Last year Alan and I trained for and ran our first race in June 2008. We really enjoyed it and it was a lot of fun to do together. But then we dropped running for the most part after that race. I think not having a new goal did us in.
Lately I have been itching for some good exercise and decided to set a new running goal. There is a 5k in Moorestown toward the end of October and so Alan and I decided we would run it.
I was nervous about how much progress I’d lost since that race having not run more than a handful of times since then and the last time being months ago. But I remember being told about this program online called “Couch to 5k” which will have a couch potato running a 5k in about 9 weeks. So I looked it up. The timing is really perfect and the program looks great.
The “C25K” program is based on running/walking intervals that become more challenging as the weeks go on until you are able to run at least 30 minutes at a time and can run a 5k at the end of 9 weeks. There are also a number of pod-casts that you can put on your mp3 player that will play music timed to the different intervals and have a transition in place so you know when to run and when to walk. I really love this because I didn’t know how I was going to handle looking at the watch constantly instead of the road.
So this past week I gave it a go. I set up my mp3 player and laced up my running shoes and went out the door. This was hard for me. For some reason I was afraid to even get started. In fact we’d set the goal to run this race before I’d remembered the c25k program. It took me a while to emotionally prepare for running again and it wasn’t until I’d sat down to find a running program online before I was finally motivated enough to start.
My first run, months and a baby after my last run, I was really excited to find that I hadn’t lost everything – I could still run some, at least for 60 seconds at a time (probably a little more even but I’m doing the program outright and didn’t test myself). This time was much better than where I’d been January of 2008 when running was so foreign to me and I could barely trot to the block. Yay, I’m not completely starting over!
I’ve completed week 1 and look forward to week 2 and really am looking forward to the race. We WILL set goals to run other races after this one and keep going.
I do like to call myself a runner. It’s fun to think that way! I have goals to step up my running and complete 8k, 10k, 1/2 marathon. And yes, someday I think I might even run a marathon.
And while I’m thinking big, hey why not, I even think that someday I might like to do a triathalon. Could I be a triathlete? I think I have it in me.
But, lets get the running down first!
