My 7-Week Challenge
 

Starting today I am following this 5K Run - 7 Week Training Schedule:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/images/pdfs/fsm14_5K_run.pdf

Having come to lowcarb from the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, I didn't get the beginner's whoooosh weight loss that many experience. However, as I have a fairly haphazard relationship with the gym and a very sedentary job, I'm stepping up the regular exercise to try and speed things up and get into the 140s.

I'm running on a treadmill rather than outdoors as I find it easier to keep track of statistics on a machine, especially when the schedule calls for the run/walk exercise.

Day 1
Walk/Run 30 minutes
Level 5/20, Random setting, Speed 5 - 7



I managed 3 and a half kilometers in 30 mins + 5 mins cooldown. For this first week, the program says to run for 15 seconds and walk for 45 seconds but it was soon apparent this can't be done on a treadmill! Instead I ran for 1 - 2 minute bursts and made sure I did this for a quarter of the time (8 minutes in total out of the 30).

It was quite easy. The worst part was hauling myself out of bed to get to the gym!

See you tomorrow!

Day 2
Walk 30 minutes

Walking day today and did this outside as I had places to go. Will have to get myself a pedometer for these days so at least I have something to log :)

Day 3
Walk/Run 30 minutes
Level 5/20, Random setting, Speed 5 - 8

Similar to Monday even though I did the running bits at 1 speed higher. I climbed 49 meters though and I think that is more than Day 1. The random hill setting is well... random! :lol:

Oh and forgot to add... I'm 1.5 lbs down from Monday :hyper:

Day 4
Walk 30 minutes

Day 4 already, time is going so quick! Walk day today so I did it outdoors again. This time I used a pedometer but forgot to look at the number of steps after half an hour and I was out longer than that! Anyway, I did 4407 steps which I think is 3 or 4 km. I don't feel if I have done much today though, so when I have the time I might add some weights to my walking days - might as well give the arms some exercise other than carrying the shopping :)

Day 5
Rest

Not much more to say really :lol:

Day 6
Walk/Run 3 miles (4.8 km)
Level 5/20, Random setting, Speed 5 - 8.5

Did the 'walk for 3 mins, run for 1 min, walk for 4 mins, run for 2 mins...' thing again to make sure I ran for a quarter of the time, but because I didn't know how long it would take me to run/walk 3 miles I had to keep ahead of the game! Anyway, at 30mins I was at 2.95 km and completed the 4.8 km in 48.41 minutes:



I climbed 87 meters...


...and after cooldown:


Nearly a whole week done!

Day 7
Rest/Walk

Lovely walk in the countryside today, nothing strenuous and it's just as well as my legs are aching a little bit.

Not looking forward to tomorrow but as I've printed off the schedule and am ticking off the days, I have to go lol!

Day 8
Walk/Run 30 minutes
Level 5/20, Random setting, Speed 5 - 8

Well I seem to be getting slower. :blush: Although I climbed the same number of meters as last Wednesday:

I am exhausted for some reason. I wonder whether I should up my carbs a bit? It is also REALLY HOT in the gym and I don't think I'm drinking enough. Luckily there were some male dancers in the gym practising moves and I could see them in the mirror so it made the time pass a little quicker. :D

Day 9
Walk 30 minutes

I had planned to do my 30 minute walk on the treadmill with the pedometer so I could see how many steps I walked in a k or a mile or whatever. It was far too hot to be indoors though, so I shelved that idea for a cooler day and instead plotted my walk at http://www.walkjogrun.net/ to see how far I had gone.

I did just under a mile and a half in the 30 mins, but was out for a while longer.

Well, another day ticked off...



...and it is weigh day tomorrow. Gulp!

Day 10
Walk/Run 30 minutes
Level 5/20, Random setting, Speed 5 - 8.6

Another 1.5 lbs down :yay: Same as last week. I seem to stick all week and then lose it on Mon-Wed! The loss is excruciatingly slow compared to my first month but the exercise seems to have upped the weight loss from the second month by a half to a lb extra a week, so I'm not complaining. Maybe this will get even greater as I run more... or maybe it won't because I will be increasing muscle? Whatever, at least I should tone up. :)

Haven't been to the gym yet today so will update later.


-----------------------------------------------------

Well I did more in the the gym than planned! I did my walk/run thing for 11 minutes - 4 of which were running - and then realised I had no water. I didn't want to repeat Monday's probable dehydration, so paused the treadmill and went to fill my bottle.

When I came back the machine had stopped and lost my stats :eek: :(

I didn't know how far I had gone so I had little choice but to start again. Oh well, even after that I did better than Monday!

Day 11
Walk 30 minutes

I was out for longer than 30 mins again and did 5455 steps which I think is a couple of miles.



I really must start doing the walking on the treadmill ON TOP of my usual activity. Will start doing this next week.

Day 12
Rest

Another week nearly gone :exclm:

Day 13
Walk/Run 3.5 miles (5.6 km)
Level 5/20, Random setting, Speed 5.2 - 8.5

Well I mucked up today well and truly lol!

I had it in my head that I had to run 4.8 km (which was actually last Saturday's distance). I knew that it was 3+ miles but the treadmills only show ks and I don't know the conversion. I didn't realize until I was back from the gym and looked at the chart on my noticeboard. :o :mad:

So I did was short on my distance. :o

Anyway, at 30mins I was at 3.01 km and completed the 4.8 km in 48.55 minutes:


I climbed 77 meters (10 less than last week)...


...and after cooldown:


I am now wondering whether to repeat Week 2! I could do all the walking on the treadmill so I'm going uphill, introduce some weights on walkdays, and maybe start doing the longer Saturday distance on the flat rather than Level 5 hills. Sounds like a plan...

Day 14
Rest/Walk



The ticks are mounting up... Shame I'm repeating week 2 really!

Day 8 Mark 2
Walk/Run 30 minutes
Level 5/20, Random setting, Speed 5.5 - 8.5

Ran in 2 minute bursts today and at 30 minutes had done 3.2 km. It made a difference to the end total. I have realized just how important it is to make sure I have had my veggies before I go to the gym. If I don't, my legs feel like lead,

After cooldown I had done 3 and a half km:



...and I climbed 58 meters:


Tomorrow I start using the weights but I'm not sure what I'm doing. Will have to have a little look online for some pointers.

Day 9 Mark 2
Walk 30 minutes
Level 5/20, Random setting, Speed 5.5 - 6.5

Lots of numbers today :D . I did my walking on the treadmill and took my pedometer. I did 3421 steps in half an hour, which for my stride is 2.8 km.



After cooldown I had walked 3.1 and climbed 45 meters.

Then came the weights!

Peck Deck
3 x 12, weight 3

Leg Press
3 x 12, weight 5

Lat Pull Down
3 x 12, weight 4

My arms really feel it now, even though I didn't do a lot. I suppose I will get used to it...

Day 10 Mark 2
Walk/Run 30 minutes
Level 5/20, Random setting, Speed 5.5 - 9.0

I seem to be breathing a bit better. I can run without forgetting to breathe and it is feeling easier. I don't smoke but hard exercise has always caused breathing trouble with me - my legs can usually take it (I can walk forever) and my head can take it (stubborn as a mule if I have to do something) but if it makes me out of breath I give up sooner rather than later.

Also, I'm not very competitive. So I do my bursts of running, start huffing and puffing, and stop and KNOW that I could run longer but don't like that panting feeling. It doesn't hurt, it just makes me feel anxious or something, and as I'm not being pursued by a tiger, there is no need for me to continue!

Anyway, the breathing seem to be getting better. I wonder if it is something to do with speed as I tried running faster today?

Despite the speed I didn't go much further than Monday though with 3.25 at the 30 minute mark. Perhaps I compensated on the walking bits... :D

After cooldown:


...and I climbed 48 meters:

Day11 Mark 2
Rest

Had to swap today's walk for tomorrow's rest as I ran out of time, plus my upper body aches A LOT from Tuesday's weights.

Good news - it's weigh day and I'm down another half pound :thup:

Why is it when you are waiting for a goal (I want to get out of the 160s) that it is excruciatingly slow!!! ARGH!!! I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow, maybe that will help :D

I hope you don't mind my posting here. I just read over your gym log and wanted to say how well you are doing. You are also so cheerful...I like that. :)
I am a weight trainer not a runner. Just wanted to cheer you on. :)

oooh thank you for dropping by! :)

And thanks for your comments, they have spurred me on, especially as I don't have a gym buddy - my only incentive to keep going is this blog and the thought of new clothes when I hit my target!

:D

Day 12 Mark 2
Walk 30 minutes

Well according to http://www.walkjogrun.net/ I walked just under 2 and a half miles today. I also have started to use the stairs rather than take a lift whenever I can and don't get as puffed as I used to. This is exciting! It is amazing how quickly you can start to get conditioned and how quickly getting up and going to the gym can become a habit. :)

(Note for anyone wanting to use http://www.walkjogrun.net/ and having problems. I found that just putting in my UK postcode doesn't always work (maybe my browser) so I type in 'London' and then zoom in.)

Day 13 Mark 2
Rest/Walk

Again had to swap a couple of days around as I've had my hair done for a big night out and refuse to pay all that money only to get all sweaty and need to wash it lol!

This means I will have 2 days consecutive run/walking to keep on track but I don't think it will be too bad (famous last words :D ).

Another 2 and a half miles today but very much a stroll rather than a route march.

Day 14 Mark 2
Walk/Run 3.5 miles (5.6 km)
Speed 5.5 - 9.0

Well this time I wrote 5.6 on my hand so I wouldn't forget how far I had to go like I did last week! :D

AND I STILL GOT IT WRONG!!! :bash:

By the time I had got the the 5k mark the numbers had sweated off and I was convinced it was 5.4! Why oh why can't thery put miles on the machine as well, I can remember miles!

Luckily, I reached the required distance with the extra 5 minute cooldown. Phew! I didn't fancy doing week 2 for the third time! I was running for a quarter of the time in one minute bursts and this time did it on the flat. This is a lot easier than my Level 5 random hills and if I hadn't had my first night out in ages this weekend, I think I would have been quicker.



After cooldown:

Day 15
Walk/Run 30 minutes
Level 5/20, Random setting, Speed 5.5 - 9.0

A little stiff from Day 14, I felt it in my legs a bit, and today I started running for a third (rather than a quarter) of the time.

Did 3.23 k in the 30 minutes and after cooldown...




:)

Did you have fun? Hope so. :)

How often do you weight train?

Had a good time thanks. I was a bit worried about getting cravings but didn't... well only for another Vodka and that is easily ignored as I hate hangovers!



I don't really. The plan is to do a few reps on the machines when it's a walk day in the gym. Earlier in the year I did some free weights work (copied an exercise video I found on youtube :D ) and within 6 weeks my arms were amazing - I can't find the video now though! When I have time I'll find another.

Day 16
Walk 30 minutes
Level 5/20, Random setting, Speed 5.5 - 6.5

Walked on the treadmill today and took my pedometer. I did 3632 steps in half an hour, which for my stride is 2.99 km...ooh so close to 3K!

After the 5 minutes cooldown I had walked 3.32 and climbed 65 meters.




Peck Deck
3 x 10, weight 3

Leg Press
3 x 10, weight 5

Lat Pull Down
3 x 10, weight 4

Day 17
Rest

No time today so have swapped today's walk/run for Friday's rest.

For the first time in weeks I have had NO WEIGHT LOSS this week :confused: :(

Was this because I went out? Had my first alcohol all year? Because I didn't exercise today? :p Because I repeated Week 2 last week? :D

No matter, I didn't gain any either so :thup: :thup: :thup:

Day 18
Walk 30 minutes
Level 5/20, Random setting, Speed 5.5 - 6.5

Forgot my pedometer today, never mind. Did the usual "nearly 3k" on my walk and after cooldown had done 3.24km and climbed 53 meters.



I took all the weights down a notch because my arms ached too much last time. I'll put them up again (not that I do much lol!) next week when I get into the rhythm of it.

Peck Deck
3 x 10, weight 2

Leg Press
3 x 10, weight 4

Lat Pull Down
3 x 10, weight 3

Day 19
Walk/Run 30 minutes
Level 4/20, Random setting, Speed 5.0 - 7.0

Well today was a bit of a revelation. It was so hot in the gym (one of the aircons wasn't working) that I knew today would not be pleasant - hills and heat don't go together even if I am running for just a third of the 30 mins...

So I dropped the random hills down to 4 and, having noticed the other day that I seem to run at a faster speed then others, I dropped my running speed to 7 - a slow jog.

I could not believe the difference! Obviously I didn't cover as much distance but it was incredibly easy! Maybe I should have been running at a slower speed in the early stages? I might not go as far but at this pace I could go for longer, so it all works out! :)

Did 2.92 k in the 30 minutes and after cooldown...