To take it easy or to not take it easy....

**5ft Diva** · #1 01-31-2007, 10:10 PM

I'm doing a nine week running program to get ready for the 5K. Each week gets a little more intense. The author of the program said in his introduction that if we're not comfortable moving forward on to the next week than to take another week and do the same thing. How do/will I know if I need to do that or to move forward? I don't want to set myself up for discouragement and/or failure by doing more than I can but I also don't want to go through another week of training of the same thing if I don't need to. Does this make sense? :-\ I guess what I'm trying to say is how will I know if I'm pushing myself too hard?

Erudite · #2 02-01-2007, 09:18 AM

K, I only started the couch to 5K thing yesterday, but I have to admit that I only made it through 3 60/90 second cycles before I was huffing and puffing enough to not want to put myself through any more, so I walked most of the rest of my 20 minutes. Doesn't the author say that even if you feel like you can skip a week, you shouldn't? So, I guess I think you ought to feel like you're to the point that you could skip and go on before you acutally move to the next week's training. That's how I'm going to decide. i'd say I'll be in week 1 a couple of weeks, but I'm not aiming at any goal other than the 3 miles, so I don't have a problem taking my time to get there. For me, running (when I actually get to it) is about being healthy.

***Big_Sissy*** · #3 02-01-2007, 02:56 PM

dunny, you're over thinking this. Once you start week 2, you'll know immediately if you are ready or not. If you're not, then go back to the previous week, if you are, then keep moving forward. You won't know until you do it though.

If you can't complete the current weeks goals, that is also a very good indication about where you'll be next week.

the bottom line, you'll know if you can or cannot do it.

**5ft Diva** · #4 02-01-2007, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big_Sissy

dunny, you're over thinking this.

LOL!

I am able to meet this week's goal for training so moving forward is probably not an issue anymore (at least not today). Maybe my question is, how sore is too sore? How hard do I push myself? I know that's a personal thing but I'm just wanting to know on a scale from 1-10 with 10 being the highest, how hard do I push myself, where's the balance between making progress and making no progress at all? Make sense? It's not like everything hinges on this, I'm just curious to hear what others have to say about this.

Erudite, it's so awesome that you're working on this at the same time as me! You have no idea how much it helps me to know I'm not doing this alone. Thanks for sharing!

***Big_Sissy*** · #5 02-01-2007, 06:03 PM

IMOP, that's something you have to decide for yourself. No one knows how far to push yourself other then yourself. That's my thoughts anyway.

**5ft Diva** · #6 02-01-2007, 06:21 PM

makes sense. I hate vague answers.

What does IMOP mean?

Mamallama · #7 02-02-2007, 12:09 PM

I agree, that you'll know whether you are ready or not to move on---AND sometimes you won't know until you're in the middle of trying to go farther. And somedays for whatever reason, you might just be having a "bad" exercise day, but that doesn't mean you can't still push farther the next exercise day----I don't know if I'm explaining very well, but for example one day I was out running---a distance a little further than I had tackled before, but I was only half-way through and I got a side-ache and my knees and ankles just started killing me as well. I walked the rest of the way home and felt discouraged and worried that because this happened I'd never be able to reach this distance. Well, I rested a couple of days, and then got back out there and ran the distance just fine, no aches and pains at all. Don't know if that helps you at all, but I'm sure you will figure out your tolerance levels as you go.

**5ft Diva** · #8 02-02-2007, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mamallama

I agree, that you'll know whether you are ready or not to move on---AND sometimes you won't know until you're in the middle of trying to go farther. And somedays for whatever reason, you might just be having a "bad" exercise day, but that doesn't mean you can't still push farther the next exercise day----I don't know if I'm explaining very well, but for example one day I was out running---a distance a little further than I had tackled before, but I was only half-way through and I got a side-ache and my knees and ankles just started killing me as well. I walked the rest of the way home and felt discouraged and worried that because this happened I'd never be able to reach this distance. Well, I rested a couple of days, and then got back out there and ran the distance just fine, no aches and pains at all. Don't know if that helps you at all, but I'm sure you will figure out your tolerance levels as you go.

Hey it's good to see you on the boards! No, thank you. That helps a lot! I think tolerance levels are a great way of putting it. I thought you explained it perfectly. I just like to know what to expect when I start into something. What is normal and what is not normal (in general) - you know? I know myself well enough that I could injure myself because I thought some sort of a pain I was experiencing was normal. Does that make sense? How far are you running now?

***Big_Sissy*** · #9 02-02-2007, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5ft Diva

makes sense. I hate vague answers.

What does IMOP mean?

In My OPinion

**5ft Diva** · #10 02-02-2007, 05:11 PM

Cool! Thanks for the translation.