Fitness journal

First Marathon

2008-05-16T19:45:00.002-05:00

I AM GOING FOR FINISHING A MARATHON - MY FIRST ONE - ON 22ND AUG 2008!!!

My fitness activities over the next few months will be aimed towards preparing myself for this marathon and successfully completing it.

I have created a new blog - FIRST26.2 - to record these activities. This blog will be inactive till I complete the first marathon!

Come on over to my OTHER BLOG!!

30 minute running in Liberty State Park

2008-05-13T16:43:00.002-05:00

Ran for 30 minutes today morning in Liberty State Park on the waterfront. First time I was an a trial run outdoors this Summer! Spent around 15 minutes afterwards stretching using the various ParCircuit installations.

This is the first run in my effort to prepare for a Marathon. The Healthy Kidney 10K this Saturday will be the perfect long-distance run for my preparations.

The previous post is almost two months old; while I haven't been running regularly in the past two months, I have run a few times and twice in organized races. The two races are the following:

Scotland Run 10K in Central Park on Sunday Mar 30th 2008. I took tons of photos from the event to give some idea to my friends back home about the way a running event is conducted in NY.
Prakash Farewell 5K in JP Park, Bangalore on Sunday Apr 20th 2008. I came in last in this race, as the gracious host!

When I was in Bangalore, I ran a few times in the JP Park, in addition to the participation in the 5K run.

23 minutes on the Treadmill

2008-03-18T20:41:00.002-05:00

Forced myself to go to the Gym today after getting back from work, and ran / walked for 23 minutes covering around 1.75 miles.

For all the "running" I am doing, my health is not really improving. I should be consistent in my running. I should also move up the distance level - I am no longer a 5K runner after running for 3 years. Work is hectic, but I should give priority to running.

Fourth week training plan completed

2008-03-09T19:31:00.002-05:00

Had signed up and paid up for running in the New York Colon Cancer Challenge 4M race today morning. Focus on reading up the Bootstrapper's Bible, cold and windy weather & 'spring forward' time change put paid for the plan. This is the second straight race I signed up but couldn't participate (Al Gordon Snow Flake 4M being the first one a few weeks ago - it snowed the day before, and I went Skiing)

Went to the Gym today afternoon, and completed the fourth week's plan in the Couch-to-5K training plan. Ran for 32:30 minutes completing 2.53 miles - alternating running and walking speeds between 6 mph, 5 mph and 4 mph.

Skiing & walking in Colorado

2008-03-06T23:17:00.002-05:00

Skied today for 90 minutes (only!)
Walked for 45 minutes yesterday in cold weather - enjoying and getting lost in the Colorado University

Second day of Couch-to-5K training

2008-03-03T11:51:00.004-05:00

Brave effort Prakash! Keep up the good work!

Today's workout summary:

3 minute warm-up
3 minutes stretching

On tread mill:

0-5 minutes: Brisk walk at 4 miles per hour
0.25 miles jogging at 10 minutes per mile
0.13 miles walking at 15 minutes per mile
0.25 miles jogging at 10 minutes per mile
0.13 miles walking at 15 minutes per mile
0.25 miles jogging at 12 minutes per mile
0.13 miles walking at 15 minutes per mile
0.5 miles jogging at 12 minutes per mile
25-30 minutes: Cool down at decreasing speeds

Stretching for five minutes

Total distance covered on treadmill: 2.30 miles in 30 minutes

Today's effort is slightly less intense than the recommended effort in fifth week of Couch to 5K plan. I will repeat the fifth week's plan again next week.

Back on Couch to 5K Plan

2008-03-02T16:36:00.004-05:00

Started following the Couch to 5K training plan again today morning, in an effort to improve my running.

Spent 28 minutes on the Treadmill today afternoon with the following pattern:

1-5 minutes : Brisk walk to warm up
5-8 minutes : Jogging at 10 minutes per mile
8-10 minutes : Walking at 15 minutes per mile
10-13 minutes : Jogging at 10 minutes per mile
13-15 minutes : Walking at 15 minutes per mile
15-18 minutes : Jogging at 10 minutes per mile
18-20 minutes : Walking at 15 minutes per mile
20-23 minutes : Jogging at 10 minutes per mile
23-28 minutes : Cool down at decreasing speeds

Followed by 5 minutes of stretching.

Total distance covered : 2.2 miles
Total time spent (door to door) : A little less than 50 minutes

Unlike the earlier assumption of starting in the 5th week of the Plan, this is more like the 4th week plan. It will be a good achievement if I can stick to the plan and be able to jog 3 miles in 30 minutes in five-six weeks' time!

Break from running

2008-03-02T09:32:00.002-05:00

Haven't run in the past couple of weeks. Probably went to the Gym only once.

Had signed up for the NYRR Al Gordon 4M run last Saturday; decided against running in it after it snowed heavily on Friday morning. Instead went Skiing on Sunday and had a good work-out on the slopes; 4 hours at the Ski resort; around 60 % of the time on the slopes. Exhausted for the next two days!

Gotta get back into rhythm in running. Upcoming signed up events in New York:

New York Colon Cancer Challenge 4M run on Sunday Mar 9th at 9:00 AM
Scotland Run 10K on Sunday Mar 30th at 10:00 AM

In addition, it is most likely that I will be participating in a running event in Bangalore when I am there between April 10th to 15th.

I am inspired by Dr. Rajat Chauhan's running; he is based in Bangalore, works at Manipal Hospital; an ultra-marathoner, a passionate runner! I am motivated to raise the bar and go for a Marathon by the end of this year!

An immediate goal is to be able to run the 3M distance without stopping. In that effort, I am starting again on the Couch to 5K Running plan, midway from the fifth week onwards.

Go Prakash! You can do it!

20 minutes running

2008-02-18T23:07:00.001-05:00

Continuing to run....

2.25 miles in 30 minutes on the treadmill

2008-02-17T22:10:00.002-05:00

After almost 2 weeks away from the Gym (and any sort of physical exercise ) I went back to the Gym today; forcing myself to practice ahead of the 4 Mile race this Saturday in Central Park.

The time immediately after a race is when I need to regroup and work towards getting back to the Gym!

Ran for 30 minutes at a leisurely pace.

Hoping to run 2 more times this week before the race on Saturday.

NYRR Gridiron 4 Mile

2008-02-04T10:03:00.000-05:00

Participated in the NYRR 4 Mile Grid iron 4 mile race yesterday. Finished in around 50 minutes walking half the way, and taking it really easy.

Just doing it..

2008-01-31T23:33:00.000-05:00

Came back from a hectic day at work, and got myself to the Gym - inspired by EH's comment that she forces herself to go the Gym as soon as she get back home from work.

Had a 30 minute work-out on the tread-mill with 5 minutes of warming up to begin with and 5 minutes of cooling down to end it, along with the stretching routines. Covered 2.10 miles in 30 minutes on the tread-mill.

Doesn't look all that bright for a better performance at the NYRR Grid-iron Classic 4M this Sunday, but am glad I am motivated to run and train in this context!

Monday evening - 25 minutes walk

2008-01-28T22:53:00.000-05:00

Couldn't go to the Gym in the morning as I had intended to yesterday; got to sleep very late, and had to run to the office in the morning.

Went to the Gym in the evening and walked most of the 25 minutes on the treadmill. Good Job! Shoot for consistency!

Creating the ATHLETIC me

2008-01-27T19:28:00.000-05:00

For the best part of my life, I have been sedentiary / physically inactive. I did take part in some games and sports while at school, but that was very infrequent and with no specific goal. For the past two-plus years, I have been making an effort to run regularly and have had mixed results. I have completed 5K, 5M races but the running has been very irregular.

I want to create the ATHLETIC ME. I want to qualify and run in the NYC Marathon in 2009. I want to improve my physical structure, strength and stamina over the next two years by training consistently.

Taking small steps toward the bigger goal, here is the plan for the week ahead:
Monday Morning : Run 20 minutes
Tuesday Evening : Run 2 miles
Thursday Morning : Run 20 Minutes
Friday Morning : Run 2 miles
Sunday Morning : NYRR 4 mile run + longest football throw competition

20 minutes on the treadmill - after a week

2008-01-24T15:40:00.000-05:00

After a week of excuses / sore-neck / busy schedule at work / etc., I finally hauled my ass to the Gym and ran for 20 minutes on the treadmill yesterday evening. Covered 1.60+ mile running at a leisurely pace, with only one break of 2 minutes walking.

2 Mile run in the Gym

2008-01-16T15:56:00.000-05:00

As per the 10K training plan, I ran/walked 2 mile in the Gym yesterday evening. Took 27 minutes to complete the distance.

It may be a good idea for me to repeat this week's plan next week as well to try and run two mile in less than 23 minutes.

20 minutes running in the Gym

2008-01-14T15:41:00.000-05:00

Made plans yesterday for the next 9 weeks to follow the last 9 weeks' plan for the 10K training on the Marathon Rookie web-site. Consequently I woke up at 5:45 AM with high-motivation to run the 20 minutes planned for today.

Got to the Gym and ran 20 minutes with speed varying between 4 mile per hour and 5 mile per hour. Felt good to be doing so early in the morning!

Fred Lebow Classic 5M in Central Park

2008-01-12T16:39:00.000-05:00

Ran 5 miles for the first time today! Completed the distance in little less than an hour - walking around 40% of the distance. One thing I can be proud of is that I beat Larry-the-light-house, Wendy-the-wind-mill and another person who were running in interesting costumes.

Aaron from work, his wife Elodie, Teresa and Freddie accompanied me in this race. Aaron mentioned about meeting Charles at the beginning of the race; I did not get to meet him.

Good to have company! Motivation in loads :-)

This race is the first in a series of races which I will run to qualify to the NYC Marathon in 2008. Next up is the NYRR Gridiron Classic 4M on Feb 3rd. A personal goal for this 4 mile race is to be able to run the whole distance without stopping or walking.

Elodie mentioned she is self-training based on the training schedules on Marathon Rookie Web-site; will follow the training plan for 5K to prepare for the 4 Mile race - with suitable adjustments, of course.

Results from the Race:
Overall Place : 4128
Gender Place : 2266
Age Place : 784
Finish Time : 58:39
Pace / Mile : 11:43
AG Time : 57:24
AG Gender Place : 2308
AG % : 37.1 %

Interesting set of Age group statistics; I should be able to improve it over the next two races in Feb '08.

3.25 miles in 40 minutes at the Gym

2008-01-05T22:41:00.000-05:00

Ran for 40 minutes on the treadmill today; my first visit to the Gym next door!

Good start to the year.

Ringing in 2008 in Style

2008-01-01T16:09:00.001-05:00

Participated in the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run yesterday evening along with friends from Landmark. Had fun at the run!

The run was well-organized; Music, Costume Party, Fireworks, huge turn-out for the event, people running with the costumes on, non-alcoholic champagne at the half-way point, enthusiastic by-standers cheering the runners all the way - all of this made the 4-mile run at midnight an amazing experience.

What better way to start 2008 which is going to be a spectacular year!!

People in the Photo:
John (Patricia's friend), Teresa (my SELP batch mate), Freddy (Teresa's husband), Patricia (my SELP course leader) & Cat Woman - A friendly stranger who posed with us while her companion took the photo

For the record, I finished the 4 mile in 51 minutes, walking more than half the way.

Hoboken UMC 5K

2007-10-07T08:46:00.000-05:00

Ran with BSK yesterday in the Hoboken University Medical Center 5K. First time I was participating in an event with a friend. Great experience!

After running together for the first two miles, I ran ahead and completed the race in 34:10. BSK came in at 37:09. We completed the first mile in 12:00 minutes and passed the second mile at 23:00

Newport Liberty 5K 2007

2007-09-23T12:09:00.000-05:00

Overcame last minute jitters and decided to run in this year's 5K in Newport. Finished the race with a time of 32:23. That is an improvement over the 33 odd minutes finish last year.

Last year's edition being my first 5K, I was very nervous and was being very self-critical and full of self-pity by the end of the run as I strongly felt I was not good enough to be there. This time I was free of all that baggage, and enjoyed the run without too much expectations.

In today's race, I completed the first mile in 9:45 and passed the two mile-marker by 19:30.

Will aim to get under 31 in the 5K runs next two week-ends with more regular training runs.

The official results of the race

1.5 miles run in Bayonne Park

2007-09-06T14:28:00.000-05:00

Ran for 20 minutes at the running track in Bayonne today morning around 11:00 AMish. The park is 5 minutes drive from my place, and the carpeted track seems to be a better place to run than the concrete walkways. I am trying to make it a habit to run every morning this month at the Bayonne park, with an aim to improve my 5K running time.

Upcoming 5K races in the vicinity of Jersey City

2007-09-04T15:13:00.000-05:00

Quite a few 5K runs are being held this fall; I could participate in 2-3 of them and improve my best time. Running in the races is my way of motivating myself to train regularly. Now that I am buying a heart-rate monitor, it should be easy to get myself out to run more often.

Some of the 5K runs I could participate:
* Educators for kids 5K Sunday Sep 9th 9:00 AM
Newark, Essex county.
* Summer Screecher 5K Saturday Sep 15th
Morris Township, Morris county.
* Kenilworth Centennial 5K Freedom run Sunday Sep 16th
Kenilworth, Union County
* Newport Liberty Waterfront run Sunday Sep 23rd 8:30 AM
Jersey City, Hudson County
* Fighting Children's Cancer 5K Saturday Sep 29th 10 AM
Morris Township, Morris
* Brian's run for Tomorrow's Children Fund Sunday Sep 30th
Wayne, Passaic County
* Hoboken University Medical Center 5K Saturday Oct 6th 9:00 AM
Hoboken, Hudson County
* Carlos Negron Memorial Run Sunday Oct 7th 9:30 AM
Liberty State Park

Map Courtesy of Digital Map Store

Windmill 5K

2007-08-26T10:37:00.000-05:00

34 minutes for the 5K on a hilly and tough trail. Also, didn't warm up well before the run.

Better timing than expected at the start of the run. The course was scenic in Holland township, NJ

Two good runs at LSP

2007-08-25T01:02:00.000-05:00

Had two very good runs at LSP on Thursday and Friday.

On Thursday, ran the entire length of the walkway from one end to the other and back - approximate distance 3+ miles - in 36 minutes with the following sequence of running and walking : 11 min run + 2 min walk + 11 min run + 2 min walk + 10 min run.

On Friday, ran the same distance in 36 minutes with the following sequence of running and walking : 12 min run + 2 min walk + 11 min run + 2 min walk + 4 min run + 1 min walk + 4 min run

Good preparation for the Windmill 5K in Holland, NJ on Sunday.

7.5+ miles hike along the Yosemite falls

2007-07-16T00:29:00.000-05:00

3 miles at Sunnyvale Baylands County Park

2007-07-14T00:44:00.000-05:00

Ran three rounds at the Sunnyvale Baylands County Park yesterday; one round being one mile. Running in California heat was a bit exhausting. Scurrying squirrels made the run interesting.

Very surprised to know AS and JHS ran in LA marathon and completed in 5 and half hours! I should see if there are any training groups in New York City / Jersey City to prepare for a half-marathon; could run the half-marathon instead of 5K at the Newport Liberty waterfront run in October.

Three rounds at Briant Park

2007-07-04T09:22:00.000-05:00

July 4th. Independence day in the US.

Ran/walked three rounds at Briant Park. One round on the track is approximately one mile. This will be a good benchmark run to keep tab of my progress w.r.t. fitness over the summer.

My fitness goal for this summer is to be able to run a 5K race in 28 minutes or less with running the full distance. That would be a significant improvement over my current timing of 32 minutes with 40% of the time walking.

Of course I want to be able to run the 5K run in less than 20 minutes. And I also want to finish a half-marathon. And start on a Triathlon as well.

All that I can work on later. Right now, it will only be a distraction towards achieving a manageable goal over the next three months. The 5K race at the Newport-Liberty Waterfront run in early October will be the place to check my progress against my goal.

Second 5K run; fun run with TD at Centennial park

2007-07-01T21:36:00.001-05:00

Ran a 5K race at Centennial park today morning, and completed the course around the lake in 32 minutes. That is 1 minute better than the timing of my first 5K race last september! Small improvement, but an improvement nevertheless. And considering that I haven't been working out regularly over the past few months, and that I had run the same course around 12 hours earlier, I am very happy with the performance.

On saturday, I made most of SD's family go out to run with me around the lake at Centennial Park. 7 year old TD gave me company in my run/walk on his bike. Enjoyed the run very much, getting motivated to keep up with TD at times, pushing him up the hilly slopes at times. It is quite an experience to go running with people I am close with :-)

On this trip on saturday, got to know about the 5K run organised by Cade Foundation on sunday morning at the same place.

Less intense work-out in LSP

2007-06-27T21:42:00.000-05:00

Alternating between walking and running, I covered the entire stretch of the walkway at LSP early today morning. The whole trip taking me around one hour.

A few more of these kind of efforts over the next few days, and I will be able to run the whole stretch without stopping - like I used to do a few months ago.

Repetition is the mother of Skill!

On and off running - II

2007-06-24T10:48:00.000-05:00

Went running/walking - more of walking than running - in Liberty State Park this morning; didn't want to push myself too much after a week-long trip to Paris and the associated lack of sleep / energy.

While in Paris, went running once around Lac Daumesnil in Bois de Vincennes - the lake and the park being less than 10 minutes from the hotel I was staying at. Walked a lot in the city though during the whole week, and that should add towards my fitness goals!

Before the Paris trip and after my India trip, went running a couple of times at LSP.

Overall, haven't been as regular as I want to be in engaging in running and other fitness activities. Also missed the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge run due to the timing of my Paris visit. Now that I am simplifying various aspects of my life, I should be able to devote more time to important things in life - fitness goals being one of the most important.

Have been considering recently to revive my long forgotten Yoga practice at home and bought a book to help me with it. It is definitely a good idea to start on Yoga now, as it would make for a healthy exercise regimen which I can stick to easily while traveling or when the weather is bad.

One other thing I need to do next week is to cancel my NYSC membership - haven't been to NYSC over the past 3-4 months and continue to pay my monthly dues, and have become what they are likely to call "Easy profits!!"

On and off running

2007-05-28T14:23:00.000-05:00

Tried to run almost every day while I was in India recently. It is heartening to see increased awareness of health and fitness among the Indian general population, as evidenced by the urban parks buzzing with activity early in the mornings and the evenings, both in Chennai and Bangalore. I was particularly impressed with JP Park, which has been opened very close to where I spent all my childhood days. Was wondering if I would have been much more stronger physically if that park was there while I was growing up.

Also took the opportunity to run in Boyce Park on sunday while visiting Pittsburgh.

I have to ante up my efforts at running in the coming days.

6 kms biking indoors in Gurgaon

2007-05-12T03:28:00.000-05:00

Spent 30+ minutes on the exercise machine at PK's place biking 6 kms today afternoon. It felt good to sweat due to physical exertion and not due to the heat here!

First run in Liberty State park this spring/summer

2007-05-05T20:12:00.000-05:00

Just came back from a satisfactory run/walk in Liberty State Park. Covered the entire length of the LSP walkway starting at one end and returning to it. Ran most of the onward run, and alternated between running and walking on the way back. Also included two short and sudden bursts (fartleks) on the way back. The whole exercise - including stretching and warming up and cooling down - took around an hour. The run did wonders to my stressed-out and worried state-of-mind I had been enduring since yesterday evening.

I like running at LSP enjoying the nice views that include the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the entire length of the West-side of Manhattan, parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island, Jersey City downtown, Liberty Science Center, Verrazano bridge, Hudson river with its ferries, water taxis, yachts, boats - small and large - and the occasional Cruise ship or a Aircraft Carrier of the navy.

A good run after a long time!

2007-05-03T14:53:00.000-05:00

While visiting North Carolina last week, got to run/walk for a good 20-25 minutes on Friday morning at the William B Umstead State Park which was surprisingly close to the city. The place is very good for running and hiking. Also saw some people biking and horse-riding early in the morning.

This run was the first after a long winter / laziness break. Even after buying some new shoes and new running wear, I haven't been able to get myself to run in the past month!

With the JPMC Corporate Challenge race in NY just a few weeks away, I should strive hard to get back into running shape. It will be particularly difficult to keep the habit going while traveling in India next week.

33 minutes finish at the 5K race

2006-10-08T09:11:00.000-05:00

Completed the 5K in 33 minutes walking part of the distance. First mile in 9:20 minutes and two miles in 20:40 minutes.

Definitely can do much better next time. For a first timer, it was good that I not only competed but also completed the race. It was a good experience being part of a race running with hundreds of people. Haven't yet figured out how to achieve peak fitness by race time; will probably need a few more races to get some idea on that!

Less intense run/walk in Central park yesterday

2006-10-05T10:05:00.000-05:00

Yesterday evening did the weekly run at central park at a much lesser intensity and only one colleague accompanying me. Ran very slowly from the entrance the the reservoir. Completed one round around the reservoir at a slow pace and with a couple of breaks. Ran half way back to the entrance.

1.5 miles in 16 minutes

2006-10-03T21:47:00.000-05:00

Ran 1.5 miles today in the Gym after work. Thats the best I can say about todays workout :(

40 minute run/walk at Liberty State Park

2006-10-01T21:32:00.000-05:00

Went to Liberty State Park today evening, and ran/walked for 40 minutes. Ran the entire stretch of the walkway in about 15 minutes. Then walked/ran the way back.

"Side stitch"

2006-10-01T11:33:00.000-05:00

Hmmm, interesting! The pain in the side of the abdomen I experienced a couple of times while running is called Side Stitch Good to know!

Two rounds at the reservoir

2006-09-30T21:49:00.000-05:00

Had been to Upper east side to meet with some friends today. Later on went running at the reservoir in Central Park. Ran the first round in 15 minutes. Ran/walked the second round in 20 minutes. Much slower pace than yesterday.

3.1 miles in 30:02 sec!!

2006-09-29T09:37:00.000-05:00

Went to the Gym early morning today, and ran 3.1 miles in 30:02 sec! Am quite impressed with myself. Did a little bit of weights afterwards, but felt I was too exhausted to be doing any more exercise.

Weekly run at Central Park

2006-09-27T21:49:00.000-05:00

Did the same run as the previous three wknds maybe at a slower pace. The whole thing took around 1:05 minutes. Should try to go for two rounds around the reservoir next week.

2 miles in 20:30 minutes

2006-09-26T21:27:00.000-05:00

Good work-out today at the Gym. Finished 2 miles quite comfortably with only a couple of minutes slow walking in between. Spent some time on weight training later.

1.5 miles in 15:30 minutes non-stop on the treadmill

2006-09-25T21:36:00.000-05:00

Things can only get better from now on :)

Made it a point to go to the Gym after work and before my doctor appt. Ran as much as time permitted. Will be able to run more tomorrow after work.

Short run in Liberty State Park

2006-09-24T13:09:00.000-05:00

Ran/walked for around 20 minutes in Liberty State Park this morning. My fitness levels have gone back to 3-4 weeks back levels thanks to the lack of consistency in the past two weeks. Will have to put in more effort over the next two weeks to ensure I do decently in the 5K run on 8th Oct. If I run 4 times each on both the weeks, I should be able to get myself to complete the race in 27 or 28 minutes.

Another run with colleagues in Central Park

2006-09-20T22:59:00.000-05:00

This time 10 of us went running. Ran from the entrance to the Reservoir. Stretched a bit, and then ran one round around the reservoir. Walked for a bit during the run. Afterwards, ran back to the entrance. Took around 65 minutes for the whole thing.

Back to running after 3 days break

2006-09-17T23:02:00.000-05:00

Ran in Liberty State Park today evening after not being able to run since wednesday. Ran from one end of the walkway to the other without stopping in 15 minutes. Then walked/ran back the distance in around 20 minutes.

More people from work join the 'running club'!

2006-09-13T22:06:00.000-05:00

Eight of us went running today evening in Central Park. Slowly jogged from the entrance of Central Park to the reservoir - must be a little over a mile and it took around 15 minutes. After stretching a bit, I ran once around the reservoir keeping close to two of my colleagues - took around 15 minutes to complete the 1.3 mile stretch. We were stretching while waiting for our other colleagues to finish their second round. Afterwards we jogged back to the entrance together - probably taking 15 minutes to do so.

From my side it is a big improvement as I could run with my colleagues without slowing down to a walk.

5K in 32.25 minutes on the treadmill

2006-09-12T21:40:00.000-05:00

Quite good! I completed 3.1 miles in 32.25 minutes today evening after work in the Gym. Ran for 2 miles without walking (first mile in 12 minutes and next mile in 10 minutes), walked for three minutes and ran the rest of the distance. Ran short spurts at the rate of 7.5 miles per hour twice.

This definitely measures very well against the Couch-to-5K plan details - but then I wasn't exactly a couch-potato when I started on this :)

It does look realistic that I can cut atleast 5 minutes off this time over the next 3 weeks. May not be able to finish in 25 minutes, but I guess finishing the 5K race in less than 30 minutes would be something to be proud of!

Two rounds at Briant Park

2006-09-10T22:14:00.000-05:00

Pulled myself away from an exciting Federer-Roddick US Open final and ran two rounds in Briant Park. The trail is a little less than one mile I guess. Ran the first round in 10 minutes. Walked for 5 minutes, and ran another round in 12 minutes. When I left, Federer and Roddick were tied at 3-3 in the third set after spitting the first two. On returning, I could just catch Federer holding up the Cup!

2 mile run

2006-09-08T16:41:00.000-05:00

Ran 2 miles in the morning; wasn't in the best of moods and shapes to be running :(
Completed the first mile in 12 minutes and the next in 11 minutes. Worked out the strength training machines a bit later.

Running in Central Park with colleagues

2006-09-06T22:27:00.000-05:00

Ran with some of my colleagues today in the Central Park. The idea was suggested by GZ (from Germany) who has completed a few marathons so far, and is preparing for the NY marathon later this year. In addition to GZ and I, JB (from France) and OC (from Cameroon) came along for the run today. More people are expected to join next week.

We started running from our office at around 7:15 and reached Central Park and ran on the right-side road towards the reservoir. The run to the reservoir was a bit of a struggle for me, and I had to slow down a couple of times. The other guys slowed down with me to give me company. After reaching the reservoir, I let them go ahead and ran slowly at my own pace. While JB and GZ covered two rounds across the reservoir (one round being rougly one mile long) OC and I ran one round. Later on all of us ran/walked back together to the exit of Central Park at which point GZ went back to run some more. We walked back to office.

It was around 8:15 when we finished running. My guess is the total run must have been around 4 miles.

This was definitely good way to go about working out. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will be able to keep pace with JB and GZ.

Continuing the run

2006-09-05T21:17:00.000-05:00

Ran/walked for 2 miles in 24 minutes today at the Gym. Started with a half mile run at 6 mph, walked 1/4 mile at 4 mph, ran 1/4 miles at 6 miles per hour, walked another 1/4 miles at 4 mph and finished off with a 3/4 mile run at 5 mph. Wasn't motivated to go for longer run; body was too stiff! Finished with 5 minutes of stretching.

5 Miles in Centennial Park

2006-09-03T21:33:00.000-05:00

Ran/walked two rounds at the Centennial Park today evening. Took 1 hour to complete the 2.5 mile circuit twice.

Running outdoors is quite different from the controlled run on the treadmill.

Day off; worked out with weights

2006-09-01T11:43:00.000-05:00

Spent one hour in the Gym focusing on the strength training exercises.

Have incorporated a 5 minute run as a warm up exercise for the past few sessions. Follow that up with a few minutes of stretching before going on to the main work-out.

Worked out on different machines to exercise different muscle groups. Tried the assisted chin-up exercise with 70 pounds assist; was going for 90 pounds earlier. Finished with a few minutes of stretching as usual.

Will have to incorporate more exercises in the routine especially for exercising the lower body and abdominals.

Shorter run

2006-08-31T22:23:00.000-05:00

Had to run for less time today as I was in a time crunch. Ran 1.8 miles in 23 minutes. Started with a half mile run at 10 minutes per mile, and then walked 1/4 mile at 4 mile per hour. Followed it with another 1/4 mile at 10 minutes per mile; couldn't manage to go for 1/2 mile as I was planning to. My heart rate during the faster run was very high and I was feeling totally exhausted. Slowed down a bit and ran a 1/4 mile at the 5 mile per hour.

Best thing to happen today was that the Guy in the Afghan restaurant I frequently visit for lunch noted that I have lost some weight recently!!!! Awesome!!!! My hard work is definitely paying off :)

A rejuvenating work-out

2006-08-29T22:52:00.000-05:00

Was in a really bad mood for past two days, and wasn't at all ready to run today. Yet forced myself to go, and it turned out to be an excellent thing to do. Ran for 40 minutes and covered 3.2 miles. Did two half mile runs at 6 mile per hour, and another two half miles runs at 5 mile per hour, and the rest walked at 4 mile per hour. Felt slight uncomfort in my stomach after around 30 minutes - the second time I am feeling it; hopefully nothing to worry about! By the end of the run, I was a new person - back to feeling good about myself.

Treated myself to a sumptuous and rather expensive pasta dinner :)

3 mile run on sunday

2006-08-27T21:26:00.000-05:00

Went to Gym today in the evening, and ran/walked for 40 minutes completing 3.1 miles. Did one stretch of half mile at 6 miles per hour, two sets of half miles at 5 miles per hour, one stretch of 1/4 mile at 5 mile per hour and the rest walking at 4 mile per hour.

The Goal!

2006-08-26T22:47:00.000-05:00

Its two weeks since I started this journal. And two weeks since I embarked on the "Couch to 5K" running plan. Let me detail the short term goals I want to achieve with this fitness program:

(a) To run 5K in 25 minutes. Or be able to run at a pace of 8 minutes per mile for 25 minutes!
(b) To lose fat around my belly, and better tone my body.

By short term I mean I want to achieve these goals by the date of the Newport-Liberty waterfront run - Oct 8th.
So I have six more weeks to achieve these goals!!

Currently I run/walk 3 miles in 40 minutes. Over the next six weeks, I should be aim to increase my pace gradually and be able to run without a break for 25 minutes.

In addition, the twice-a-week strength training sessions (of which crunches are key part) should help in cutting down on my belly fat and make me look in a better physical shape.

Best of luck to me :)

Making up for the lack of quality work-outs during the week

2006-08-26T17:56:00.000-05:00

Spent almost two hours in the Gym today working on both aerobics and strength training. Ran/walked for 45 minutes covering 3.4 miles and burning around 350 calories. Alternated between 3 minutes run at 5 mile per hour and 2 minutes walk at 4 mile per hour. The heart rate seemed to be always at the higher range (160+).

Afterwards worked out on the weight training machines exercising various parts of the body. Did crunches and bycicling while lying back to exercise the midsection. Finished with assisted chin-ups and chin-dips. As usual spent around 5-10 minutes at the end stretching.

A whirl-wind strength training session

2006-08-24T22:08:00.000-05:00

Got to spend around 30 minutes at the Gym in the evening. Not enough time to do a decent workout. Worked out on a few weight machines and did some crunches. No aerobic exercise.

I guess it will make sense to workout only when I have atleast 1h15m time in hand. Doing hurried workouts could end up leaving me injured.

Second week; first workout

2006-08-22T22:43:00.000-05:00

As expected the week is turning out to be very hectic; still managed to put in a 45 minute run in the Gym late evening from 8:00 PM onwards. Ran/walked 3.1 miles and burnt around 300 calories. Experienced slight discomfort in the middle of the run, and then slowed down a bit.

2006-08-20T22:11:00.000-05:00

Resting Sunday
No workout today. Next week is going to be hectic, and I will have to plan out my workout schedule beforehand, and stick to the schedule.
The following should be feasible:
(a) Workout session # 1 on Tuesday evening: Mainly Running
(b) Workout session # 2 on Wednesday evening: Strength training
(c) Workout session # 3 on Friday morning: Mainly running
(d) Week-end session : Longer run

2006-08-20T00:42:00.000-05:00

Strength workout in the Gym on saturday
Spent around one and half hours in the Gym mainly focusing on Strength exercises. Warmed up with a 14 minute mile run. Followed the advice about working out on different muscle groups starting from legs. Did 3 sets of 5-20 reps on different strength training equipments/exercises; most of the time going till 'near muscle fatigue'. Have to read further in the Strength training guide I bought recently and fit in a structured workout plan. I should probably increase the intensity of the exercises as well.

2006-08-17T22:25:00.000-05:00

Another excellent work-out in the Gym!
Went to Gym after work and ran/walked for 45 minutes covering 3.25 miles and burning 300+ calories. No weight training today.

2006-08-15T22:00:00.000-05:00

Two good work-outs so far this week!!
On sunday, ran/walked in Liberty State Park for almost 50 minutes, in 8 segments each of running and walking. Covered the entire length of the walkway twice. Must be around 3 to 3.5 miles distance! Wasn't at all out of breath at anytime. Will plan to run outdoors every wknd from now on.

Today ran on the treadmill for 45 minutes - again alternating between walking and running. Statistics roughly being : Time: 45 minutes; Distance: 3.1 miles; Calories burnt: around 300 I guess. Also spent time on strength exercises and stretching routines.

Should be able to include two more workouts this week.

2006-08-14T22:27:00.002-05:00

Wake-up Call in Centennial Park
Last week when I was visiting my friends, I attempted to jog the 1.5+ mile long trail in Centennial Park.
It turned out to be a eye-opener about my fitness level. I was out of breath within a few minutes even though I was running verrrrrrry slowly. And with great difficulty - and admittedly with great satisfaction as well - I completed the circuit non-stop in 25 minutes.

The difficulty in running made me question the value of the time I spend on the elliptical machines in the Gym! I guess there is no substitute for running, and I should stick to running as my major aerobic exercise from now on.

Now after reading more about beginners training for running, I see it wasn't the right thing for me to have run the circuit non-stop. I should get myself up to speed by a combination of walking and jogging. I have 9 weeks to follow the exercise schedule mentioned in the book - seems to be achievable!

2006-08-14T22:18:00.000-05:00

Working towards completing 5K run on Oct 15th
Signed up for the 5K race at the Newport-Liberty waterfront run yesterday. Hoping I will prepare for it well. Have 9 weeks to go from beginner runner to 5K runner. If all goes well, I should be able to participate in the half-marathon next year.