Podrunner: Intervals

I finished the Couch to 5k program and then came in 545th out of 789 people in a 5km race — not bad for an absolute beginner — and then started looking for something else to keep myself interested in running. I happened upon the Podrunner: Intervals podcast by DJ Beatsmith. I am now on week 6 and I can definitely recommend this podcast as a good running companion. The only complaints I have are: there is too much talking before the run (the talking time should be incorporated into the walking warmup); the times are not announced at the beginning of the podcast, so you have no idea how long you are going to have to run that day unless you go and look it up every day before you run (and the times are hard to find on the website); there should be a 5 minute cool down time after every run (the cooldown times are seemingly random); and the podcast just ends so sometimes you start back at the beginning of the podcast without realizing it.

The P:I website does not have a clear listing of the actual intervals that are used, so it is hard to evaluate the program before you begin. Here is a list of times for the workouts that I eventually found by digging around the archives and the Yahoogroup for the podcast. Hope someone else finds them useful.

First Day to 5K: Week 1

5-minute warmup @ 128 bpm
60 seconds @ 142 bpm
90 seconds @ 128 bpm
60 seconds @ 142 bpm
90 seconds @ 128 bpm
60 seconds @ 142 bpm
95 seconds @ 128 bpm
65 seconds @ 142 bpm
95 seconds @ 128 bpm
65 seconds @ 142 bpm
90 seconds @ 128 bpm
65 seconds @ 142 bpm
90 seconds @ 128 bpm
60 seconds @ 142 bpm
95 seconds @ 128 bpm
65 seconds @ 142 bpm
3-minute cooldown @ 128 bpm

First Day to 5K: Week 2

5-minute warmup @ 128 bpm
90 seconds @ 138 bpm
Two minutes @ 128 bpm
90 seconds @ 138 bpm
Two minutes @ 128 bpm
90 seconds @ 138 bpm
Two minutes @ 128 bpm
90 seconds @ 138 bpm
Two minutes @ 128 bpm
90 seconds @ 138 bpm
Two minutes @ 128 bpm
90 seconds @ 138 bpm
1 min. 50 seconds cooldown @ 128 bpm

First Day to 5K: Week 3

5-minute warmup @ 130 bpm
90 seconds @ 140 bpm
90 seconds @ 130 bpm
3 min. @ 140 bpm
3 min. @ 130 bpm
90 seconds @ 140 bpm
90 seconds @ 130 bpm
3 min. @ 140 bpm
4-min, 10-sec. cooldown @ 130 bpm

First Day to 5K: Week 4

5-min. warmup @ 129 bpm
3 min. @ 140 bpm
90 sec. @ 130 bpm
5 min. @ 140 bpm
2 min. 30 sec. @ 130 bpm
3 min. @ 140 bpm
90 sec. @ 130 bpm
5 min. @ 140 bpm
2-min. cooldown @ 130 bpm

First Day to 5K: Week 5 – Mix 1

5-min. warmup @ 130 bpm
3 min. @ 140 bpm
3 min. @ 131 bpm
5 min. @ 140 bpm
3 min. @ 131 bpm
5 min. @ 140 bpm
2 min. 30 sec. cooldown @ 130 bpm

First Day to 5K: Week 5 – Mix 2

5-minute warmup @ 130 bpm
8 minutes @ 140 bpm
5 minutes @ 131 bpm
8 minutes @ 140 bpm
1-min. 45-sec. cooldown @ 130 bpm

First Day to 5K: Week 5 – Mix 3

5 min. warmup @ 130 bpm
20 min. @ 140 bpm
3 min. cooldown @ 130 bpm

First Day to 5K: Week 6 – Mix 1

5-min. warmup @ 131 bpm
5 min. @ 141 bpm
3 min. @ 132 bpm
8 min. @ 141 bpm
3 min. @ 132 bpm
5 min. @ 141 bpm
4-min. cooldown @ 131 bpm

First Day to 5K: Week 6 – Mix 2

5 min. warmup @ 130 bpm
10 min. @ 140 bpm
3 min. @ 131 bpm
10 min. @ 140 bpm
4 min. cooldown @130 bpm

First Day to 5K: Week 6 – Mix 3

5 min. warmup @ 130 bpm
25 min. @ 140 bpm
3 min. 30 sec. cooldown @ 130 bpm

First Day to 5K: Week 7

5-min. warmup @ 130 bpm
25 min. @ 140 bpm
4-min. cooldown @ 130 bpm

First Day to 5K: Week 8

5-min. warmup @ 130 bpm
28 min. @ 140 bpm
4-min. 30-sec. cooldown @ 130 bpm

First Day to 5K: Week 9

5-min. warmup @ 130 bpm
30 min. @ 140 bpm
4-min. 30-sec. cooldown @ 130 bpm

First Day to 5K: Week 10 – Graduation Mix

5-min. warmup @ 135 bpm
35 min. @ 145 bpm
4 min. 30 sec. cooldown @ 135 bpm