Couch to 5K Day One

What was I thinking?

That is all that was going through my head today as I started Day 1 of my training for the Susan G Komen Race for The Cure that Cort and I agreed to do. 

I had geared up for TODAY to be training Day ONE.  We had gotten some advice over the weekend and it seemed that the Couch to 5K plan (google it, there are a few) was the way to go for us, since, you know, we were literally getting our fat butts off the couch and trying to do this.

Ok, so how did it go?

Well, like I said, I had geared up in my head that today was IT.  Then today got here.  First I was gone getting my hair colored (I don't even want to talk about those grays up there.  grrrrr).  Then Cort had errands to run.  Not that we wanted to run together, but someone has to be home with Eddie.  So around 3:30, I was ready.  Then it started to rain.  Cats and dogs. I whined, of course.  Cort told me to just start tomorrow, but I had decided to start TODAY.

When there was a lull in the cold, June rain, I decided to stretch out and go.

Let me first tell you that it has been so long since I have done something that needed 'stretching' that I forgot how to stretch.  Good thing the hubs was a soccer player.  First he tried to tell me which muscles to stretch.  Yeah, that doesn't help.  So he showed me HOW to do the stretches.  When we got to the gluts, I kept saying I just didn't feel it.  He told me, "well then you must have a loose butt."  I think there was a fat joke in there, but I can't be sure.

Anyway, once I was all stretched out, I grabbed my i-pod.  I had downloaded the Couch to 5K podcats so that some dude could tell me when to walk and when to jog.  The first week goes like this:

Walk "briskly" for 5 minutes
Jog for 60 seconds, walk for 90 seconds.  Repeat 7 more times
Walk "briskly" for 5 minutes to "cool down".

I am supposed to do this three times this week with a day break in between each "training" day.

So there I go. Walking briskly.

See ya in thirty minutes!  Look at that enthusiasm!  That zest for training!  I carried that zest with me through the first five minutes feeling great.  Then I realized soon I was going to have to actually jog.  No, I can do this.  It's not that big of a deal.

I ran the first 60 second stint and felt Ok.  However, let me tell you, 90 seconds of walking?  Goes by WAY quicker than 60 seconds of jogging.  The second jog sort of sucked.  By the third jog my breathing wasn't recovered like the starts to the other jogs.  By the fourth jog I couldn't BELIEVE I was only half way.  And then the dude on the podcast says,

"Good job.  Now walk briskly for 90 seconds.  I will tell you when it's time to run again.  You shouldn't be tired or breathing hard yet."

WHAT???

This is when I knew I couldn't do all 8 jogs (and those 90 second "brisk" walks?  yeah, not so brisk anymore either).

I will admit I walked the rest of the way.  And shut duder and his jazzy techno music OFF.

Then it was Cort's turn.  He stretched, and got his ipod all ready to go with Dude and his podcast.  He was ready.

Off he goes down the driveway!  Lookin' good!

He looks better than I did at the start.  Happier too.  Ok, not happier.  I was PUMPED.  He was just chill about it like it was no big deal.  He's like that about everything. (frustrating sometimes?  yes.)

His training went far better than mine.  Cort ran seven of the jogs to my four.  He clearly didn't have the wheezing I did, but he sweated a LOT after he was done (somehow he still looked good with sweat on his brow.)

So Day One is done.  I can honestly say that even though part of me wants to jump in Doc Brown's DeLorean and tackle myself before I say yes to this endeavor, I am still glad we are doing it.  It's for a great cause and I know it's a challenge we haven't tackled before.

Speaking of challenge, both Cort and I have goals of raising $250 in pledges for our run (and of course we are seeing who can raise it first because we are competitive like that).  You can see our team page and choose our names by clicking HERE.  Donate if you can, otherwise your prayers for our motivation, endurance, and health are more than enough!