C25K Week Four

The fourth week of the C25K training program marks a serious jump in the intensity of the workouts. The week three workout took about 15 minutes (plus 10 minutes to warm up and cool down). The week four workout lasts 21.5 minutes (plus the warming up and cooling down). Since endurance has always been my biggest problem, the sudden lengthening was a bit of a shock to my system. This week also nearly doubles the amount of time spent running which, interestingly, put a strain on my calf muscles.

I think that it's an overall good thing that the strain was on my calf muscles rather than my ankle. I've actually been pleased that my ankle has barely been bothering me. I had some issues with it early on, but running on the treadmill in front of a mirror has actually helped me improve my running posture, which in turn has put less stress on m ankles and shins. Actually posture may not be the right word. My problem - a side effect of years of ballet training - was that I was always keeping my feet exactly under me, almost like I was running on a balance beam. It's been difficult to retrain myself to keep my feet in their own lanes, so to speak, but when I can keep that up the overall running is much easier and less painful.

My problem with the first run this week (and my problem with running in general) was how bored I was getting. Running for five minutes is a long time, and I wasn't exactly feeling the song that came on my playlist for that section (Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA). I like the song fine, but it's simple and repetitive in a way that left me bored rather than engaged. I felt a lot better when The Dixie Chicks' Sin Wagon came on. I guess it's time to update my playlist.

The second run was easier. I made more liberal use of the skip button on my current playlist and stuck to songs that kept me motivated. I was able to maintain a 5.6 mph speed through all of my runs, which is a record best for me.

The third run was an entirely different story, though. I don't know why running outside is ten times harder than running on a treadmill, but it is. I wasn't able to finish this run, and after the first interval I wasn't even coming close to my treadmill pace. I think it's all the hills around my house that trip me up. Logically I know that I run downhill as much as I run uphill, since I start and stop in the same place and don't live in an Escher painting. But this entire run felt uphill. I was really struggling to breathe by the end and could barely even walk by the time I got back to my house.

See Caitlin Fail

Iit looks like I'll be re-doing the fourth week of training. I have a buffer week in my schedule, so I'll still be on track for the 5K in May. And even if I do fall behind, the final three weeks are just about increasing total time running. I can run for part of the 5K and still finish it.