Cardio
I have chosen to use Cool Running’s Couch-to-5K Running Plan as a basis for my cardio workouts. I’m starting off slow and expect to spend many weeks at each week level, meaning that for me this program will take significantly longer than their 9 weeks. But that’s OK.
Miles per week
[[simple-graph n=1 x=500 2=200 trend=0 wkly=0 lm=0 ytd=0 uid=0 gid=5 ]]
Avg MPH
[[simple-graph n=1 x=500 2=200 trend=0 wkly=0 lm=0 ytd=0 uid=0 gid=6 ]]
5k Week | Date | Incline | Warmup | Walk | Jog | Time | Miles | KMs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1a | 8/28/2007 | 2% | 3.2 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 12.5 | 0.74 | 1.19 |
1a | 8/29/2007 | 2% | 3.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 25 | 1.21 | 1.95 |
1a | 8/30/2007 | 2% | 3.2 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 25 | 1.23 | 1.98 |
1a | 8/31/2007 | 2% | 3.3 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 25 | 1.31 | 2.11 |
1b | 9/3/2007 | 2% | 3.4 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 25 | 1.35 | 2.17 |
1b | 9/5/2007 | 2% | 3.4 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 25 | 1.37 | 2.20 |
1b | 9/6/2007 | 2% | 3.4 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 25 | 1.41 | 2.27 |
1b | 9/8/2007 | 2% | 3.4 | 2.8 | 4.4 | 25 | 1.43 | 2.30 |
1c | 9/10/2007 | 2% | 3.5 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 25 | 1.46 | 2.35 |
1c | 9/11/2007 | 2% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 25 | 1.56 | 2.51 |
1c | 9/12/2007 | 2% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 25 | 1.56 | 2.51 |
1c | 9/15/2007 | 2% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 35 | 2.2 | 3.54 |
1d | 9/17/2007 | 2% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 35 | 2.1 | 3.38 |
1d | 9/18/2007 | 2% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 35 | 2.2 | 3.54 |
1d | 9/20/2007 | Lake Path | N/A | N/A | N/A | 37 | 2.25 | 3.62 |
Starting Week 2. I am warming up with a 5 minute walk at 3.5mph then alternating 90 seconds of jogging at 5.0mph with 2 minutes of walking at 3.0. I repeat this for 9 intervals with the last walk being an extra 30 seconds to get me to 37 minutes exactly.
5k Week | Date | Incline | Warmup | Walk | Jog | Time | Miles | KMs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2a | 9/25/2007 | 2% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 37 | 2.34 | 3.77 |
2a | 9/26/2007 | 2% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 37 | 2.33 | 3.75 |
2a | 9/27/2007 | 2% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 37 | 2.33 | 3.75 |
2b | 10/3/2007 | 2% | 3.5 | 3.1 | 5.0 | 37 | 2.35 | 3.78 |
2b | 10/4/2007 | 2% | 3.5 | 3.1 | 5.0 | 37 | 2.31 | 3.72 |
2b | 10/5/2007 | 2% | 3.5 | 3.1 | 5.0 | 37 | 2.26 | 3.64 |
2c | 10/9/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 37 | 2.40 | 3.86 |
2c | 10/11/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.3 | 5.0 | 37 | 2.43 | 3.91 |
2c | 10/13/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.4 | 5.0 | 40 | 2.63 | 4.23 |
2c | 10/13/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 40 | 2.67 | 4.30 |
2d | 10/18/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 15 | .98 | 1.58 |
Starting Week 3. I am warming up with a 5 minute walk at 3.5mph then doing 3 iterations of the following before closing with an 8 minute walk at 3.5mph to get me to 40 minutes:
Jog 90 seconds at 5.0mph
Walk 90 seconds at 3.5 3.0mph
Jog 3 minutes at 5.0mph
Walk 3 minutes at 3.5 3.0mph
So that means I am ending with 11 minutes walking. I think I’ll do this for a week and then try to add a 4th iteration and less cool down walking. The actual Couch-to-5K Running Plan calls for only 2 iterations but I have pumped it up to give me the 40 minute workout I want.
5k Week | Date | Incline | Warmup | Walk | Jog | Time | Miles | KMs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3a | 10/25/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 40 | 2.67 | 4.30 |
3b | 10/29/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 40 | 2.56 | 4.12 |
3c | 11/06/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 40 | 2.61 | 4.20 |
3c | 11/09/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 40 | 2.58 | 4.15 |
3d | 11/12/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 40 | 2.60 | 4.18 |
3d | 11/13/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 40 | 2.60 | 4.18 |
3e | 11/23/2007 | Paris | N/A | N/A | N/A | 40 | 3.00 | 4.83 |
3e | 11/24/2007 | Paris | N/A | N/A | N/A | 40 | 3.00 | 4.83 |
3f | 11/26/2007 | Paris | N/A | N/A | N/A | 40 | 3.00 | 4.83 |
3g | 12/18/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 30 | 1.88 | 3.03 |
Starting Week 4. I am warming up with a 5 minute walk at 3.5mph then doing the standard week 4 plan. I then repeat the last 4 steps again (starting with the 2.5 minute walk), then walk until I get a full 45 minutes in.
5k Week | Date | Incline | Warmup | Walk | Jog | Time | Miles | KMs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4a | 12/20/2007 | 3% | 3.4 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 45 | 2.70 | 4.35 |
4b | 12/24/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 45 | 2.92 | 4.70 |
4b | 12/25/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 30 | 1.96 | 3.15 |
4b | 12/26/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 45 | 2.93 | 4.72 |
4b | 12/27/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 30 | 1.96 | 3.15 |
4b | 12/29/2007 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 45 | 2.93 | 4.72 |
4c | 1/1/2008 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.7 | 30 | 1.99 | 3.20 |
4d | 1/16/2008 | 3% | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.7 | 30 | 1.99 | 3.20 |
4d | 12/29/2007 | 3% | NA | 3.0 | 4.7 | 30 | 2.22 | 3.57 |