Week #5 Session #3 (x2!)

The task here was to run for twenty minutes!  I doubted whether I could do that - such a jump from eight minute runs! I felt pooky Friday when I was supposed to do it, so I postponed to Saturday. I also bargained myself down:  I figured 12 minutes was over a mile, and I had never actually run a mile before. So I figured if I got my mile in, I could break for a walk and finish out the twenty minutes after the break.

I was on a deadline to get out of the house for an appointment, and I slept in, so it was off to the basement with barely a cup of coffee inside. I started at my fast running speed of 5.5 mph, and after ten minutes lowered it to 5.0 mph, and after I hit my mile I decided to keep going to fifteen minutes, but at my slow jog of 4.8 mph. The heart rate got up to 150 bpm by the end of the first ten minutes, and didn't slow down (but also didn't climb) after I dropped the speed. I was also gasping for air - I certainly could not have carried on a conversation. After fifteen minutes I was dying for a drink of water and broke for a three minute walk. I have a spiffy water bottle with built in straw I got for a Christmas present. I can drink while walking, even walking briskly, since with the straw I don't have to tilt my head back. But I can't run and drink at all.  This was part of the problem of jumping on the treadmill without having spent enough time getting ready.  After three minutes, the heart rate was down in the 120s and I finished the last five minutes - but they were a hard slog, and I ended at 4.7 mph and reached to slow it down the second I tripped the minute mark.

I was both proud of myself for running a whole mile (+), but I was sad I hadn't lived up to the prescribed workout routine.  I really enjoyed the feeling of running, even while I was doing most of it. And I really enjoyed the feeling which lingered for fairly long afterwards. But I had been somewhat ambivalent about getting up and getting started. I sensed the enthusiasm beginning to wain. In the afternoon, I somehow ended up having to kill some time near an outdoor outfitter, and ended up with some new running pants and a new high tech fabric t-shirt. I am consciously rewarding myself for keeping this up, and building in incentives like wearing new clothes.

So I decided to give the long run a try again this morning. I also had the brilliant insight that maybe I should start more slowly, rather than boost the heart rate up so quickly.  This morning, I woke with the sun after almost a whole eight hours of sleep. I drank a couple of cups of coffee, and also a good glass of water, and remembered to pee right before starting, as well. I put on my new clothes, happy they fit.  I started the run at 5.1 mph (I meant to punch in 5.0 but missed and then decided my body wouldn't know the difference).

I made it the whole twenty minutes!!!!

My heart rate took its time getting up there, and I did slow down to 4.8 mph for the last five minutes, but I was not totally wiped out at the end. I went on to finish the whole 5K at a walk, and even put in a final two minute FAST run because I was recovered and I was bored with walking.  I am now certain I'll be able to keep building up to be able to run the whole 5K on the treadmill. The routine for the next couple of weeks is shorter runs for the first two sessions, and a longer and longer one for the last session of the week. I think the idea is a faster pace for the shorter runs and keep going more slowly for the longer ones.

I'm going to be able to do this.  Stats today:  for the first 30 minutes, I covered 3.3 miles at a speed of 4.5 mph and a pace of 13.26 minutes per mile.  For the whole 5K, I finished in 43.3 minutes, which is a speed of 4.3 mph and a pace of 13.93 minutes per mile.