C25K- The End of Week Two

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Albeit slightly delayed by a week of rain and a brief heat wave, I am happy to report that I have completed week two of Couch to 5k, aka C25K. For those of you keeping track, that is two weeks down, seven weeks to go. So far, it has been a bit of a battle. Day 1 of weeks on and two left my ankles and calves screaming. Things got a bit easier on Day 2, and by Day 3 it had become a routine. Each week consists of a different running pattern, so it is always a matter of adjusting. For example, week one consisted of one minute of jogging followed by a minute and a half of walking for eight repetitions. Week two consisted of a minute and a half of jogging followed by two minutes of walking for six repetitions. The increase of 30 seconds may not sound like much, but my legs tell me otherwise.

When I used to go running as a teenager, I remember pushing myself while running and then reaching auto-pilot, where I could pretty much keep running for what seemed like forever. These brief runs are not letting me reach that point, although I am sure there is a reason for that. Week three includes two 3 minute runs with each work out, so we will see how that goes. Part of me is excited to move forward, the other is terrified. On the bright side, my legs are already starting to feel more toned and my jeans are getting looser. I also have a great group of cheerleaders supporting me every step of the way, which helps immensely.

I'm back!

I apologize for the brief hiatus in posting, my husband had an unexpected death in his family, and I have been spending extra time with him. In the process I also managed to burn meatballs in the crock pot (who does that?!?) and rediscovered my addiction to scrapbooking. Sadly, mother nature has decided to bless us with downpours that are not supposed to move out of here until Monday, so C25K has been reluctantly put on hold. Unless I start running laps in the apartment, which I am seriously considering.

Couch-to-5K Week One Day One, And So It Begins

Yesterday I posted that I was going to be doing day one of Couch-to-5k (C25K) today. Well, I lied. Not on purpose, I promise. I bought some running clothing and downloaded the app, and then I just felt so motivated that I had to go. After all, you only get one first day. 

The first day work out appears easy enough, it consists of a 5 minute warm up walk, 20 minutes of alternating between 1 minute jogs and 1.5 minute walks, and a 5 minute cool down. Seems relatively painless, right? My shins were killing me, my ankles were sore, and I was vividly aware that I had not gone running in years. At the end of my workout, I had run 1.35 miles. Not bad for a first day. 

I am really happy I stuck through it. Once I caught my breath, I experienced a sudden burst of energy that lasted throughout the evening. I slept better than usual too. C25K recommends 3 work outs a week. I'm taking tomorrow and Saturday off, and will resume with week one, day two on Sunday. 

A new chapter in my life has begun. I am a runner. I got this.

Couch to 5K, Holding Myself Accountable

I played field hockey when I was in high school. I was never really good at it, but it was a sport, it kept me active, and I had fun doing it. In the grand scope of things, that is really all that matters. I remember pre-season, we would start practicing about two weeks before the school year started, right around my birthday. We would meet on the field for 2-3 hours of drills, scrimmages, and running. Lots of running. Most practices ended with a three mile run; through the neighborhoods around school, the cross-country trails through the woods, sometimes even right down Main Street to the neighboring town. Those runs were my favorite, the whole team would stop at Dairy Queen on the way back, but that is a different story for a different time. The point is, I could run. I was not the fastest, but I certainly had the endurance down. I could run three miles in about twenty minutes. I miss those days. When pre-season first started, my shins would scream and I would spend the remainder of the day discovering muscles in my legs I never realized I had. About a week to ten days in, I found my grove. I got to the point where my body would hit auto-pilot and I could just keep running for what seemed like forever.

Life went on, high school ended and field hockey ended with it. I tried to keep in shape in college and went for walks for miles at a time. I even went running a couple of times. Unfortunately, as a full time college student, my priority shifted from running to staying up late with friends and school work. All motivation to keep running went to the wayside. Then came my twenties, an abusive marriage, and a severe depression to go with it. My weight spiraled out of control. I wanted to take up running again, but I had no idea how to get back into it.

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Fast forward to now. I am in my thirties and happily married to my soul mate. Together, we have made the decision to get healthy. The first step was changing our diet, and exercising more. I have already noticed that I have significantly more energy than I did before, just with these first little changes. I have even started jogging with our dog, Dakota. I have noticed on Facebook that several of my friends have competed in 5k races, and I must admit that I am a tad bit jealous. Well, I decided it is time to do something about it. I posted on Facebook that I wanted to compete in a 5k, and multiple friends recommend the Couch to 5k program. It is a combination of walking and jogging that eases you into running a 5k in about two months. Today happens to be payday, so I will be treating myself to some new running clothes.

Tomorrow is the day I start running.

To up the ante, Color Me Rad is coming up to my neck of the woods in August. If I can commit to Couch to 5k for two weeks, I am going to register for Color Me Rad as motivation to finish the next 6 weeks, and beyond. It is posted to my blog now, so no looking back. I am going to do this, and it is going to be awesome.