The C25K program consists of three workouts per week for nine weeks. This is the results of the workout for week six, day two.

Program: Brisk five-minute warmup walk.  10 minute run.  3 minute walk.  10 minute run.  Five-minute cool-down walk.

Result: I completed the workout as planned. My heart rate averaged 143 bpm and peaked at 173 bpm. Including the warm-up and cool-down walks, I did 2.31 miles in 37:19 for an average speed of 3.72 mph (16:09 minute/mile).

I expected a workout and I got one.  Now, I’m just tired.  It’s a struggle trying to think of what to write.  Something will come to me.  Even though it just happened, it seems kind of blurry in my memory.  Parts of it stand out, though.  I did a similar route to the last two workouts, an out an back.  It was interesting and nice to reach the same turn around point of W5D3 at the end of the first run interval an realize that, for this workout, I still needed to walk another minute and a half before turning around.  Perhaps as expected, the distance is increasing with the time.  It was also interesting when I reviewed the data.  The split for the second run interval was slightly faster than for the first.  For the first, I did 0.72 miles in 10:03.53 for a 13:56 pace.  For the second, I did 0.72 miles in 10:03.04 for a 13:52 pace.  Though the difference is small, I am surprised the second was faster as I was more tired.  My ability to keep pushing is getting better.  I’ll need that in a couple of days as I combine the two ten minute run segments, run instead of walk for the three minutes, and add two more minutes of running.  I’ll certainly need to push more for that one.

The C25K program consists of three workouts per week for nine weeks. This is the results of the workout for week six, day one.

Program: Brisk five-minute warmup walk.  5 minute run.  3 minute walk.  8 minute run.  3 minute walk.  5 minute run.  Five-minute cool-down walk.

Result: I completed the workout as planned. My heart rate averaged 135 bpm and peaked at 159 bpm. Including the warm-up and cool-down walks, I did 2.22 miles in 36:31 for an average speed of 3.65 mph (16:26 minute/mile).

As with many prior workouts, this one was tough. I still think the week four workouts were more difficult, though.  From reading others experiences, I knew to expect it to be difficult and to not be overconfident after the twenty minute run of W5D3.  Though there are two minutes less running than on W5D3, overall, this workout is longer because of the extra walking.  The first five minute run interval went well.  The eight minute run interval was more difficult.  My calves and achilles started burning half way through and I had to push to complete it.  I did manage to maintain under an 11:00 minute/mile pace for the first minute of that interval.  I probably overdid it.  My route was an out and back again and, anticipating later difficulties, I turned around well before the half way point of the eight minute run interval.  The next walk interval was much anticipated.  Before the final five minute run interval began, I slipped off my VFF Classics.  The last run interval was done barefoot.  It started on cement sidewalks, which went really well.  I used this barefoot run to concentrate on my form and to forget about the burn in the calves and achilles.  This strategy worked fairly well with one exception.  Because I had turned around early, before being half way through the eight minute run interval, I reached the end of the sidewalk early also.  I would have preferred to reach this point at the end of the last run so I could cool down walking barefoot through the grass.  Instead, I continued running on the asphalt of the adjacent street.  This was a little more difficult than on the cement sidewalk, but not because of the surface.  As I was getting more and more tired, it became more difficult to maintain proper form.  For the last thirty seconds or so of the run, I switch over to the grass.  This was more forgiving of my now poor form.  But, the thickness of grass compared to smooth pavement means the foot has to be lifted more to move it forward, a little extra work.  My feet are fine, though, and suffered no ill effects from running barefoot.  I hope to do more of this and would like to be able to finish C25K running entirely barefoot.  I’m not sure I will make it, but it would be nice.  For now, the dreaded W6D1 is done.

The C25K program consists of three workouts per week for nine weeks. This is the results of the workout for week five, day three.

Program: Brisk five-minute warmup walk.  20 minute run.  Five-minute cool-down walk.

Result: I completed the workout as planned. My heart rate averaged 144 bpm and peaked at 168 bpm. Including the warm-up and cool-down walks, I did 2.16 miles in 33:39 for an average speed of 3.86 mph.

A variation on this workout is to run for two miles instead of twenty minutes.  Yesterday, I briefly thought of doing this.  There were a couple of provisions, though.  First, how would I feel this morning?  Second, could I keep up a decent pace?  I felt okay.  But, I could not maintain a quick enough pace.  As a result, I went for time again as I have been doing all along instead of trying for distance.

My first long run segment was just a little longer than twenty minutes.  I ran 1.50 miles in 20:39 for an average pace of 13:44 (4.37 mph).  Though I had considered going for distance, I just did not have it in me to try to push for thirty percent more distance.  Just as I was starting to run, I got an ache at the top of both hips.  This lasted for about five minutes.  By that time, I was very much ready for a walk segment.  Of course, in this workout, there isn’t one no matter how much I wanted it.  I had plotted an out and back course that would have been about two miles if I went all of the way.  I now knew I could not make that distance and, turning around earlier, went for time instead.  Even this was a push.  Coming back, near the end, I decided to add just a little bit to the time and distance by running all of the way to the corner.  At this point, I was more than ready to pull off the VFF Classics and walk barefoot through the cool grass.  Of course, I did exactly that.

To make this workout just a bit more difficult, I ran without a podcast to assist.  While having a fast beat going in my ears may have helped, I kind of liked being able to listen to my surroundings, what I could of it any way.  With all of the huffing and puffing I was doing, I’m not sure I heard much else.  I was okay, though.  It was just heavy breathing, but not labored.  I was still keeping an eye on my heart rate to keep it in line.

My first long run segment is complete.  When first starting the Couch to 5K program, I could not imagine running continually for a mile and half.  Now, I’ve done it.  Just over half of the program has been completed.  To run 5K in thirty minutes as the last workout of the program, I will need to substantially increase both my speed and my endurance.  I know the endurance will come.  I hope sufficient speed does as well.  I would really like to complete the program matching both time and distance.