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

Program: run for 3 miles or 30 minutes.

Result: I completed the workout as planned. My heart rate averaged 155 bpm and peaked at 166 bpm. I did 3.15 miles in 47:58 for an average speed of 3.9 mph (15:12 minute/mile).

Graduation run.  I didn’t want to delay it, not the final run.  I had to do it.  I am still not over this sinus infection.  But, the worst is over.  That peaked Thursday.  It figures.  By the time I get to the E.N.T. doc on Tuesday, it should be about all gone.  Back to this run.

For my graduation run, I wanted to go for distance instead of time.  My distances have been far short of the alternate distance program.  Of course, trying to go for the distance at this stage feels like another week four level increase.  It is a substantial percentage increase.  I played around on the http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ site to plot a route.  I made sure to add a little extra distance to the route to make up for my running on the sidewalks instead of in the center of the street.  It plotted out to about 3.23 miles, a bit longer than my actual run.

I had done most of this route on prior workouts.  This route was a combination with an extension to a leg of one route and a reduction to a leg of another.  Using another trick, the last three quarters of a mile are the same route that I have been running for the last month.  If needed, I can run this part on auto-pilot.

I tried not to check my watch too often.  I probably did most of the checking when I first started.  I was trying to keep my speed down so I wouldn’t burn out too soon.  Once my speed stabilized, I only checked it occasionally to keep an eye on my heart rate.

As expected, I ran slow.  Here are my mile splits:  Mile 1 - 14:38 (4.1 mph), Mile 2 - 15:06 (4.0 mph), Mile 3 - 15:44 (3.7 mph).  Even starting slow, I gradually slowed even more.

I tried to monitor my feet.  For a while, I was successful in maintaining my form.  Near the end of the first mile, I noticed a swish, swish happening.  Time to correct.  Swish is slide.  Slide is bad.  Place and then lift.  Periodically, over the next mile, I checked and corrected this again.  After the second mile, this became more difficult and more frequent.

Once into the final three quarter mile, I let auto-pilot take over  a little.  I didn’t worry about foot placement as much; just keep moving.  I also begin using small milestones.  Make it to the corner.  Make it to the parking lot driveway.  Make it to the next corner.  This is where I used to take off my VFFs and do a cool-down walk through the grass.  Not this time; I have to keep plugging away.  Make it to the street intersection.  Make it to the end of the next block.  Cross the street to add just a touch to the distance; I’ll cross back later.  Eventually, it is cross the street and go up my driveway.  At the front porch, stop the watch.  The run is over.  Right now, I neither know nor care about the distance or time.  I hope it is close to what I had planned.  I’ll find out when I cool down and review the data.

The graduation run is over.  Now, I can rest and ponder over what I have accomplished in the last three months.  It is amazing!  But, I will summarize the journey in another post.

Here is the Garmin log of this run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/12663372