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RSSTake that Pavement – Couch to 5k Program
Uncategorized 1/8 ton, app, fitness, iphone, jogging, tracking No Comments
App
arently, nothing captivates the mind of the public like the image of big dude (let’s just call me the 1/8th of a ton miracle) jogging.
Oddly, I have had a lot of questions about this. So here are some answers (which is lame for me because know when I stop jogging in two weeks to pursue my hobby of not finishing things, people will know).
I am follow a program called Couch to 5k. Long story short, it is a progress jogging plan that incrementally increases the intensity of the workout until you are clipping along like an Gazelle on the African Plains. The first few weeks seem really easy, short jogs with walks. This is to give my might legs time to recover and prevent me from following my usual fitness MO of hurting myself right of the bat. Overtime you end up running for a full 30 minutes, which can cover a lot of ground. This program isn’t for a seasoned runner, but excellent for someone just getting into running or returning from break.
I don’t do well jogging on machines, so I hit the streets in my neighborhood. This seems to make time go by faster and gives me a really nice familiarity with where I live. The downside, at least this time of year, is the cold. Because, dang. It is coooooold. Haven’t had to deal with Rain yet, stay tuned on that front.
I like to listen to podcasts when I jog, mostly because it makes the time go by faster. NPR’s Radio Lab is my favorite for awesome science based news stories. But hey, go with what you like.
I use a Nike Plus Sensor* for the joy of seeing some metrics on my improvement. For those not in the know, Nike Plus is a sensor that you wear that tracks the number of strides you make along with the time between strides, and creates an estimated distance traveled and calories burned. There is a lot more science and engineering behind it, making it much more than a supped pedometer, but that is for another post. My sensor interfaces with my iPhone and synchronizes with my computer when I get home. There are version that don’t require iAnything.
You can track your results on the Nike + site, which look like this:
Nike + Runs
http://my.nike.com/longwalkhome
I used my iPhone (like I do from pretty much everything in my life) along with a neat application called “Couch to 5k”.
Couch to 5k Screen:Week One, Day One
It gives you audio and tactile alarms when you need to either run or walk.
That’s the gist of what I use when I do my thing. I am strongly considering ditching my running shoes and get something else less cushy. I spend most my time in flip flops and barefeet, feels weird being so cushioned.
* – Link for Nike Plus Sensor goes to Amazon, buy there from this link and I get a small cut which I will use for nefarious purposes.