5K Update 9-16-13

If you've been following along you'll know that I came up with the brainy (not) idea of doing a couch to 5K training program.  I hit upon this idea when my cholesterol levels came in too high and in an attempt to get a little more fit.  I've almost finished with week 7 of the program and here's where I am.

This is what I imagine I look like on the treadmill.....

But this is really closer to my reality.....

WEEK 6   

DAY 1

35 min. 1.97 miles  128 calories

2 – 10 min. runs and 1 -5 min walk.  I did REALLY good today.  Ran the full 10 minutes both times.  It wasn't bad today.

Day 2

33 min. 2.10 miles  168 calories.

2-10 minute runs.  OMG – I HATED it today.  The 2^nd 10 min run I had to slow down twice and walk.  It seemed to take forever to do 33 minutes.  

DAY 3

33 min.  2.19 miles  178 calories

1-15 min run and 1 – 5 min. run.  I had to take 2 short walk breaks during the 15 min run.  It was torture.  I was sweating and breathing so hard but by the last 5 min run I was running pretty good.

Week 7

Day 1

30 minutes 1.95 miles 160 calories

1 -20 minute run and I could... Not... Do... It.  Ugh!  I started off by running 8 minutes and then walked a minute, ran a few minutes, walked a minute, ran a few minutes, walked a minute until I finished the 30 minutes for today.   I got off the treadmill and sweat was pouring off me like a waterfall, my throat was burning, my chest was heaving.  

I hate this program!  I can’t do it.  It’s too hard.  I’m so angry!  Why can’t I do this???  I’m not a wimp, or a quitter.  I thought I was in better shape than this.  I had natural childbirth when I had Tony for pete’s sake – no drugs at all, and I’d rather do that again than train for this stupid 5K.  I don’t think I've ever hated anything as much as this except for algebra and having to draw a picture of a stupid horse in 4^th grade.  Neither of which I ever got.  Cripes am I mad!  I just want to kick something!

I stomped off to the shower and stood under the flow of cool water, hung my head and seriously wanted to cry.  I’m not kidding.  I was that mad.  Slowly my breathing returned to normal, I calmed myself down, and I started thinking about Tony and how hard it was for him to lose 85 pounds in a year and totally change his eating habits.  I thought about my friend Mike, who hiked the entire Appalachian Trail and then all 48 – 4000 ft. mountains in New Hampshire in a month, all for charity.  I told myself to stop whining and quit acting like a baby.  Yes, it’s hard. Who ever said it’s going to be easy?   The hard is what will make it worth it.

And so I’ll keep plodding along.  I probably won’t finish the program in the 8 weeks it’s supposed to take, and if it takes me a little longer, well, that’s ok.   I’ll keep at it.  I just don’t know if I’m ever going to like this.

DAY 2

30 minutes  1.72 miles 106 calories

OMG – I did it – I RAN 20 minutes straight today.  Linda, our guest blogger last week, gave me some great tips.  First of all, I slowed my pace WAY down – to 3.8 on the treadmill.  I started running the 20 minute stretch and did 10 minutes and then told myself to keep going, I could do another minute,  and then I did another minute, and kept running until 19 minutes and then I told myself that I only had ONE lousy minute left and to keep going.  So I did.  I RAN 20 minutes straight!!  And I actually ran 1 whole mile in 15 of those minutes.  I’m not breaking any speed records, but I did it!!  I went out into the kitchen and told Tony and he gave me a big hug and told me how proud of me he was.  But more important, I am proud of myself.  Wow!!

 Twice more this past week I've done 30 minute work outs.  5 minute walking warm up, 15 minute run for 1 mile, and an additional 5 minutes running just because I CAN, and then a 5 minute walking cool down.  I'll be honest with you, the last 3 minutes of the run are tough and it's not a pretty sight.  My arms are pumping and flailing, I'm sweating, feet are pounding on the treadmill and I am chanting "three more minutes, two more minutes, one more minute."  Ugh.  Then I'm done and I am shocked I did it.

I think I'll be ready to do Day 3 of week 7 tomorrow!