C25K – Couch Potato to 5K

C25K is a program that’s been designed to get just about anyone from the couch to running 5 kilometers or 30 minutes in just 9 weeks. You do a kind of interval routine, 3 times a week and each week kicks it up a notch.

Week One, Sept 12, 2011 – warm up stretch 5 min, alternate jog for 60 sec/walk for 90 sec for 20 minutes then cool down stretch 5 min.

This really is difficult for me – I didn’t care for any of the running sports in high school or even elementary school for that matter. But this is a new me, I am asking more of myself. One of the things that makes this even possible is there are different music offerings in support of this program that alert you when warm up is over,  it’s time to switch between jog/walk and to begin cool down. I couldn’t do this if I had to watch my watch! My favorite is from Podrunner.

My legs feel so sore and shaky; sitting down I rather plop the last few inches. I’ve been taking a couple aspirin before going to bed to ensure I sleep okay and don’t wake up due to soreness or cramps. Never got a cramp, btw.

By the third day, I almost talked my self out of doing it, saying I’d do it tomorrow, give my muscles another day to heal/calm down. Plus I had a luncheon to go to and got a little behind in my morning. Soooo glad I said NO to that thinking and got my butt over to beautiful Harmon Field with Shelby the Wonder Puppy. How lucky we are to have that gem in our little town.

I park just inside the main entrance and stretch & warm up at one of those fitness stations, then I walk around the back of the horse stables down to the Pacolet River. Just before I get to the bend that takes me along the river, my warm up is over & iPod alerts me its time to jog.  I jog/walk along the river to the bridge that crosses into Hog Heaven – the area where 100 top BBQ teams from around the country compete for big $$ at NC State Championship Blue Ridge BBQ Festival. As I jog I repeat my CLAIM mantra and also I appreciate my body and say things like “you go girl”, “you can do this”, “you’re doing great”, “your clothes fit great”, “you can wear anything” and stuff like that. I appreciate the green of the park, the fresh air – so glad the iPod tells me when to switch and I can let my mind get into the music and do its own thing!

Continue the program all the way to the end of the park and back again over the bridge then when I get to the soccer fields I go once around the big oval track. Then back on the path along the river and around in back of the horse stalls.

About half way along the stalls, the cool down music starts and today I just felt sooooo good about accomplishing this first week, even with my sore leg muscles, that I did the 4-Minute Fitness routine as part of my cool down.

The third day was the first time I could do the whole routine, even if its not pretty (ha!)

Week Two, Sept 19, 2011 – warm up stretch 5 min, alternate jog for 90 sec/walk for 2 min for 20 minutes then cool down stretch 5 min.

I’m feeling so much stronger. My legs do not hurt as badly, or feel as week. I really had to talk myself into getting out there Wednesday because it was raining all day, but finally in the afternoon I googled running in the rain tips, put Shelby in the car and off we went. When we got to the park – it stopped raining! but hey, I was going to anyway and that is a MAJOR BIGGIE for me!

I’m really astonished at how great I feel, the sheer sense of accomplishment, when I’m done. Today, day 3 of week 2, I had a smile on my face for most of the program. Also, I am incorporating the 4-Minute Fitness routine as part of my cool down every day. Shelby is so good. I just drop her leash and she waits right there for me.

Week Three, Sept 26, 2011 – warm up stretch 5 min, alternate jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds), walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds), jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes),
walk 400 yards (or three minutes) then cool down stretch 5 min.

Still haven’t actually run in the rain, but I’m willing!

Completed Day 3 of Week 3 today – wow! I’m feeling incredible. Each week when they kick it up a notch, I have a little demon sitting on my shoulder telling me I can’t to that… and yet I do! I have discovered a pattern (clever, clever folks at C25K) Day 1 is scary but good, Day 2 is a grunt, Day 3 is a yeah, I got this.

Brandi the Panda Puppy!

Talked to my brother, Terry, in Colorado today. He had seen FS&ND about the same time I did and he has added juicing to his regime, not exclusively but enough to make him feel noticeably better.  Today he asked about my C25k. He’s got a new puppy, Brandi, and was thinking that might be a good way for both of them to get exercise and further bond.

I told him where I get my podcast program for my iPod (so I don’t have to watch my watch!)

And, knock me over with a wet noodle, Herb said he want to try my Week 1 program and see if he can get back to running. He used to run 5 miles a day, not so very long ago.

OMG – people around me are getting healthier – awesome!

Week Four, Oct 3, 2011 – Brisk five-minute warmup walk, Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes), Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds), Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes), Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes), Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes), Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds), Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

I was so nervous about this, don’t know why now looking back, but the concept of  jogging for 1/2 mile was daunting.  BUT I DID IT!! Me  – the girl who hated running as a kid and I feel great doing it!

I got  a little dis-com-bob-ulated the end of the week. Friday I was in meetings in Asheville all day starting rather early in the AM and going into late afternoon, then Date Night with Herbie at 7:30. So I had to finish Day3 on Saturday morning. Sunday, Herb bought a new pair of sneakers and wanted to try the Week 1 program, so I said, “sure!” even though that was supposed to be my rest day before starting Week5.

He did great, not huffing & puffing like I did my first day, but I know he was relieved when I let him know we were on the home stretch back to the car! We even had a good veggie juice when we got home – cabbage, beets, parsley, fennel bulb, cucumber, carrot, celery, pears, lime & ginger.

Now – its Monday AM and time for my Day1Week5…

Week Five, Oct 10, 2011 –

  • Day 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes),walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes), jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes), walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes), jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
  • Day 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes), walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes),  jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
  • Day 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.

Okay, so you know if I was nervous about running 5 minutes – I was more than skeptical about going for 20 minutes – but I did it! I am so amazed at what I’ve accomplished. it was a challenge, but it was not a grunt.

I have been using the DJBeatSmith podcast series but the heavy techno-pop is getting on my nerves, especially uninterrupted for 20 minutes. So this week I’m trying the Robert Ullrey series. Both are free. The one thing I do like better about the latter is they use a little chime so you know when to switch gears whereas Ullrey speaks to tell you when to switch, which is a bit more intrusive when you’re in “the zone”.

I’d like to be able to use my own music and there are methods for doing that, I’ve just not taken the time to mess with them, yet as I continue running and biking, I’m going to have to do it. Just need to learn about determining beats per minute and all that stuff.  Anyone out there knows how to do all this somewhat painlessly? for free?

Week Six, Oct 17, 2011 –

  • Day 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes), walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes), jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes), walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes), jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
  • Day 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then, jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes), walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes), jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
  • Day 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 22 minutes) with no walking.

Week Seven, Oct 24, 2011 – Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 25 minutes,  then 5-minute cool down walk.

This is tougher than I’d thought, but like all the other weeks, day one is doable, day two is a grunt and day three is almost easy. Now that I’m spending so much of the program running, I’m finding the podcast music annoying, too much techno pop. So I’m going to make up my own playlist.

Week Eight, Oct 31, 2011 – Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 28 minutes,  then 5-minute cool down walk

Amazing what 3 minutes means… while this was really hard I could do it – that is still so amazing to me. I really hated running in school growing up – the only excuse for running was if bigger kids were chasing me! I walked a lot, to school most every day even when it was raining. But run – not me. I did like the hurdles, but that was it as far as track.

Now all these years later – I’m running and no one is after me! and I’m getting into it!

Week Nine, Nov 7, 2011 – Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 30

Shelby the Wonder Puppy in my Dad's back yard in VaBeach

minutes,  then 5-minute cool down walk

I’m doing this, really!  THIRTY minutes?!?!? Who knew? And Shelby is so great, never pulls or tries to cross in front of me, unless she would like to say hi to another dog. I can run (well,  it is really more of a jog-ish sort of movement) and it feels sooooo good afterward. Feels like I can do anything, like all is right with the world.  I’m sure other folks that have gotten into a consistent exercise program feel this same way (you’re all so awesome, eh?)

For anyone reading this blog that has not begun a program like this or any other – I promise you, it will change your world and enable you to Re-CLAIM your life!