8 week rookie running program by sparkpeople

[threeboysmom]

UGH!!

Started on Week #5 last night. Same 3 minute jogs and 2 minute walks but with an added rep in there for a total of 30 minutes.

Cannot believe how one added rep (5 minutes in total) could bring so much agony, sweat, and tears (not really). But seriously?? I thought I was going to be sick at the end.

But I did it. That's what counts.

Can we just stay at Week #5 for the rest of the year?

 

[kt_mom]

I did the first day of week 5 on Saturday and I agree, it was tough. Tonight I'll do day two and I'm dreading it. I should have done day two yesterday but I wanted to push day three out to Thursday since I'll be gone all weekend.

I still can't imagine doing week 6 with 4 min jogs and only 1 min walks in between. But of course I couldn't imagine doing week 4 either and we did it. I haven't decided yet if I want to repeat week 5 next week or not. I guess we should wait a little longer and decide.

 

[kt_mom]

I didn't do my second day yesterday. I had a terrible headache all day and just couldn't muster up the strength or enthusiasm to get on the treadmill. Which ended up making me feel even worse. I've still got this headache today, but I'm hoping to just deal with it and get on the treadmill tonight. Maybe it will make me feel better.

 

[threeboysmom]

I did the first day of week 5 on Saturday and I agree, it was tough. Tonight I'll do day two and I'm dreading it. I should have done day two yesterday but I wanted to push day three out to Thursday since I'll be gone all weekend.

I still can't imagine doing week 6 with 4 min jogs and only 1 min walks in between. But of course I couldn't imagine doing week 4 either and we did it. I haven't decided yet if I want to repeat week 5 next week or not. I guess we should wait a little longer and decide.

We have time before we make a decision about which week to do next week. Let's see how we are over the weekend.

Sorry about your headache. Yeah, that really hinders any progress. Running with a headache would only have made it worse.

Hope you feel better soon!

I don't go to track again until tomorrow night for day #2. I'm dreading it, but yet there's a sick curiousity in me too that wants to know how I'll do so in a way, I look forward to it.... in a way.

Again, let's make a decision over the weekend. Doing week #5 again is better than not doing anything at all or killing ourselves in the process. If running becomes something we hate, then what good is that??

 

[Macca1111]

I hadn't heard of this before - didn't sign up to check it out, but I know that when I started the C25K I couldn't do the minute intervals from week 1. I kept thinking I needed to record my own that started with 30 seconds or something instead. I eventually got past that, but I know that Jeff Galoway's program starts out easier too - seems like it would be better for those of us who are definitely not runners!

 

[kt_mom]

Well I was only able to do four sets last night. Having skipped so many days really messed me up, plus I'm still not feeling 100%. Since we are leaving to go out of town tomorrow as soon as I get off work I plan to not skip a day and try again tonight. I'm thinking I will definitely have to repeat week 5 next week. So far I've only been able to complete one day of week 5. Hopefully tonight I will get 5 sets in.

This last week I've been feeling a little ache in my right knee and its making me nervous. I hope its not the start of problems. But it could also be the fluctuating weather around here. I've been having my normal elbow pain that I get this time of year when the weather starts changing.

I've gained about 3 or 4 pounds in the last few weeks. I think I'm eating more and somehow subconsciously justifying it becuase I'm "working out". But I don't think I'm doing enough excercise yet to make a difference, much less allow me to eat more. So next week I'm back on my diet. I just don't do well if I allow myself to make/have too many choices. I will always choose the wrong things.

 

[kt_mom]

I hadn't heard of this before - didn't sign up to check it out, but I know that when I started the C25K I couldn't do the minute intervals from week 1. I kept thinking I needed to record my own that started with 30 seconds or something instead. I eventually got past that, but I know that Jeff Galoway's program starts out easier too - seems like it would be better for those of us who are definitely not runners!

So far I like it. The C25K seemed too hard from the start for me. I'm definitely not a runner at all. I haven't heard of Jeff Galoway's program, I'll have to check it out sometime.

 

[threeboysmom]

Well, I haven't progressed beyond Week #5, Day #1, so you're not behind schedule at all. I plan on doing Day #2 tonight and will see how that last rep affects me.

Haven't heard of Galloway's method either... I guess I always thought C25K WAS Jeff Galloway's method, lol.

I agree with C25K being too tough. It's why I had to stop the program and find something else. So far this sparkpeople rookie program is working so much better.

 

[threeboysmom]

Not sure what it is about Thursdays, but last night's run was so much better!

I need to figure out what I do differently on Thursdays as opposed to my other running days. It's the only day I don't feel like I'm going to die when running, lol.

 

[mullysisters]

I tried the C25Klast year and was so disappointed that it was too hard for me.
Wow- how out of shape am I?
I'm ready to try again so I had a look at your suggestion- 8 week Rookie runner. I'll start today.
I go to WDW in 40 days but this will get me started. I'd love to lose 10# before I go and build up my fitness a little. Thanks for the link.

 

[threeboysmom]

I tried the C25Klast year and was so disappointed that it was too hard for me.
Wow- how out of shape am I?
I'm ready to try again so I had a look at your suggestion- 8 week Rookie runner. I'll start today.
I go to WDW in 40 days but this will get me started. I'd love to lose 10# before I go and build up my fitness a little. Thanks for the link.

Awesome!! We'd love to have you join us!

Let us know how you make out today! I'm lying here in bed trying to convince myself to get to the gym so I can finish out week #5, but gosh darn it, I'm really fighting with myself right now...

 

[threeboysmom]

Well, I confess. I never made it to the gym this weekend so haven't completed day #3 of week 5.

I am going to do week #5 again this week, starting with tonight.

 

[kt_mom]

Well we had a great weekend but I wasn't able to work in any time for the treadmill so I'll be repeating week 5 this week also. I'm going to start tonight and hopefully do day 1 of week 5. But I may only be able to get through a day of week 4. If that's the case I'll do an extra day over the weekend of week 5 so I can hopefully get to week 6 next week. After taking such a long weekend I'm afraid I won't be able to get through the first day of week 5. But I'm going to try to push through!

mullysisters welcome and good luck! I was really nervous about starting this but the first few weeks were easier than I thought and I am so out of shape and not a runner at all.

 

[threeboysmom]

Mullysisters - did you get a chance to start the program? Please update us if you have!

KT - did you get a chance to treadmill last night? I went to track and finished day #3 (finally).

I think the next two times I go to the track I'm going to modify the program a bit - kind of like a transition into week #6 since it's such a big jump.

For the next two runs, I'm going to cut down to 1 minute walking time, but only do 5-6 reps (rather than the 8 required for week #6). Hoping to "ease" into week #6 by doing it this way.

What do you think?

That 1 minute walking time scares me! lol. I'm barely going to get my heart rate down before off I go again running.

 

[kt_mom]

I did a day of week 4 since it had been 4 days since my last treadmill day. Just to sort of warm up for the week, and it was tough. But I think its because I was pretty lazy over the weekend. And I also started back on a fairly strict diet yesterday so my body was fairly shocked I think.

Tonight I'm going to do day 1 of week 5, again. Then I was going to do days 2 and 3 on thur/sat and then hopefully on Sunday try a modified week 6. Maybe just do 5 sets with the 1 min walk. I can't imagine going all the way to 7 I'm going to have to work up to that I think. I was hoping that I could maybe add a set each day or something but we'll see. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with this week 5. I hope tonight is better.

It sounds like you are doing well though, that's great!!

 

[threeboysmom]

Yikes, I found out that strict dieting and running do NOT fare well together! You may want to eat a little more on your running days; otherwise you are going to have no energy and your legs will turn to jelly in the first rep, lol. Be careful.

Hate to break the news to you, but I really believe Week #6 is EIGHT reps, not 7, which is why I'm going to try and ease into it this week. There's NO WAY I can just jump into Week #6 after finishing Week #5 - it's such a big difference between the two. I think modifying/easing our way into it is the best way since we're both rookies at running (or any type of exercise for that matter, lol).

But who knows, maybe we'll surprise ourselves?

 

[kt_mom]

You're right, it is 8 set, I must have copied it over wrong. Wow, that's even scarier!!

Yea, I need to ease into that. Week 6 may take me a little extra time to complete. But that's okay, I'm not hung up on finishing this in a certain amount of time. I just want to finish it. I would LOVE to someday enjoy running and have a desire to do it. Maybe even run a 5K with DD or something. So far I only enjoy that I haven't quit. I don't actually enjoy the act of running.

I find I usually have quite a bit of energy on this plan. It focuses on protein and fruits and vegetables. I was letting myself snack too much and drinking sodas which I love but are so horrible and I think they actually make me feel more sluggish. I have no willpower at all so its all or nothing. This plan is boring in terms of choices but easy to follow because I eat the same things in rotation.

I think tonight will be better. I just can't go more than a day or two in between or I feel like I lose ground. I'm planning to make myself push through tonight either way. I'm trying to drink more water today too. I think I do better when I've had more water during the day, no side pains or anything.

ETA: Okay I had week 4 and 5 messed up too. Week 4 was 5 sets and week 5 is 6 sets!

 

[mullysisters]

I have walked Day 1 & 2 of Week one of the program. Easy-peasy!
It does make me a little sweaty but I feel really good about getting moving again. Unfortunately even with my 1200 cal a day eating I have not lost any weight?? I do feel as though I'm eating much better (without the fast food) and so I'm going to carry on and see what happens. Thanks for the support,
PS I received my "Mickey Mail" today for my Dec trip!

 

[kt_mom]

I have walked Day 1 & 2 of Week one of the program. Easy-peasy!
It does make me a little sweaty but I feel really good about getting moving again. Unfortunately even with my 1200 cal a day eating I have not lost any weight?? I do feel as though I'm eating much better (without the fast food) and so I'm going to carry on and see what happens. Thanks for the support,
PS I received my "Mickey Mail" today for my Dec trip!

Glad to hear its going good for you! And congrats on the Mickey Mail! That reminds me, I need to call and give them our magical express info but I haven't had time to check on flights arriving the day we need to take magical express. We actually fly in the night before late and are going to spend the night at the Hyatt in the airport and then take magical express over the next morning.

So I did the treadmill again last night and I plan to take tonight off since DD has choir and there's no one to watch DS while I'm in the basement. I did the 5 sets but that last one was HARD. But I did it. Tomorrow night I'm going to do 5 again and then hopefully on Friday or Saturday I can do 6. I'd like to get a couple extra days in this week even though we are supposed to take a day in between. To get caught up, but also because I seem to do better the next day then when I wait a day.

 

[threeboysmom]

ETA: Okay I had week 4 and 5 messed up too. Week 4 was 5 sets and week 5 is 6 sets!

Uh oh! Does that mean what I think it means?? lol That you've been doing one less rep than required each week?

I have walked Day 1 & 2 of Week one of the program. Easy-peasy!
It does make me a little sweaty but I feel really good about getting moving again. Unfortunately even with my 1200 cal a day eating I have not lost any weight?? I do feel as though I'm eating much better (without the fast food) and so I'm going to carry on and see what happens. Thanks for the support,
PS I received my "Mickey Mail" today for my Dec trip!

Awesome Mullysisters! Even walking it is so much better than doing NOTHING!

Not sure I can help with calorie counting. I usually low carb and don't pay attention to calories. Just make sure you take measurements because once you start building up muscle through exercise, it is more dense and weighs more than fat so you can't always trust your scale. I usually just go by the fit of my clothes.

I won't hit the track until tomorrow night. Going to aim for 5 reps of 3 min. runs and 1 min. walks. That's only 20 minutes and we have been doing 30 minutes so hoping it's not TOO bad.

Gosh, I can remember when 30 seconds of jogging felt like death to me back in April. It's fun to see progress being made!