Couch to 5k

Digital therapy machine

kreshal27 — Sat, 02 Feb 2019 01:31:52 GMT

https://abrandly.com/collections/health-care/products/digital-therapy-machine

A high-tech device that is the fusion of modern science and traditional Chinese meridian. Corrects blood circulation, eases muscle pain, progresses metabolism, and more.

It’s very easy to operate and understand digital displays: mode, strength, functions, treatment time, and body chart meridian. For people who want to start living healthy, slashing out bad food is not enough. You also need to invest in health equipment, as well as do some exercise.

Fall Colors 5k

nothinfinah — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 00:56:25 GMT

So I've been running longer distances this year but no actual 5k races until today so I thought I'd give you a little update.

Last night I slept terribly (jetlag and stress combined with dehydration). I got a super painful cramp in my left calf in the middle of the night and could feel the pain all the way up to my glutes. I woke up so stiff I felt sure I'd be hobbling along the course and didn't have high hopes for any amazing time.

All summer I've been hovering around the 10-11minute mile pace, even though I run longer runs (3-6miles these days) I haven't cracked the sub 30 minute 5k. The closest I got was last year's Fall Colors 5k (or maybe it was the Santa Hustle? I forget) where I came in at 30m07s.
Today I found an older guy who seemed to keeping a good steady pace and just followed him for the entire course. Morton Arboretum is a beautiful setting but very hilly compared to the rest of Chicagoland but I felt surprisingly okay with all the hills (especially with my stiff crampy leg).
I got to mile 3 and still had energy to push it and sprint for that last leg.
Final time: 29m04s!!! What?! Crazy! I honestly don't know how I skimmed over a minute off my best time?

How are the rest of you all doing? I haven't seen any posts for ages.

chinchiller — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 06:10:53 GMT

How is everyone doing? What are your current goals? Has anyone run any races recently?

Happy New(ish) Year

nothinfinah — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 23:47:06 GMT

Hands up how many of you are managing to get out and run this winter. It's been so bitterly cold here in Chicago (and much of the northern states) and with all the snow and ice it's not easy to get out. Last time I ran was the Santa Hustle 5k 7 weeks ago. I had registered for a race on NYD but my running companions got ill and we had a blizzard, so instead I went for a fun 2+mile walk in the blizzard.

I can't wait for spring to arrive, or for it to just warm up enough during the days that I can take my girl out in the stroller for a decent training run. Last week I decided to run to a social event in the evening while my hub stayed home with the girl. I managed to run 2.52 miles on snow and slush and ice and felt so good about it that I decided I'd try and make it a weekly thing. This week however we're getting a 2nd visit from the Polar Vortex and it will be between -9F and -12F when I go to and from my friends so I'll be catching the train. I did go out for a run today to make up for it though and man, it felt good! Running on snow/slush is like running on sand and the variety of surfaces on the sidewalk made for quite the work out!

I have signed up for the Shamrock Shuffle 8k in 9 weeks so I'm hoping to get out for a training run at least once a week until then. Sadly my finances aren't allowing for as many races as I'd like this year. I'm still aiming to complete a 5k in under 30minutes and push my distance to 10k. Any running goals for you this year?

Santa Hustle 5k

nothinfinah — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 20:02:43 GMT

This was my 3rd year running the Santa Hustle and man was it cold. Seriously. Coldest run I've ever done.
When I left the house to catch the train it was 9F with a real feel of 0F (that's -13C feeling like -17C for those in the UK) . Yikes! It hadn't warmed up much by the time the race started and I think they may have started a few minutes early because it was so cold and they didn't want people standing around longer than they had to.
I knew it was going to be cold and I was rather nervous. I have friend who's new to running ask me what one wears for winter running and I told her what I normally wear for the Hot Chocolate and Santa Hustle's, of course it's normally only in the 30s or 40s, but this was significantly colder so I was a bit stumped.
In the end I wore my usual fitted base layer with a t-shirt over it, then added a warm hoodie and then the long sleeved Santa top over that. I had my warmest hoodie over that for going to and from Soldier Field, warm, but small enough to stuff in my bag for checking. I kept my legwarmers on for the race (normally they get checked in my bag too).
I think it took the first mile for my fingers and toes to thaw out and for me to start feeling comfortable. I had told myself not to push it because I didn't want to be inhaling icy cold air and hurting my lungs, but around the half way point I could feel my knees and hips starting to seize up because I was going too slow (crazy right?!) so I slowly picked up my pace and by the 3mile point I still had enough oompf in me to book it for the last little bit.
Finishing time was 32m59s.
The mile walk back to my friends car was brutal and stole any warmth we'd built up during the run. Hooray for heated seats <3

Pumpkins in the Park 5k

nothinfinah — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 04:06:19 GMT

I'm getting lazy about writing up my races.
On October 26th I ran the Pumpkins in the Park 5k in Lincoln Park before heading immediately to a Halloween party (thankfully my hubby was able to bring my costume with him and the hosts were happy to loan me the use of their shower :P).

It was a cold day, in the mid 40s, but the sun came out right as I was hitting the 2.5miles mark so that last stretch was super pretty.
There were lots of runners in costume which was fun, but I'd opted not to run in costume as mine involved a corset which are rather tricky to run in ;)

I was rather frustrated with the layout of this run, a bottle neck turn very early on slowing us all down, then another bottle neck at the one mile mark as we were herded under a bridge (in both directions too! It was the 2 mile mark on the return). Otherwise the run was pretty. Lincoln Park is right by the lake and the zoo and the wildlife/nature museum so there was lots of gorgeous scenery.
I paced myself pretty well that I could push it at the end, but I didn't think I'd do better than my Doctor Who Virtual 5k. My final time was 30m07s!! What?! Personal Best!! Woo! Totally surprised myself, but I guess running on a regular basis will show improvements :)

Next up might be a Turkey Trot around Thanksgiving, but even if I don't manage to sign up for one of them I'm registered for my 3rd Santa Hustle in early December.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Virtual Run 5k

nothinfinah — Sat, 12 Oct 2013 19:10:34 GMT

Well, I convinced the hubby to go out for a run this morning. We did our Virtual 5k for Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary I set out a route for us and we set off. We decided that as we'd been given actual bib numbers we'd tackle this as an actual race rather than run together. He was pushing the girl in her stroller (first time other than a couple of training runs) so he was dealing with all the resistance that adds and it was rather windy today too.

The route was just along a nice trail in the park, but included a couple of hills. Neither of us were thinking we'd be doing an amazing run today as we're both a little stiff from runs earlier in the week.

My finishing time was 3.05miles in 30m15s!!! Woo hoo! Personal Best!!! Okay so it was .05m short of a true 5k, but I'm counting it damnit!! Way back in 2011 when I did my first 2 races (Hot Chocolate 5k in November, Santa Hustle in December) my times were 30m58s (HC) and 30m44s (SH). Maybe I will be able to reach my goal of completing a 5k in under 30minutes this year...

Belated catch up

nothinfinah — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 01:52:33 GMT

September 28th I spontaneously registered for and ran the Grundy County Corn Fest 5k in Morris, IL. I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it with my parents visiting and the early start but we got up at 5:30 and drove out to the burbs and all had an awesome race!

My brother-in-law came 3rd in his division, the hubster managed a personal best and I ran my fasted 5k this year while pushing a stroller! My finishing time was 32m02s.

Then this past weekend on the October 5th I went to Morton Arboretum with my good friend to run the Fall Colors 5k. It was a chilly but gorgeous day. I decided against running with the stroller this time as the Morton Arboretum has some killer hills. I lost my friend within 5minutes of crossing the start line because the crowds were crazy! I couldn't turn my head to look for her without fear of stepping on someone's heels. As much as I enjoy music while I run, I rarely listen to it anymore and it was rather nice to just enjoy the view without distraction. I found a couple of 'white rabbits' to chase along the way and that helped me navigate through some gaps in the crowds. At 2.5miles I managed to pick up my pace a bit (despite the hills!) and for the last .1mile I sprinted hardcore to the finish line! Finishing time was 31m15s!!! Best time this year and 3rd best time since I started running in 2011 :) Feeling pretty damn chuffed with myself :)

I've started training for a 10k. Mostly to push myself to get out once or twice a week and go for a run, because otherwise I'm only running once a month or so for any races I register for. I have a new local friend who's completed a half marathon so I'm hoping we can get out for a run together once in a while. I've upgraded the RunDouble app on my phone from the c25k to the B210k program which is 3 times a week for 6 weeks. So far I've been out for 2 runs with my little girl in the stroller and today I managed 4 miles! I started off a little too fast for the first interval so the last interval was *slow* :P but again I'm feeling pretty chuffed.

We just got our bibs for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Virtual Run but we're still trying to find some time to go for a run together. Do We just go out for a run? Or do we try and double up with some other race?

Another Virtual 5k/ half marathon

nothinfinah — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 11:56:44 GMT

I notice a lot of you share my dorky fandom of Doctor Who (judging from your user pics) so I thought I'd spread the word about this virtual 5k.

http://doctorwho50.wix.com/doctor-who50
In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the show this November these people have organized a virtual run. I guess you can do any of the runs as a cumulative thing if you want (so you could still do it even if you are only on week 2 or 3, just take a couple of training sessions) but My husband I just registered for the simple 5k and hope to go out for a run together before the deadline in November.
They email you a bib# that you can print off and then you can email them your finished time. They are sending out medals for each run (same medal on different colour ribbons) but you don't have to submit your finishing time to get your medal.
I registered a few weeks ago and have yet to receive our bibs though. I guess they got overwhelmed by registration and have been trying to email 200+bibs an evening so try to be patient if you sign up.

There might also be a few other sites doing virtual runs for the DW anniversary. :)

nothinfinah — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 18:45:33 GMT

It occurs to me that I never wrote about the Run to Remember in July. This is because I ended up not running and was feeling pretty bummed about it.

On July 18th I was planning on celebrating my baby girl's 1st birthday by doing the Run to Remember 5k in the evening. It was going to be my first race with a stroller. Sadly one of her rear wheels got a flat tire in the morning. We went to visit hubby at work and he patched it up, but then after our afternoon play date it got flat again and we wouldn't be able to fix it with time to to get to the race. Plus I would have had to leave for the race before hubby gets home from work so I couldn't just have him babysit and go downtown with out the kiddie.
It was an obscenely hot day (high 90s) so I told myself it was probably a good thing we just stayed home in the A/C rather than take part in our first mother-daughter run, but I was still bummed.

Orc Stomp 5k

nothinfinah — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 18:09:02 GMT

Last weekend we went to GenCon in Indianapolis. Seeing as we'd brought the babe along with us I didn't sign up for many events but I did make sure I registered for the Orc Stomp 5k!

There were actually 2 races over the 4 day weekend, one on Thursday morning and 8am and one on Friday morning at 6am and we registered for the Friday morning one so that the hubby could take part in some other events.
We got up just before 5am, got dressed in the dark and quietly bundled baby girl into her car seat as smoothly as possible to try not to wake her. We raced to the park and found parking with minutes to spare, shifted baby girl to the jogging stroller and signed in...turns out the race didn't kick off until 6:30am so we had plenty of time to stretch and warm up :P

This was my first 5k race with a stroller although I've done a few training runs with the stroller. There was only one other stroller but the lady pushing it hadn't planned on running with her 4month old so it wasn't a proper jogging stroller and she had to stop at the 2mile mark. Apparently her hubbie had woken up just enough to say "take her with you". My hubby ran with us for most of the way which I really appreciated, but I told him to run on ahead for the last half mile (he's training for a half marathon and wants to work on his pace).

It was early but it was lovely to run through the park and watch the sun rise over the city.
My final time was 33m04s which I'm truly thrilled with because it's almost as good as any race I've run without a stroller! Only a minute slower than either of the 5ks I ran in the spring.

Next up I'm going to register for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Virtual Fun Run/Walk http://doctorwho50.wix.com/doctor-who50. Who all else want's to sign up!?

nothinfinah — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 01:29:12 GMT

So, my husband is training to run his first half marathon (the Chicago Half Marathon in September). He's been slowly increasing his race distance over the past few years (3k, 5k, 8k, 15k) but didn't really want to do much more until his brother convinced him ;) So anyway this week was the beginning of training and today was his 'easy' day: run 2 miles or cross train. I have a 5k next Thursday and as it'll be my daughters 1st birthday I want to try running with her in the stroller. I've only managed to run about half a mile with the stroller so far so this evening I joined my husband for his 2mile run and we went out as a family :)
It was a warm evening here (80F at 6pm) but not too humid and baby girl dozed off on the run! We stopped at the 1mile mark to check she was okay :P

I downloaded a new running app on my phone (mapmyrun, although hubby prefers runkeeper) and it tracked us as running 2.04miles in 23:50 with an average pace of 11:41. I'm really pleased with that! My regular non-stroller running pace is about 10:30ish so I figured I'd be much slower with the stroller. It's surprisingly tricky running with the stroller, I have to slow down for bumps and can't maneuver around other obstacles easily. Plus my stride is set and my arms are stuck in a certain zone (sometimes when i run I like to stretch my arms or shake them out, which is trickier when you're pushing a stroller and one hand is attached by a leash. Still I feel good about tonight's run and am looking forward to next weeks race.

Yet an other "restart" post.

balor_ng — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 06:57:43 GMT

Been off running for almost two years. Thought I'll have to start at the middle at least or something...
Fortunately, all this frenetic cycling I've been doing for those two years seemed to carry over to running after all!
http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/214039763/4074875
Not bad I think. My legs do hurt though :).

Retry

feeny_88 — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 06:46:02 GMT

I must have picked the worst possible time to start c25k. I did my first run, then there was torrential rain here for just about 2 weeks straight, then I moved house. So busy, busy, busy.
Not to worry, I got back out there today, but I hate to say it wasn't the best experience today. I was having trouble with the app and couldn't hear the prompts very well, I completely missed the first running prompt, which meant the first spot I had to run at ended up being a big hill :/ By the time I finished I was pretty wheezy and wishing that I had taken my puffer with me.
Still, I don't want to give up. I know not every run is perfect, but I'm hoping my next one will be better.

I DID IT!!!

polabear8 — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 21:37:36 GMT

I did the 20 minute run!!! With no stopping!!! AND with no pains or aches. Together with the brisk walking at the beginning and end of the run, it worked out at just about 3.7km... Quite an amazing achievement for me. Thank you all for the great tips in the comments to my previous post... they really did make a difference.

Roll on week 6!

Week 5 starting on Sunday

polabear8 — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 09:40:06 GMT

Hi all,

I'm happy to say that, last night, I did the last run of week 4! It's getting tougher now, and I wasn't feeling very well during the first two runs of week 4 (overheating, a bit of a pain in my left foot, tired and 'heavy' right calf) but I persevered and last night was much, much better.

I'm quite proud of myself for sticking with it and getting to week 5 which, according to many accounts, is the game-changer in the programme. We shall see! Any tips for what is coming?

P.S. Thanks for your kind comments and answering my running socks question in the previous post - I did end up buying them and my feet feel very comfortable indeed ;)c

C25K - Week 1, Day 1

feeny_88 — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:11:54 GMT

Hi everyone,
So today was my very first day of the couch to 5k program and I have to admit it was quite tough. The area where I live is quite hilly, so that didn't really help. I have actually been meaning to start for a few weeks now, but kept making excuses, so I'm proud of myself for finally taking the first steps out the door. I was really nervous about running outside, knowing that it wouldn't take long before I was huffing and puffing, but once I was out there it was great.
I waited to start on a day that I had off from work, thinking it would be good because I could go at any time.. I ended up going around lunchtime, not such a good idea. Even though it's coming in to winter here, it's still quite warm in the sun, especially if you're running around. Nevermind, I got through it.
Can't wait for my next run!

injury

dgirl1300 — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:21:42 GMT

So this past Thursday I took a line drive to the side of my right knee. It's really not that bad...I think the softball bounced before it hit me, so that slowed it down a bit. I've been keeping ice on it, and keeping it elevated. However, this afternoon will be my first day back to running since the injury, and I'm a little nervous. So...prayers/thoughts/advice would be appreciated. The swelling has gone down a lot, and I have pretty good range of motion, but I am getting random twinges of pain that don't seem to be consistent with any particular kind of movement.

Still going

polabear8 — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:46:44 GMT

Happy Monday everyone!

A quick post to say that I'm still alive and still running! I had a conversation with my GP after which I decided to progress to week 3 runs now. The first one was yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised; I thought it would be extremely hard but actually I could finish it quite easily (that doesn't mean that my face wasn't a fetching shade of radish afterwards for about an hour. Of course it was.)

I thought it would probably be a good idea to work on my core strength, which at the moment is low to non-existent. I used to have really strong stomach muscles - not sure when the terrible transformation happened! If anyone has workout tips, particularly regarding exercises with a fitness ball, I would be SO grateful to hear them.

Oh, and one more thing - would you recommend getting running socks?:)

Next race

nothinfinah — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:44:58 GMT

Well, there's nothing like reading all your c25k progress to get me to sign up for my next race :)
I just registered for the Run for the Kids 5k on July 18th. It's an evening race (6:30pm start) and is actually on my daughter's first birthday so I'm considering running with her in the stroller :)
I've never run with the stroller and I'm not sure if I'll manage to get any stroller training in before hand so... I think I'll play it by ear though and if she's not seeming up for it (6:30pm is right around dinner time for her and she could be cranky) I'll leave her with the hubby and see them at the finish line.

I'd like to get another race in before then, it is 6 weeks away after all, but I'll take what I can get :)

Oh! I forgot! The hubby and I also signed up for one of the 5k races at GenCon this August. That one starts at 6am (yikes).

Run number two - done!

polabear8 — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:54:05 GMT

As I said yesterday, last night was the night of my second run. It went well, actually, though it was harder than before - possibly because I set the treadmill on the 1 degree incline, as advised somewhere online... I do my brisk walk at somewhere about 5.5kph to 6.4kph, and then run at 7.5kph if I feel like I can - if I don't, I slow down to maybe 7.2kph. Not sure how this compares to others (and, to be honest, not sure if there is any POINT in comparisons!), but it feels just fine.

All in all, it wasn't unbearable by any stretch, so I'll continue with that setting, I think.

It's funny how I'm already thinking what I could do when I finish C25K ;) I catch myself planning to improve my speed, or running on a larger incline, or adding sprints from time to time. I need to remind myself to stop thinking ahead and just concentrate on running 90 seconds at a time, and the rest will probably follow.

bliss

nothinfinah — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 02:12:16 GMT

I forgot to post about about this because it wasn't a race, but this Mother's Day was my first as a mum and after a delightful breakfast at one of my favourite restaurants my hubbies gift to me was taking our duaghter with him for the day while he went to hang out with his buddy. I got to do things I like to do but rarely have the chance to do with an inquisitive toddler getting into everything. I worked on a painting, took a nap, ordered take out so I didn't have to cook, and best of all went for a run and took a lengthy relaxing shower after :)

It was a beautiful sunny day although a little bit on the brisk side (but that just helped me run faster :P). I only ran 2 miles, but managed a pace of 9:30ish which felt pretty awesome :)

It was just such a luxury to ignore the laundry and dishes and whatnot and go for a run. :) Aah, bliss <3

Move for the Kids 5k

nothinfinah — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 20:57:06 GMT

I keep meaning to write about my most recent race but it's been rather busy here in Chicago lately.

On May 20th I took part in the Move for the Kids 5k raising money for Lurie Children's Hospital here in Chicago. Lurie took great care of my baby girl in December and I wanted to show support. I think it was their first organized event because it was a bit of a shambles and there wasn't a great turn out compared to some other races I've done. They were setting up the start banner 10minutes before race time and the race packets (which are usually stuffed with fliers and protein bars or something) were pretty bare. Not that I minded, but it seemed generally skimpy and small in comparison.
I ended up running with another lady for just over 2miles of the course and chatting away. We'd both been surprised at the small attendance and the lack of corrals for min/mile pacing and had ended up starting the race right up at the front (rather than waaaaay back where we slow pokes usually start). Running with someone I felt slower than usual but I was very happy to realize that even if I was running slightly slower than I wanted I was able to chat easily for those 2 miles or so! Yay lung capacity! :D

Just passed the 2 mile mark I decided to run on ahead and see if I could improve my pace. I ended up crossing the finish line at 32m03s (one second slower than my last race- the bunny rock!). My new friend had said she'd been crossing the finish line around the 34-35minute time recently, but I looked up her results when I got home and she'd crossed at 32m53s which was fantastic :) I'm glad she got such an awesome time, but I hope she didn't suffer the next day.

The best part of the race was that our course overlapped with another race going on further up the lake front (for pancreatic cancer I think) *and* the Chicago Half Marathon was also going on that day! The train ride home was littered with runners in various bibs and medals :)
I guess there are races almost every weekend during the summer.
I need to find some to sign up for for June and July now.

Keep running friends!

Hello everyone...

polabear8 — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:25:40 GMT

... mind if I join?

I'm going on my second run tonight and I can't wait! I started c25k on Sunday, jumping straight into the beginning of Week 2 (because that's the sort of rebel I am). Possibly not the best idea and I might regret it later, but we shall wait and see. The first run went well. I wouldn't say it was a piece of p*ss but it wasn't terrible...

Perhaps I'm doing it wrong ;)

velkoria — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:21:05 GMT

sorry! wrong place!