ZR5K

To start with, I should probably explain a bit about what I’m doing exercise-wise these days. My leg muscles are much stronger now than they were before and the arthritic knee pain has mellowed so that I can push harder. Knee braces are a thing of the past. Ice packs are used sparingly (when there’s a hint of pain but there isn’t usually). Life is good physically…for the most part. I won’t go into the details.

Point is, I’ve started running again. After a bit of slow training on my own (and a week or so with the ZR5K app), I signed up for a Total Solar Eclipse Virtual Race to see where I stood with my abilities.

My 5k finishing time was 40:12. Considering I hadn’t dealt with hills or headwinds on my treadmill workouts and I hadn’t managed a full 5k distance before then, I was quite proud of myself. It also gave me a solid time to beat in October when I do the Halloween Virtual Run from the Zombies, Run app.

Because I don’t put the best thought into safely running on my own, I’m using the ZR5K app (Zombies, Run! 5k Training). It’s an 8-week running program. The first 3 weeks are free but you have to pay $4 for the rest. I was worried I wouldn’t like it but I knew it would help get me in running shape so I kept an open mind and loosely did the first 2 weeks when I had time. Yeah, those 2 weeks actually took me about 3-4 weeks. I’ve buckled down though and have a set running schedule that works pretty well. Today I bought the rest of the app (because I LOVE it!) and started Week 4.

Each week they give you a running routine that you have to do 3x (on 3 different days of course).

Week 3:

• 5 min Walking
• 5 min Free Form Run
• 1 min Run, 1 min Walk, 10r Knee Lifts – REPEAT 5x
• 8 min Free Form Run
• 2 min Stretching
• 8 min Free Form Run

I don’t stop to stretch during that 2 minutes. I slow to a walk to rest and give myself a break. I hit the full 5k each run for Week 3. By Week 2 I was able to run the full 10-min free form run at the end. Week 3’s 8-min free form runs were harder but I still managed to run both of them with the help of that 2-min bout of walking in the middle.

Week 4:

• 5 min Walking
• 5 min Free Form Run
• 10r Knee Lifts, 1 min Slow Walk, 1 min Fast Walk – REPEAT 5x
• 1 min Walking, 30s Running – REPEAT 5x
• 15 min Free Form Run

When I saw the routine for today, I thought it would be easy and it was…until the end. I knew that 15-min run at the end would be difficult but I thought I could push through at least most of it because of how well I had been doing in the previous weeks.

My speeds had increased the last couple weeks. My walking was 4.0mph and my free form running ranged from 4.5-5.5mph. Today my Slow Walk was 4.0mph while my Fast Walk was 4.5mph. I had tried to walk at this speed before, yes, but can only keep it up for a short period of time. My shins get super tired and it’s easier to use that speed as a jog. But for 1-min intervals it was doable. And the walk/run intervals were almost too easy.

However, when I got to the 15-min run at the end, I felt at once that I couldn’t keep up my normal 5.5mph. Not even a minute had gone by before I started drooping so I switched to 5.0mph for awhile. 3 minutes later and I switched to 4.5mph which is normal for me but I was struggling more than I should have been. I try to scale through those speeds in an effort to keep going. If I’m running at 5.5mph for 2 minutes, 5.0mph feels easier so I can then keep that up for another 2 minutes. Then moving to 4.5mph is almost easy so that, by the time I’m done with those 2 minutes, I have the energy to shoot back up to 5.5mph and do the whole thing again. Obviously I couldn’t manage that plan this time.

By 5 minutes my energy was shot and I still had 10 minutes to go. I slowed to a 4.0mph walk. I started up again at 5.0mph but could only last about a minute before I had to slow again to 4.5mph. I spent the rest of the run at a 4.0mph walk and a 4.5mph run. Around 10 minutes my head felt detached and my body felt strange. Probably the first time I’ve ever noticed this precursor to being lightheaded. I tried to walk more but I still pushed myself to run when I felt I could.

I hit 5k before the end of the routine. It was my slowest 5k (in this training) at 43:12. My run by the end was 3.55 miles at 49:54.

Yes, the routine was long. But why I would feel so tired/weak and have such trouble with the final run when I hadn’t been working very hard beforehand, I don’t know. I had an Isagenix shake for breakfast and it powered me through Week 3 Run 3 last week beautifully. Was I expending more energy than I thought with those initial walking intervals? Because my initial 5-min free form run in the beginning was at my normal speed and almost at my normal energy level.

Maybe my body was overheated? I try to turn the treadmill fan on when I run but the treadmill today didn’t have a fan and the extra big fan wasn’t on. I should’ve paused my run when I first felt overly sweaty and turned it on, but I thought I was being silly and that I should tough it out. I wonder now if that wasn’t the case and I should’ve turned the fan on.

If anyone has any other ideas as to why I was so much weaker toward the end than I usually am, please feel free to comment. I’m learning as I go and I want to train smart so I can stay healthy and injury-free and eventually help others do the same.

February – Week 4

Almost done! And this is supposed to be the short month! Oh wow. How I’m going to survive March, I don’t know. One day at a time I suppose, like with any month. But let’s finish Feb before we start thinking about March.

Actually, if I’m going to be honest, I’m thinking about April right now…

#MoreLoveLessFear – Day 4

2/21/16 Booty Time:

• Fun Indoor Cardio – 6 min
• Swimsuit Slimdown: 8 Min Bikini Butt Workout – 8 min
• Lower Abs & Booty Blast – 10 min
• The Ultimate Butt, Back, & Arms Challenge – 3:18 min
• 5 Best Butt Exercises to Sculpt a Cute Booty – 9 min

#YogalatesLove – Day 22

2/22/16 Strong Arms:

• POP Pilates: Back Attack – 8 min
• 6 Min to Sexy Arms – 6 min
• POP Pilates: Backless Dress Workout – 10:30 min
• Jogging/Walking – 30:48 min 2.3 mi

OMG. My arms want to fall off. Can I get some new ones please? My shoulders are SO sore! I felt so good right after lunch today and the weather was nice so I went out for a run instead of doing the 100 Burpee video scheduled for today. EW! I hate that video. I’ll do burpees when I have to. They’re awesome for getting results. They’re definitely not my favorite thing in the world of fitness though. But 100??? Yeah, no, not right now. I’ll run thanks.

I got to listen to a zombie app while doing so too. I paid more attention to keeping a lookout for rattlesnakes. Yeah, so not a fan and it’s like every area around here is rattlesnake country. I even saw one on that trail! It rattled it’s tail at me and I totally freaked and sprinted away. Nothing like imminent poison danger to give you a fresh spurt of energy.

My stamina/endurance/strength isn’t what it used to be so instead of trying to run the whole way or sprinting at times, I gave myself songs to run and walk to on the way out (ie: jog all through this song without stopping) and then on the way back I’d pick out a landmark and tell myself, “Run to that tree,” or “Walk to that sign.” I increased my speed doing this and was completely pooped by the end.

Good news though – no rattlesnake sightings! Woo!

#YogalatesLove – Day 23

2/23/16 Cardio Core:

Missed. I had intended to work out but it just never happened. Errands got in the way. I had a number of them. Skipping the core day seems to be a common occurrence though. Not a good occurrence. But I can’t admit that my core isn’t getting a workout because Cassey works, like, the whole body pretty much every day. Still, if I did my core work when I was supposed to, my core would be much stronger. I need to stop slacking on core days.

#MoreLoveLessFear – Day 7

2/24/16 Luscious Legs:

• “Hot Summer” POP Cardio – 12 min (breakdown of moves included)
• 5 Minute Long Legs – 5 min
• Killer Legs Challenge – 3:30 min
• Legs on Fire – 11 min
• Quick Leg & Butt Sculptor – 3:20 min

Woo! I totally rocked it today! I always plan for 3 videos each day but this day I just felt so good. After each workout I thought, “I can do another.” And then I only had Legs on Fire (saved it for last) and I thought, “Oh why not.” I’m glad I did because it worked my inner thighs while the other videos hadn’t concentrated on that area. Very awesome day!

#MoreLoveLessFear – Day 8

2/25/16 HIIT Me Up!:

• Fat Burning Ladder for Toned Thighs and Sculpted Abs – 6:40 min
• Pumped Up Cardio Warm Up – 6 min
• HIIT My Abs HARD!!! – 5:20 min
• Jogging/Walking – 24:24 min 1.67 mi

I love that Fat Burning Ladder video. It’s so awesome! Because I skipped that Cardio Core day before, I tried to focus on really working my abs today. My core isn’t sore but boy did I get tired! I did my fav 3 HIIT videos from today’s schedule and then decided that, since I was feeling so energetic, I’d go for a run instead of doing the last 2 HIIT videos. I really didn’t want to do them anyway. Best to end when I’m still having fun and continue with something similar that’s also fun.

Followed the zombie app again. If there really had been zombies following me, I would’ve wanted to kill them! There were only 2 major hills but both times I started up, I’d get a zombie warning.

As soon as I reached a massive hill, I had to run up it as fast as I could?? REALLY??!! And the second hill was at the end so I was already really tired and the back of my left knee was stiff and achy. That hill has been my nemesis ever since my family moved there when I was in high school. And I had to sprint up it…at the end of my run. Evil. Pure evil.

I ended up quitting halfway and walked to the top (zombie somehow evaded). When I got there I almost threw up. It was awful. But I breathed through it and successfully held in my guts. Then had a good stretch and did my yoga/pilates poses for the 2 IG challenges.

Oddly enough I did enjoy myself…

#YogalatesLove – Day 26

2/26/16 Rest + Relax:

OMG. Ew. Last night my knees swelled up like watery melons. Totally NOT awesome. This just goes to show that you can love a workout even if it proves to be bad for you later. You know that quote, “‘I regret that workout,’ said no one. Ever.” I’ve always wondered about it. Is it true that no one’s ever said that? Well, if it was true or not, it’s no longer true now. I REGRET THAT WORKOUT. It’s been like walking on stilts today. My knees have very little strength right now and they’re still a bit swollen and very stiff.

#YogalatesLove – Day 27

2/27/16 Total Body Torture:

So today was a lot better but both knees still got stiff again. Not swollen I don’t think, just stiff. Walking weakened them, sitting stiffened them. It was a no win situation. So I did my best to rest with my legs up and ice them again today. Icing feels soooo good!