This is me.
Ok, not really. For one, my arms aren't that hairy! But I don't get enough exercise at all. I will park as close as I can to the store, I will ride an elevator instead of taking the stairs...you get the idea.
I am 35 years old, but I have trouble with my knees and hips and shoulders. I ache on a regular basis. I feel much older than I am. I have 2 very active boys, one with special needs. They need a mom who can keep up with them and be around for a long time. That was not the direction that I was heading in. I needed a life change.
I had heard of other people doing this program called Couch to 5K or C25K, but I am not a runner (see above) so it was passing information for me. Good for them. I have NEVER had aspirations to be a runner. I had shin splints in high school. I hate being hot...again, you get the picture. A few weeks ago, a friend of ours, Alise, decided that she was going to start the C25K program. Something was different this time. I KNOW this girl and I wouldn't have thought that she would be a runner. So, I'm not sure what came over me, but I thought, "What the heck? I'm going to do it too!"
Ok, the decision is made. What do I do next? I guess I get out there and do it, huh? I went to the gym, strapped on my old tennis shoes and away I went. The neat thing about C25K is that it's a 9 week program taking you literally from the couch to running a 5K...but, I made this decision with NO intention of EVER running a 5K. The first week, you walk a 5 minute warm-up then alternate between running for 1 minute and walking for 1 1/2 minutes. For a total running time of 8 minutes. Seems doable, I thought. I was right. I was sweating my tail off by the time I was done, but I did it! Wow! What a rush! Ok, this might be doable! I was pretty darn sore the next day, which was entirely expected. But 2 days later, I was on that treadmill again. Ok, little harder this time with the soreness and I was feeling those shins act up again. I didn't think there was much I could do about it though, so I just soldiered on. For the 3rd run of the first week, I learned a valuable lesson. If you aren't hydrated and don't stretch enough, you are going to get some horribly painful cramps! Ouch! I didn't finish that run at all. Really, ouch.
Remember those old tennis shoes? Well, I had several people telling me that I needed to get some new shoes, specifically running shoes. I was terrified to go into a shoe store and tell them that I needed some running shoes just to be laughed back out the door. I gathered up the courage and went to a local shoe store, told the guy that I had no idea what I was doing and that I was looking for running shoes. He said, "They start here, wrap around and end here." Then started to walk away. I really did not know what I was looking for, so I asked...is there anything I need to look for? No, just try some on, pick what feels comfortable. Really? That's it? What about these fittings that I had heard about? I ended up going to Morgantown Running. But was really terrified, this was a SERIOUS runners store! What a difference! I told him that I had just started C25K and instead of laughing at me he congratulated me! The first thing he did was to put me on a treadmill to actually see my gait. Then he went about explaining the difference in each type of running shoe. Then he told me which type I needed and went about helping me pick a pair. I made one comment about how cute one pair was and he was quick to tell me NOT to pick shoes by how they look. But luckily, the shoes I ended up with a really cute anyway! :-) He was a fount of information too. I asked about shin splints and he gave me some advice and gave me information for some 5Ks in the area. This was a really amazing experience and it really inspired me.
I have started the second week now after hurting my back and redoing the first week. It is going much better than I ever expected. I am now considering doing a 5K, even though, I am sure it would be a walk/run kind of thing. I have now ran on a treadmill, on the Rail Trail and on WVU's track. So far, I am liking the rail trail best. I don't know if it's because I am running on dirt, but my shins seem to feel better there. I have also purchased a Nike+ sensor because I am a geek and want to know how far and how fast I am going. :-) I have also started counting calories and logging my food at My Fitness Pal. So far, I have lost 4 pounds! I am not on a diet, this is a lifestyle change.
So, wish me luck and cheer me on because I know I can do this! It's not the easiest thing I have ever done, but God willing, I will continue to work at this and make my life better for myself and my kids! And let's not forget getting all sexy looking for the hubby either! ;-)
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