Mid-Week 4, Couch to 5K Training

I think my weather miracle is over, but my Underarmor is keeping me very comfortable.

5K Training, Week 4

1) I’m starting week 4 even though I had 3 sessions already this week…and even though I said I wasn’t going to do that anymore. Here’s my justification: I didn’t run YESTERDAY (and therefore had a rest day) and today is Sunday, which some calendars use as the first day of the week. This week, I'm using that calendar! :)
2) I’m deviating from the Couch to 5K schedule I found online to accommodate the fact that I’m using my blackberry as a timer and it’s a PITA to keep setting different timer amounts. So I just kept the 90 second timer on and made everything match up with that increment, in varying multiples.
3) I think I found my cadence. I hit a stride so comfortable (and so slow!) that I felt like I could have kept it up for quite some time. I’ll probably have to throw some sprints in later to make sure I’m challenging my body, but for now, this feels nice!

Total session time today: = 36 minutes (18 walked, 18 run)
6 minute warmup
3 minute run
90 second walk
6 minute run
3 minute walk
3 minute run
90 second walk
6 minute run
6 minute cooldown

I'm a Runner!

Today was my last scheduled run of week 3 of th Couch to 5K program which I printed off this webpage.

Kimspiration (my weight management coach) keeps calling me "runner girl" and I'm starting to believe it.

I got up at 7 (even though I didn't get to sleep til 3 last night) and geared up (got new cold-weather gear at the Underarmor outlet!) I went down and had a great run on the beach. It felt right and natural to do so (it was a sunny morning with zero wind so my weather miracle continues) and I enjoyed it greatly.

I guess it's true...I'm a runner!

Starting Week 3 of 5K Training

1) I'm still doing it!
2) I haven't gotten rained on yet. Have I mentioned I live in Oregon?!? I think it must be some kind of weather miracle.
3) I LOVE dogs. But not when I'm running. Its just in their nature to be keenly interested in rapidly moving creatures...or in my case, slowly-moving creatures exhibiting spastic signs of distress. Even the smallest, mildest dog yapping madly and lunging at me makes me wet my pants.

Mid-week 2, Couch to 5K

I got new shoes!!!

They're Asics, I don't know the specs but I went down to Gallaghers and they fitted me, watched me run (no pronation), and had me out the door in half an hour. A hundred bucks lighter, but I'm sure my feet and knees will thank me.

Snuck in an Extra Run

I got all full of myself and added an extra run with both extra time and extra mileage. Trying to make up for the fact that I'd been baking for days for a charity bake sale and eating lots of junk.

Now I'm sore and achey and wishing I hadn't. Then I saw Yolanda at the bake sale (running guru) and she spoke sternly to me on the following topics:

1) Never go off the reservation. Stick to the training schedule like your life depended on it. Overdoing it is the #1 reason new runners get hurt and/or quit.
2) Gets some running shoes (this in response to my mention of the 5-year-old-tennies I'd been wearing thus far.)
3) Don't worry about how slow you go. In fact, slow down summore! Now there's some advice I can dig into!

5K Training Day 3

End of week one, yay me!
My reflections:
1) I'm done with the session before it seems like it should be time.
2) Mostly during the running parts, I'm constantly counting down the seconds til I can stop. Today, just for a few moments, I FORGOT I WAS RUNNING!
3) The slightest incline seems steep when you're trying to run it. Who knew there was a giant hill in front of Whiteaker school? It's invisible from a car!

5K Training Day 2

1) It's cold outside in April in Oregon at 6:30 AM.
2) The many layers I wore to battle the cold are uncomfortably warm at the end of the "run."
3) I'm having a hard time calling this "running" but I hate the term jogging.

Reflections on Week 1 of Couch to 5K Training

Sixty seconds is a short time on the couch but stretches out pretty long the first time you try to run it.

Better Than Sex!

How cool is it to leave the house stiff and tired and bloaty and slightly hungover and return warm and loose and sweaty and blissful? End of week one...learning to run.