Dad's Day 5k Race Report (W9D3)

This morning's Dad's Day 5K race in downtown Houston was also my graduation run for the Couch to 5K program. 

Results:

Chip Time: 40:35

Gun Time: 41:16

Overall Place: 630 / 725

Division Place: 33 /44 (F 30-34)

I met up with friends Michelle and Jesse at the race start under the Wortham Arch around 7:40 AM. We were standing towards the back of the crowd (past the 10 minute/mile pace sign) so we hadn't been able to make out what the announcer at the front was rambling on about. When the gun went off at 8 AM, it was a little unexpected.

As the crowd started to slowly edge forward, I quickly put my headphones in and started my music. My trusty Polar F11 HRM was queued up, requiring just a one button push as I crossed the start line about a minute later.

I emerged from under the arch and was immediately presented with brilliant sunshine and a fairly steep (compared to the few other hills I've covered during my training) climb up and over 6+ lanes of Interstate 45 through downtown Houston. I knew I would be slow compared to other runners, so I stayed to the side, but I will say I was a little surprised at how very many people were passing me on each side. Michelle and Jesse quickly disappeared into the crowd ahead.

The run had started over an hour later than my training runs. The sun was beating down and there was very little shade on Memorial Drive. I estimate that it was already in the high 80s or low 90s. I kept telling myself that just like my initial *long* runs, this would be a mind over matter experience. I was capable, I just had to keep my mind on running and off my aching legs.

Passing the first mile marker, I was shocked to see that I had run it in only 12:15. This was my fastest mile ever, at least two minutes faster than my training pace. My heart rate was also much higher than it has been during my training. I started to constantly remind myself to slow down and save my energy for the rest of the race. I finally gave myself permission to walk about 16 minutes into the run when I glanced down at the HRM and saw it in the 180s, higher than I've seen it since my first week of C25K. 

I started paying a lot more attention to the HRM at that point. Even at a brisk walk, it was high, at running rates. During the rest of the race, I ran only in brief spurts. I'd set a goal: run to that water station, run to that overpass, etc. Once I made the goal, I'd walk for several minutes. Despite walking large portions of it, I took only 14 minutes to get through the 2nd mile.

Climbing back up the I-45 overpass, I spied the Wortham Arch in the distance and saw that my time was still under 40 minutes. I decided right there to make a big push at the end and try to come in under 42 minutes (14 minute/mile pace). A few moments after starting to run, I found myself getting chills, and thought "This can't be good". I ignored it and the feeling soon went away.

Michelle and Jesse were on the sidelines cheering me on as I approached the finish line. I'm still a little surprised that I had the presence of mind to hit the "end" button on my HRM as I crossed it. I didn't make it in under 40 minutes, but my chip/HRM time of 40:35 far surpassed my original pre-race estimate of 42 minutes minimum, 45 minutes probable.

After I'd cooled off a bit, I looked more closely at my HRM results and was slightly horrified to see that over the 40 minutes, I'd averaged 91% of my max heart rate and even hit 101% at some point during the race. To compare, my recent training runs have averaged 80% and maxed out at 89%. I know that none of this is where I *should* be running, but as my body continues to adjust, average HR is trending slowly downward.

Anyway, the 5k was a lot harder than I expected. I need to work on not getting excited about running in a group and keep my pace slower and more sustainable. I hate to make excuses, I but I feel the weather was a big factor in my inability to run as much of the race as I would have liked. Houston in summer is pretty brutal. The organizers might have done better to schedule the race an hour earlier.

I will continue to run and plan for another 5k in July or August. I'd like to improve my time and aim for actually running more of the race.

W9D2

That's it! I'm done with running until the 5K race on Saturday.

I started C25K on April 21st. I've been constantly amazed at the improvement in my cardiovascular system. I went from huffing and puffing and feeling like I was going to die if Ullrey didn't let me stop soon to just a mild ache in my calves.  I don't yet *love* running, but I have high hopes that if I keep it up, eventually I will.

I've run in the rain, mid-day heat, and cool evening. I've run in unfamiliar cities, various local parks, and from my front door. Every run has been a sniff-tastic adventure for my dog Lucy, who spends most workdays cooped up in her crate. I'm getting my first summer tan in years (the majority of my outdoors activity in the past has been spent completely covered up in gear, riding my motorcycle).

I've only lost around 10 lbs during the program, but I don't blame the running for lack of progress. I'm not very strict with my diet, trading slowed weight loss for an eating plan that I can truly *live* with.

W9D1

Hoping to beat some of the heat, I got out the door a whole half hour earlier this morning. It was slightly cooler, but the air was very still, so no breeze to cool me down. 30 minutes (only 2 minutes longer than my runs last week) was no challenge. 

I'm still slightly astonished that I've made it through 8 weeks of this program and will be running my first 5K on Saturday. 5K! 5K! Have I been gushing about it too much? 

W8D3

Very sunny this morning. Still muggy (84 degrees when I passed the middle school marquee). I'm wondering if I'm capable of getting out of bed an hour earlier for cooler weather. The 6:45 AM that I've been doing the last several weeks is awfully early for me.

I had none of the "just want to walk" thoughts that plagued me on Wednesday. In fact, I actually tried to sustain a slightly faster pace. In past runs I've continually told myself to keep it slow and conserve energy. This time I stopped holding back and just let it happen. I doubt I was that much faster, but the halfway point was further down the road than Monday and Wednesday.

No worries on the calves. They were fine this morning.

Two runs left before the 5K. I'm bumping to 30 minute jogs next week.

What's Next?

I'm almost done with Couch to 5k and have been looking for a plan to follow after my first 5k race. 

I'd like to try for one 5k each month to give me an extra reason to continue with my running. I'd also like a structured program to help improve my speed and endurance. Eventually I'd like to consider a 10k and/or half marathon. A full 26.2 mile marathon currently holds little attraction for me. I doubt Lucy would be able to accompany me on training runs for that and exercising with her is one of my big priorities.

Podrunner has a nice program with interval running set to music. There's a choice of an 8k or 10k program, but I'm not sure I want to run short intervals again after working myself up to being able to run for 30 minutes at a time.

I think I've settled on One Hour Runner (OHR). It starts off with several weeks of 30 minute runs and then, over 10 weeks, works up to being able to run a once weekly long run of 60 minutes at a time. I'll have to time it with my HRM watch and supply my own music. According to research I've read, as I build endurance doing long runs, my speed should improve on short runs. I think Lucy should still be capable of this because she's never really running, just trotting along next to me. I will need to start waking up earlier and and earlier though.

W8D2

Very muggy this morning. Already 80 degrees by the time I left the apartment at 8:15. I wanted to stop and walk so many times during the first half of the run. I kept telling myself that I didn't really *need* to walk, I just *wanted* to walk. So I didn't. Mind over matter. I made it through and was FAR more proud of myself for jogging the whole thing.

I've got to figure out something for the sweat though. Tons of sweat droplets (yum!) were running down my face during the cool down walk. When I got home, I grabbed a paper towel and promptly soaked it wiping my forehead.

W8D1

Only 4 more workouts until my 5K race.

My heart rate was a little higher than normal this morning. I don't think my body was ready to be awake yet. When I stopped running, my legs were infused with that lethargy again (the same I got after my first 20 minute run). I made it though.

Also, I dropped below 175 lbs this morning. That means (according to the older WW plan I'm following) it's time to drop my daily points range from 22-27 down to 20-25. Not a huge hardship, but I might need to start to substitute sugar free pudding for my daily ice cream.

W7D3

Easy run this morning. Clear skies, plenty of shade. No problems. (I feel so boring: it was just a standard, run-of-the-mill run)

I'm really loving getting on the scale after a morning run though. Saw a new low. 16.2 lbs lost.

W7D2

Got up at 7ish this morning. It was overcast and muggy out, so no sunglasses needed. Still a bit of a cool breeze. No problems with the run after the light weight lifting last night. Phew!

W7D1

I'm in the homestretch.

Feels like it at least. After having been up half the night (til 3am) on a work project, I was worried that the run wouldn't go very well.

Well, it was no problem. The sun was on it's way down when I left the apartment at 7:30. It was actually *cool* with a nice breeze. W7D1 down.

On another note, I went to the grocery store today to restock. I'd heard that this other store had some interesting items. I wasn't able to find everything on my list, but it had the basics.

I'm cooking dinner right now and slightly saddened to find that HEB's (the place I went today) bulk frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts are noticeably smaller than Kroger's (my normal store). They're probably a more correct portion size, but still....

W6D3

Patricia and I met up at the park again this morning. We jogged the 1.27 mile loop and then around one of the ponds. There were tons of soccer players out. It was already sunny, but the angle of the sun meant there was plenty of shade. The cool breeze was nice.

It's amazing how fast these runs are going now. The first half of the 25 minute run was gone almost before I'd warmed up. The second half felt a little longer, but I had no problem keeping my legs going until Ullrey said it was time to stop. Other than that one run a few weeks ago, Lucy has had no problems whatsoever. I just wish I could get her to stop barking and lunging at other dogs on the trail.

On to Week 7!

W6D2

My ambitious attempt to wake up at 6AM this morning was foiled by my sleepy dismissal (not snooze) of the alarm. I did manage to wake up to my second alarm at 7AM. I got up and dressed for the run.

It was a little muggy out, but the concrete was cool (for Lucy) and there was still plenty of shade from the low angle of the sun. I had no problem with the run.

It's exciting to think that I'm now done with intervals. All I have left is long runs.

W6D1

Lucy and I met up with my friend Patricia at Meyer Park this evening. She's a soccer player on off-season so running is no problem for her. We used to walk together frequently last year, until she had a leg injury that kept her on crutches for a while.

I put only one headphone in so that I could chat during the walks but still hear the verbal cues and music. The run went well. Even though Patricia is already a capable runner, she didn't make me feel pressured to go faster or further.

She may join me on Friday or Saturday for W6D3.

I would like to add that my dread of the long runs has pretty much dissipated after W5D3. I know that I'm capable of whatever time is required at this point. 25 minutes isn't really any different from 20 minutes. I'm at the point where I've accepted that "this run" isn't going to be "til the next corner" or any point ahead of me that I can see and mark with my eyes. I'll just keep going until told to stop.

W5D3

Just as I'd thought, it was ALL mental.

I woke up before my 7:45am alarm and started getting dressed for my drive to shady (and soccer-enthusiast infested) Meyer Park. I put less water than usual in my camelbak lumbar pack. I figured that I'd take a few sips during the run, but the majority of water would be taken immediately after the run (with some given to Lucy in her portable bowl). I still wanted to carry it with me, but not full and heavy.

Anyway, the run was uneventful. I'd expected the first five minutes to be hard. They weren't, really. After that the run flew by. I plodded along, not focusing much on Ullrey's verbal cues for the other runs. By the time he told Day 1 to start the last five minute run, I was mulling over the idea of running an extra minute along with Day 1 and 2. However, I noticed that Lucy was starting to slow. At that time we were running what I consider the park's *squirrel gauntlet*, so she was distracted, but she may also have been tiring. When Ullrey told me I was done with my D3 run, all thoughts of that extra minute fled and I slowed to something that could NOT be called a "brisk walk".... but I did keep moving.

My legs were immediately infused with a sense of lethargy that lasted for a few minutes. I don't think I could have started running again at that point if my life depended on it. I sipped water from the camelbak and walked. I was nowhere near the car by the end of the cool down, so I put on another high energy song and continued along the path. My legs eventually recovered and by the time I got to the parking lot, I was walking briskly.

Arriving back at the truck, I figured that my workout had been a total of about 40 minutes, with a running distance of maybe 1 1/3 mile (I jog pretty slowly).

Looking ahead, Week 6 is looking pretty easy. After having gotten over the mental hump of the 20 minute run, two 10 minuters on D2 should be a piece of cake. The 25 minute run on D3 is just another matter of keeping going until it's time to stop. I can do it.

If I keep to the schedule of 3 runs per week, my 5K race on June 20th should coincide with my W9D3 workout. My graduation run will truly be my graduation!

W5D2

"Our sport is your sport's punishment."

I've been lurking on Runnersworld lately and remember seeing this quote in someone's signature. It really hits home, mainly because I've been doing a lot of thinking about my early experiences with running.

The "President's Physical Fitness Test" was one of the most dreaded weeks of my elementary school career. They'd make us attempt to do pullups and other difficult exercises. The culmination of this annual humiliation was the "Mile Run". The teachers would lay out a course and time each student. I remember spending the majority of it walking, out of breath, and getting passed by other kids.

As I got older and participated in jr high sports and then marching band all the way through college, the penalty for screwing up was "take a lap!". I hated running. I hated the thought of running. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to do it.

Well, today I completed W5D2 of the Couch to 5K. I ran two intervals of 8 minutes with only 5 minutes rest between runs. It's no more than I ran last week (16 minutes) but just the first 8 minutes was the longest uninterrupted time spent running in my entire life. Furthermore, at the end of the first interval, I know that I *could* have kept going. Wow.

And I was fine. When I started the run, I reminded myself of the things that got me through W1, like keeping the pace slow. Sure, I was breathing heavily, but I was able to curb Lucy when she started pulling on the leash. I was able to look around. I was able to stay positive when Ullrey gave time warnings for the other runs on this week's podcast. I was hyped.

I am so incredibly excited about this weekend's run. I'm going to mow that sucker down.

W5D1

The weather in Houston has been absolutely lovely the last few days. Cool (for summer) and breezy with clear skies. It won't last though, so I've made it one of my goals to start regularly exercising (running) in the morning.

I awoke this morning around 7am and stiffly rolled out of bed. According to the temperature guage, it was in the high 60s, so I decided to skip my new (bought yesterday) sleeveless running shirt and go with a short-sleeve cotton shirt. Lucy was happy to get out of her crate. She did some stretching and off we went.

The three 5-minute intervals were easy after my runs last week. I know I'm ready to do the 8 minute runs.... but I'm still debating if I want to stay with Ullrey's podcast for the 20 minute run. I know I'll be running along tracking the warnings for the other runs. Podrunner might be a good alternative. We'll see.

W4D3

Just finished the 4th week of Couch to 5K. I'm feeling good about my running. 5 minute runs are hard, but I know at this point that I'm very capable.

I've decided that my small fanny pack camelbak is more than adequate for my running up to this point. The 70 oz backpack was bouncing around too much and definitely held more water than I needed.

Next week's schedule really ramps up the runs. On Saturday or Sunday I'll be doing my first 20 minute run. I'm refusing to be negatively apprehensive about it. I can do this!

W4D1 & W4D2

Woo! I was in Las Vegas half of last week for work.

I flew in on Wednesday afternoon, got to my hotel (Hard Rock) and immediately changed into my running gear. Just running "around the block" was a perfect distance for W4D1. Unfortunately I'd misgauged the amount of water I would need and ran out right after the 3rd interval. I was hurting a little bit at the end of the last interval but I made it.

I did W4D2 on Friday morning, after having been out dancing until 2am the night before. I woke up around 9ish and changed into my jogging clothes hoping that
A. It wouldn't be too hot already.
and
B. My legs and feet wouldn't be too beat from walking the convention all day Thursday (not to mention the dancing in 3" heels the night before).

Well, it was hot alright. Clear skies and the sun beating down at 9am, but at least my legs were fine. The five minute runs were a little harder, but I'm getting better at just ignoring the amount of time I have left and running until "the nice voice tells me to stop". At least I did manage to bring plenty of water this time.

Anyway, while I was NOT as good foodwise (too many desserts and rich foods) as I'd hoped I'd be, the scale this morning showed me down .2 lbs from my last weigh in back on last tuesday morning.

I'll do W4D3 tonight and finally get back on schedule of doing one week during one week. It'll help immensely that I don't have any more trips planned for the rest of C25K. Yay!

W3D3

It's pretty cool to think to myself: "Three weeks ago you could barely run for a minute at a time. Now you're jogging 3 minute intervals. In two more weeks, you will be jogging for 20 minutes at a time."

I'm now 1/3 done with the Couch to 5K and feeling great. All three workouts this week went fairly smoothly and I'm not at all intimidated by week 4.

Today's workout was a little different in one respect...

It started raining about 5 minutes after I left my apartment. I figured it was just going to be patchy, so I kept going. It rained the entire time, varying from light sprinkles to heavy drops. I had one wet dog, but at least she wasn't in danger of overheating.

W3D2

The temperature was saying 84 and partly cloudy, but I think a midday run is starting to be too hot here in Houston. I was fine during the run, but Lucy was noticeably slowing in areas of shade during the cool down walk.

She is always supposed to sit by the door to the apartment as I unlock it. This time she lay down and then collapsed again a few feet inside. I ended up bring the water bowl to her because I couldn't get her to come to the kitchen. Five minutes later she was moving around again, but I admit I was a little worried.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to finishing up this week and moving on to 5 minute runs. Now THAT sounds like an accomplishment!