Week 5

I hate running. Have I mentioned that before. Running is something I do because it provides results, not because I love some endorphin high. I wonder if anyone truely loves running. I know people who enjoy it - and I envy them. To enjoy doing something that keeps you in such good shape, something that produces results. Me? I hate it, but I respect it.

I respect running because it's one of the few things that will help me lose weight. I respect running because it works many muscle groups, and my cardiovascular system. I respect running because it's hard. Some say easy things aren't worth doing, but I disagree. Reading a book is easy for me, but enjoyable. Ok, perhaps that's not a good example, but reading exercises my mind!

Running. It's bleepin' hard work for me. I have exercise induced asthma - which is not an excuse, but it does mean I can't just jump in w/ both feet and run for hours. I'm still having trouble running for more than 8 minutes at a time....less than a mile, and I want to quit. My lungs hurt, my stomach cramps, my insteps cramp, my quads hurt...running is physically, emotionally, and mentally hard - a good challenge for me. Maybe that is why I'm sticking with it.

I started the couch to 5 K program, and at first I was just using a watch. Then I learned of Podrunner: Intervals from a friend. The First Day to 5K program put to techno music. Techno music at specific beats per minute, to be precise. This has helped me immeasurably! I have a terrible time keeping pace, this has helped. I'm now doing week 5. I started this in...November? It's been far more than 5 weeks since I began the program. I run on a week til it becomes bearable - not necessarily easy, and then move up. Week 4 was still a huge challenge when I moved on (yesterday running the first on on week 5). Week 5 has 3 separate workouts, and I'm doing the first. It was...easier for me than week 4s. Still a challenge, but I think the bpm and the intervals were such that my system liked it better. I'll do this workout at least one more time before moving onto workout #2 for week 5. Small chucks, small bites! (This is my personal note to self!)

The program online has nine weeks of workouts set to music. Theoretically by week 9 (translated to sometime in March or April, most likely at my rate of increase) I'll be able to run a 5K without stopping. A major accomplishment for me. I've run them before, also without stopping, but I'll be able to do so again - I have let my fitness slide a lot in the last 2 or so years. The other reason I'm doing this, decreasing my mass, that's working too. Running is one of those surefire things for me to do to lose weight. Odd, how something I hate so much can have such good benefits for myself. I guess the old adage, 'no pain, no gain' is correct in this situation.