Running Woman

okay, I have officially completed 4 weeks worth of Couch to 5K. That means I can run 3 minute and 5 minute segments, with walking segments between. And I can do then repeat that, and not be dying at the end of the second five minutes.

Yep, 16 minutes of running total, and I can still breathe.

My knees are not taking things as well as my lungs, however —not that I expected them to. The reason I've never been a runner is that it hurts; it always has hurt, even when I was young. Now that I'm older and have a touch of what might be arthritis, it really hurts. But a heart attack would hurt more, so I'll take the aches and the grumbling knees. (Isn't it ironic that I always justified not running by claiming that running would give me arthritis, and I seem to have it anyway? So what the heck, at least I can get part of me healthy...)

I had a moment of enlightenment when I ran on the high school track's rubberized surface on Monday,and it was driven home when I went back to the street. Soft is easier on the knees, folks. The problem is, the track is closed to the general public 8am-4pm weekdays, and besides, I run while Child2's in chamber orchestra, which happens several miles from the rubber track. There's no way I can get there, run, and get back in the time she fiddles. However, if she quits chamber, which she's considering, I've decided I'll get up early and go to the HS before the track closes every morning.

You read it here.

Week 4, Day 3 completed. 15 days remaining.

update

Just want you all to know I've been dutifully chugging away on Couch to 5K. I'll write a longer post after my run tomorrow bringing you up to date.

Positive Forgetfulness

Did my run this morning (as I did Weds, tho' I didn't post). I pushed myself a little more, trying to finish a full circuit of my little path with each 90secs run/2mins walk, rather than falling short about 25 yards on each lap. I consciously made my strides longer, and that worked for about 4 laps before I pooped out and settle back to my usual plodding jog. But it worked for a bit, and next week will be better yet.

Also, I forgot to stop with 5 minutes left, and continued instead, doing two extra running segments. Since there were an "extra" 30 second left at the end of the last segment, I ran it out. Yep, at the end of the run, which was too long to begin with, I voluntarily did a two minute run. And I'm looking forward to next week.

Who'd'a thunk?

Week 2/Day 3 completed; 21 program days remaining.

Labor Day

Forgot to post on Friday, but yes, I did complete the run, and I even tacked on an extra 60 second segment of running at the end...and had a teeny kick left for the last 10 seconds.

This morning, my back was out, so I nearly talked myself out of going out -- it's a holiday, after all, which is another built-in excuse -- but I bribed Child2 to go with me and hit the street anyway. This week, it's 90 seconds running alternating with 2 minutes walking, with warm-ups and cool-downs on each end. I was able to do each segment with little problem. No kick, but so far, so good.

And somewhere along the line, my back stopped hurting. Interesting how that worked out...

Week 2, Day 1 down, 23 days to go.

I will survive

I really will. I could even breathe through the running bits today, and I felt good at the end. It helps that I have a routine, which is to take Child2 to her early bird Chamber Orchestra rehearsals and run while she fiddles. Conveniently, she rehearses 3 days/week. Brava!

Week 1, Day 2 down; 25 days to go.

P.S.: I'm taking down the biceps challenge in the sidebar, in favor of C25K. If I can find an appropriate widget, I'll grab it.

27 Days

I found out, via Twitter, about a running program called Couch to 5K, designed to take you from couch potato status to being able to do a 5K in 9 weeks, by working just 3 days per week. That's just 27 days of actual exercise spread over 2+ months.

27 days. That's doable.

Now, I've thought other things were doable, and they probably were. Being doable and being done, however, are two different things. So to motivate myself, I made a pact with the Twitter buddy who turned me on to it, RomanticTechie. (I'm there as LisaHendrix. Follow us and watch us sweat!)

We started today. I spent 30 minutes EXERCISING. Can you believe it? And I didn't have any problem, other than the fact that I was in shorts and there were living human beings around. I'm sure the ER ending up treating a few retina burns from the glare off my thighs.

You can find the program (and software to support it) HERE. Also, "there's an app for that" (C25K for iPhone/iPod Touch, screenshot to left). I don't have any of those. I have a stopwatch, and a 3x5 card with the day's routine on it. Worked fine, today. (However, I am looking for an excuse to buy a iPhone or Touch anyway, and this just may turn out to be it.)

Week 1, Day 1 down. 26 days to go.

Wednesday Weigh-In

187 lbs this morning

Yep, down 6+ (nearly 7) pounds since July 25, which is 11 days. And I haven't been hungry or craving things at all. Utterly amazing.

I will have more to say later, but I have to get Child2 to play rehearsals and go off to a coffee shop to work on my book.

Ciao.