After several years of unsuccessful jogging attempts on my part, I have decided to try, try again. I read an article in a magazine about how this woman downloaded a Couch to 5K app on her iPhone and it helped her be able to jog a 5K in only 9 weeks! So I've decided to tackle it. Since I don't have a smartphone, just a regular simpleton dumb-phone, I'm not able to download these cool, flashy things you call "apps", so I just went online and found the schedule and printed it out for myself. You can find it here: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
The concept is simple: ease yourself into running/jogging by working up to a goal slowly over time. It starts out by having you warm up with a brisk 5 minute walk and then alternate jogging/walking for 20 minutes. The first week you jog for 60 seconds and walk for 90 seconds for a 20 minute period. The second week moves you up to jogging 90 seconds and walking 2 minutes, 3rd week increases your jog time while decreasing your walk time, and so on and so forth...
Shockingly enough, I've actually been able to do it so far. I'm beginning week 3 today and hoping I will be able to continue without having a heat stroke or a heart attack. Hopefully by posting this, it will motivate me not to give up since I'm publicly announcing my jogging attempts. It seems to help having a formula and guidelines to go by for a designated time period. It also helps to have my 65-year-old dad by my side (who never seems to get tired or out of breath, I might add) egging me on and keeping me company, all while laughingly saying, (as I'm gasping for air) "Okay, now try to quote the Gettysburg Address!" and "Maybe when you get to be 65 you'll be in as good of shape as me!" I would usually laugh or have some sarcastic retort, but I'm usually so out of breath that all I can manage is a faint wheeze....
There's a 5K in November here in my area called the Turkey Trot, so my goal is to enter that so I have something to work towards.
How about you guys? Anyone try any new workout regimens you'd like to share? Goals met that you're proud of? Tips for getting past the "I'm-so-out-of-breath-and-tired-I-could-just-collapse-in-a-heap-and-pass-out" feeling? Wish me luck! :o)
My hubby and i are doing couch to 5K for the color me rad 4k we signed up for at the end of Oct in Raleigh. unfortunately I have been having terrible knee pain so I am still in week 2 but should be in week 4! I just know there is no way I can run 3 consecutive minutes yet. I might try to start week 3 this week but right now can't get past 90 seconds.
ReplyDeleteAmen...I was just reading over week 3 and thinking the same thing about the 3 minute part. I already stare at the clock willing it to go faster through the 90 seconds. I hope your knee gets better! That sounds frustrating and painful. :( I saw one of those color me rad 5k's on the internet, and it looks like so much fun! Plus you get a cool T-shirt out of the deal! Good luck to you... maybe we can be internet jogging buddies! Keep me posted on your progress!
DeleteAnd by 4k I of course mean 5k :)
ReplyDeleteUpdate: So I [almost] made it through day 1 of week 3. Made it through the first lap... actually able to run for 3 minutes without dying, wahoo! So on my 2nd lap, with 1 minute left to go in my 3 minute jogging segment, I tripped on a root and fell face first into the sand. UGH, SO CLOSE! But it was okay, the ground broke my fall ;o)
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