Couch-to-5k: Week 5 Day 3. Success!

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day.
It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'"
~Peter Maher, Canadian marathon runner

Salt Lake City at sunset
August 2011


Last night as the sun was beginning to set, I chose to bite the bullet and be strong instead of opting for easier wimp status. I had been putting off W5D3 for a couple days, fearing the amount of running it required.

Let me illustrate the Couch-to-5k Running Plan for you, so you get the idea behind why I was delaying W5D3.

Week 1 Day 1: 5 minute brisk walk to warm up, then alternate 60 seconds of jogging with 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes, then 5 minute walk to cool down
Week 1 Day 2: Repeat
Week 1 Day 3: Repeat

W2D1: 5 minute brisk walk to warm up, then alternate 90 seconds of jogging with 120 seconds of walking for 20 minutes, then 5 minute walk to cool down
W2D2: Repeat
W2D3: Repeat

W3D1: 5 minute brisk walk to warm up, then do this twice: jog 90 seconds, walk 90 seconds, jog 180 seconds, walk 180 seconds, then 5 minute walk to cool down
W3D2: Repeat
W3D3: Repeat

W4D1: 5 minute brisk walk to warm up, jog 3 minutes, walk 1:30 minutes, jog 5 minutes, walk 2:30 minutes, jog 3 minutes, walk 1:30 minutes, jog 5 minutes, then 5 minute walk to cool down
W4D2: Repeat
W4D3: Repeat

W5D1: 5 minute brisk walk to warm up, then alternate 5 minutes of jogging and 3 minutes walking for 20 minutes, then 5 minute walk to cool down
W5D2: 5 minute brisk walk to warm up, then jog for 8 minutes, walk for 5 minutes, jog for 8 minutes, then 5 minute walk to cool down

Can you see the rapid increase in the last week or so? Now we get to W5D3... the one I was dreading, the one I'd been fearing since I'd looked ahead to future workouts sometime in week 2.

W5D3: 5 minute brisk walk to warm up, then jog for 20 minutes with no walking, then 5 minute walk to cool down

Um, excuse me? Who wrote this program? Seriously, I'm supposed to jump from a max of 8 minutes continuously running to 20 minutes? Just like that?

Well, whoever wrote this program knows what's what because I did it! I ran non-stop for 20 minutes. I don't think I've ever done that in my life, and what's more? It was relatively easy. Wow. I almost have no words to describe the incredible feeling of accomplishment I had last night. I did not even have one bout of the "tightness-in-my-lungs/heart-I'm-going-to-die" shortness of breath. I'm a runner. I can't even believe it!

I had been putting off W5D3 for a couple of days, after I completed W5D2 on a treadmill. The treadmill run was my easiest run to date. I'm not sure if that's normal, but it was great. But I was just nervous about that 20 minute stretch of pure running (jogging). I'll admit that I kept telling myself that if I wasn't able to hack the full 20 minutes, that I could try again tomorrow. So initially, I set myself a goal to at least run 10 minutes. When I reached the 10 minute mark, I thought, oh just run the rest of the way home, at which point I was only 4:30 shy of 20 minutes, so I just kept going and ran around the block again.

Now, I can hardly wait to get back to W6D1. Seeing genuine progress is so motivating. So is rewarding myself with a glass of chocolate milk after each run. Did you know that chocolate milk is the best post-workout drink you can have due to its perfect combination of carbohydrates and protein? Well, now you do, so maybe that will add to your motivation. :)

The C25k plan really trains your body to build endurance with all the intervals of walking and jogging. Week 6 has more intervals and then ends with 25 minutes of running/jogging on W6D3.

I cannot even believe that *my* body (not to mention my mind) did this! It's really quite possible that I'll be running that 5k in October. Mid-week 4, I thought it was completely impossible that my body would ever get used to this. Now, I'm actually excited about it.
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