Starting Over! Week 1, Day 1!!!

 

Y’all.

I ran tonight!

First time since December 20-somethingth… but I did it!

I decided to just start over and work my way back through the program (which is really aggravating considering how hard I worked to get to where I was before, but that’s what I get for quitting!)  I did Week 1, Day 1, and I think I would have done fine – except I was running with El Diablo.

In case you’ve forgotten, or weren’t around the first time I mentioned El Diablo… allow me to {re}introduce him.

This thing weighs like 15 pounds or so… then add in 26 pound C-Monster and you’ve got quite an extra few pounds to lug around.

As if my fat arse isn’t enough to drag.

Anyway – I did all of the runs (nine 30-second runs) except for one, because Big Momma was just not able to find the strength to make it through run #7.  But #8 and #9 I finished beautifully.

Well, probably not beautifully.  Hopefully nobody saw me through their windows and laughed at me.  (I run by no less than three houses that are occupied by people I know.)

Part of me thinks that I should go ahead and try to do all of my training with Christopher in the jogging stroller, because it will make it easier when it comes time to run in a 5K or something similar.  But then I also feel like I should build up my strength before trying to push around something extra… I’m not sure.

Aaaannd – last but least, I am setting a goal for myself!  I want to participate in the Lum & Abner (local crafts show) annual 5K in JUNE! I believe that the 5K will be June 4th. That’s 13 weeks away, and the C25K program is supposed to take 9 weeks. Last time I was doing the program, I had to do some weeks twice – so that means that I cannot procrastinate this ANY longer and that I need to stick with it so that I can reach my goal in June! I’m excited!

back on track

I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t run in a month.

A MONTH.

However, it ends tonight.

The Spring Semester starts tomorrow, and I know that being back in school and back in a routine (read: not laying around the house in my pajamas all day watching old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and covering Christopher with kisses) will help me get back on TRACK on the C25K program and closer to my goal of running a half-marathon this fall.

I’m not sure where I should start back tonight, but I’m thinking Week 4. I left on on Week 5 Day 2, and I hate to have to start completely over, so I’m going to push myself through Week 4 and see if I can do it. Make myself do it, I should say.

I’ll update tonight with my results!  Wish me luck! :)

Week 5 Day 2

Today I did W5D2!

Even though it is just a few days before Christmas, the weather here was in the high 60s or low 70s or something crazy like that, and it was a gorgeous afternoon for running!

Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then:

• Jog 8 minutes
• Walk 5 minutes
• Jog 8 minutes
• five-minute cool-down walk

I did the first 8-minute jog without stopping. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I’m not positive (because I’m turning into my mother going senile, I think.) but I think I did the second 8-minute run with two stops – one for about 30 seconds and another for about a minute.  I would guess that I ran 6 of the 8 minutes.  On Friday, I will do W5D2 again, and hopefully I will be able to complete BOTH 8-minute jogs!

Week 5 Day 1

I did Week 5 Day 1 on the 15th.

Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then:

• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
• Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
• Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
• five-minute cool-down walk

I did the first two 5-minute runs, but I did not complete the second 5-minute run.  I felt like I could have, but for whatever reason, I didn’t. 

Yesterday, the 19th, I did Week 5 Day 1 again, and I completed all of the 5-minute runs!  Whooohoo! Tomorrow, I will do Week 5 Day 2, which includes two 8-minute jogs.  We’ll see how that goes!

I haven’t been good about blogging about my jogs right after I do them, but now that the fall semester is over and I’m on Christmas Break, hopefully I will be able to keep up with this better. :)

Week 4 Days 4&5

I took about a week-long break from my C25K program, but as of last Friday (the 10th) I have been back at it.

I had done all three days in Week 4, but I had still not been able to complete all of the running segments; I could not finish the second 3-minute or 5-minute run.

Friday (W4D4) afternoon I set out to run, and again, I was not able to finish the second half of the workout.  I came home feeling defeated, but my sweet hubby, who believes in me far more than I do, gave me a great pep talk.

So on Sunday, I set out again (W4D5) to try to at least do the full 3-minute/5-minute/3-minute running sections.  And I did it!  THEN… something amazing happened. I did the second 5-minute segment, as well.  So, I ran the WHOLE Week 4 workout, exactly the way I was supposed to. 

I came home exhausted and crying.  Happy tears this time, though.  Happy tears. :)  Stephen was SO proud of me and I was so proud of myself!  It took me FIVE days to be able to complete the entire Week 4 program, but I DID it and I’m so excited about moving on to Week 5 tonight!

Week 4 Day 3

I ran yesterday afternoon, and it went SO much better than my run on Sunday.  I’m not sure what was wrong with me on Sunday, but I had no energy and couldn’t seem to run to save my life.

Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then:

• Jog 3 minutes
• Walk 90 seconds
• Jog 5 minutes
• Walk 2-1/2 minutes 
• Jog 3 minutes
• Walk 90 seconds
• Jog 5 minutes
• Five-minute cool-down.

Yesterday I did really well.  I did the entire first 3-minute run and the entire first 5-minute run.  I ran probably half of the second 3-minute run, and I ran three minutes of the last 5-minute run.  Not sure if that makes sense to anybody other than me or not… but my point is that I ran more of it than I did the first day I did it, and I certainly ran more of it than the second time I did it.

I think I will have to continue with the Week 4 schedule at least three more days.

Week 5 is scary… very scary.  Especially day 3.

W5D1:
Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then:

• Jog 5 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Jog 5 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Jog 5 minutes

W5D2:
Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then:

• Jog 8 minutes
• Walk 5 minutes
• Jog 8 minutes

W5D3:
Brisk five-minute warm-up walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.

The good thing about Week 5 is that it means I’m HALFWAY through the program!

Week 4 Day 2

I ran yesterday.

I stunk it up.

I did the entire first three-minute run... but that was the only run I completed without stopping to take a break and walk.

I feel like I may be on Week 4 FOREVER.

I also feel like my calves are on fire.

You know how I eventually want to run a HALF MARATHON?  (That's 13.1 miles. Approximately 2 hours.)  Yeah... right now I can't even complete five-minute jog.

*sigh*

Slow and steady wins the race?  Keep on moving?  Pain is weakness leaving the body?

I can do ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!

It may take me 5 years to build up to it... but I WILL eventually.... someday... run a 5k.