It's something new...again.
I'm 32 years old. I'm not sure you knew that. A couple of weeks ago, I asked my parents if they were celebrating their 30th or 40th wedding anniversary so I'm not sure that knew that. I started something this evening and I'm not sure why. It's not New Years Eve, nor is it a milestone birthday. I didn't get bad news from the doctor or get orders to make a lifestyle change...I just started.
A week or so ago, I felt like the urging to get into shape. I know that fastest way to do that is by running. I hate running. This will be a common theme in this post, I'm sure. The second realization came as I looked back on all of my attempts at achieving physical fitness. I've run by myself. I've run with friends. I've run on the road, on the treadmill and on a hiking trail. I've walked a mile and run half a mile, then given it up altogether. So, I realized I needed a plan. I need to aim at something and work my way through the obstacles and over the hurdles to achieve that goal. So, here we go. I've started. And I'm blogging about it. I know that if there's something I want to achieve and I don't feel like I have the tenacity to see it through, if I tell someone else about it, I will work harder for fear of embarrassment and disappointment. So here we go (again). Goal #1: to run a 5k (3 miles) in 9 weeks. Oh, look! A handy iPod Touch app to help: Couch to 5k. Goal #2: run a half marathon (13.1 miles) (hopefully with my wife Jennifer and buddy Matt). Goal #3: run a full marathon (26.2) (with anyone crazy enough to do it).
Matt has run in at least one marathon that I know of and I was present for a half marathon in Nashville. So, to the authority I turn. He sent me to this site: Cool Running which, in turn, prompted me to look for the iPod app. So, here's day 1:
Workout 1 Day 1
This workout consists of a five minute warm up and alternating 60 seconds of jogging with 90 seconds of walking. So, I start "Alligator Pie" by the Dave Matthews Band, hit the Genius on my iPod and off we go. "Alligator Pie" goes off without a hitch. My five minute warm up outlasts Stella whining about being put into a song. I start enjoying the fall wind and the colors of the remaining leaves when I hear "ding, ding ding...RUN!" What the...? Oh yeah, I'm supposed to run now. Apparently, "audio cues" on the website become a "Speak and Spell" with a drill sergeant tone. I pump my legs. My heart starts beating and my lungs fill like they are about to burst. All of a sudden, I'm noticing that Dave is now crooning, "Save Me" and I'm praying along with him. "ding, ding, ding...walk." Whew, that was crazy! Look at me! I ran...wait, how long was that? Oh yeah, 60 seconds. At this point, I'm sure I have made an error in judgment. There is no reason that anyone should voluntarily jump off the couch and subject themselves to this torture. Next song: from U2's new album, No Line on the Horizon, "Breathe" comes on. I couldn't make this up. I'm not that creative. With Bono reminding me that breathing, while involuntarily, needs to become voluntary. No, that's not in the lyrics, but when you are hyperventilating, you focus on the one thing that keeps you alive and that happened to be coming from Bono. "ding, ding, ding...RUN!" SIR, YES, SIR!!! Bono's encouragement bounces around in my head like the mass of flesh around my gut and keeps me going through the next few segments of the workout until eventually, the "ding, ding, ding" involuntarily makes me alter my pace. On at least one transition, I cheat on the last ding and walk before Sgt. Roboto tells me to. "RUN" "walk" "RUN" "Cool down period." What? I mean...I didn't...Wow, it's over? I would love to tell you that's what I was thinking, but all I could think was, "Jehovah Jireh! God has provided a way out of this torture!"
I finish my cool down and do some stretches thinking about how Day 1 is in the books. Only 8 weeks and six days left. Don't forget to Breathe.
A week or so ago, I felt like the urging to get into shape. I know that fastest way to do that is by running. I hate running. This will be a common theme in this post, I'm sure. The second realization came as I looked back on all of my attempts at achieving physical fitness. I've run by myself. I've run with friends. I've run on the road, on the treadmill and on a hiking trail. I've walked a mile and run half a mile, then given it up altogether. So, I realized I needed a plan. I need to aim at something and work my way through the obstacles and over the hurdles to achieve that goal. So, here we go. I've started. And I'm blogging about it. I know that if there's something I want to achieve and I don't feel like I have the tenacity to see it through, if I tell someone else about it, I will work harder for fear of embarrassment and disappointment. So here we go (again). Goal #1: to run a 5k (3 miles) in 9 weeks. Oh, look! A handy iPod Touch app to help: Couch to 5k. Goal #2: run a half marathon (13.1 miles) (hopefully with my wife Jennifer and buddy Matt). Goal #3: run a full marathon (26.2) (with anyone crazy enough to do it).
Matt has run in at least one marathon that I know of and I was present for a half marathon in Nashville. So, to the authority I turn. He sent me to this site: Cool Running which, in turn, prompted me to look for the iPod app. So, here's day 1:
Workout 1 Day 1
This workout consists of a five minute warm up and alternating 60 seconds of jogging with 90 seconds of walking. So, I start "Alligator Pie" by the Dave Matthews Band, hit the Genius on my iPod and off we go. "Alligator Pie" goes off without a hitch. My five minute warm up outlasts Stella whining about being put into a song. I start enjoying the fall wind and the colors of the remaining leaves when I hear "ding, ding ding...RUN!" What the...? Oh yeah, I'm supposed to run now. Apparently, "audio cues" on the website become a "Speak and Spell" with a drill sergeant tone. I pump my legs. My heart starts beating and my lungs fill like they are about to burst. All of a sudden, I'm noticing that Dave is now crooning, "Save Me" and I'm praying along with him. "ding, ding, ding...walk." Whew, that was crazy! Look at me! I ran...wait, how long was that? Oh yeah, 60 seconds. At this point, I'm sure I have made an error in judgment. There is no reason that anyone should voluntarily jump off the couch and subject themselves to this torture. Next song: from U2's new album, No Line on the Horizon, "Breathe" comes on. I couldn't make this up. I'm not that creative. With Bono reminding me that breathing, while involuntarily, needs to become voluntary. No, that's not in the lyrics, but when you are hyperventilating, you focus on the one thing that keeps you alive and that happened to be coming from Bono. "ding, ding, ding...RUN!" SIR, YES, SIR!!! Bono's encouragement bounces around in my head like the mass of flesh around my gut and keeps me going through the next few segments of the workout until eventually, the "ding, ding, ding" involuntarily makes me alter my pace. On at least one transition, I cheat on the last ding and walk before Sgt. Roboto tells me to. "RUN" "walk" "RUN" "Cool down period." What? I mean...I didn't...Wow, it's over? I would love to tell you that's what I was thinking, but all I could think was, "Jehovah Jireh! God has provided a way out of this torture!"
I finish my cool down and do some stretches thinking about how Day 1 is in the books. Only 8 weeks and six days left. Don't forget to Breathe.
3 Comments:
Hi Joshua,
What a great post! Reminds of of my first C25K workout (not that long ago)
You can do it, just hang in there!
Alex
Awesome post! It feels like not too long ago (3 months) that I was in your shoes. Now I'm on Week 8 and pretty amazed with myself :) don't be afraid to repeat entire weeks if you just aren't comfortable moving on. Keep it up!!
You may get to your first half before I get to my next one, at the rate I'm going. I would say I've finally worked out my gait problems and am building my foot and lower-leg strength to the point where I can stop hurting, but if I say that I'll just jinx myself and wind up with shin splints.
Couch to 5k is an awesome plan, tons of people swear by it. I haven't done it to the letter, but something in a similar vein. I want to stress that all of my chronic injury problems stemmed from my training too hard, partly because I had a half marathon deadline and partly because my stupid pride kept saying SUCK IT UP, SALLY until I almost couldn't walk. Like Lida said, don't be afraid to lay up and repeat a week, particularly if you're noticing aches. Listen to your body while it's talking to you, before it starts screaming.
One other motivation tool you'll love, though you won't be able to use it along the C25K iPhone app (it's also iPod Touch only, I think, though I could be wrong there) is the Nike+ sport kit. Touches have the receiver built in, so all you need is the sneaker sensor. And no, you don't have to buy their shoes.
Watching your mileage rack up on that thing is a huge motivator, and it taunts you when you're thinking about taking a day off. It's probably good you're using the C25K app now to tell you when to walk/run (I used to go out with a kitchen timer and felt like a nerrrrrrrd), but once you're up to just running, you might consider switching to the Nike+.
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