Yesterday was Week 9 Day 3 of the Couch-to-5K running plan. That was the final day of the program, or as other people seem to call it… Graduation Day. On Friday I decided that in an effort to make my final day a little different, I would run it on Saturday (yesterday) instead. So that’s what I did.
It was in the 40s when I left the house at about 3:30 PM. Sunny, windy, and generally a clear blue sky. Overall it was a beautiful day, but it turned out that I was too hot in the sun and too cold in the shade. I ended up being sweaty and cold at the same time… never a pleasant experience. But I made it, and although my official time was 00:00:02 slower than my W9D2 time, I’m still quite pleased:
Yep, 3.11 miles in 28:47 (9:15/mi pace) with an average speed of 6.5 MPH and a max of 10.1 MPH.
In a way, I thought it would be more exciting to finish the program. But the improvements in my running abilities have been so slow and steady that, in the end, it was all rather anticlimactic. Before I ever left the house on Saturday, I had no doubt in my mind that I could run 30 minutes and cover over 3 miles. What is amazing to me is how unamazing running a 5K has become. I think I can honestly say that I am no longer a couch potato. :)
The Rocket Run is still a long way off, so now I have the non-trivial task of keeping in shape until race day.
Special Thanks: I think a special mention of thanks is owed to Josh Clark, author of the C25K article at CoolRunning.com, and Robert Ullrey, creator of the C25K podcast. It was the outstanding combination of the running plan and the podcast that kept me on track for the full nine weeks. Thanks guys!
that’s Great! Your blog has been inspiring! I still can’t see myself running 30 mins but the plan is that I will do it! :)
Hey, thanks Nat!
Believe me, I thought it was absolutely impossible for me to run for 30 minutes… let alone cover a 5K in that amount of time. But it is possible! The key is to go SLOWLY. Work on the times first, speed will come later. :)