Jogger's Life

It's completely snowing today.

I don't like snow.

On another note, my treadmill run last night was terrible.

Aren't I just a ball of sunshine today?

I was happy to finally be at the gym last night, since it took My Gazelle about 25 years to get ready, but then my run turned to absolute crap around the 3rd mile. I haven't uploaded it to Nike + yet, so I can't tell you specifically where the actual crash and burn took place, but it felt like around the 3rd mile. I was physically on the treadmill for 60 minutes, and most of that included running, but I didn't start my Nike + until I got to the first fast interval on the Freeway to 10K Podcast. Which leads me to the next topic...

It is very early in my trials of the PODRUNNER: Freeway to 10K Podcast, but of course I have already formed an opinion of it. Because I'm slightly opinionated. I try not to be, but its hard.

Despite my preconceived notion that I was going to hate this plan because the entire workout played techno music, I quite enjoyed it.

Yes, quite.

I found the music to be exciting and invigorating, and not at all seizure-inducing (as I expected it would be). Prior to trying it for the first time, all I could think about was that my listening to this podcast while working out was going to cause me to discover some new condition similar to photosensitive epilepsy, and I'd name it "technosensitive Elisabethilipsy", just so that I could have my 15 minutes of fame for flopping around on the treadmill in a techno-induced fit. Oh, my imagination.

Alas, I had not a single seizure. I guess I'm going to have to find another way to earn my 15 minutes.

The way that the Freeway to 10K program works is that each workout is a little longer than the next. There are 10 workouts (10 weeks), and you do each workout a few times a week prior to moving up to the next week's workout. The idea is that each week, you build a few more minutes to your time, thus adding more distance, and by the 10th week the goal is that you can run for 60 minutes straight. We'll see how that goes.

Each workout has a series of fast and slow intervals. Last night's workout included 5 of each. I was mildly confused, though, because I didn't listen to the instructions very carefully at the beginning, and I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to start with a slow or a fast interval after the warm-up. I began with a 5 minute fast interval, and then a 4 minute slow interval. By the time that I got to the second "fast" interval, I was questioning whether I was really supposed to be doing a slow interval instead because the music seemed slower than the last interval. I don't know.

I'm confused.

What?

In any case, I just stuck with my plan, the slows maybe should have been fasts and vice versa, but I just went with it. My suggestion to PODRUNNER? Rather than just playing a little techo "boop boop boop" tone to notify you of a change in intervals, maybe try to be a little more clear. How about "boop boop boop FAST" and "boop boop boop SLOW"? I'd like that. Then I wouldn't have to think so much. I always like not thinking much.

I did some walk/run segments because, like I said, I lost my fire around the 3rd mile. I did make it to 4.2 miles (per my Nike +), and the treadmill said I was at 5.43 when I got off at 60 minutes. It was still horrendously slow, but I have to stop thinking that I'm going to just wake up and magically become Kate O'Neill.

It's just not going to happen people.

I know that building the base I need takes time, but patience has never been my forte. I am painfully inept when it comes to that virtue. I'm working on it. I'm hoping that the Freeway to 10K plan helps me to remain patient and build a sensible base, without trying to rush myself. I have plenty of time before my first "big" race, so there is no need to try to rush.

All in all, I think the PODRUNNER plan is a good one. I'm giving my JL Seal of Approval. If you want to try the PODRUNNER: Freeway to 10K plan yourself, you can get it here.

It's free. I like free.