C25K so far

I just completed week six of my eight week couch to 5k or C25K training. I am so impressed with this program! It hasn’t been easy but the workouts have been do able.

When I first started this program six weeks ago there was absolutely no way I could even go out and run a mile without walking most of it. Now six weeks in and I just ran 2.25 miles with absolutely no walking and was able to keep a pace of 9.06 minutes per mile the whole time!

I will say that for all the good things the C25K app does there is one weakness, that weakness is tracking your actual run and pace. To make up for that weakness I downloaded the Nike Run Club app. The Nike Run Club app tracks your gps, keeps your time, tracks your pace, and notes elevation changes. Below is the first run/walk I ever did with the Nike Run Club app.

Here is the run I just completed.

You can see I’ve made some huge improvements. Still have two weeks to go!

Month One and Done!

I started my journey to complete a 5k exactly one month ago. One of the things I have learned is that our bodies are capable of so much!

The first three weeks I experienced pain unlike anything else I have ever experienced. It wasn’t necessarily intense pain just different. Being a weightlifter I am plenty use to sprains, pulled muscles, general soreness, and DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).

I had never experienced pain deep inside my joints. I thought after two weeks of constant joint pain that there was no way I could continue to train. With the support and encouragement of my wife I pushed through! My mind was definitely telling me I could not and should not be doing this. I had to have the mental fortitude to keep going.

After one month of training I feel great! Energy levels are higher, sleep is better, I have the energy and desire to keep up with my kids after a long day instead of crashing on the couch. Most importantly though that deep joint pain is gone and I feel strong. Keep going, keep pushing, you have no idea what your body is capable of. As for me, I’m onto month two of my 5k training.

Zombies, Run

I’m starting to really enjoy my three weekly runs. A running app called Zombies, Run is a huge reason why. I just completed week three of my C25K training. Definitely wish I had found Zombies, Run sooner. I only have three runs under my belt with Zombies, Run. Today I’ll be giving you my first impressions.

I love all things zombies! Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts, whatever I can get I love it all! Which if you have bounced off of The Walking Dead you need to come back! The most recent season featuring the whisperers is amazing!

Zombies, Run is an immersive running app that features you, as runner five. I won’t get to much into the story so as to not spoil anything for you. Basically you play the role of runner five during the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. The story has different missions where you have to run to certain locations, run from zombies, pick up supplies, and many other missions. The supplies you collect during your run you can use to upgrade your home base.

The story is so immersive that yesterday I was running a distraction mission. I had to run to a virtual gate get the zombies attention and lead them away. While leading them away, at times I had to run with a burst of speed. A few times there was a voice from the towns sniper that came on and would tell me to put my head down so she could shoot a zombie that was getting too close. I found myself ducking in the real world.

One thing I will mention is that you can still play your music. The app will automatically lower your musics volume whenever the narration starts. Now this is fine for music but, does not work well for podcasts. The Zombies, Run app will come on over any external audio. The external audio still plays in the background just at a lower volume that you can select.

I wish that the app would pause the external audio instead of just lowering the volume. Overall though it’s a very entertaining running companion that has made me look forward to my runs even more!