What an interesting question to ponder.
Am I running too slow?
Today I diverged from my usual running spots (water front and the park) and ran on of the routes I normally walk my dogs. This way I could map it on gmap-pedometer and get a rough estimate on my speed. Last Friday I ran the track during my first 25 minute trial and it put me at about 1.5 miles but there was so much wind and rain that I didn’t really trust that to be accurate. So today I took it too the streets.
After calculations from gmap, it says I ran 1.75 miles in 25 minutes. That equates to 4.2 mph. That puts me at about a 15 minute mile. Is that slow? Or is that pretty normal for someone who has never run before in their adult life. I know over time (with practice) it will get faster but today I just feel like it’s too damn slow.
I felt a little frustrated and a little over exposed because I ran on a main street and with today being Monday, it was pretty dang busy. It also didn’t help that my normal podcast (Robert Ullrey) seems to be on the fritz at the iTunes store and I had to improvise with a new podcast. I found some other “podcasts” that I liked on personal weblogs but am too technologically inept that I couldn’t figure out how to move them from my pc to my ipod…
So my choices from the iTunes store was some mash up of techno or Indie Christian. I chose to go with the techno as I believe Indie Christian is both an oxy-moron and just not something I can get into. So Techno it was and it did the job just fine but I missed Robert’s voice for sure.
As an extra added bonus I took my dogs on the same route I ran, I pulled out my new jump rope (black and red just like when I was a kid) and did 100 jumps (25 reps x 4), worked on the Wii for 50 minutes for a total of about 700 calories burned.
Now to just figure out how to eat those back!
dude, what you run is what you run. Long, low and slow…work on that. The speed will come. great job on getting out there.
Thanks Chris…very true, what I run is what I run and it wasn’t what I was running just a few short months ago.
I don’t think you’re running too slow at all! Part of how you transition from walking to running without injury or burnout is to take it at your own pace. When I run shorter distances (say, 1-2 miles) I might run at 5.0 MPH, but when I run anything longer, I’m closer to the 4.5 MP range. When I started running, I was at 4.0-4.2 consistently. So just see how your body feels, take it slow, and ramp up your speed slowly over time. I’d suggest waiting until AFTER you make it to running 30 minutes. Maybe you could do C25K style fast jog/slow jog intervals instead of run/walk intervals.
Thanks SRG. I think I just need to relax a bit and not worry about doing anything but building stamina at this point. I like your idea of doing c25k again but this time with jogging intervals…
Your speed sounds fine to me. 4.2 on the treadmill for me would definitely be a jog, so I say keep at it. 🙂
The reason I posted this was because I’m reading other new c25k(ers) that are doing week 7 on the treadmill at 5.0 and higher speeds. I’m like WTF, are you serious. I just need to remember I’m doing what I’m doing cause this is what I can do right now.
Once you start comparing yourself to other people you become defeated. Set your mind to doing your best and do it – You got this
Thanks Seth. The only thing I need to compare myself too is what I am doing today and what I was doing 3 months ago (pretty much nothing lol).
The main goal at this point is to increase your endurance, and that’s exactly what you are doing. You sure couldn’t have run this pace last fall! WTG with the extra workouts!!
lol last Fall? Shoot I couldn’t do this pace 8 weeks ago.
See? Already faster. 😀
word!
I aim for the Golidilocks pace.
If you’re gasping, it’s too fast.
If you’re yawning, it’s too slow.
If you’re breathing faster, but still able to speak a whole sentence, it’s the Goldilocks pace. (Not too fast, not too slow, but juuuuuust right.)
Awwww Merry, thanks for making my porridge (errr I mean running) just right.
I’ve been feeling exactly the same way about the running. Yesterday morning at bootcamp we were outside to run a 1K as our warm up. The group was much farther out ahead of me so I know I’m slow. BUT I can run the whole thing (including the hills) which is WAY more than I was doing last fall when we were outside last. We’re moving in the right direction and I can only imagine the speed will come once we’ve conquered the distance?
We are moving in the right direction and for that I should just be thankful!
Tara, you aren’t training to me Usain Bolt. Your run times are your personal achievements, so you’re only competing against yourself. If you feel like you can go a little faster, then do it, but if you’re not at that pace, don’t force yourself. It’s not like other people running at 5.0 is going to affect you or vice versa. 4.2 is a great starting point and you will only get better and faster 🙂
Pft, too slow. Silly woman, pretty soon you’ll be running too fast!
Thanks Jess. You’re so right, I am competing against myself and that is most times worse for wear. I’m feeling better about it today and looking forward to my 4.2mph run tomorrow.
I run at 4.0 during my running intervals. I’ve tried faster and had to stop, so I’m just kind of moving along at my own pace. I have a friend who is VERY competitive and she’s constantly asking me how fast I go and I told her as fast as I can comfortably go without want to quit and still being able to breath. She pushes and pushes to get the information, but lawdy its none of her business! She loves to tell me she goes at 6.5 in my head I keep wanting to tell her that’s why she quits after week 1 EVERY TIME lol.
Slow and steady always wins over fast and quitting!!! You and I are doing what we do cause it’s what’s going to get us over that finish line (whatever that finish line is).
A 15 minute mile is nothing to laugh at. I know for me, I can run a 15 minute mile on the treadmill, but it almost kills me. So to me, A fifteen minute mile is good. Outside is another beast. good job and keep it up!
Thanks Ed…you keep it up too cause you’re doing so great and the impact on your son is going to be phenomenal!
I agree with a couple comments above — get to where you can jog 30 straight minutes regardless of the pace. Then work on increasing speed by starting to pick it up slightly for the last couple minutes, then for the last 5, then the last 10, etc. Adding speed toward the end ensures you don’t add too much speed — you’re already tired and you don’t have to keep going after you finish it.
good advice! I’m definitely going to focus on getting to that 30 minute mark.
‘Indie Christian’ — that’s a good one! Pace-shmace. The fact that you’re running almost two miles as someone who has ‘never ran in their adult life’ is amazing. If your goal is to run faster then I would suggest adding some intervals or ‘speed work’ into your schedule. Run at a higher speed for 2-3 minutes and then walk for a minute. Lather, rinse, repeat. If your goal is to simply get out there and get your workout on… I’d say you’re there.
And then some. 🙂
Thanks Rachel! BTW sexy pool shot!
You could try to change your breathing techniques when you run which may help in decreasing fatigue so early in the run. You’re doing really good.