Nike Women's Fitness 5K - June 2010

Nike Women's Fitness 5K - June 2010
Walked this course in 2009 - walked and partially ran the course in 2010.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Here We are At Week Four....

OK....I think I finished week three...I honestly cannot remember.  The last post I did was October 2nd and today is October 18th.....that tells you how long it has been since I've posted and probably since I have run.  I think I did the first day of week three and skipped the rest.  Today I ran week four day one, but I did great on it!  No wonder the music sounded different to me.  I kept thinking.."haven't I already started week four?  but I do not recognize the music."

Well, in summary, I think I did the first day of week three, let life get in the way for two weeks, and now I started week four today.  I guess that is ok?  Because I certainly didn't have any trouble doing the running routine for week four today -- right now I am in Oregon visiting and friend who lives in the mountains, but the roads around her house are flat.  So I got to run the whole time on flat ground, which I think made a HUGE  difference in my stamina and ability to complete the run easily.

Next week when I go home, I will have to go back to the hills during week 5 -- maybe I need to seriously consider a different, flatter route at home because I do believe that the hills are killing me and I honestly do not know if I can do the hills when I have to run 20 or more minutes at one time. 

Still...that being said....I am excited that today's five minute run was very easy for me, especially after taking two weeks off from running.  I am proud of myself.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Week 3 Day 2 - Stressfully Difficult Week!

This has been a very tough week for me with running and personal things as well.  Monday started off great, but on Wednesday I slept a good part of the day and didn't do my second day of running.

Fast forward to today - I did Day 2 today of Week 3 and I made it - today I tried something a bit different.  Instead of walking/running all the way to Highway 108, I did the first 90 second run/walk and then the first 3 minute run/walk and then turned around to head back towards the house, thereby bypassing one of the larger hills (although I still had one large hill)...which got me to thinking that with starting to do a full 5 minute run next week, Week 4, maybe I ought to rethink my route a bit and try to time it so that I am not running those 5 minutes on the hills, even if it means doubling back and/or repeating parts of my route.

I am SOOOOOOOO S - L - O - W when I am running - not that I expected to be faster than a speeding bullet like Superman or anything -- but when I was doing the 3 minute run up the hill today and Monday it felt like I was walking but with more energy, lifting my legs higher or something.  I sure hope I get better at it.  Well, okay, if I can just FINISH the C25K program from start to finish and run a 5K the whole way, no matter how slow, I can certainly say I have accomplished something!

One more day this week, then on to Week 4!

Monday, October 4, 2010

Week Three Has Begun!

I did NOT want to do this today -- absolutely, positively did not want to get out and run -- it was cold, foggy, sprinkling rain -- I was tired, cranky, I overslept -- but guess what?  I got my butt up off the couch and got my running clothes on and I did it.  I ran the first day of Week 3.  I ran for 3 minutes without stopping, for the first time in my life! 

Week 3 involves a 5 minute walking warm-up, followed by 90 seconds of running, more walking, and then a 3 minute run, followed by 3 minutes of walking, then repeat - or something like that - I don't remember the exact order.  :0)  I really wasn't sure if I would be able to handle the 3 minute run -- as it happens, it comes on the worst hill in my daily route - figures, right? 

As I was coming near to the end of my run, the last 3 minutes of it before the cool-down walk, I felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned to see my husband had been running behind me, following me the whole run!  Scared the tar out of me!  I run in the mountains, alone -- and so I certainly wasn't expecting a tap on the shoulder at the end of my run!  Well, I guess it was a nice surprise :0)

So, I am proud of myself.  First, I got up and did the run, and second...I DID THE RUN! 

I feel hopeful that I might actually be able to finish the whole 9 week program!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Week Two - Check! Week Three, here I come!

OK, so I finished week two of the "Couch to 5K" running program this morning.  I normally run on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but when I got up yesterday (Friday) I just did NOT have the energy to go running.  I went to bed too late the night before, and didn't sleep well, I guess.....and then, I felt GUILTY all day long for not running.  I thought to myself..."Am I giving up yet again?"  "Will I fail this, too?"  No, really!  I was very concerned because I do have a slight history of starting things and not finishing them.

Well, I am pleased to say that, lo and behold, I DID get up this morning (Saturday) and finished the week's run!  And I actually looked forward to it!

I just really want to be successful in this new venture in my life.  So many times before, both before and after surgery (especially before) I have begun exercise programs and paid for gym memberships, only to quit before I hardly even got started.  You can see why I was afraid I'd fail yet again with C25K. 

But I DIDN'T QUIT!  Yes, I took an extra day of rest off -- maybe my body really needed it -- after all, this is the first time IN MY LIFE I have done some form of consistent exercise.  So I found that I can take an extra day off, if necessary, in the training -- the key is to NOT GIVE UP - to get right back at it even when you feel like you have failed.

One concern I have is that I do not want to injure myself as I learn to run.  I have sore muscles, mostly in the upper thigh area, every time I do run.  But today I had some pain in my left knee.  I tried to take it easy, while still doing the running program as designed this week (90 seconds running, 2 minutes walking), and by the time I got back, the pain was pretty much gone from the knee.  I cannot imagine anything worse in trying to establish a habit of healthy exercise than injuring yourself and not being able to complete your training.  I have read many posts on the C25K blogsite where people have injured their food or ankle or knees and could not complete the entire program.  I do not want that to happen to me. 

So I try to take it very easy, not push myself too hard -- and YES, perhaps I really did need that extra day off to rest yesterday before finishing out my third run for week two.

ON TO WEEK THREE!!!!