This morning I completed week 1 of a nine week program that will apparently have me running 5K by the end. We’ll see about that…
I ran awhile back on my own. I had no program, I hadn’t run before and I really had no clue what I was doing. It was the trendy thing to to. There were running clubs popping up everywhere. Every Tuesday, running groups would crowd the sidewalks and force cars down to a snails pace to pass them. Everyone I spoke to said that they dropped a bunch of weight when they first started.
Now let’s be honest – health benefits abound…I get it, but I want to lose the weight that I’ve put on over the past 2 years (most of it in the last year). Don’t get me wrong – I am in no way overweight, but I want to get back into that size 2 wardrobe that no longer fits. Maybe it never will but I’m not giving it up without a fight (…so it may be time to give up the Tim Hortons Ice Caps everyday…)
So yes – I ran last year for a bit then stopped as I was dealing with some pretty heavy emotional issues that came with the loss of a great friend. Basically I got sad and I got fat.
Last week was the one year anniversary of her passing and I knew that it was time to start taking care of myself again.
I had been following the facebook status’ of 2 friends and knew they were doing a program together. I asked about it in comments and they told me they were doing C25K and I was immediately brought into their mini running club. One girl drove over to my place on Wednesday and we did the first day together. I was floored at how quickly we were finished.
Contrary to what I had always assumed – running with a partner was such a good distraction from the running. I ran again with her on Friday and then the 3 of us ran together this morning. I completed the first week. And I was pretty darn proud of myself.
The challenge facing me next week is that my girls are gone and I will be doing the first 2 days of the second week on my own. I know I’ll be able to because I have them to be accountable to. I don’t want to let them down – they’ve really motivated me to do this and I know we’re all rooting for each other.
While any weight loss will be a good thing there is so much more I’m looking forward to in the program. Ensuring that I carve time out during the week for me can only do me good. Spending time with friends is something I need to do more often – I can do it and get a great workout in at the same time.
Setting goals and meeting them is something I am really looking forward to and the feeling of accomplishment that goes along with that.
I really can’t see myself running 5k or 25 minutes (in a row!) which is where you end up after the nine weeks – but the girls I run with are already there and they felt the same way when they started. So I have faith that I will get there too.
Has anyone else done this program?
Do you prefer to run on your own or with others?
My best friend just completed the couch to 5k program (downloaded from the Itunes store). She is a big advocate of the program as it delivered on its promise. She was able to successfully run 5ks in 30 minutes. I am so proud of her! At the beginning of the program she couldn’t even run 1 minute. Her motivation for running was to lose weight and she has done an unbelievable job meeting not only her fitness goals but also her weight goals. It’s fantastic to see my friend embrace her fitness routine and build it into a vital part of her week. I’m so glad to see how healthy and radiant she has become. Good luck Christine! I wish you all the best with your goals!
Good for you for taking care of you!!! AWESOME! While I no longer run for training purposes I used to do it often. When I started running I hated it…I have short legs and it just never seemed like they would “run” they way they were supposed to! lol. I have to admit that I have always enjoyed running alone…I stick my Ipod in my ears and just disconnect from everything. I used to run more as an escape (particularly when I was going through my divorce). It felt awesome! Wait till you finish that first 5K!! It will be an amazing feeling…YOU GO GIRL!!
hi christine! i did that same program when my youngest turned 1 and it was life-changing. I hadn’t run in years, was really really out of shape and on the first day i could barely run 3 minutes straight w/o panting. however, to my surprise, by the end of the 6 wk prgrm, I could run 25 minutes straight. watching my food, and running 3X a week, i lost some weight and felt so much better. You’ll do great – good luck! btw, i always ran alone, i loved the time with my music like Jen!
Christine, Good for you! Running can be a really great social activity (I’ve done programs with a number of friends, including a Running Room 10K program with Jen) and the friendly conversation is great motivation for longer runs. That said, I knew I’d “become a runner” when I started to look forward to runs on my own. During that 30-45 minutes I can listen to MY music and I get some of my best thinking done! Good luck!