I ran 19 K at an OK pace one week, the following week I did a 10 K race with the same results as you. Started walking a little after 3 K, and found myself having to just aim at one kilometre at a time, then walk. It happens I guess. Maybe the fact that it was a night run whereas I always run early mornings had something to do with it.
Anyone running their first 5k (or other length) this year?
ctviggen
(Bob M)
#22
@Alecmcq Parkrun? I believe I follow or perhaps see someone on Twitter who posts about this all the time.
That’s too bad about your experience, but I assume there’s another run in the future. Better luck with that one.
@cooked I do wonder if times will play a role. I always exercise in the morning, for a few reasons. (1) This is when I have time. (2) I’m a morning person, so I’m up early. (3) I found in the past that if I wait until later, say after work, I’m more likely to not exercise. I would definitely tank if a run was near the evening.
Well, here’s my experience so far. I’m still using the C25K app, only because I can listen to podcasts or a book at the same time. For me to see any data, though, I have to pay $10/month or $60/year. I think at some point, I may have to buy Runkeeper (or another app with a 5k program) and transition to that. I just need…time. I always need time. There’s never enough.
I’ve been running while it’s below freezing, often with wind. I’m using a balaclava that has a mesh screen over my mouth. I ran Saturday while on a very short vacation, and it was brutally cold and I had never been in this location before. I ran only about 1.x miles in 30 minutes or so. Today, it was slightly warmer (still below freezing) and I made a bit over 2 miles. That screen over my mouth makes me warmer, but it’s way harder to breathe (not to mention the cold doesn’t help).
I find the C25K program to be too easy. I’ve never been one for long warmups and cool downs, and this has a 5 minute warm up and a 5 minute (I think - it doesn’t tell me and I haven’t looked) cool down. Not only that, but the last 90 second walk is right before the cool down, so that’s 6+ minutes. (Nearly 12 minutes of warmup/cool down in 30 minutes of jogging seems like a lot to me.)
So, I’ve been jogging at least part of the warmup and cool down.
I took a picture of the road I’m running on. I’ll put it here over the weekend. It shows how there’s barely enough room for two cars and basically nowhere to go, regardless of which side you’re on. I modify the run/walk schedule to run the worst part of this road, so I get past it as quickly as I can.
My plan was to go to a park that’s about 15-20 minutes away by car on the weekend. I’m not sure I’m going to do that. I used to go mountain biking, and I switched to racing biking, because by the time I packed everything, drove to a place where I could mountain bike, unpack, bike, repack, drove home, it was so long. I found it easier to get dressed, hop on my bike, get out the door.
So, I may just run my brutal road on Saturday instead of taking the 40+ minutes to get to and from the park. We’ll see. One would think there’s less traffic on a weekend, and there is a bit, but this is a busy road even on a weekend.
GME
(GINA )
#23
Before paying for Runkeeper, I would buy a Garmin watch. With it, comes Garmin Connect for free. I have a 245, which tracks more things than I have time to pay attention to, but there are cheaper (and much more expensive) models.
I have nice neighborhood to run in, but I still pack up and go other places on weekends sometimes. I usually combine it with a stop for coffee and an errand or two and it is an outing.
Alecmcq
(Alec)
#24
Much better parkrun today…. Faster and just felt better. I have only been back training for 8 weeks, so I am being super impatient! I need a minimum of 3-4 months solid base training to get anywhere.
Pouring with rain today… I love running in the rain! 
. Next week is going to be a hard effort to beat 2022 PB.
cooked
(David Cooke)
#25
Maybe you’re right, this was the second time I screwed up on a night run. Today, 5 weeks later, I got a PB on a solo half marathon, started before sunrise…
As for apps, I download a schedule that seems right for me, probably transfer it manually to my phone, possibly to Google calendar, and follow that. I might also mention that you don’t need to blindly follow any schedule, I often add on a kilometre or two, or take a shortcut, depending on how I feel.
ctviggen
(Bob M)
#27
Thanks, all.
A short update. I’m now using Sportractive, which provides GPS and lets me loook at data.
I’m running 2 miles, at a pace of 16 minutes or so a mile. Not great, need to add 1 mile. At least it’s getting warmer.
And I HATE daylight savings. Now back to jogging in the dark in the morning.
Hallie
(Butter Withaspoon)
#28
It’s character building! Ahem not that I’ve got up early for a long time. Nor am I running. Keep up the progress Bob!
ctviggen
(Bob M)
#29
Sometimes, I can’t tell whether it’s character building, or stupidity. 
Seriously, the roads I’m jogging on are so narrow…just so narrow. Can barely fit 2 cars. This is why I stopped biking. Where I was before, there was a shoulder. Here, there’s nothing.
The good news is that the “main” road for me is not that long. But the side streets are still narrow, just much less traveled. Still get passed on them though.
Hallie
(Butter Withaspoon)
#30
Getting passed is ok if it’s by cars
Seriously though, I am so lucky to have a great range of paths, dirt trails, goat tracks and good hills near here that it’s a darn shame I have only one functioning knee at present 
I am working on it though, and feeling more hopeful in last 2 days. There’s only so much that diet can help with
ctviggen
(Bob M)
#31
An update. I went from jogging 3x/week to 2x/week. I’m running about a 5k each time, so 10k/week. I have finally figured out where I have to turn around to make the distance be about 3.3 miles (about 5k). It took me a while, so I’d come home and have to turn around and go out longer.
The road I’m on just sucks. There’s no shoulder whatsoever for part of it. I’m still trying to find a way from behind where I live to skip this road, by traversing the trail behind our property. This would allow me to go directly to lower-traveled roads.
Tried that last week, but ended at a creek. Not too wide, but wide enough that I was afraid the rocks I’d have to use to cross might cause me to end up in the water. Having a wet foot or fee in near freezing weather might not be fun. I’m still looking, though.
Corals
#32
Congratulations! That’s a fine rhythm, 10k per week!
I hope you find the most pleasant place to run soon.