KatGirl
09-08-2009, 09:43 AM
About 2 months ago, my cousin convinced me to sign up for a 5K run. He thought it would be fun and something we could do together. Ok, my version of fun is not running 3 miles outside against other people who obviously been doing this way longer then me.
So I added the treadmill to be daily exercise routine. I generally workout 5 times a week for 75-90 minutes. I will do the eliptiical 3 times a week for 75 minutes. Two days a week I will do 30 minutes of weight training with a personal trainer and then 60 minutes of cardio/eliptical.
I really hated doing the treadmill. I would usually only do 2 miles on a fast walk at about level 12 incline. I would get bored so easily.
As the date got closer, I started having second thoughts. My goal was to complete it in an hour. I figured that's around 20 minutes per mile at a steady walk.
Five days before the race, I decided to do 3.1 miles on the treadmill at a very fast walk. I completed it in 45 minutes. I figured that's not a bad time for my first 5K and someone who 6 months ago could barely last 30 minutes on the eliptical.
The race was this past Sunday. My plan was to zone everybody out and go at my own pace. My cousin (who is in better shape and younger then me) was at the front. I stayed in the back. The race started and I was on my way.
I kept a slow and steady jog. At the one mile mark, they yelled out the times. When I went past, they yelled out 12.24.
I was in shock. Even in high school when we had to run the mile, I couldn't even run the whole thing, let alone do it in under 15 minutes. I kept going at the same pace. People that were once ahead of me were slowing down and walking. I kept in my zone and would pass then and let others pass me. At the two mile mark my time was 24.45. At that point I was feeling really good and was determined to get a great time.
The one point I thought I was going to have to stop was at the bridge that had a pretty steep incline. However, I knew once I stopped I would never be able to pick up the pace again. At that point I started hurting and I sill had about a mile left to go. I pushed through it and kept my mind on my goal.
I thought for sure I slowed down my pace after the bridge. But when they called the times at the 3 mile mark, my time was 36 minutes. I pretty much kept the same pace throughout the race. I finished the race at 37.09, six minutes after my 23 year old cousin. I did not finish last and came in 22 out of 27 in my age divison.
Afterwards, I was on a high. I was so excited to not only have run the whole thing (ok slow jog the whole thing), but to do it in under 40 minutes. Six months ago I would have laughed if someone told my I would be running a 5K and running it in under 40 minutes.
I can now see how people like to run. It totally clears your mind and you can always set new goals and challenges for yourself. There is another 5K run in my area at the end of the month that I might do. I wll decide at the end of the week whether or not I will do it. I am still a little sore and I want my body to heal before I dive into another race.
It's crazy that in 6 months time I've gone from barely doing 30 minutes on the elipitcal to running a 5K. My advice to people just starting out with exercise is to start slow and keep it up. Exercise does get easier and the payoff is rewarding (you loose weight and keep your bs in check). Even if you don't like to run, just setting small goals will keep you motivated.
So I added the treadmill to be daily exercise routine. I generally workout 5 times a week for 75-90 minutes. I will do the eliptiical 3 times a week for 75 minutes. Two days a week I will do 30 minutes of weight training with a personal trainer and then 60 minutes of cardio/eliptical.
I really hated doing the treadmill. I would usually only do 2 miles on a fast walk at about level 12 incline. I would get bored so easily.
As the date got closer, I started having second thoughts. My goal was to complete it in an hour. I figured that's around 20 minutes per mile at a steady walk.
Five days before the race, I decided to do 3.1 miles on the treadmill at a very fast walk. I completed it in 45 minutes. I figured that's not a bad time for my first 5K and someone who 6 months ago could barely last 30 minutes on the eliptical.
The race was this past Sunday. My plan was to zone everybody out and go at my own pace. My cousin (who is in better shape and younger then me) was at the front. I stayed in the back. The race started and I was on my way.
I kept a slow and steady jog. At the one mile mark, they yelled out the times. When I went past, they yelled out 12.24.
I was in shock. Even in high school when we had to run the mile, I couldn't even run the whole thing, let alone do it in under 15 minutes. I kept going at the same pace. People that were once ahead of me were slowing down and walking. I kept in my zone and would pass then and let others pass me. At the two mile mark my time was 24.45. At that point I was feeling really good and was determined to get a great time.
The one point I thought I was going to have to stop was at the bridge that had a pretty steep incline. However, I knew once I stopped I would never be able to pick up the pace again. At that point I started hurting and I sill had about a mile left to go. I pushed through it and kept my mind on my goal.
I thought for sure I slowed down my pace after the bridge. But when they called the times at the 3 mile mark, my time was 36 minutes. I pretty much kept the same pace throughout the race. I finished the race at 37.09, six minutes after my 23 year old cousin. I did not finish last and came in 22 out of 27 in my age divison.
Afterwards, I was on a high. I was so excited to not only have run the whole thing (ok slow jog the whole thing), but to do it in under 40 minutes. Six months ago I would have laughed if someone told my I would be running a 5K and running it in under 40 minutes.
I can now see how people like to run. It totally clears your mind and you can always set new goals and challenges for yourself. There is another 5K run in my area at the end of the month that I might do. I wll decide at the end of the week whether or not I will do it. I am still a little sore and I want my body to heal before I dive into another race.
It's crazy that in 6 months time I've gone from barely doing 30 minutes on the elipitcal to running a 5K. My advice to people just starting out with exercise is to start slow and keep it up. Exercise does get easier and the payoff is rewarding (you loose weight and keep your bs in check). Even if you don't like to run, just setting small goals will keep you motivated.