Couch to 5K – JohnJFrady.com

How To Run For 22 Minutes (Without Stopping) in 7 Easy Steps

I’ve been using the App – C25KFree (Couch to 5K Free) for the past six weeks. Today, I finished the day 3 workout of week 6, which includes 22 minutes of running without stopping. In case you’re trying to do the same thing, here are 7 easy steps for running 22 minutes without stopping. Enjoy.

Step #1 – Wake up in the morning, lay very still and listen intently for rain, snow, sleet, hail, a dense fog, mist, strong winds, mild winds, gentle breezes or anything uncontrollable that might keep you from having to get out of bed to exercise.

Step #2 – While still in bed, tell your wife that you are not in denial about not wanting to exercise.

Step #3 – Angrily roll out of bed, stumping the toes of your right foot on the hard wooden furniture that you insisted on buying fifteen years ago.

Step #4 – Have the following conversation with your wife:

You: Honey, do you think I should just not exercise today?

Wife: Why?

You: My toes really hurt.

Wife: What happened?

You: I stubbed them on your furniture.

Wife: My furniture? You mean the bed?

You: Yeah.

Wife: You’re somehow suggesting that you stubbing your toe…

You: (interrupting) Toes!

Wife: Ok. You’re suggesting that you stubbing your “toes” on the bed is my fault.

You: Yes. If you hadn’t suggested this brand then we wouldn’t have all this hard wood in the house.

Wife: Go exercise, you big baby.

You: What?

Wife: Go.

You: Ok.

Step #5 – Cry

Step #6 – Change your clothes and walk out the door.

Step #7 – Put your headphones in, play some music, warmup for 5 minutes, then run (or jog) for 22 minutes without stopping.

Enjoy your workout!

Why I decided to lose the lose it App

3 Reasons Soft Drinks Hinder A Good Workout

March 15, 2013March 15, 2013 by johnfrady Categories: Health and FitnessTags: Couch to 5K, Exercise, Fitness, Fitness Humor, Jogging, John J Frady, running 2 Comments

The Stitch – Why I Wanted To Quit Couch To 5k

Last night, C25k (Couch to 5k) Week 5 Day 3 got the best of me. It was my first time in the program where I was supposed to jog for 20 minutes without stopping, so I was somewhat apprehensive before beginning my time of exercise. However, two days earlier, I surpassed the 8 minute mark without stopping, then walked for 5 minutes before running another 8 minutes without stopping, so I believed that I could probably pull it off.

I was wrong.

After 9.5 minutes of running, I felt a terrible stitch in my side so I slowed to a walk. A stitch is sometimes called a side cramp. It’s an intense stabbing pain under the lower edge of the ribcage that occurs during exercise. After 4 minutes of walking, I ran for another 8.5 minutes. I finished the workout, but felt terrible because I didn’t meet my goal of running 20 minutes without stopping.

I wanted to just give up and resign myself to being an out of shape fat guy. That’s not such a bad thing, is it?

Today, however, I decided not to let it get the best of me, so I googled stitches during exercise. According to my online friends, here are three causes:

1. Running too soon after eating. (Waiting two to three hours after eating is best)

2. Drinking high sugar beverages right before or during exercise.

3. Shallow or Irregular breathing during exercise.

I also looked for ways to prevent a stitch during exercise. Here are three options:

1. Stop running (or at least slow down)

2. Raise your right arm over your head. (The stretching sometimes helps relieve the stitch)

3. Try to exhale as your left foot is moving forward. (This basically helps to set a pattern for your breathing, extremely important in all exercise)

I started running to Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough. Before the song was over, a stitch was already forming in my side. I started slowing down and considered quitting before I even reached 5 minutes. However, slowing down helped, so I continued. Around the 10 minute mark, the stitch returned, so I started watching my breathing, ensuring that I was exhaling as my left leg moved forward. That seemed to help, so once I continued. Finally, it returned around the 14 minute mark and I wanted to quit, but since I had already come so far I pressed on. I slowed my running, focused once again on my breathing, and raised my right arm over my head. The three items together helped and before I knew it, I had run for 20 minutes without stopping.

As I reached the 20 minute mark, Michael Jackson was singing Bad. That’s exactly how I felt.

March 8, 2013March 9, 2013 by johnfrady Categories: Health and Fitness, UncategorizedTags: C25k, Couch to 5K, Exercise, health, healthy-living, Jogging, John J Frady, running 5 Comments

I Survived My First Day of Week 5 of Couch to 5K

A minute before my running time was up today, my side starting hurting. I couldn’t believe that I might have to stop before my time was up. However, instead of stopping the run, I decided to slow down until my cool down. My side didn’t stop hurting, but it did ease up enough for me to finish the run.

This afternoon, I started week #5 of C25K (Couch to 5K). My workout for today began with a brisk 5-minute warmup walk followed by a 5-minute run, a 3-minute walk, another 5-minute run, a second 3-minute walk, a third 5-minute run, then a 5-minute cool-down walk. I’m proud to say that I finished it without stopping (or vomiting). However, my second day of week #5 takes me to a new level completely. It begins with a brisk 5-minute walk, followed by an 8 minute run, a 5 minute walk, another 8 minute run, then a 5 minute cool-down walk.

If I survive this week of exercise, I’ll let you know. 🙂

Why I chose to try the couch to 5k free workout app

Week two of Couch to 5k

3 Reasons Soft Drinks Hinder A Good Workout

March 3, 2013March 4, 2013 by johnfrady Categories: Health and FitnessTags: Couch to 5K, Exercise, Fitness, health, healthy-living, John J Frady, running, running time, Week 5 of Couch to 5k 1 Comment

3 Reasons Soft Drinks Hinder A Good Workout

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a soft drink junkie, especially when it comes to Coca-Cola. However, 3 weeks ago, I began using the App, C25Kfree (Couch To 5K free) and I began jogging for the first time in my life.

(I would really recommend the App for anyone with an iPhone who is wanting to get into shape and lose weight. I can feel the benefits after only 3 weeks.)

After the first couple of runs, I came face to face with the cold hard reality that it was time for me to stop drinking soft drinks. The main reason is that they were severely hindering my workouts. Here are the 3 main reasons I found when I did just a little bit of study on the subject:

3 Reasons Soft Drinks Hinder A Good Workout

Proper hydration is critical – Your body needs adequate amounts of water in order to carry nutrients to your muscles and to then remove waste produced during physical activity. Carbonated drinks do not hydrate your body sufficiently and therefore hinder the maximum impact of your exercise.
Bloating – Carbonated beverages cause bloating. This is often seen around your waistline, when gas builds up in your stomach. During exercise, this can result in slight stomach pain.
Shortness of breath – Many carbonated soft drinks contain caffeine, which is a central nervous system stimulant. It speeds up your heart rate and your breathing. This is what makes you feel short of breath as you exercise and your rate of inhaling and exhaling increases.

If you’ve experienced similar results, please share your comments with me. It will really encourage me as I continue towards my running goal.

Week Two of Couch to 5k

February 19, 2013February 19, 2013 by johnfrady Categories: Health and Fitness, ReviewTags: carbonated soft drinks, Carbonation, Couch to 5K, Effects of Soft Drinks on Exercise, Exercise, health, healthy-living, Jogging, John J Frady, proper hydration, Soda, system stimulant 4 Comments

Week Two of Couch To 5K

As a career Marine, my dad used to run between 4 and 9 miles each day, in order to keep fit. I once asked him why he chose to run. He answered that since he was required as a Marine to remain fit, he could either not eat or run daily. “I’m sort of fond of eating,” he answered, “So I guess I’ll keep running.”

I’m also rather fond of eating, but I’m not that fond of running. Even so, I’m in my second week of using the App Couch to 5 K. My current workout begins with a brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then moves into 20 minutes of alternating 90 seconds of running with two minutes of walking. This is a change in the amount of my running time from 60 seconds each time to 90 seconds each time. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but I have to admit that it’s kicking my lower posterior. I find myself looking at my phone to check the countdown when I’m running and it also shows that I have about 30 seconds left. I guess I’m doing better. I did the same thing last week when I only had to run for 60 seconds at a time and it said 30 seconds then as well.

Today, I did my workout run on the sidewalk of the Metairie Mardi Gras parade route after everyone else had gone home. The street was clean but the sidewalk was littered with broken beads, drink cups, soda and wine bottles, and beer cans. I think that I should get extra credit since I basically ran through an obstacle course. What do you think?

February 12, 2013February 13, 2013 by johnfrady Categories: Health and Fitness, ReviewTags: c25kfree, Couch to 5K, Fitness, health, healthy-living, John J Frady, mardi gras parade, mardi gras parade route, obstacle course, Week 2 3 Comments