I DID IT!

Yesterday was my first real "long" run of the C25K training program: a five-minute warm-up walk followed by twenty minutes of running and a five-minute cool down. I was gearing up to go, lacing up my sneakers and stretching, all the while expressing my concerns about this run to Jeff.

"Twenty minutes? Just like that?" he asked. "It seems strange...just last week you were running for five minutes or three minutes. It just seems sudden."

On one hand I agreed with him. It does seem abrupt. My runs this week built in length, but a more natural progression would have been two ten-minute runs instead of one solid, long block like this.

However, I think the purpose of this method is to demonstrate to the runner that he/she is actually capable of running a longer stretch without stopping. As long as I didn't get a mental block ("What am I thinking? I can't do this!") and focused instead on how I was really feeling ("Hmmm. Not bad, actually.") I was fine.

That's right...I was fine! I did walk once, for about thirty seconds. But it was toward the end of my run and I was heading up a huge hill. The combination of fatigue and incline was too much. But I ran as soon as I got to the crest of the hill. And I tacked on another minute at the end to make up for it.

Sure, I was tired. It definitely felt like more running than I had done to that point. And today I'm really sore. But I ran twenty minutes (two miles)! With less than a month left before my first 5k, that's really encouraging.

Week 5

Is it possible this is getting...dare I say it...easier?

I just got back from my second run of week 5. This time I had to run for eight minutes (or 3/4 mile) twice. Considering that just a week ago five minutes had me huffing and puffing and cursing and limping, I wasn't too optimistic.

But I made it all the way through both runs without walking (or swearing)! And I actually felt pretty great afterwards...a little tired and sore, but not on the brink of a cardiac event.

I'm just trying to bask in the afterglow now, and not think ahead to my run on Saturday...one twenty-minute (2 mile) run. Yikes.

P.S. I noticed that the podcasts I linked to previously are no longer working and the website seems to be down. I've been running with my own music on the iPod this week, and it's been a nice change of pace. I'll probably keep checking for the podcasts, though, as they provide an added distraction.

P.S. #2 It's nearly impossible for me to listen to Mama Said Knock You Out without shadow boxing, and equally impossible for me to hear Pat Benatar's We Belong without singing along. Perhaps these aren't the best choices for my running mix, then. :)

Why Running?

I've had a couple of people ask why I'm running. Usually this question comes after I make one of my standard remarks about how running is "gross," or "insane," or "not designed for humans to do" etc. I don't enjoy running--that much is true. But I have my reasons for choosing this form of exercise.

First off, I have to say that I don't think it's all that unusual to dislike running. In fact, I think it's normal. I know there are people out there who maintain that they enjoy running. My theory is that these people are not, in fact, people. They are aliens. Or robots. Or robotic aliens.

So I dislike running. Why, then, am I running to get back in shape?

For one, running is a pretty easy form of exercise. It doesn't require a ton of equipment: running shoes will do it for most people. 50.5% of the population also benefits from the use of a sports bra. And that's it. I know you can spend a lot of money on fancy accessories and gear, but those things are optional. All I need to run is already in my possession.

Running can also be done just about anywhere. I don't need a swimming pool, an elliptical trainer, a mountain side, a ski slope. I can step outside my front door and be ready to go.

Running can also be done at any time, in almost any weather. I usually choose to run during the day to make myself visible, but I know lots of people who are night-runners. And although I prefer to run in temperatures ranging between 45-75 degrees fahrenheit, I could theoretically run in colder or warmer temps. Perhaps an ice storm wouldn't be the best time to run, but then there's always the indoor track or treadmill.

Finally, running seems to be one of the most efficient ways to exercise. Maximum results in a relatively short time period. I know there are concerns about the long-term effects of running on joints, and that certain forms of exercise (like swimming) are lower-impact, but swimming requires gear and access to a pool. Running, right now, is easier.

But I think the real reason I'm running is this: Have you seen my kids? I look at them and I realize that I want to live forever, or at least as long as I can, so I can be part of their lives as long as possible.

I'm registered! And I'm Dutch, so there's no going back!

Last week's runs were hard for me. And I was disappointed with how difficult they were, as this is only week three. If I'm wimping out on a three-minute run, how will I ever manage five minutes? Ten? Twenty? An actual 5k?

Although I trained for ten weeks last time and at one point actually ran the distance for a 5k in the rec center at OU, I never actually ran a 5k road race. I finished my training in late November, just a week too late for all the Turkey Trot races in the area. And then the holidays happened and what I suspect was my thyroid issue reared its ugly head and I essentially quit.

Friday, after I finished my last run of the week, I felt terribly discouraged. I was sure I would quit again, that I'd be unable to make it through a long run at some point and just give up, or wimp out and repeat weeks, stretching my training out ad infinitum.

Then two things happened. First, I checked out a blog I like to read. Carrie at redhairedgirl was my original source for the C25k program. Her story is amazing. Two year ago, she was struggling with her weight and wanted to make some changes to be healthier. She started the C25k program at (I think) nearly 250 pounds. Now she's down 120 pounds and is training for a marathon and has guns that should be licensed. Seriously, check out her arms. She's ripped!

I went back in her archives and read few the first few weeks of her training. She felt the same way I did, and didn't give up. And look at her now! One thing Carrie did was register for and run a 5k when she was only seven weeks into the C25k. She ran slowly, but she ran it, and the promise of that race coming up helped her get through those difficult weeks of training where the running lengths were mounting.

So the other thing that happened was I registered for this Lawrence 5k run. It's April 19, when I'm not quite done with my training, but if Carrie could do it, so can I, by golly. It cost $25 to register, so the frugal Dutchwoman in me won't forfeit the entry fee by quitting. And I've discovered that a couple people I know are running this, too, so the thought of embarrassing myself with a geriatrically slow pace will keep me motivated, too.

So! April 19! Mark your calendars for the day of my impending humiliation!

Week 2 recap, plus Week 3 Day 1

Last week's runs went really well. I ran outside in beautiful weather on Monday and Wednesday, but my Friday run was postponed due to Sam's two-month check-up at the doctor Friday morning. Then Saturday we awoke to snow covering the ground and still falling.

I had two options: go up the street to the community rec center and run on the (sole) treadmill, or drive to the college rec center and use the running track. Because I'm still in the early stages of my training with lots of shorter running/walking intervals, I thought it would be annoying to run on the treadmill. I headed to the track.

When I did the C25k the last time I did almost all my running at OU's rec center. OU's track was 1/10th of a mile, and it got really, really boring and repetitive to run the track. KU's track is about 1/4th a mile, and is a sort of figure eight (except it doesn't cross over in the middle...can you imagine the collisions that would ensue?) that loops around the various basketball, raquetball and volleyball courts. It was interesting to watch the people play ball and throw frisbees and such, entertaining enough that my run passed fairly quickly.

Today I did the first run of the third week and it SUH-uh-ucked. I thought it would be warm enough, but it was just in the lower 40s and even with my fleece cap and gloves I was cold. My ears started to hurt halfway through and the wind was whipping and the three-minute runs were HARD and boo hoo hoo.

The good thing is that this is what I remember ALL the runs being like the first time I trained. Every single one was hard and painful and unpleasant. This is the first time it's been so bad I wanted to quit. Maybe when the weather warms up later this week I'll be able to do the same run more easily. I hope so.