Couch to 5K - Week 1 Day 3

I DID IT!! I finished the first week, and with no injuries to speak of!!!

I had originally planned on doing the third day on Thursday, but made plans to go to my parents house and clean the hardwood floors of their downstairs. Yeah, that was enough of a workout, don't you think? Moving furniture, dust mopping, regular mopping, steam mopping, and THEN moving said furniture back into place. Friday was another bust, as my allergies were protesting my Thursday activities and I spent the majority of the day in a Benadryl coma. This morning, though, I decided nothing was going to stop me. I got up, had some coffee, did the dishes, threw my sheets in the washer, and hit the treadmill.

Today's workout was much easier for the first half. I also managed to job all 8 segments at 4.5MPH! For my cooldown I managed 3 minutes at 3MPH and the last 2 minutes at 2.5MPH. After I had completed the fist 6 jogging segments I was pretty sure I was going to die right then, but I kept pushing. Boy, am I glad I did! I'm dog tired now, but I'm SO happy with myself. I think, for a first week of a new program, I did pretty damn good.

Next week starts a 90 second jogs separated by 2 minute walks. Am I nervous? You betcha! Am I going to let it stop me? Hell, NO! I can already tell a huge difference in my energy level, even with my current stay in Allergy Hell I feel better, AND I've lost a pound and a half. Motivation, thy name is results...at least in this case!

Couch to 5K - Week 1 Day 2

I had an easier time today. I again warmed up with a 5 minute 3MPH walk. This time, however, I managed to do the first 4 of 8 jogging segments at 4.5 MPH, segments 5 & 6 at 4.3MPH, and the last 2 segments at 4MPH. I cooled down with 3 minutes at 3MPH, 1 minute at 2.5 MPH, and 1 minute at 2MPH. I also didn't feel like I was going to give up this time. I knew I'd get through it. Thanks to my extra pushing on the jogs I burned about 20 more calories this time. Not too shabby, right?

What worries me, though, is that I really didn't enjoy what I was doing this time. There was no sense of pride when I was done. I just felt tired, hot, shaky, and quite sick to my stomach. I couldn't stand the thought of sitting, so I refilled my water bottle and folded a load of laundry before I typed this. I'm hoping that it's just because my body is exhausted from dealing with the bee sting I got the other day. I'm allergic to them, and even after several days on Benadryl the sting site is still red, swollen, and itchy. Of course I also woke up exhausted this morning, and graced with a not too good mood.

I did it though. I came, I jogged, I conquered, and all that rot. Now I'm going to throw a load of towels in the wash, make a cup of holy basil herbal tea, and sit on the porch in the sunshine for a few minutes. Maybe that will put some pep back in my step. I've got a lot of failed deadlines pressing on me, though, so it may not be too effective. One can always hope for an upswing!

Couch To 5K....the Beginning

I started the Couch to 5K program this morning. I snagged the free app for my iPhone, dropped the treadmill down, and set to work. I'd like to say that I enjoyed it, but let's get real. It's exercise. I may be brash and uncouth, but I do NOT like to sweat...unless it involves working in my garden in the sunshine. The point, however, is not to enjoy the exercise, but to force myself to do it because it is necessary for my health. Hopefully I can keep to that fact until the time comes that I DO enjoy it.

I've mentioned before that I totally suck at taking care of myself. I acknowledge this. I'm not talking about the way I eat...I'm not too shabby in that department. Sure I have a weakness for Krispy Kremes, but I only give in to that weakness 5-6 times a year. I've been a vegetarian for over a year now, so my diet consists mainly of vegetables and fruits and I always choose whole or multi grain products. I'm talking about taking care of my body, my skin, my hair, my nails, my psyche. Those are what I put on the back burner. Then I find myself sitting like a blob, feeling depressed, wondering why I'm not happy with myself. Publicly admitting this huge flaw is my way of forcing myself to do something about it. I'm constantly nagging the youngest kiddo to exercise...while I'm sitting on the couch. Huh? Yeah, like that's  going to work.

So, Week 1 Day 1. I started out with a 5 minute warm-up at 3MPH. Brisk for a beginner, a snail's pace for someone fit. The workout is spread into eight 60 second jogging segments, and seven 90 second walking segments. I got through the first 2 jogs at 4.5MPH, but felt like I was about to die when it got to the third. I dropped to 4.3MPH for it, then 4MPH for the last four. Not athlete quality, but I got through it and I was PROUD of myself! The walking segments I maintained at 3MPH. The 5 minute cool down was 2 1/2 minutes at 2.5MPH and 2 1/2 minutes at 2MPH. At the half-way point I really doubted that I was going to make it through. I found myself thinking, "It's okay to just walk through the next jogging segment." That brought my up short. What. The. Hell?! I have NEVER been a quitter. As a matter of fact I've always been quite happy to prove anyone who said I couldn't do something wrong. Yet, there I am, telling myself to go ahead and quit. SCREW THAT! I pushed myself through. Reducing speed, yes, but still jogging...and you know what? That feeling of defeat left. When I got to jogging segment 6 of 8 I told myself I could do it. By the next to the last segment I believed I could do it. When the final jogging segment ended? I always knew I would do it. I felt great! Sweaty, yet accomplished. Exhausted, yet exhilarated. Shaky, yet standing strong.

The program is just 3 days a week, so I'm off until Tuesday. I'll spend tomorrow telling myself that I. Did. This. Because I did, and I need to focus on that in order to force myself to continue doing it.