Couch to 5K Week One

Since I started counting calories almost two weeks ago, I decided to add physical activity to this whole lifestyle change. The simple concept of “Eat Less, Move More” has been on my mind, and I figured heck, if I can lose almost 10 lbs. just changing my eating habits, just IMAGINE what adding exercise in will do.

Back in the ol’ wedding planning days, my workouts were a mix of kickboxing, strength training and couch to 5k workouts. I was dropping weight so fast, the seamstress told me I needed to drink milkshakes or my weight loss would lead to her having to mess with the beadwork on my dress to take it all in.

So, I drank milkshakes. And…gained a lot of weight back when I couldn’t get back on track. (womp wah)

Anywho, I decided since we no longer have a YMCA near us, I’d take advantage of our quiet neighborhood and start Couch to 5K again.

Back when I did Couch to 5K, iPhones weren’t all the rage. I think the 1st generation was out, but I was still using an iPod Nano for my workouts. There used to be a podcast of the C25K program, where it played annoying techno music, but heck, there was someone telling me when to run, walk, etc. so I used it.

Now, there are apps for the C25K program. The app I use was $2.99, but well worth it. I can run/walk to whatever music I want, and the app just fades in every minute or so to remind me what’s coming up, when to start running/walking/etc. I love it. It also tweets for me when I’m done with my workout, so I can be an attention w***e about this stuff. Y’all, it takes a lot of energy to move this 300 pound body, (well currently 289, but close enough) so I want to brag! 🙂

This is my favorite part of the whole workout…COOL DOWN. AKA done! Finished. Go home.  

Now, here’s how my three runs went for week one.

First run – I took Millie with me. Hello stupid. Don’t take your dog with you unless they know how to run at a decent pace. My dog’s speeds are walk and sniff or RUN RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN. It wore me out and wore her out 2/3rds of the way into the workout. At one point, she stopped in front of the house and wouldn’t move (she knows where home is…smart dog). She was done. So, I brought her inside and finished the last two runs on my own. At that point, I was just dragging my feet and just struggling to get through to the end. The next day I was super sore in my left arm (where I had her leash) and my legs. I learned an important lesson that stretching needs to happen. Has to…or my thighs will feel terrible the next day.

Second run – Millie did the warm-up with me (I extended it to 10 minutes so she can get a good pulling/walking workout in), then I brought her inside. These runs seemed to drag, but I tried to challenge myself to run a little faster and walk with a little more pep in my step. My neighbors saw me mid-run #7, and I’m sure I looked like death. I stretched more that evening, and discovered that Millie likes to lick sweaty arms and legs (ugh). The next day, the soreness I had from run 1 was gone. 🙂

Third run – Millie did the warm-up with me again for 10 minutes, and back inside she went to lay that belly on the cold floor. 🙂 This time, the runs weren’t so bad, but I had to slow down my between-run walks because I was just gasping for air for some reason. I was a little embarrassed that people in my neighborhood who were outside could probably hear me trying to catch my breath. Oh well. At the end of the third run, I had this pretty scenery to stare at.

Gorgeous sunset, no?

So, my thoughts. I knew this week would be hard, and whoa….it was. I also know that I’m running very slow at the moment, but I know I’m taking baby steps in the right direction. I’m a little unsure if I should move on to week 2, or do week 1 again, but I’m so excited that this is the beginning of something great. I know I can do this!