Couch to 5K

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!  ;-)