End of the 5k Series...

Today was the last day in the latest workout series I've been doing. This one was a Run a 5K! series and since one of my goals for 2024 is to run a 5k that was perfect. 

And after 12 workouts today I did (not) run a 5k. I ran a 4.15k. 

See you can adjust these workouts on IFit to match your own levels. And I am a slow runner. I'm an incredibly fast walker, but I'm a slow runner. And since the workouts are videos and time based, by lowering the speed I lowered the distance. So I didn't make it to a 5k today. 

And that's okay. 

I have a whole year. 

And I ran (slowly at my snail's pace, barely a jog, really a movie slow motion look how attractive I am run, if you want to be honest) for 35 minutes. A slower than slow shuffle run for 2 minutes, a steady state 4.2 mph run for 30 followed by another 3.3mph slow shuffle for 3 minutes. No walking. All slow running. 

And that's the first time I've ever done that. 

Ever.

As in my entire life. I've never run for that amount of time straight. 

I'm impressed with my progress. Even if I didn't make it to a 5k by the end of that series. There are a lot of other series to do and I can work on increasing speed during them. 

If I want to. Or I can just plan on working to a point where I run for 45 or 55 minutes. 

But that's later. 

Today I ran for 35 minutes straight and I'm pleased with that for sure. 

And also...why is running at 4.2 mph so much harder than walking at that same pace? When I'm just walking for my workouts my top speed is 5.2 mph but my base, steady state, this is work, speed is 4.5 mph. That's a pretty darn good clip. And it's work. I get my heart rate up. I break a sweat. I have done it for an hour at a shot pretty regularly. But lift both feet off the ground and suddenly 4.2 feels like I'm going to die if I have to go one more minute longer. 

What the heck?

It just seems crazy to me. 

I get it, I do, even slow jogging I'm lifting up and pushing off and it is more effort. I'm engaging more muscles. It really is stressing my cardiovascular system more. Which is also good. I need to stress that system. I need to make sure that my heart is strong and my lungs are clear. 

Now I just need to add back in lifting heavy things and putting them down again and I might even get back to my former fitness levels from a few years ago. Now with extra cardio! Or less cardio. Less time more fit? Something like that...

BUT ANYWAY...

Today I ran for longer than I have ever run in my life and I'm pretty pleased with myself. 

I hope your day has something in it that you didn't ever think you'd be able to do and I hope you are pretty chuffed about it. Happy weekend, everybody!