I can't believe I am about to say this, but...I love running. This is a complete turnaround for me. Running does not come naturally to me at all, despite what I am about to write. My goal is to go to the gym to run on the treadmill twice a week, and I feel fantastic after I run. I blogged about week one of the coolrunning.com Couch to 5k training plan a few weeks ago, so you may already know how well that went. I decided to skip to week two after that workout, and that seemed too easy, so the next time I ran, I did week 3. In the interest of full disclosure, I must share that I have started this plan about half a dozen times over the past two years, only to end up quitting. I have never made it all the way through to week nine.
I only managed to run one time that week, which I find really frustrating. At this stage of the plan, you are supposed to run each routine three times, then move on to the next one. (I usually hit the wall at week one.)Week three didn't feel like enough of a challenge either, so I moved on to week 4 yesterday. This workout has what I consider to be longer runs - three minutes and five minutes.
I know that these aren't really longer runs, but for me, they are. I have been relatively sedentary for the last two years...well, other than carrying and chasing around a small whirling dervish. I am astounded that after I finished, I felt fantastic. I understand why running is addictive. That feeling is amazing. And instead of dragging myself home exhausted, I went home energized. I got more chores done at home in one evening than I have in weeks!
I am wondering why this time is so different. I am attributing it to a number of factors. I am healthier than I have been in a long time. I have been on my new allergy treatments for over a year and recently started taking Singulair. I also honestly believe that it took me a full two years to recover from being pregnant and giving birth. That seems like a long time, but I stressed myself out when I returned to work full time. I didn't think to ask for a part-time schedule so that I could ease back in I was dealing with daycare for the first time and had a baby who would not take a bottle. I was trying to do too much, and it took a physical toll. I gave up and waited until I felt that drive to get myself moving. Then about a month after that, I finally got myself moving.
Now I feel like I have to be careful not to push myself too hard too soon. I don't want to crash and burn, I want to build slowly. And I will admit that I am afraid of the later workouts in Couch to 5k. I peeked ahead yesterday, and saw that I am approaching longer and longer running intervals. My mind is likely to hold me back more than my body would, but I am willing to acknowledge that I need to get both my mind and body in shape.
A note on some new stuff I have road (okay, treadmill) tested since my last post about running: I really liked the Moving Comfort Vixen C/D bra, though it was a little tough to pull it off over my head when I was all sweaty. I was really surprised to find that I loved the Moving Comfort Grace C/D bra. It zips in the front. I highly recommend it, and also wish that I had owned this sports bra when I was nursing. I also bought myself a pair of running capris from Athleta. I love them! They have breathable material on the backs of the knees that kept me so much cooler than I am used to. They also come in petite sizes, which is what I wear. I am always a little wary of trying new petites because I never know if they will fit me right or not. These are perfect, they hit all the right spots.
All in all, I am really enjoying my runs. I know they are having a beneficial effect on my home life, my body and my mind. I just have to make sure I keep going. I will hit a wall at some point, but I will have the mental strength to push through it and keep going. I am determined.
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