Couch 2 5k in Ten Days: The Tale of a Procrastinator

[kalrith]

I've mentioned on here a couple times that I'm running a 5k on May 22. I found out about this 7 weeks before the race and planned to do the Couch 2 5k program. Other things kept coming up, and I found it hard to find the time to go for a run.

Fast forward to yesterday, and I finally went running for the first time in 2 years! I mapped out a 5k route from my house and did it in a whopping 33 minutes! I did really well for about the first 22-23 minutes: jogging 7 minutes and walking 30 seconds. Then, I ran out of gas at the 2.5-mile point. I was pushing myself to make it up a hill, and then I felt like I was going to puke at the top of it. The last 10 minutes should've taken 5 or less.

The encouraging thing is that I did much better than I thought until I ran out of steam. If I can slow the earlier pace or increase my endurance a little bit, then I should be able to jog the whole time and might possibly still hit my goal of under 27 minutes. Another encouragement is that the area around my house is hilly, but the 5k will be flat.

I was planning to run every other day until the race, but should I step it up to running every day and then taking two days off before the race? Do you have any other pointers for this procrastinator?

Anyways, I'll keep this OP updated with my 5k times, and then I'll post my official time from the race on May 22.

5k training times:

May 12 - ~33:00

May 14 - 34:42

May 16 - 28:08

May 19 - 27:14

​

5k race:

May 22 - 30:02 :'(
​

 

[jme5343]

I've mentioned on here a couple times that I'm running a 5k on May 22. I found out about this 7 weeks before the race and planned to do the Couch 2 5k program. Other things kept coming up, and I found it hard to find the time to go for a run.

Fast forward to yesterday, and I finally went running for the first time in 2 years! I mapped out a 5k route from my house and did it in a whopping 33 minutes! I did really well for about the first 22-23 minutes: jogging 7 minutes and walking 30 seconds. Then, I ran out of gas at the 2.5-mile point. I was pushing myself to make it up a hill, and then I felt like I was going to puke at the top of it. The last 10 minutes should've taken 5 or less.

The encouraging thing is that I did much better than I thought until I ran out of steam. If I can slow the earlier pace or increase my endurance a little bit, then I should be able to jog the whole time and might possibly still hit my goal of under 27 minutes. Another encouragement is that the area around my house is hilly, but the 5k will be flat.

I was planning to run every other day until the race, but should I step it up to running every day and then taking two days off before the race? Do you have any other pointers for this procrastinator?

Anyways, I'll keep this OP updated with my 5k times, and then I'll post my official time from the race on May 22.

5k training times:

May 12 - 33 minutes
​

I wouldn't run every day, it's too close to the race and you may end up with a nagging injury that would keep you from running. No matter what you do, I wouldn't run the day or two before the race...

I'm running mine June 5th, I'll post results as well. My goal is less than 25. No reason, no math, that's just my goal.

 

[ZOOYUKA]

I found out about this 7 weeks before the race and planned to do the Couch 2 5k program. Other things kept coming up, and I found it hard to find the time to go for a run.

I would address this issue. You will never find time. You have to make time for your fitness goal or it will never happen.

As the above poster said, I would not run everyday. Three days a week should be just fine right now. I would run this 5K as best as you can and get a time. Then make future goals based off of this time.

 

[StageLeft]

I would address this issue. You will never find time. You have to make time for your fitness goal or it will never happen.

As the above poster said, I would not run everyday. Three days a week should be just fine right now. I would run this 5K as best as you can and get a time. Then make future goals based off of this time.

This. Finding the time to train for an Ironman is one thing but if you cannot find time for a 5k it's because you simply don't give a sh*t [at all]. Just being honest.

Anyway, good luck!

 

[kalrith]

This. Finding the time to train for an Ironman is one thing but if you cannot find time for a 5k it's because you simply don't give a sh*t [at all]. Just being honest.

Anyway, good luck!

I appreciate your honesty (actually at first I hated you for it, but I've since changed my mind ). I've been in a not-caring-about-life mood for a while now, and I haven't accomplished much on any front in my life (work, marriage, home projects, fitness, etc.).

At this point I need to "just do it" as far as all these very important things are concerned. With the way I've been feeling lately, I think I might need to visit a therapist, but I'm going to try on my own first. I know how good exercising can be for mental health, so I think it will really help.

BTW, it looks like I'll be running in a thunderstorm tonight. That should be fun!

 

[StageLeft]

BTW, it looks like I'll be running in a thunderstorm tonight. That should be fun!

Actually, no kidding, that IS fun!

 

[zebano]

Good luck. Simply finishing without walking may be a large accomplishment given the minimal training; You should make an effort to moderate your pace early since everyone likes to leave the gate at a faster pace than they can keep up (not true for the good runners). Hopefully this will convince you to make running a full-time hobby.

 

[kalrith]

Cliffs: Check the OP for my training times.

May 14:

I went for a run on Friday. My main goal was to run the entire time with no walking whatsoever. Well, I achieved that goal, but a lot of my "running" was at a snail's pace. I didn't push myself hard enough because I didn't want to get too winded, and I was able to do an all-out sprint to the finish line.

I was happy to be able to "run" the whole time, but I was very disappointed in my time and in how much energy I had left at the end. In case you didn't see the OP, my time was a ghastly 34:42. Part of the problem was being sore from the previous run rather than completely fresh, but that certainly doesn't excuse the horrible time.

May 16:

I realized I needed to make some changes for yesterday's run. On May 12, I did a very crude time measurement: looking at my cell phone clock before I left and after I returned. This had no seconds and even included the time of going in and out of the front door since I left my phone in the house. On May 14 I used a more-precise tool, the kitchen timer, and left it on the front porch so it would only include running time.

I was still missing something though: the ability to check my time and calculate my pace during the run. I originally made my 3.1-mile route from Google Maps (I realize it's not perfectly accurate), and I went back on there and put hash marks on every half-mile point. I then decided that a 9-minute mile was an attainable goal if I really pushed myself. I don't have a stopwatch, but I realized that I have one on my iPod, so I used that to time myself during the run.

This helped tremendously, letting me shave 5-6.5 minutes off of my previous two runs. I did a pretty good job with setting the pace right from the start, but passing 1 mile at 9 minutes and 2 miles at 18 minutes were definite spirit boosts. I got super winded around the 24-minute point and had to walk for 30 seconds, but I forced myself to get back to a slow jog as soon as those 30 seconds were over. I think another thing that helped was running at 1:00 PM on a non-work day instead of running at 6:00 PM after working 8 hours.

Tomorrow will be my last run before the race. I'm going to see if my university's track will be open tomorrow evening. Running there will do a few good things for me. First of all, it will be an exact measurement of distance just in case Google Maps is way off. Second, it will help with my pacing (my 5k goal is 27 minutes, and 2:10 laps around the 1/4-mile track will achieve this). Third, it will let me train on a flat surface. The roads around me are pretty hilly, so I'm constantly changing my speed, going faster down the hills and slower up the hills.

 

[kamper]

Keep it up! Your times are really not bad for not having run in years.

How come you're only doing one more run before Saturday, just resting up?

 

[kalrith]

Keep it up! Your times are really not bad for not having run in years.

How come you're only doing one more run before Saturday, just resting up?

Pretty much. In order to fit two runs in, I'd either have to (a) run two days in a row or (b) run two days before the race. I can tell from my runs so far that one day of rest does not put me back at 100%, so option b is definitely out. I suppose I could run tomorrow and Wednesday if I feel up to it, but I'm thinking that being at 100% and not exposing myself to the likelihood of injury (by running two days in a row after not running for so long) is more important than getting in one more training session.

I'm really excited yet anxious about running on the track tomorrow. I'm excited to know for sure what my flat-terrain 5k (exactly, not estimated) will be. I'm anxious because I'm worried that the Google Maps course I made is way short. I guess I'll find out tomorrow (assuming the track is open).

I have a question for you guys. What do you eat on the morning of a race? The race starts at 10:30.

 

[kamper]

Keep in mind that you don't have to do the full distance or go flat out in every training run. I think a relaxed 2 or 3 km on Thursday or Friday would keep you limber, and keep your lungs used to the extra workout and shouldn't hurt too much.

The morning of a race I usually eat a piece of fruit and some trail mix at home/at the hotel. Then I'll eat a banana before going to the start corrals, which usually works out to about 15-20 minutes before crossing the start line, depending on the size of the race. But my races lately have all been in the 2 hour range, where making sure you don't run out of energy is pretty important. If you're the type that doesn't like running with much food in your stomach, you can definitely get away with less for a 5k.

 

[kalrith]

May 19:

Well, things didn't work out for me to run yesterday, and they didn't work out for me to run at the track tonight. So, I just did my last training run on the same route I've been running.

I psyched myself up pretty well beforehand, but I still didn't have high hopes since it was late (6:00 PM), and I got 6 hours of sleep, worked all day, and hadn't eaten since about 2:00. I think the extra day of rest made a huge difference though.

I was a little bit ahead of my 9-minute-mile pace at the 2-mile point, and I just kept telling myself to not walk under any circumstances short of throwing up. And I did it. I ran the whole way even though my climb up the last big hill was a bit slow. I felt like I had a really good run on Sunday, and then I shaved almost a minute off of it today. I feel really, really good about hitting my goal of under 27 minutes on Saturday.

I have one question for you guys. My inner upper thighs were pretty worn out at the end of the run, and I think it's because they were fatigued from loading and unloading a riding mower yesterday. Are there any stretches I can do over the next couple days to loosen up those muscles. The muscles are on the inside of my legs right next to my "leg pits" (or whatever you would call the crease in the upper leg). I think it's the very top of my quads.

 

[kalrith]

bump for ideas on how to stretch my upper inner thigh muscles (whatever those might be called)

 

[Barfo]

Good luck tomorrow dude., do your best.

 

[Gothgar]

good luck today

Probably running already

 

[jme5343]

Hope you had a great run, I'm interested to know your time!

 

[kalrith]

I sucked total ass today . I got a horrible time of 30:02. I don't know what exactly happened, but I just wasn't feeling it. I set into my 9-minute-mile pace, and only maintained that pace for about half a mile. I hit the 2 mile point at 19 minutes, whereas the last two training runs were at 18 minutes. The worst part is that I didn't push through the pain, and I stopped to walk for far too long. I'm extremely disappointed in myself. It wasn't that my Google maps route was off either. I could tell that I was running the right pace at the beginning, but it just felt like too fast of a pace for me today.

I'm in no way excusing myself for the horrible time; it was all my own fault. However, here are a few things that might've contributed to it. The race was much earlier than my training times (most of which were 6:00 PM compared to the 10:30 AM race). We had to park far away from the start of the race and walk down a steep hill (probably a .5 - .75 mile walk). The walk probably didn't affect people in better shape, but I was definitely more winded than I would be if I had sat at a desk all day instead. I didn't get myself psyched up before the race like I did for my runs. I listened to the instructions, got my music going, and then we were off.

Other than having to walk a long ways to get to the start of the race, there were some other stupid things about the course. The trail was 1,250 meters long, so we had to run to the end and back twice. The trail was about 6' wide, which made it very difficult to pass someone when runners were coming from the other direction (which was almost the whole time). We got a lot of rain last week, and a stream decided to overtake about 15' feet of the trail. So, we got to run through 1-2" of running water 4 times during the race.

Anyways, I really let myself down with this one. I might try another 5k later this year to redeem myself, but I mainly want to exercise in order to get into shape. What really stinks is that I don't even want to talk to my friends about the race, and hope they all just forget about it.

Edit: I almost forgot to say thanks for all the encouragement!

 

[jme5343]

Man, I wouldn't sweat it. That's still a respectable time - especially with as little training you had. I'd start looking for another 5k near you and keep training.

Honestly, I'm reevaluating my goal because it seems too aggressive. I don't want to shoot so high as to not come close and feel bad about my time. It's more about the run than the time!

 

[kamper]

(Tried to post this last night, but the forums were down for maintenance...)

Hey don't sweat it. Race conditions are never quite like training and it takes a few goes at it before you can relax the same way. Sounds like lots of other things weren't ideal too so it doesn't sound like you did too bad. I'd say definitely go for another race. It's great motivation for training.

 

[Megatomic]

Don't get too upset kalrith, stuff happens in races. At least you didn't DNF it. Just use this as motivation to do better next time. And hey, at the very least consider this, how many people can do what you did? Sure, it seems like "everyone" can run a 5k, but really only a small fraction of the population can even run a mile. Stay positive man.

 

[kalrith]

Thanks for the kind words, guys. I've come to terms with my time. I obviously dropped the ball on training, but it was a decent time considering how little I trained. I was very distracted by everything that went along with the race, especially given the poor track conditions. Going from running on a wide road with just me to running on a skinny track with lots of other people was a big change, and it was hard for me to run the same way I had with no one else around.

I'm just going to use this as a springboard for getting in better shape. I used to just be in decent shape all the time whether I "exercised" or not, because I was always active. That was before I got a full-time job, got married, and had a son. Now, the activities are few and far between, and I just haven't put much effort towards exercising. I've read about it, talked about it, thought about it, etc. But when I get home at 5:30 after working all day, it doesn't get put into action.

There are two main things I want to take from this 5k. One is to realize how out of shape I am. I know that not many people can run a 5k, but running used to come very easily for me, because I was always cycling, training in martial arts, playing sports, etc. for fun, and I could just go out and run 3 miles in 24 minutes even if I hadn't run all year.

The other thing is how much I enjoy exercise. There are obviously times when it sucks and I had to push myself through it, but overall it was enjoyable to get outside and do something to better myself.

Now that I'm a father, it's even more important for me to show my son that exercising is a fun and essential part of life. I bought a bike trailer/jogging stroller for my 14mo son. I'm going to put it together this week, and hopefully he'll be a good little training buddy for me

 

[Barfo]

only a small fraction of the population can even run a mile.

To think I consider myself a lousy runner


OP: You did a good time considering you slacked and didn't train much before the race. Take it as an incentive to do better in the next race