Couch to 5k - training for people new to running

[JennsPeeps]

Thanks for all the great comments, everyone!

Tomorrow is day 2 of the training. I just bought a new sports bra. It's supposed to be super hot tomorrow (well, for us, anyway), so I may wait until the evening to run. Not sure how to hide that from DBF...

 

[The Chicken Lady]

That is a great running program (the couch-to-5k). I've used it before.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Congrats to anyone trying this! Very ambitious, but doable if you just take each day as it comes and make the commitment for that day!

 

[JennsPeeps]

I finished my 2nd training last night. Temps had been in the 90s during the day and it was awful. I waited until 8 and there was an awesome downdraft from a summer storm. It felt wonderful. I ran & walked about 2 miles, then came home for a shower.

DBF still doesn't know that I'm doing this.

He knew I went for a walk but that's it.

I feel good today! A little bit of soreness in some muscles so I'll need to stretch those out but overall, I feel good.

 

[WriterofWords]

I did my second day last night, it was still 85 at 8pm!!

 

[JennsPeeps]

I've now finished day 4 of the training. I'm up to running 1.5 blocks then walking 1.5 blocks for 2 miles. Given that I've never been a runner - ever, ever, ever - I'm pretty darn proud of myself. I'm mildy sore but not too bad.

DBF still doesn't know.

He just thinks that I'm going out for really sweaty walks.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

Just want you to know I'm still on the couch, but I've been dreaming that I'm running!!!

 

[JennsPeeps]

Quote:
Live vicariously through me, then! I was on the brink yesterday of giving up but went ahead and did it anyway. It relit the fire under my booty to stay off the couch.

And I was rewarded by a find of 2 dozen pint jars for canning that I discovered on the side of the road during my run. I never would have found those if I'd stayed on my lumpy, saggy, old couch.

 

[rhondapiper]

JennsPeeps, my broken toe finally healed enough to run on, and I started the training yesterday. I downloaded some podcasts that a guy in California made for the program and I'm using them instead of timing myself. They are great. There's music in the background and he tells you when to walk and when to run, and says encouraging things too. The tape really, really made the first run bearable.

I had a tough time finding somewhere to run- I live on a ridge and I would have had to run up and down a steep one-car-wide road and would have died of exhaustion or vehicular impact had I just run around my neighborhood. So instead I went to a local elementary school and ran in their huge empty parking lots.

It was HARD. In 30 total minutes, only 8 were running, and I felt like I was going to collapse every time. I had no idea how out of shape I really was, since I'm thin-looking. But wow, do I need muscle and cardiovascular training.

My thighs are killing me today, but that's more from a new weight training program I did two days ago than from the run. I'm determined to stick with this and make it to my goal of a 5K in September.

Hopefully, it gets easier!

 

[JennsPeeps]

It does get easier, I promise. The blocks seem shorter now than they did 2 weeks ago.

The hard part for me is finding the time. I commute ~75 miles roundtrip, which takes me about 2 hours daily by bus. My options are:

1. EVENING Arrive home around 6:30, go for a run/walk, get home again by 7:10, clean up, fix dinner, eat around 8.
2. EVENING Arrive home around 6:30, fix/eat dinner by 7:10, wait until ~8:30 to do my run/walk, get home around 9:10, clean up, go to bed.
3. AFTERNOON Do my run/walk over my lunch hour, clean up at work, eat lunch at my desk.
4. MORNING Go to bed an hour earlier, get up at 6 to do my run/walk, home by 6:40 to clean up, leave to catch the bus at 7:15a.

After typing up my options, I think that #1 is the best one. I'll make DBF cook dinner.