just sore, not injured, and that my left ankle was so much more sore than my right because I was continually turning left around the skating rink.

So tonight's workout took me back to Week 5 of C25K training so that I could do based on distance instead of time. It also took me back to intervals...which I HATE!!! Intervals are so much harder than just running for a specified amount of time or distance straight. I don't like to stop and start running again and again...but it does improve your endurance.

Tonight's workout had me running three separate half mile intervals separated by quarter mile walking intervals. I knew it was going to take me longer to complete the workout than it did the first time around because the training is based on a 10:00 min./mile pace...so you'd be running a half mile in five minutes (YEAH RIGHT!). I didn't do too badly though. Although, I haven't compared my splits side by side with how they looked the first time around. I'll post them both here so I (and you) can see the difference.

C25K Week 5 Day 1 (Time) 7/6/12

C25K Week 5 Day 1 (Distance) 9/17/12

So I have definitely improved. If I did the math right and my pace would've stayed the same for each interval completed for distance instead of time (which NEVER would've happened...but this is hypothetical...to make me feel good) it would have taken me 42:09 to complete the workout. That's 2:20 shaved off of my time in two months...not bad...I think. I'm not really sure what's considered a "good" amount in a two month period.

I like comparing the workouts. Its cool to see how far I've come. I think I'll do this for every C25K workout. : )

Ok, I'm done boring you with numbers and whining. I hope everyone had as good a Monday as Monday's can be...and that you all have a good Tuesday. I definitely will because Sons of Anarchy is on tomorrow night! ; ) LOVE  that show! I'm also working on a before & after post to add to my tabs at the top of the blog...so keep an eye out for that. I know I love the before and after pictures on weight loss blogs...its one of the first things I look for when I visit a new blog so I thought I should have one too. : )