Day 7

Run 3/1 x 4 - run three minutes, walk 1 - repeat 4 times, then 1/1 x 4 - run one minute walk one minute - repeate 4 times.

I did it.  I did it.  It was frickin' hard as hell and I thought I was going to quit after the first part of 3/1 but rather than quitting, I just took a little break and walked for 5 mintues before going on to the 1/1 x 4.  I hurt when I finished...the fronts of my calves were screaming and still are very tender.  I was sweating up a storm and honestly thought my lungs were going to explode...but I did it. 

The 1/1's now feel easy.  Like...I tell myself "you used to hold your breath for 2 minutes at a time in high school (I was on the synchronized swimming team) - you can run for a minute...and I do.  Even running 2 minutes is starting to feel easy...but three last night kicked my butt.  However, I did it...and I could do it again - tho not right this second, please...

Day 6

Last night's run - 2/1 x 6 - Run two minutes, walk 1 - repeat 6 times. 

Totally thought that I'd rather do the last 2/1 than do a set of 1/1 x 5...but that last 2 minutes was ROUGH.  Once I cooled down, I was pretty into the show I was watching, so I did some steep incline walking.  Not sure if that was a good idea.  My calves and butt are upset with me and that might make tonight's run harder.  I'm just not losing any weight and I'm wondering if it's because my body is used to working out longer than 30 minutes in a day.  In any case, I felt pretty great last night after my shower - accomplished and warm and loose but this morning is a diffferent story.  Here's hoping that my muscles loosen up over the course of the day...

Day 5 - Do-Over

Warm up with a 5-10 minute walk. Run 2/1 x5, then 1/1 x5, for a total of 25 minutes. Cool down with a 5-10 minute walk. If two minutes of running still feels difficult, try slowing your pace a little. Your breathing should not be out of control. If it is, you definitely need to slow it down.

I couldn't get past the fact that I couldn't do this...so I tried again.  It was better the second time and I completed it without too much trouble.  In fact, doing it and knowing I had to complete it made the accomplishment that much sweeter. 

The sad thing is I've now finished True Blood season 1 and now have to come up with something that will hold my attention while I workout every day.  I liked True Blood because it moves fast and it's scary, which made running easier (running away from Vampires).  I'm thinking maybe Dexter is next (a serial killer).  We'll see. 

The good news is that Day 5 is now successfully completed and I can move to day 6 tonight...

Day 5 - FAILED

I was supposed to repeat Day 4's workout of 2/1x5 followed by 1/1x5.  I couldn't do it.  I did the first part OK but I only got thru 1/1x2 before I gave up.  I feel horrible about it but I just couldn't do it.  I'm such a wuss. 

Today is supposed to be a day off - now I'm not sure - am I supposed to repeat the day 5 workout tomorrow or do I just forge on to day 6??

Either way I feel like shit that I couldn't do it. 

Day 4

"Warm up with a 5-10 minute walk. Run 2/1 x5. Then, run 1/1 x5. (Run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute for 5 times for a total of 15 minutes. Keep running, but change to running 1 minute, walking 1 minute for another 5 more times. Your overall total time for the run, not counting your warm-up and cool-down is 25 minutes.) Cool down with a 5-10 minute walk. Don't worry if running two minutes at a time feels difficult. It will get easier! You just need to stick with it. "

Um...Yeah...running was hard last night.  In fact, I could have written an entry immediately following the workout but I was swearing like a sailor and needed to just go to bed.   It was REALLY hard.  I hammered out the first two sets no problem but the other three were brutal.  Beyond brutal.  MEAN.  I came upstairs after completing the run and said to my boyfriend "I dont' know if I'm ever going to love this".  I honestly don't know.  I do know that I made a promise to my sister and I'm going to do my damnest to see it thru...but I may never choose to run again after May 2, 2010. 

And guess what?  I get to do the same workout tonight!!!!  Lord help me!!!!

Day 3 - Day Off

"Congratulations! You completed your first two runs and you've reached your first rest day. That's right, you're not running today. Give yourself a well-deserved break from exercise. Or, if you have the energy and the motivation, do some cross-training. Go for a hike, ride a bike, or take a yoga class. But whatever you do, make sure you take it easy. Rest days are important to give your running muscles a break and help prevent injury."

So what did I do with my night off?  I curled up in my bed and watched Alladin with my 4 year old cuddlebug rather than run...after I induldged in 2 pieces of homemade lagsna for dinner.  And it felt wonderful.  And today, my legs don't hurt anywhere and I'm ready for tonight's workout. 

I may not love running yet...but I do love the days off...

After-Effects of Day 2

I slept like a rock.  Not that I haven't been sleeping lately but I can't remember sleeping that hard in a long time.  My typical bedtime is 9:30-10ish....last night I think I finally fell asleep at 11, so that may have played a part in the deep slumber...but still - it felt good.

I was anticipating waking up stiff and sore again but that wasn't the case.  I was a LITTLE stiff...but not nearly as sore.  On Tuesday, my calves were screaming.  Today, my calves are fine and my hip flexors and knees are tender.  I'm wondering if that will be the case for a while...rotating soreness??  

I am hoping that this training will aide in my Weight Watchers diet plan to lose weight.  So far, I've lost nothing but I'm trying not to get discouraged. 

Do I love running yet?  No.  I'm pretty sure I don't even like it yet.  But I'm doing it.  And I will do it. 

Day 2

"Today's run: Start with a 5-10 minute warmup of walking. Run 1/1 x 10 - run 1 minute, walk 1 minute, ten times for a total of 20 minutes. Finish up with a 5-10 minute cool down walk. This is the same workout as yesterday so you should do great!"

Yeah you'd think it'd be easier since I did it yesterday, right??  Not so.  I woke up so sore from yesterday's run I felt like I was 83, not almost 33.  I drank a ton of water at work and tried to get up and walk around at least once an hour to keep my muscles moving but still...today was brutal.  I watched The Biggest Loser before mustering the energy and putting on my shoes.  Warm up went well.  The first two sets of 1/1 went well and then I just tried to find a zone because it was getting progressively harder.  I WAS watching my favorite vice - True Blood - which could make just about anything tolerable if you focus on the show...but I am still not loving being a runner.  When the timer finally clicked to the last minute of run, I moaned out loud.  But I did it.  I did Day 2.  I completed the assigned workout.  And it does feel good.  My muscles don't hurt anymore...they feel more like warm but uncooked dough.  I should get in the shower while I'm still limber...

I looked ahead.  Tomorrow is my first rest day.  Don't worry, followers...I'll let you know how old I I feel tomorrow!!!  :) 

Day two - Adios!!!!

Day 1

"Today's run: Start with a 5-10 minute warmup of walking. Run 1/1 x 10 - run 1 minute, walk 1 minute, ten times for a total of 20 minutes. Finish up with a 5-10 minute cool down walk. Take it easy and do not worry about your pace at all."

All day I thought about this. All day I psyched myself up and all day I knew what I had to do when I got home. At 7:40pm, I got on the treadmill and started. I tuned into "Intervention" - a show that makes me feel lucky and blessed and good about myself in a weird way - and thought that at least it may take my mind away from the impending run.

I walked slowly at first and then worked up to a nice clip for 10 minutes. Then the time had come. I started. Running for one minute, walking for one minute, running for one minute, walking for one minute. The first four sets went by FAST. The middle three were longer and the last three were hard. Not impossible. Just hard. But I did it. I DID IT!!!! Sounds stupid to be so extatic over running for one minute at a time, but I did it...ten times in a row...and I successfully completed day one of the training plan. ALL ME.

It felt good. I stepped off after 40 minutes and really felt proud of myself. And it wasn't even as hard as I thought it'd be. And I didn't die. And I didn't even really think about dying the entire time I was doing it. I just did it. Day one - DONE.

New Day, New Year, New Challenge

I'm not a runner. I'm not. I've avoided it all my life. The 'Mile' in elementary school was something I dreaded for months and avoided at all costs. I've never had the desire or the drive to even attempt running...until now.

My sister has asked me to join her and run a half marathon on May 2, 2010 (if you're counting, that's 16 weeks away). In a complete moment of insanity, I agreed. Why I agreed to this, I'll never know...but I did and I am going to attempt to finish with my head held high. My sister is an athelete. She has always been the athetetic one - the danceline, soccer superstar, track runner. Just four years ago, she competed in the Accenture Triathalon in Chicago. Since then, she's had two babies in two years but she's still an athelete. She runs 25-35 miles a week. She's a machine.

My close friends are all runners. Several of them have finished complete marathons...a couple have kept their finish lines at 13.1 miles...one runs just 5 and 10K's. Bottom line is that they all do it. And they all started distance running after high school. I'm trying to keep that in mind as I start this joruney myself. Everyone has to start somewhere.

So I've researched some training plans but they all state that to successfully participate, you need to be able to run for 30 minutes straight. All kidding aside, I don't think I can run for much more than 30 seconds straight...so I decided that was challenge #1. Learn to run.

I'm following an email course called "How to make 30 Minute Running a Habit in 21 days" (3 weeks). Once I complete that course, I will then begin Hal Hignon's "Half Marathon Training for Novice Runners" which is 12 weeks long. That totals 15 weeks. The race is in 16. Game on.

My intention with this blog is to journal about my experience thru all this. I'm not sure how it'll go...what tone it will take...or how I'll come across thru all this...but I thought I may want to look back on my progress when I'm done to prove how far I came...or perhaps I'll need the motivation in the meantime. Either way, like any other journey, it begins with the first step...which for me begins on January 4, 2010 on a treadmill in my basement....