5k Training Plan Has Been... On Hiatus :/

My inability failure to stick with things that I've started frustrates me. I set out to start things--projects, blogs, training programs--and rarely finish them. I thought the sense of accountability that blogging about it would create would keep me on track, but I guess I was wrong.
That's not to say I'm giving up this time, though. It's just that I have not been as consistent as I originally set out to be. I ran after I last posted-- for 1.5 miles. My asthma has gotten in the way. It's a fact, as I've said so often in the past, that I'd like to ignore but simply cannot. You know that saying, "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game"? I haven't exactly been heeding that advice lately. I suppose that my fear of asthma getting in the way of my training, in addition to letting my busy schedule talk me into putting it off, has led me to take a break from my training. I haven't ran since that 1.5 mile run. Once I stop running for a few days, it's so hard to get myself back on track.
Here's another thing that has led to me putting off my training: the possibility of going with Chris to New York for New Year's Eve. Why? That means not being here for New Year's Day, which means I wouldn't run the race. The chance to go with Chris to New York and see his family doesn't come around often; the only time I have usually is over the weekend, and it's rare that he gets a whole weekend off of work. So, if he gets off work, we're going to New York. 5k's are in plenty supply in New England; I can easily find one on another weekend.
But what if we don't get to go to New York? The plan is, I'm still running the 5k. Which means, I better get myself back on track. Don't worry. I'm going to do just that. Starting today. Today, I will run. We'll see how it goes with my asthma, but I'm not going to let fear hold me back.
I'll let you know how it goes!

I must admit, I've kind of been avoiding this, for two reasons--kind of like my other blog. 1. There have been some changes to google accounts and I was too lazy to deal with them. 2. I haven't been sticking to my training, and I didn't want to admit it.

See, that's the problem (or blessing?) with these things; once you start something, you create some kind of accountability.

Friday, my training called for 2.5 miles easy. I did nothing. Sure, I could blame it on the fact that my abs were more sore than they'd ever been in my entire life due to my spontaneous decision to exercise them the night before, but really it just boiled down to laziness.

Saturday called for 3 miles easy. I did 2. It was getting dark, and I needed to get ready to eat dinner with my family, so that called for a shortening of the run. But hey- I thought about not running at all, because my abs were even more so on that day than they were Friday. But, I ran. I ran.

Sunday is usually my scheduled day of rest, but I have ran on Sundays at points in my training (once or twice) if I skipped a day earlier in the week. I skipped multiple days this week, so really I should have ran on Sunday. But, I didn't. I was going non-stop from 8 am until 9:30pm, with church, running home to eat and pack up my stuff, running to the Halifax Country Club to dress rehearsal, perform in our church's dinner theater, and then drive back to school! Needless to say, I was exhausted, so instead of running I crawled into my bed and lay down for a little while before eventually falling to sleep. That exhaustion carried over into Monday, so I didn't run. :/

But today's the day! Today's the day I get back on track. And I'm going to take things a little easier. Exhausting myself to try and strictly follow a training regimen is not worth it. I am running! And right now, that's what's important. I'd rather run a few miles easy than avoid running at all because I don't have the energy to run 5x800 repeats at goal 5k pace. If I don't get a decent time, hey. Time will be my focus next.. time. Hehe. This time, my goal is to enter the 5k race, and complete it. That's more than I've done in over two years! So I'm okay with that goal. Gonna start small, and work my way up. So here I go! Off to squeeze in a decent run before curfew!

5k training!

I know every time I post in here, I always say I'm going to start posting more often. : /
Maybe this time that will actually happen?
This semester I haven't been running too consistently, at least not until recently.
I don't exactly remember when it was that I decided this, but I decided to start training for a 5k. The last time I did that, I ran a few times, didn't run for a while, and then showed up on race day after sleeping in and having hardly any time to warm up. That was a fun time. That was also... over two years ago. I guess it was about three weeks ago I decided to start training for one again, seeing as I'm three weeks into my training. I had found a six-week training program online, and then found a race taking place on New Year's Day, which happened to be exactly six weeks from that point- perfect!
The training program is designed for "recreational runners." I don't really know what to qualify myself as; I know I'm not really a beginner, but I know I'd be foolish to still consider myself a "competitive runner." I haven't been one of those since my senior year of high school. I guess "recreational" will have to do. It's nice because the training program will prepare me to be able to complete the 3.1-mile distance with ease, but isn't too much of a time constraint. That makes it really manageable for a full-time college student.
I'm just about halfway through my 3rd week of training now. I haven't stuck to the program strictly, but it's nice to know that even if I get off-track for a day, I can always jump back on the next day. The program is pretty flexible, too, which is nice.
It's nice to have something to aim towards, although I have to remember not to aim too high. I know if I didn't have a race to train for, it would be a lot harder to motivate myself to get out and run almost every day, because that never happened before. I would decide I needed to start running again, and would do it for a few days, and then just stop again. But for almost three weeks now, I've been fairly consistent. That feels pretty good. Having a goal reminds me not to give up on my training, and also motivates me to keep going, even when it's cold outside, or when I don't want to run on the treadmill (sometimes I have to because it's too dark outside by the time I am able to run).
Here's what I mean though by aiming too high. I'm just going to put it right out there. I was aiming for a 22-minute 5k. I figured, my best time was around 20:30 in high school, and I probably won't be able to run that fast, so I'll aim for slower but not too slow. Part of my training calls for doing repeats at 5k pace or faster, and I've found that to try to do so, I'm reallllly pushing myself hard. Last week, I just barely finished my 4x800 workout at 7:00 mile pace, and was so worn out at the end. Tonight, I was supposed to do 6x400 at :10 faster than my goal 5k pace. I only completed four. : /
It doesn't help that I have asthma. I'm pretty sure I mention that often in here- that sometimes I forget that I have it. You'd think by now it would have sunk in. But, the reality is, I have it. And I have to accept it. I have to stop being stubborn and realize that with that, along with other health problems, and the fact that I'm no longer 17 and able to train as extensively as I used to, it's probably not too reasonable to aim for a 22-minute 5k. And my focus has changed; it's not so much as getting a fast time. I know that I need to exercise to stay healthy, and training for this 5k has helped me to do that consistently.
So, I'll keep training. I've been able to do my "easy runs" pretty, well, easily, but for my speed workouts I'll need to figure out a pace that is a little more manageable- one that I can keep up throughout the whole workout consistently without feeling like I'm dying. And I'll run the 5k. I'll do my best, but be okay with not getting a time under 22 minutes.
I really am going to try to post more consistently in here, even if it is just a quick update on what I did for training that day. Here's what I've done so far:
Week 1-
Monday, 11/22: 2 miles easy
Tuesday, 11/23: 4xhill repeats at a pace that feels like 5k pace
Wednesday, 11/24: rest
Thursday, 11/25: took the day off.
Friday, 11/26: 2 miles easy
Saturday, 11/27: 2 miles easy
Sunday, 11/28: 2 miles easy, on the treadmill

Week 2-
Monday, 11/29: 2.25 miles easy
Tuesday, 11/30: 4x800 repeats at 3:30, with 400 rest in between. Ran at Milton Academy; 1st repeat: 3:33. 2nd repeat: 3:31. 3rd repeat: 3:34. 4th repeat: 3:30. 800 cooldown
Wednesday, 12/1: rest
Thursday, 12/2: 2.25 miles easy, on the treadmill
Friday, 12/3: 2.25 miles easy
Saturday, 12/4: 2.5 miles easy
Sunday, 12/5: rest

Week 3-
Monday, 12/6: didn't run
Tuesday, 12/7: didn't run. wasn't feeling well.
Wednesday, 12/8: 2.5 miles easy
Thursday, 12/9: training called for 6x400 at :10 faster than 5k goal pace. I finished 4, on the treadmill.

Tomorrow I'll do 2.5 easy, then 3 easy on Saturday, and that'll complete training for week 3!

I'll keep ya posted!