Couch to 5K......DONE!!!

I did it!!! I finished the C25K! I can now run for a full 30 minutes with no trouble at all. I really didn't think I would be able to do this, but it is SO addictive! I don't think my husband thought I would stick this out either, but he is really proud of me.
So what is next? I am going to run 30 minutes every other day until February or March. I want to get really comfortable with this. Then I am going to attempt the One Hour Runner. It is basically like the C25K. Instead of starting from scratch and progressing to a 30 minute run, you start from a 30 minute run and progress to a full hour. I would never have thought that was possible for me, but I am feeling really confident in my body and its abilities.
I'm gonna keep this blog going as a weekly journal to log my miles and experiences. This is a huge milestone for me, but I don't want to stop my progress. I have to keep myself motivated.

Week 8 is behind me now

I didn't have any trouble finishing my 3 runs of 28 minutes. I just had trouble trying to squeeze them into my insane holiday schedule!! It actually took me a week and a half to get these runs completed, but I am still going to move on to Week 9. This is my last week of the Couch to 5K program!! Wish me luck guys! I can't believe I am really going to finish this!!!

Week 7......Done!

Week 7 Day 1 was pretty rough for me. I learned a VERY important lesson on that day. Josh and I had alot going on with the kids last Monday. I didn't even get home until after 6PM. I thought I could just do a quick stretch and get running. Boy was that a mistake! I should have stretched more. I was only 10 minutes into my 25 minute run when my legs started to cramp like you wouldn't believe!! I knew instantly what my mistake was. I tried to tough it out, but by minute 16 I just had to stop.
On Days 2 and 3, I had a MUCH easier time. I stretched for about 10 minutes before running. Everything was great, and I had no issues. I did get a little miffed on Day 3 when my Ipod battery died. I tend to depend on my music to get me through. I learned that the distraction of music was less of a necessity than I thought it was. I guess it was a week of lessons for me.
That is all for now! Bye!

Week 6 Day 3

It was a really good day today. I managed to get in my 25 minute run with no major issues. I was having a little trouble around 16 minutes, and I decided to pick up the pace a bit (from a 15mm to a 13mm). I'm not sure why, but something was telling me to speed up a bit. Maybe it was just adrenaline that got me through those last few minutes, but it worked great. I feel good too. Can't wait for Week 7! Bye for now!

Week 6 Day 1

This workout was a surprise to me. I went into it feeling VERY confident after my 20 minute run last week. It was MUCH harder than I anticipated. The schedule was this...

5 min warm-up walking
5 min running
3 min walking
8 min running
3 min walking
5 min running

That seemed so simple to me, but it was a pain in the ass to have to take those walking breaks. I just really felt I wanted to keep on running. It wore me down to have to start walking. I could not explain why it was so difficult, but I am really looking forward to the 25 minute run this week. I really am finding it MUCH easier to just run without breaks. Isn't that weird? I never would have imagined in week 1 that I would be looking forward to not walking. I guess that means I am making progress!

A big accomplishment for me...

I decided to switch from the Nike program to the C25K. I picked up at week 4 and had no problems at all. I have been pretty nervous about W5D3 since I first started running several weeks ago. It is the infamous 20 minute run. No breaks. When I first saw that huge leap in running time, I had serious doubts about my abilities. I just could NOT see how I was going to be able to pull that off. 20 minutes seemed like an eternity!
Well, I finished that run yesterday!! I felt like I could have run 10 more minutes if I wanted to. It was super easy. I felt prepared for it. I had my doubts a few weeks ago, but as of yesterday morning I just knew I would be able to do it. I feel great, and my goal of running my first 5K (on January 26th) seems to be well within my reach.
I am also getting comments from several people that I have lost alot of weight. I have actually only lost about 10 pounds, but my clothes seem to fit much better now. It is as if my body is shifting around. I am not losing much actual weight, but I feel great about how I look right now.
My run for tomorrow is supposed to be 5 min. jog, 3 min. walk, 8 min. jog, 3 min. walk, 5 min. jog. A few weeks ago I was freaked out about my 5 min. run, but tomorrow seems REALLY easy right now. I feel like I could skip a week and be OK. I won't do it, but I feel like I could. I have to admit, this C25K has got to be the best beginners running program out there. If I can do this....anyone can!

I DID IT!!!!!!

I finished the run I had so much trouble with on Monday!!!!!

I am seriously so excited right now!!! I decided to cut out the walks on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I really felt like I needed more of a break than just one day a week. Apparently that really did the trick! I finished the 45 minute workout with no problems. (5 min walk, 5 min run) x 4 with a 5 min cool down. Total distance covered 2.47 miles, totally calories burned 230!! I feel great right now! Wish me luck on Friday, but I really think I can do this!
After my the last interval today I really felt like I could do another 1 or 2. It was awesome!!

A bad day!!

Boy was I surprised by my struggle this morning. I just couldn't get through my workout! I am so very disappointed in myself right now. I am thinking of switching to the C25K so I can have MB support. The Nike program was fine, but their MB was focused more on selling and supporting the Nike + shoe than actual running. It was annoying.
I also think the C25K will be better for me because it is only 3 days a week. The Nike program was a 6 day a week program. I wasn't having very much recovery time between runs.
I did find a 5K that I may register for at the end of January. I am thinking there is no better motivator than the fear of public humiliation. I am going to go ahead and register for that so I will be too scared to fail.

Still going...

I was right about when I should run. It is about 7:30am. I just finished my workout, and I reel GREAT!! I am definitely going to stick to my morning runs.
Here is my schedule for this week.....

Monday - Walk 15 min. Run 2 min. Walk 2 min.
Tuesday - (Walk 3 min. Run 2 min.) x 6. Walk 5 min.
Wednesday - Walk 15 min. Run 2 min. Walk 2 min.
Thursday- (Walk 3 min. Run 2 min.) x 6. Walk 5 min.
Friday - Walk 15 min. Run 2 min. Walk 2 min.
Saturday - (Walk 3 min. Run 2 min.) x 6. Walk 5 min.

I missed Wednesday's workout, but I picked right up today. I know these intervals are NOTHING to a seasoned runner, but this was a REAL challenge for me. Every week that I continue with this I am feeling stronger and healthier. Hopefully, this blog will keep me motivated. Even if nobody is reading it, I know it is here.

Rough week...

I don't know why, but this week has been impossible to get my running done. I have been trying to rework my schedule, but I am just going to have to keep running in the morning. I just can't seem to stay motivated in the afternoons. I think if I do it in the morning it will start my day off right. By afternoon, I am just exhausted.

Running? Are you serious!?!?

So with all the drama going on around my grandfather, I started having that typical sense of my own mortality. I am 30 years old and I have been smoking since I was 13. That just sounds really unhealthy doesn't it? So I decided to do something about it. 3 weeks ago I decided I wanted to transform my fat lazy ass into a runner!! Can you believe it?

I did a little Google search for a beginner's running program. Let me tell you, I am apparently not even a beginner. In the world of running, I am a slug! Half of the programs I found started off with a 1 mile run right off the bat! Holy shit! That is just not gonna happen!

I finally found 2 programs that seemed like they might be more suited to my needs. Cool Running's Couch to 5K program and Nike's Walk to Run program. I ended up going with the Nike program because it has a slightly slower progression than the C25K. I am currently on week 4 and below is my progress...

Week 1
M - Walk 15 min
T - (Walk 5 min, Run 1 min) x2. Walk 5 min.
W - Walk 15 min
T - (Walk 5 min, Run 1 min) x2. Walk 5 min.
F - Walk 15 min
S - (Walk 5 min, Run 1 min) x2. Walk 5 min.

Week 2
M - Walk 15 min. Run 1 min. Walk 2 min.
T - (Walk 5 min, Run 3 min) x2. Walk 5 min.
W - Walk 15 min. Run 1 min. Walk 2 min.
T - (Walk 5 min, Run 3 min) x2. Walk 5 min.
F - Walk 15 min. Run 1 min. Walk 2 min.
S - (Walk 5 min, Run 3 min) x2. Walk 5 min.

Week 3
M - Walk 15 min. Run 1 min. Walk 4 min.
T - (Walk 6 min, Run 4 min) x2. Walk 5 min.
W - Walk 15 min. Run 1 min. Walk 4 min.
T - (Walk 6 min, Run 4 min) x2. Walk 5 min.
F - Walk 15 min. Run 1 min. Walk 4 min.
S - (Walk 6 min, Run 4 min) x2. Walk 5 min.

I'm not gonna lie, week 3 was pretty tough for me, but I made it through. I have learned not to judge my progress on how tired I am during the workout, but on how I feel throughout the day after. I have not had any sore days so far, so I think I am progressing OK. I'll keep you guys posted about my progress!

I got a call last night from my mother. She wanted to let me know that my grandfather had a heart attack. He is 77 years old, so it shouldn't have been a big shock, but it was. My sister and I were just talking a few days ago about how lucky we are that we have grandparents as healthy as these. Neither of them has any chronic illnesses, and they take no daily medication.
I went to the hospital to see him today and he seemed to be in pretty good spirits....good but tired. I was getting dirty looks from the ICU nurses because he kept laughing and telling stories. I guess they don't want him to over exert himself or disturb the other patients.
The doctors are planning to do a stress test today to see how bad the blockage is. He will either have a stint put in or have a bypass surgery. I am really hoping for the stint. A bypass is pretty difficult to recover from, and he is a VERY active man. Keep us in your prayers.

Holy Crap!!! I'm blogging!!

I have always been nervous to start a blog, but lately I have really been feeling this need to leave my mark. It may just be one tiny little corner of the internet, but once it is here...it is here.

I spent the weekend in Dallas with a TON of awesome ladies from SJ! I gotta tell you it was one of the funnest weekends I have had in a LONG time! The scrapbooking was fun, the pig running was funner, and the poolside chats were the funnest! I have some really great new friends as a result.

When I got home I was expecting to walk into the house with the kids yelling "Mommy" and Josh excited to see me. This was not the case at all!! Nobody was home when I arrived. When Josh and the kids finally came home, Jenna gave me a kiss and Brody ignored me. It took him a good 2 hours before he would even talk to me. He hadn't had a nap, and he was really cranky. He was more interested in going swimming than saying hi to Mommy. Oh well, c'est la vie!

Until next time!