First Marathon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continuing to run....

2.25 miles in 30 minutes on the treadmill

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

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..

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.