Ease into 5k = COMPLETE!

I am so happy to report that I've finished all 8 weeks of the Ease into 5k program. As I've mentioned previously, I tried this program in the past, and didn't make it past the first few weeks. I just didn't have the motivation to continue.

When I decided that I wanted to RUN a 5k, and not just complete one via walking, I decided to give the training plan another try. But since I failed previously, it was clear that I needed to make some changes. So, what did I do differently?

• I completed the training plan outside. (Last time, I was completing the plan on an indoor track.) 
• I didn't get discouraged at how slow I was running - it was all about building endurance, regardless of the (ridiculously) slow pace. 
• I didn't want to fail/quit a 2nd time. Because I quite the first time around, I was more motivated to see it through this time around. When I was hesitating to go out for a scheduled run, I reminded myself that things needed to be different this time.

All of these things made a difference, but I honestly think running outside had the most impact. It takes discipline to run on a treadmill or run indoors.. and I'm still not at that point. If I feel like a hamster on a wheel, I'm going to get bored and I'm going to constantly focus on how much time is remaining.. and I'm more likely to give up because it's just not enjoyable.

When you're running outside, it's just more enjoyable - even when it's cold.

I finished the last training run with another 5k. I finished this one in almost the exact same time as my first 5k (38 minutes). But I still ran the entire time, and now I can focus on building endurance and increasing my speed.

I do have another 5k scheduled on January 16th. So, I have a few weeks to keep training and see if I can improve my time! And from there, I'm thinking about starting a 10k training plan.

Overall, I found the training plan to be quite doable, as long as I didn't worry about my pace. If I just focused on moving forward, it really wasn't too bad. I slowed down when I needed too, I just didn't let myself walk unless it was the portion of the plan that asked me to walk.

So if you're thinking about the Ease into 5k program - give it a try! If I can do it, then you can too! 

My 1st (official) 5K

Yesterday, I ran my first 5k.

While I have done several 5k races in the past, I have always walked the vast majority of the course. So, I consider this my first 5k because it is the first race in which I ran THE ENTIRE TIME.

And that was my only goal for the race. I just wanted to be able to run the entire time, without slowing down to a walk at any point.  I'm happy to say that I did accomplish that goal in 38 minutes. So, it wasn't a fast pace by any stretch, but I didn't walk.. and that's what I was focusing on since it was my first race.

According to my watch, my 5k time was 37 minutes, and my overall distances for the race for 3.22 miles. Since I ran on the outside edge of the course, I got a little extra distance over the route. I'm not going to lie, it wasn't easy. There were multiple points along the route that I thought I might want to stop and walk for a bit. There were multiple hills, and while the temperature was actually quite nice, we had cold wind blowing right into our faces the entire race. It probably wasn't the best route for someone that had never ran 3 miles in their entire life.. but I managed to make it work - and I had my husband supporting me all along the way. You can see him in the photo, telling me a story to keep my spirits up. It was also really nice of the organizers to take the race photos toward the start of the route, while I was still excited and energized.

I ran this race a little earlier than scheduled. I actually still have a week left of my 5k training plan (Ease into 5k - which I recommend). Yesterday, I was scheduled to complete Week 7, Day 3 of that plan, which is a 27 minute run (plus a 5 minute warm up + 5 minute cool down). Basically, I counted the race as my scheduled training run, but ran during the warm up and cool down portions instead of walking them.

I wasn't sure if I should sign up for this race because I wasn't fully done with the training plan. And, I was already registered for another race next weekend. But we decided to register just a few days before the race and go for it anyway! And I'm glad that I did, because I've proved to myself that I can run for 3 miles and not die. I hope that will give me some added confidence going into the 5k race that we are registered for on Sunday (Dec 13th).

So, even though I've proved to myself that I can run the 5k distance, I'm still going to finish out the training plan. I'm in the last week at this point, it would be silliness not to just finish it up!  And then next week, I want to continue running with the idea of building up my distance and endurance to the 10k distance. In addition, I want to work toward running a faster 5k.

For most, it's not a big deal to run 3 miles. But for me, it was a huge accomplishment. And now, I'm ready to move forward!