C25K Paternity Leave.....

[Saltdog]

So, I've been naughty and have been off program for about 4 weeks. I got to the end of W7 and basically stopped as my wife and I had a new baby boy on 15th March and I have spent every waking moment with them since. I don't regret it one little bit but I was a bit concerned coming back to work offshore yesterday that I may have lost some of my mojo and have to fall back on to an earlier week to catch up. I planned to jump on the treadmill, complete my 5 minute warm-up walk and just run to see how long I could go for. Fully not expecting to manage to run for as long as I did nearly a month ago!! Imagine my surprise when I managed to run for the full 28 minutes of W8R1!! I was absolutely over the moon!! Also very surprised I might add. The most shocking thing was that I think I still had fuel in the tank and could probably have done more.

Long story short, I am hooked once again and gutted I can't complete the course on consecutive days. 5 more runs and I'm done though. I'm offshore for the next 3 weeks so can't wait to complete and start working on speed. The treadmill I use at work uses mph and I walk at 3.5 and run at 4.7. I think that equates to about 5.6 and 7.6kph. Once I complete the program I'm planning on getting to 5k on my current speed settings and then upping the speed by a couple of notches each week. I'll know I'm a proper runner when I can do the 5k in 30 minutes. I imagine it will take me a few months to get there though. Can anyone recommend a system for increasing speed sensibly?

This whole program is going to be life changing for me. Also, it's going to make me a better dad and role model to my kids. I've been overweight for too long and it's setting a bad example for my family. How can I preach to them about staying active when I've not been active myself? My arthritis was holding me back but it was mainly my mindset. Joint pain is no longer an excuse, it's just another challenge to overcome. Less weight = less stress on my joints. My kids will see me winning at life and it will hopefully inspire them to overcome their own challenges. I'm an overweight dad, from an overweight family. It's time to end the cycle!

So, please excuse my tardiness. I took some time off to bond with my family but I'm back to inspire them.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Well done.

You now have a lovely little reason for keeping fit and healthy.

5k in 30 minutes is a totally arbitrary target that has no bearing whether you are a proper runner or not.

Increasing pace is not achieved by increasing your speed on a weekly basis. Spending 75-80% of your running at an easy conversational pace and the remainder pushing pace is the recommended route forward.

Pushing hard on every run is the classic newbie runner mistake.

[Saltdog Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks for your response IannodaTruffe. Sorry if I sounded as though that’s what I expected for someone to be a proper runner. First night shift offshore and brain not working properly is my excuse. What I meant is that it’s a target I set myself and I’ll feel great when I achieve it. I wasn’t suggesting everyone should be aiming for it.

Thanks for the advice re the increasing of speed. Would that be for every run when I’m trying to increase. For example if I was running 30 minutes, I do the last 20-25% at a faster pace? Or would it be for one run a week? If I’m going to do this I want to do it properly so I can maintain it in to the future.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to Saltdog]

The 80/20 split can be worked many different ways, but most people find that one interval run per week is more than enough for pushing hard and then really appreciate a nice slow run next.

[Saltdog Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Would you recommend any apps for helping regulate things? I use an Apple Watch for my runs so have access to a fair few.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor in reply to Saltdog]

Stick with the easy pace for C25K.

Runkeeper allows you to progress intervals, so you can produce your own interval workouts.

[Buddy34 Graduate]

What a great post and congratulations on your new baby 😊

[Saltdog Graduate in reply to Buddy34]

Thanks Buddy.

[Katnap Graduate]

Good to hear from you again Saltdog.

Rest days are important. If you can stay active on the non-run days this will support your running.

Have a look at the Active10 & Strength and Flex forums if you want some ideas

😸 Katnap 😸

[Saltdog Graduate in reply to Katnap]

Hiya Katnap. It's great to be back!

I agree that the rest days are important. The one thing I never said in my post above is that even though I wasn't running, I still had to walk the dog a couple of times a day. With my earlier running and the desire to get it over quickly to get back home led to me really picking up the pace on the walks. I think this is a major reason that I was able to achieve the full 28 minutes on Wednesday. Also, before someone suggests that I run with the dog, I have a Beagle!! While that may be enough of an explanation for some, I'll clarify. It's very rare to see anyone walking a beagle off the lead (mine isn't one of the rare ones!) and even though I have an extendable lead, as a scent hound the dog stops every 20 feet to take a huge sniff of anything and everything. If I tried to run, I would quickly end up with dislocated shoulders or a strangled dog!! Anyway, the quick walking was a good way to stay active even without running. I use an Apple Watch and always log my walks on it. I went from averaging a 20 minute mile before the C25K to now walking a 16-17 minute mile. The poor dog doesn't get a chance to sniff as much as she used to!!

I'll definitely check out those other forums for some ideas. It's run day today again but I've not decided what time to do it. My shift is from Midnight to Noon so I either do it when I finish shift or before my next shift. I'm leaning towards after my sleep since I'm only a couple of shifts in this trip I'll probably be too tired after shift. I'm thinking of doing some weights or spinning on between days. We have a good gym on here so there are lots of options.

[Pianism Graduate]

What a lovely reason to take some time off. Congratulations! It feels the right decision to me - you will never get these early weeks again but you have a whole lifetime of runs to look forward to.

Absolute respect to you for recognising where you are at and how much different life will be as you carry on down the road of an active lifestyle. Sounds very familiar to me.

All the very best with your last few runs to graduation!

[Saltdog Graduate in reply to Pianism]

Thanks for the response Pianism. We're over the moon with our new wee boy! I don't regret spending the time bonding with the family instead of running. As you said, I have a lifetime to catch up. I'm just glad that the break didn't appear to set me back in the program at all. Looking forward to W8R2 later on today. I'm even making up a new playlist to enjoy while doing it.