Wii Fit replacing the C25K?

I must admit, I have not completed a run of any type in a few weeks. For some reason, I have let life catch up to my routine and I am completely out of it. To get back into my routine, I will start doing some mid range running and try another avenue of fitness... the Wii Fit.

I got a few of these yesterday at 8 am and I am waiting for my TV to get repaired in order to try it out. So far it looks like a fun toy, but I'll see if I can make into a fun exercise routine as well. I'll do my best to put my experiences down here to see if I can make the transition from weekly runner to video game exercise maniac :)

The First 5K!

A few weeks ago I completed my first 5K! It was an amazing experience and I enjoyed it every step of the way. My time was approximately 33:00 minutes which was the fastest I have ever run a 5K distance! Here are some of the things I learned my first 5K:

• Water during a run is really nice to have. I might hide a bottle during my normal runs to duplicate the experience.
• You have to pinch the paper cups in order to pour the water in your mouth while running... otherwise you just add more water on your shirt :)
• DO NOT start at the beginning of the pack if you can not run a 25 minute 5K of if this is your first 5K.
  
• DO NOT start with the walkers if they are a part of your 5K. I spent 1 mile running hard to pass about 4,000 walkers.
  
• Go at your own pace. In my 10,000 participant 5K, I found some old friends along the way that I could not catch up to... which slowed me down overall.
• DO NOT start your final run to the finish unless you have the energy. I tried to race a half a block to the finish and I started to get light-headed before the finish.
• DO have fun!
• DO sign up for a 5K and run it. If you are doing the C25K, you are missing out on a big part if you only do the the C2 part. Make sure you run that 5K!

I'm sure I can think of many other things to discuss, but that's all I have for now. I'm still trying to work on my weight issues, but more of that to come. For now, I am proud of my feat and hope to get back into the 3 time a week 30 minute runs shortly.

Question: Running Shoes

When I started to run, I realized that flip-flops were not the answer to my running needs. I just happen to have a pair of Saucony running shoes from an outlet mall and I use them to this day. Since I am in need of a new pair of running shoes, my question is which shoe should I buy? What do you look for in a running shoe?

I will probably go shopping for a pair this weekend, so leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Missing posts and beyond the C25K

I swear that I put up a post last week about my rough run, but it is obviously not here :) With that being said, I've been doing pretty well so far with my runs. Last week I ran two 30 minute runs that were close to 5K distance and this Monday I ran for 30 minutes with a fartlet in the middle. I tried to run all out on my second lap around my block and my body rebelled against me. I don't suggest running all out in the middle of a 30 minute run if you are not in great shape, but I think that little middle section pushed me to do a 5K in 30 minutes.

I also started to count my points again. I realize that I can eat a LOT of food when I do not regulate myself (i.e. 20 lbs on a 3 week honeymoon), so I went back to what I know works. From Monday morning to this morning I dropped about 5 lbs. I know I should weigh myself until Monday morning again, but it's nice to know that I can still do WW informally an lose weight. We'll see the results next Monday and work from there.

Since I am a novice writing about how to start running, I hoped that I can get some insight from the long time runners that visit JalopyJosh. I am going to start posting some questions for you guys and gals and hopefully it can bring some great knowledge to both me and anyone else that stumbles upon this blog. Let's see how it works!

C25K - W9D2 - Finally it has happened to me

Hot and sweaty from my run 10 minutes ago, I'm going straight into the "Lessons Learned" part of this run:

1) A 30 minute run after a big dinner is a bad thing. I felt like I had to throw up for the final 10 minutes of the run and it felt like I had a 25 lbs weight in the middle of my stomach. Bad idea.

2) Late runs are not too bad. My run was within the condo complex with some decent lighting and I did not have any issues with kids and dogs. Even without my glasses, I was able to run with ease.

3) Humidity is not fun. I guess it was a blessing in disguise that I started the C25K when it was cool outside for my area. It must have been 80 degrees with 90% humitidy and I am soaked with a wicking shirt on.

4) I will three 30 minute runs this week. Come hell or high water, it will be done this week

C25K - W9D1 - We're gonna do it again

After a long and trying week, I started up Week 9 for a final time. The run itself was pretty hard after a 1 1/2 week layoff, but I got through the entire run. I will try to run again on Thursday and Saturday to make sure I can do three 30 minutes runs during a week.

The only great part about this run was that I was chased by some neighborhood kids during the middle of it. I outran them and after doing 5 more laps around the block, I started to get some applause :)

C25K - Got to get you into my life

Unfortunately, my running schedule has come to a halt due to a family situation. Hopefully I can get back into my routine shortly, because I plan on doing my first 5K in April. I might be able to start again tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes.

The one thing that I have noticed is that I miss doing my running routine. Previous to the C25K program, I was not one to enjoy exercise in the least bit. Now, I'm a little sad since I can not do my exercise routine that I am used to. That is a very, very weird feeling.

C25K - W9D3 - Move, Get out the way

Sometimes you can only put your body through so much in a weekend. For me, my W9D3 coincided with moving an entire apartment. Since I am posting this a few days late, you can guess where my energy was spent this weekend.

I probably walked 3 miles while putting away boxes and burned more calories moving furniture than I would have in my 30 minute run, but I still didn't get to it. Furthermore, this weekend is even more exercise adverse with a ton of traveling and an uncertain schedule. With all of this going on, here are my goals for the week:

1) Do 3 - 30 minute runs sometime during the week. Maybe not MWF, but I want to do them sometime during this week.

2) Lose 2 lbs this week. I've done it before and I can do it again. Due to holidays and birthdays during the last few weeks, I've gained most of the weight back since I started this. I will be going back to my paid weight routine if I can't start to work this out by the end of April.

3) Learn more about blogging. I like putting my information out there for others to digest, but I'm sure there is more to it than that. I will do some research and find out how to be a better blogger within the blogging community.

C25K - W9D2 - I ran so far away

This day was the most routine day that I have had on the C25K program. I woke up, got my water and banana, and went out for a 30 minute run. I probably did 2.8 miles this time with a full out run at the last minute of the run. There was nothing out of the ordinary and nothing that hurt, just a great basic 30 minute run.

I have to get to work so I had to make this short. I'll try and do a better update later today. It's amazing that I have one more run left before I am formally done with the C25K program.

C25K - W9D1 - On the road again

Today is the first day of the last week of my C25K runs. Just like previous weeks, I decided to do this run after work since I need more that 5 hours of sleep a night. After a productive day of work, I got on my Saucony's, put on Podcast 8 (which is Week 9), completed some pre-run stretching, and started my 30 minute run.

I had a few obstacles to deal with on my run today. First, I saw a small child who was in the middle of the street about to get run over. The kid was there because it was chasing the "yip-yip" dog that was soon chasing after me. With my C25K training, I was quickly able to outmaneuver the animal with ease, but then I had to deal with the tree branches. I kicked a good 10 tree branches off of the sidewalk during my first lap around the neighborhood, so those were easy to clear at the end of the day. I had Dog #2 start to bark at me through a chain-linked fence but its' owner quickly got him to sit and lastly I had Kid #2 run after me on the home stretch of the run.

After 29 minutes were up, I decided to start doing a full out run for the last minute. I didn't think I had any gas in the tank left, but I think I did a good 3/10 of a mile in that minute. By my Google Pedometer calculations, I did about 2.7 miles in my 30 minutes, so I am close to getting to a 30 minute 5K goal. I will try to get that done over this week, so stay tuned for more Week 9 on Wednesday!

W8D3 - C25K - Breaking the law, Breaking the law

Got to make a quick post before I go to bed, but I am breaking the rules of the C25K this week. I didn't do a run yesterday or today due to many circumstances. I have decided that I am done with Week 8 and will start Week 9 next week... which to me is breaking the law. I might try to do my last 28 minute run tomorrow, but we'll see what happens.

C25K - W8D2 - You're simply the best

After today's run, I'm starting to believe I can actually run a 5K! I did my 28 minute run without becoming too tired and I even did a full out run for the last minute! I think I hit 2.5 miles, but I am not 100% sure about that.

Overall, I think I am ready to finish Week 8. Even though this is the second time around, I am positive that I can do this distance and that I can do it successfully. After a great weigh-in and an awesome run, I'm off to my wonderful dinner consisting of a huge salad with chicken, diced granny smith apples, and a Cesar vinaigrette that I highly recommend.

C25K - W8D2 - Don't stop thinking about 10 minutes from now

In a few short minutes, I will be jogging my jalopy self for Week 8 Day 2 of the C25K program. Right now I feel good about the run, other than this big bruise that is currently on my knee. I hope it was not running related, because I am uncertain as to how it got there.

I went to the scale the morning and it was good to me again. I should only weigh myself once a week, but it was good to see that number decrease again. Hopefully I can keep it up and increase my wardrobe over the next month or so. Remember, I started the C25K to lose weight and get back down to my weight goal pant size!

I am ready to go run and will report the results as soon as I get back.

C25K - W8D1 - Time keeps on slipin into the future

Since daylight savings time took away my sleep, I'll keep the post short. I did Week 8 Part 2 after work today since DST messed up my sleep schedule, but I did complete the run. I think I am at 2.5 miles now and I hope I can pull this week off properly this time around. Nothing too big to note on the run to report, so that is it for now.

C25K - W8D2 - Don't stop believing

I'm not about to ruin this great song by Journey like every person in a Karaoke bar does, but it something that ran through my mind this week. I believe my subconscious was trying to sell me out. Here's what I think my subconscious was trying to tell me this week:

"Josh can't run 2 1/2 mile, your too fat!"
"Your too out of shape, do you really think you can do this?"
"Wouldn't it be more fun to sit on the couch and watch Lost on your DVR than doing your exercise?"
"You hurt yourself earlier this week... take the week off."

After completely forgetting that I was supposed to do Week 8 Day 2 yesterday, I realized that all was not right in my C25K universe. So I went outside today and made sure that I wasn't a quitter. A sweaty and tired 28 minutes later, I made sure that I was in control of my actions again.

Lessons learned today:

1. I have to stick to a MWF routine. Breaking that routine throws me for a loop.
2. I HAVE to stay dry clothing when I run. Making my own person wet t-shirt contest is not appealing to the neighbors.
3. This is getting tough.
   
4. I will re-run Week 8 next week unless I can do another 28 minute run tomorrow.
   

C25K - W8 D1b - Hurts so good

I guess it must be one of those weeks. I went out to run and only got through about 20 minutes before tripping over a raised piece of concrete and hurting the ball of my foot and my toe.

The great news is that I wasn't really to winded and I tried to step up the pace this week. The bad news is that it currently hurts to walk everywhere that I go. If it feels better tomorrow, I might try to do a light run and then get back to the C25K from there. Worst case scenario, I will do some other form of exercise this week and get back to Week 8 next week.

C25K - W8D1a - Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow

For the first time in two months, I did not do my C25K run on my normal schedule. After Friday's weird shoulder pain and feeling some pain in my knee yesterday, I decided to give my body a break. I might run tonight, but I think I will go on a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday schedule for this week.

On the positive note, I weighed myself in this morning and I was about 1.2 down from last week. I will be happy if I can go down another 3.2 for this month, so I am going to work hard to do that.

Stay tuned for some more fun times with the C25K... after the break.

C25K - W7D3 - He's going for distance, not going for speed

About 20 minutes ago, I completed my first set of 25 minute runs! While I say that with a great sense of accomplishment, I did manage to hurt myself a little bit in the process.

The run started out with the normal 5 minute walk and some stretching, but I decided to push the pace up a notch to try and increase my time. While my heart was in the right place, my body was not willing to let me go all out on this run. About 12 minutes in, I felt a little pain in my left shoulder. Not sure what it was, but I decided to calm it down for the rest of the run. I ended up jogging the rest of the way and did not do my 5 minute cool down walk. I hope I am not sore tomorrow because of that.

What I learned today:
I think I increased my distance a little bit, at the expense of my shoulder.
Slow and steady does win the race, and it doesn't hurt as much.
I need to find better ways to increase my speed and/or distance.



Slow and steady does not hurt as much

C25K - W7D2 - Baby it's cold outside

Today was a great day for a run... if I were not wearing shorts. This is the second time I have made the mistake of not checking the temperature before going out for my run. One of these days I will learn my lesson and check out weather.com before I get out of the house.

I usually have a lot of thoughts that get into my head when I am running, but the one that stood out today was "I wonder how far I ran today?". I decided that I would drive around the block and check my odometer and my calculations say that I did 2 miles in 25 minutes. I think that it is a little slow, but I am not about to fartlek training just yet. I just want to get through being able to run a 5K without walking, which I believe I will be able to do by the end of March.

If you are looking for a free way to see how far you are running, try the Google Map Pedometer.
The utility is free and was pretty close to my manual calculations from the car.

What I learned today:
I need to work hard to run a 5K, and even harder to get a better 5K time.
Need to check out the weather before I go for my run.
When it comes down to race day, I need to concentrate on the race and not whatever else is going on in my head.

C25K - W7D1 - I ran so far away

Week 7 on the C25K program is the first week where there are no walks in between each run. This is the first Monday that I have ever ran for 25 minutes straight, and it was a strenous beginning to the work week.

As a night-owl by nature, I got my 6 hours of sleep after numerous snooze bar smacks. There are clocks that do weird thing in order to disable the ability of the snooze bar, but I can't help myself. Someday I might learn how to stop hitting that snooze bar.

After getting dressed, my scale and I had a meeting of the minds. I willed it to show a number that was lower than the previous week and my mental acuity won! I think I lost 2 lbs this week, so I will do my best impression of shampoo instructions: Run, Lose Weight, Repeat.

My pre-run regimine of water and a bananna was fine and I started to stretch before my run. I don't think I stretch enough before my run, but I have not seen any bad effects of not doing this just yet.

Nothing to impressive happened in the run itself, but I did get the attention of a few dogs along the way. I did about 4 1/2 laps around the block in my 25 minutes, so I will go around tonight in my car and find out how many miles I ran today. I wish I had a Nike+ system so I could put all of this online, but I don't see a spare $300 hanging around. Maybe I should use that economic stimlus rebate from the government on that...

That's all I have for everyone today, but tomorrow I will be exploring the question: "What should I eat before my 5K?".