The C25K program consists of three workouts per week for nine weeks. This is the results of the workout for week five, day three.

Program: Brisk five-minute warmup walk.  20 minute run.  Five-minute cool-down walk.

Result: I completed the workout as planned. My heart rate averaged 144 bpm and peaked at 168 bpm. Including the warm-up and cool-down walks, I did 2.16 miles in 33:39 for an average speed of 3.86 mph.

A variation on this workout is to run for two miles instead of twenty minutes.  Yesterday, I briefly thought of doing this.  There were a couple of provisions, though.  First, how would I feel this morning?  Second, could I keep up a decent pace?  I felt okay.  But, I could not maintain a quick enough pace.  As a result, I went for time again as I have been doing all along instead of trying for distance.

My first long run segment was just a little longer than twenty minutes.  I ran 1.50 miles in 20:39 for an average pace of 13:44 (4.37 mph).  Though I had considered going for distance, I just did not have it in me to try to push for thirty percent more distance.  Just as I was starting to run, I got an ache at the top of both hips.  This lasted for about five minutes.  By that time, I was very much ready for a walk segment.  Of course, in this workout, there isn’t one no matter how much I wanted it.  I had plotted an out and back course that would have been about two miles if I went all of the way.  I now knew I could not make that distance and, turning around earlier, went for time instead.  Even this was a push.  Coming back, near the end, I decided to add just a little bit to the time and distance by running all of the way to the corner.  At this point, I was more than ready to pull off the VFF Classics and walk barefoot through the cool grass.  Of course, I did exactly that.

To make this workout just a bit more difficult, I ran without a podcast to assist.  While having a fast beat going in my ears may have helped, I kind of liked being able to listen to my surroundings, what I could of it any way.  With all of the huffing and puffing I was doing, I’m not sure I heard much else.  I was okay, though.  It was just heavy breathing, but not labored.  I was still keeping an eye on my heart rate to keep it in line.

My first long run segment is complete.  When first starting the Couch to 5K program, I could not imagine running continually for a mile and half.  Now, I’ve done it.  Just over half of the program has been completed.  To run 5K in thirty minutes as the last workout of the program, I will need to substantially increase both my speed and my endurance.  I know the endurance will come.  I hope sufficient speed does as well.  I would really like to complete the program matching both time and distance.