This morning I completed w5d2 of the C25k program and I really enjoyed the run. I feel energized! The session consists of an 8 min run+5min walk+8 min run sandwiched between the standard 5 min warm ups and cool-downs.
I had three goals for this session:
(1) make it through
(2) increase max cadence and avg cadence
(3) improve speed consistency during run segments
I nailed all three goals. Go me!
Make it through:
I started outside – it was 95 degrees with a real feel of 102 – and found that from the start of the warm up walk I couldn’t get enough oxygen (felt like I was breathing water). Therefore I moved my workout inside to the treadmill at the gym. That does take a little bit of wind out of my sails since I know treadmill running is easier than street/trail running. On the other hand, the objective was to get my heart rate up into the aerobic zone during the specified intervals (which I did), maintain a minimum speed of 5.0mpg during the run (which I did) and work on my cadence (which I did). So I’ll mark it as a victory, despite the advantage of the treadmill.
Increase max and avg cadence:
Two runs ago, my average cadence was 64 with a max of 80. Last run average was 66 with a max of 83. Today my average was 67 with a max of 87. Huge jump forward, which is great. (I’m working on improving the cadence b/c studies show max efficiency during runs is correlated with a cadence of 85-90.) Toward this goal I relied on the strategy of choosing music for my workout that had a higher cadence and then just took my strides in time to the beat.
Improve speed consistency:
No doubt the treadmill also helped me maintain the constant speed during the run segments. Hopefully I can keep that up on my next outdoor run.
Here are my stats for the run:
