Week 5 Day 3- I DID IT!!!!

I don't even know where to begin. I never, in a million years, would have imagined I'd be able to do this. I have never in my life jogged for 20 minutes straight. Not only did I do it, but I really think I could have kept going if I'd had to.

I seriously almost had a panic attack around 3:30 at work today. All I could think about was how miserably I was going to fail at this, and if I only could do 10 minutes I think I'd be proud of myself. My heart was racing, I was sweating, and I hadn't even gotten to the gym yet! I'd done everything possible to prepare myself though physically. I'd been eating well all week and a couple hours before I had a bagel, a banana, half a cup of watered down coffee, a sports drink and was feeling great. The only thing standing in my way was me. 

I slowed my pace down today to 4.4 mph, I think that helped me mentally more than anything else. I didn't even know what my legs were doing after the 5 minute mark, they just kept going. It really was all in my head. Lungs performed wonderfully today, it was a little iffy there towards the end, but it was nothing compared to Tuesday.

I almost lost it with about a minute and 30 seconds left. I looked down at my phone and saw that I was almost done and got so overjoyed I forgot to breathe....oops....But, thankfully I got it under control and finished strong!

When it was over, it took everything in me to keep from busting out some tears of joy. I really almost jumped off the treadmill to do a victory lap around the gym. 

Trust me when I say, if I can do this, ANYONE can. I've got a long way to go, but I have really come a long way. In the beginning jogging for a solid minute was a struggle, and today I jogged for 20 minutes. TWENTY. I still can't believe it. Thank you to all of you out there that have encouraged me throughout the day and this whole process!

Best day ever!!!

but those who trust in the Lord

will renew their strength;

they will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary;

they will walk and not faint.

                             -Isaiah 40:31 

If I die young, bury me in satin. Lay me down on a bed of roses...

So, I want you all to know that I have freaked myself out so badly about this afternoon's 20 minute run that I woke up this morning with The Band Perry's "If I Die Young" stuck in my head.

Please, if I die young, don't sink me in the river.

I feel sort of like Fred Sanford. This is the big one!

If I do die, I love you all. If I don't, tune in this afternoon for details from my up close and personal brush with death.

I don't know what I was expecting from the couch to 5 k program, but apparently running for 20 solid minutes wasn't it just yet. lol. Hopefully my heart and lungs won't give up on me like I've given up on them, I guess we'll see!

Week 5 Day 2- Knock knock knockin' on Heaven's door...

Whew. Y'all.

I really underestimated just exactly how long 8 minutes was. With the big 2-0 looming in the not so distant future, I didn't give 8 minutes a second thought. Boy was that ever a mistake.

Yesterday looked like this:
walk 5, jog 8, walk 5, jog 8, walk 5

Doesn't look so bad, right? WRONG.

The first 8 minutes were bad, but nothing like the last 8. That 5 minute walk in the middle was the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me. It took me most of that time to get my heart rate back down to something less than crazy.

I wanted to shed some tears when my phone told me to run again. But I ran wogged. For the first 30 seconds I was cautiously optimistic. That optimism quickly faded into a hatred of everything and everyone that surrounded me. My legs were in a numb Jell-O like state, so keeping them moving wasn't so bad. It was the lungs that failed me this time.

There towards the end I was considering how badly I'd be injured if I passed out and face planted on the treadmill.

For the last 5 minutes of the jog the whole breathing through a straw thing returned with a vengeance. Somewhere in that last 3 minutes some jerk walked by and put a kink in my straw, practically cutting off my air supply. It was really bad. That was the first time I really thought I was going to have to give up. But apparently the lack of oxygen going to my brain kept me from thinking about how destroyed my face would be if it kissed the treadmill, so I kept going and finished.

Really, the only thing that carried me to the end was my music. If you're curious, my playlist looks like this:

I Will Rise- Chris Tomlin
Praise You in This Storm- Casting Crowns
Hello My Name Is- Matthew West
Where I Belong- Building 429
Your Love Never Fails- Newsboys
Where I Belong (again)
Hello, My Name Is (again) and finally,
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

There's a good message in all of those that helps me push through. The last song is a beautiful extended version of the original that is a good reminder for me to be thankful to God for allowing me to do this and for Him giving me strength and determination, regardless of how much I'm hating it at the moment.

Needless to say I have little to no hope of completing the solid 20 minutes tomorrow. I am going to give it my best shot, but my level of optimism has plummeted from bleak to hopeless. Wish me luck! I'm going to be needing it!

Week 5 day 1

I was supposed to do w5d1 yesterday, BUT....I was super busy and really just didn't have any time. So, I thought it would be awesome to get up and go this morning before I got ready for church. WRONG. It was terrible.

Things I learned today:

1. Running on an empty stomach first thing in the morning is a BAD idea.
2. Come to think of it, running first thing in the morning was the worst idea I've had in a while.
3. Thursday is getting closer. Thursday = my first 20 minute long jog. Oy. My legs hurt already.

My head was not in it at all today but I did manage to make it through just fine. Finally got my breathing issues under control, and now my legs are having a hard time keeping up. My old lady hips tend to want to give up about halfway through...

I'm still waiting for the day to come when I can come home from a run and feel great and super energized like all the other deranged people out there that enjoy running. Currently when I come home, I really just want to go to bed or turn into a blob on the couch.

41 days until the race. 41 days for me to get it together. If I don't have to repeat this week, I am on track to finish the program by September 27. By the end I'm supposed to be able to jog for 30 minutes straight, which is still not 3.1 miles, so I'm going to have to use that extra week to figure out how to run for an extra 10 minutes or so. Hopefully once it cools down and I get outside and start wogging it will be easier...I'm counting on that, so I really hope I'm not wrong.....

Thanks for stopping by....until next time!

Week 4 day 3.... Turtle shuffling all the way to 5k

Well folks, Week 4 is in the books.

I made it through. Yesterday I really think I could have kept going, but I really didn't want to. So I didn't. It wasn't bad though, and I wasn't completely spent by the end. Good food = good run. I am becoming a believer of the banana and bagel pre run snack. Though I really should not use the word run, 4.5 mph equals an awkward looking wog at best (walk/jog). So I guess, actually, good food = good awkward wogging. But hey, I am a PROUD wogger. 4.5 mph is better than 0 any day of the week.

Also, yesterday was weigh in day! I am happy to report that I have slid down the scale from 206 to 202.4. Down 3.6 lbs! No magic weight loss secrets, supplements, or gimmicks, just good old fashioned calorie counting and sweating my rear end off. But really I don't sweat, I just gush liquid awesome. True story.

In just a few short days I will be half way through the program. When I started day 1 I was optimistic, but doubtful. I am happy to report that is still the case. I've come to realize that if I aim low with my expectations I tend to do better. If I aim high and miss, the disappointment gets to me. But if I aim low and score big it really gets me going.

Next weeks schedule looks pretty rough. Until now, most of the weeks have had the same thing going on ever day. This week looked like this:

Days 1-3- warm up, jog 3, walk 1.5, jog 5, walk 2.5, jog 3, walk 1.5, jog 5, cool down

Next week looks like this:

Day 1- warm up, jog 5, walk 3, jog 5, walk 3, jog 5 cool down
Day 2- warm up, jog 8, walk 5, jog 8 cool down
Day 3- warm up, JOG 20, cool down

What were they thinking?! I really believe they are using some sort of crazy reverse psychology here. Because by seeing that TWENTY minute jog at the end of the week, I don't even care that there's a jump from 5 to 8 minutes. I already know that will be nothing compared to 20 straight minutes. I am 100% positive that I have never in my entire life jogged for 20 minutes straight. NEVER. EVER. I played sports for 8 years, and in all of those years, I never once ran/jogged for 20 minutes.

So, I really believe that somehow between now and next Thursday I have got to master two things:

1. How to breathe correctly without thinking about it, and
2. How to get lost in my thoughts and forget about what my legs are doing.

If anyone has any words of wisdom, I'd be happy to hear them.

Until next time folks!

Week 4 day 2

Going into week 4 day 2 I had a pretty positive outlook. I will not be making that mistake again. I finished it, but with little to no energy left. Somewhere around halfway through I decided I was never running again and that I hated the world. Maybe eating at P.F. Changs and Texas Roadhouse over the weekend wasn't such a great idea....

I am improving though, slowly but surely. I still think hitting this goal is possible, perhaps not probable, but definitely possible. I really wish I'd started sooner so I'd have a chance to repeat the weeks I'm failing miserably at, but alas, it is what it is. My first run is October 5, so when I started, I had exactly enough time to finish plus 3 or 4 days wiggle room.

My advice for anyone starting this program would be give yourself more time. If you are an uber beginner like I am, I'd say give yourself at least 12-15 weeks. Next Thursday I have to jog for 20 straight minutes. TWENTY.

Yeah right. Hilarious.

I think my biggest problem is boredom. Running is dreadfully boring. Maybe once I'm in a little better shape it will be ok, but for now, if I think of anything other than how I'm breathing (Google cadence breathing for some good tips) my lungs start to seize up and my legs stop working. I don't know how in the world I'm going to make it through 20 minutes mentally, much less physically. Bagels and bananas for every meal! But seriously...

I really hope tomorrow goes better than yesterday.

Outlook is bleak.

Hope is fading.

I am woman, hear me cry.

etc.

Putting the numbers out there

So, in every blog I've come across concerning c25k, the first thing I wonder is what kind of shape the person blogging is in and how I compare.

There are two things women are good at lying about: their age and their weight. But, the older I get, the less I care about who knows what those two numbers are. So, here goes. The ultimate in accountability. I've decided that I will report my weight loss in real numbers for the whole world to see.

When I started this journey 4 weeks ago, I was pretty close to the heaviest I've ever been. In the beginning I decided to weigh myself and take my measurements every two weeks to track my progress and now I'm going to start reporting those numbers here.

First the basics, I'm a 29.5 year old female. I smoked second hand smoke for 18 years, and firsthand for 6 years. I put them down and walked away for good 3 years ago. I am 5'6" and when I started this I weighed in at a whopping 208 lbs. I am currently medicated for thyroid issues that make it difficult for me to lose weight. I'm not putting that out there as an excuse, I'm putting that out there so people can relate.

At the two week mark I was down to 206, and will be weighing in on Thursday to see how I've done for the last two weeks. It can be a little discouraging seeing such small changes in numbers on the scale, but I'm learning to look past the small stuff in the now, and look towards my bigger, overall goals in the future.

As far as my diet is concerned, 6/7 days of the week I try to eat four 400 calorie meals a day. Saturday is generally my cheat day, when I allow myself to indulge a little for one meal. I have tried to incorporate more fresh foods into my diet and have been trying to avoid processed foods, excessive sodium and sugars as much as possible. It's a slow go, but the process seems to be working for me. I drink only water, with the only exception being half a cup of coffee in the morning. Eating 4 small meals a day keeps me from getting hungry and eating everything I see, until I get home from work that is. It's a struggle to keep from eating the whole kitchen while I'm getting dinner ready. Mind over matter has been my mantra for the last few weeks.

So, now you know all of my dirty secrets. And now I know that I've got to behave or the whole world will have access to the fact that I'm a slacker. I'm setting my goal at 165 for now. So, 2 down, 41 more to go. LETS DO THIS.

Couch to 5k, Week 4 day 1

Week 4, day 1. I gotta run for 5 minutes straight. Kill me now.

Oh week 4. I was so scared yesterday before I hopped on the treadmill. I KNEW I wasn't going to be able to finish .

Up until now I've been jogging at around 5 mph, and walking around 3.3. I made the decision to slow it down a little at the beginning of the week to give myself a fighting chance. I took my jogging down to 4.5 but bumped my walking up to around 3.4, 3.5. Again, I realize how slow that is in the grand scheme of running, but it's better than sitting on the couch.

When I hit the first 5 minute run I knew I wasn't going to make it. But, turns out I did, and I COULD HAVE KEPT GOING. WHAT?!

I the second 5 minute stint was tough, but I DID IT. My legs were a little like Jell-O, but surprisingly my lungs were doing great! I'd like to think it's because the lung exercises I'd been doing worked, but I'm pretty sure it's because I slowed my pace. I think each day I'll bump it up a little till I can do 5 mph again. That's the goal. I want to be able to do the whole thing in around 35 minutes. You gotta start somewhere, right?

By the end of day 1, I was convinced that I CAN DO THIS. we'll see what day 2 has in store, but right now, I feel like nothing can stop me! Bring it on c25k!

Couch to 5 k...weeks 1-3

My nickname as a child was Myrtle Turtle for a reason. Not because I look like a turtle, or because I liked turtle soup, but because I ran like a turtle. I seriously hated running as a kid, and there's a good chance I'll always hate it.

Why did I choose running then you may be asking? Because I have an obsession with efficiency. Running is the fastest way for me to turn my body into the shape it's supposed to be. It is a means to an end. I have a goal to be in overall better health by the time I turn 30, and I'm looking at less than 6 months to get where to where I need to be. If I can continue to lose 1.5-2 lbs per week, I'll be sitting pretty come February.

Week 1: Running for a whole minute. You've got to be kidding.

At the end of day 1, I was able to determine that as suspected, I still hate running. And that shoes are very important. Days 2 and three were better, but I was fairly certain I was going to die before I reached the end of the program. Still kind of am...

Week 2: Running for 1.5 minutes. I have LOST all my good sense.

When I started this week the thought of running for a minute and a half made me want to puke. I had mastered running for a minute straight, but this running for a minute and a half crap was for the birds. Day 1 was ok, and I was feeling pretty good about day 2. Day 2 was great! I felt awesome by the end and decided that I was destined for marathons and other crazy things. I really thought day 3 would be a breeze. WRONG. I wanted to die by the end of day 3. I bumped up my jogging speed to 5.0 mph. Which for the average bear is turtles tromping in peanut butter slow. But for me, it was FLYING.

I decided at the end of week 2 day 3 that three minutes of solid running was going to be the death of me. I made sure I told my husband what to do with my belongings in the event of my untimely death. I was not feeling it AT ALL.

Week 3: I've got to run for 3 straight minutes? You've really got to be kidding.....

Day 1 of week 3. I was not ready mentally. I knew I was going to fail. But, with the exception of feeling like I couldn't breathe, it wasn't all that bad.

Day 2 of week 3 got me. I had fast food 2 days in a row prior to running this day. NEVER AGAIN. I find that the deeper I get into this adventure, the more my attitude is changing. I am now avoiding foods that are bad for me (most days) in order to have a successful run.

RUNNING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FOOD. WHAT THE WHAT?

Don't get me wrong, I still indulge occasionally, but nothing like before.

Day 3 of week 3, I ran outside for the first time. The humidity was high, but the temp was freakishly low for August in Alabama (think high 60s, low 70s), so this made for a decent day to start trying the whole outside thing. Every runner I know LOVES running outside and claims it makes such a difference.

Liars, liars pants on fire!

That may be a little harsh. I'd have to say it was about the same. Except for the fact that I'm an idiot and didn't plan my route correctly and ended up running uphill for the last 3 minutes. But I did it. And I didn't get a cramp, lose a lung, or fall over dead even though at one point I was having visions of lying on the sidewalk in a puddle of my own sweat and tears.

Afterwards, I'd decided that I was going to fail at week 4 so there was no reason I should even be worried. Failure IS an option kiddies! I had defeated myself before I even started....Outlook is bleak...