Couch to 5k

I decided to start the Couch to 5k running program. I am not sure where I first heard of it or even where I last heard of it, but somehow I became their friend on Facebook and now I have completed week one of the program.

Unfortunately that was about 4 months ago.

Last September I bought myself a purple iPod Nano. I have wanted a purple Nano ever since they were introduced a couple years ago. I mean who wouldn’t want one, they are adorable! Anyway, after that purchase, I bought the Nike+ iPod system and Nike+ shoes. All this adds up to a cute package and absolutely no excuse not to start some kind of fitness program. And somehow this led me to the C25K program. What it consists of is nine weeks of training, three days a week, which slowly builds you up to being able to run a “5k or 30 minutes comfortably”.

I have always wanted to run. That diet and exercise plan I had back when I was 12? Running was my exercise of choice even then. For some reason, running always seems like the easiest, most convenient exercise on the planet. It takes almost no gear and you can do it anywhere. To me, a runner has always seemed like the epitome of good health.

So through the years I have run on treadmills, I have run through our neighborhood, and I have run on both outdoor and indoor tracks. Only a few times have I reached that “runner’s high” but at all times I have felt like I was doing what I should be doing for exercise. Even when it’s hard and I can barely breathe, I have loved it. But alas, I have not stuck with it, especially during the past 8 years or so.

I have not given up on my resolve to start and complete the C25K program. Since I have started to lose some weight and feel somewhat better, I am now adding activity. For the past two weeks, I have used my treadmill two times each week. This week I'm going for three. I am trying to condition myself and increase the speed a little each week so that I can feel confident enough to begin the program again fairly soon.

I have two goals. One is obvious: better health and hopefully more weight loss success. Regular exercise is supposed to help increase your metabolism and I need all the help I can get. The second goal is a bit more difficult to explain but what it boils down to is that I am a lazy ass; I hardly leave my house for anything but work, groceries, and taking my son to various events. And this has got to change! So I figure if I get into running and start doing those 5k (or more) runs, that will get me out of the house for a purpose. Not to spend money or eat, but to do something for me and my health. And with those things come benefits for my future and my family.

All good.