Breaking 15 #1
Weeks 1-2: October 7-20 | 47.37 miles, 8:33:38 run time, 10:51 pace
Welcome to the first entry in the Breaking 15 Journal. I’m not yet sure what the cadence will be, but I will likely aim for every week to every other week. No matter the cadence, each week will be written about.
The format will evolve, especially during the first few months. This first entry combines what I want to include and what I think offers value to you and other readers. Your feedback is welcomed.
Why is it called the Breaking 15 Journal?
I set an impossible goal of running a 5K faster than 15 minutes.
What I publish will be about my journey towards this goal.
I’ll aim to publish each entry for runs in the prior week(s) by Friday.
Enjoy!
3 Notables
On October 20, one of my sisters completed her first marathon. Congrats, sis! The day after, she entered the Chicago Marathon lottery. Although the 5K will forever be my favorite distance to race and train for, she’s making me ponder half marathons a little more.
I discovered the 10 Min. Post-Run Stretch video by Mady Morrison, now my go-to yoga session post-run. Each pose is 30 seconds, followed by a 10-second break. They’re all simple but effective. There’s no talking, and the background music is lovely.
I completed two speed runs, both on Wednesday. The structure was alternating sprinting .25 miles and walking/jogging .25 miles. I may experiment with the 4x4 method (sprint for four minutes, walk for four minutes, repeat four times). For the past five years, my speed run was a fast mile. I’m wondering why I never did intervals. They’re better.
Aches & Pains
I’ve had consistent achiness in the mid-bottom of my right foot since late September. I think it’s from what I do with my feet when sitting. It’s not getting worse, but it’s not improving.
I’ve had a blister on the corner of my left big toe for more than the past two weeks, but it’s brought little to no discomfort. It’s just there. It’s not getting worse, but it’s not going away.
Runs
Not surprisingly, my fastest zone 2 run (out of nine) in the previous two weeks was the only one with cloudy conditions. The feels like temperature was 53, the second lowest. The weather matters a lot.
In the lists below, the heart rate, feels like temperature, and sleep metrics are averages for the week.
October 7-13
4:34:27 total time running
24.66 total miles run
11:04 per mile pace
87 ft total elevation gained
34:24 5K pace
71 total effort
134 bpm heart rate
65 feels like temperature
5:50 hours of sleep
45 yoga minutes
October 14-20
3:59:11 total time running
22.71 total miles run
10:25 per mile pace
184 ft total elevation gained
32:23 5K pace
70 total effort
135 bpm heart rate
57 feels like temperature
6:16 hours of sleep
52 yoga minutes
On October 16, I alternated .25 mile sprints and .25 mile jog/walk across 3 miles. The .25 mile splits: 1:54, 1:53, 1:50, 1:51, 1:46, 1:37. The .25 mile splits pace: 7:36, 7:32, 7:19, 7:24, 7:04, 6:28.
Insights
This video is fascinating. This article is associated with it. There are many nuggets, especially at the end, where they discuss the importance of steadiness when training in zone 2. It’s so valuable that I created this clip of it. I didn’t even know you could create clips from YouTube videos until I did it. 🤯
Moving Forward
I’m pondering my first milestone / short-term goal. I’m running in the Amway River Bank Run 5K on May 10 in Grand Rapids, MI, and I don’t plan to race before then. As of today, breaking 18 on May 10, 2024, seems equally possible and impossible. My 5K PR is 18:29, but that was a lifetime ago.
I’m learning more about 80/20 training (80% Zone 2, 20% Zone 5) from various perspectives and will tweak my training regimen accordingly. My warmup is a little boring, so I’ll tweak it soon. I also want to add other aspects to my training, such as foam rolling.
Cheers to running!