C25K in Five Days

So if you have ever decided to start running and you have the internet, you may have come across the Couch to 5K {in 9 weeks} running plan. Also known as the C25K. It helps you to slowly build up to running a 5K with no running experience necessary. It is great for newbies.

I actually started this plan back in January. Then, with my brother's encouragement, decided to just lose the plan and run as far as I could each day. I gradually added minutes until I had worked my way up to running for 40 minutes pretty comfortably. But then it got hot. And I got lazy and quit.

I briefly started running again in August {when we still lived in the camper}. But the hills in Chattanooga {and again the heat} did me in.

So this time around, I decided I needed motivation. Like an actual race to sign up for. I actually had my sights on participating in a Triathlon {which I still intend to do}, but seeing that it is winter, there are not many to sign up for – besides I have no desire to join a polar bear club.

A few weeks ago, a friend asked if I wanted to run a 5K with her. I told her that I was game. It would be the perfect motivation for me. In my mind, this race {The Jingle Bell Jog} was a week or two before Christmas.

I managed to run one day last week {in preparation} and then Thanksgiving took over my life. I figured I still had about 3 weeks to train, so no worries. Right?

Today Daniel told me that he thought the race was on Saturday. I told him he was wrong. And then I found my registration form and learned that I was wrong. The race is indeed on Saturday {and I skipped my morning workout to focus on a freelance project}...

Since Daniel plays racquetball on Monday nights, I decided to go to the rec center with him to put in some training time. I have 5 days of training available, so I better make the most of it...

I got on the treadmill and set it for 45 minutes and started running at a comfortable pace. If I am going to do this, I needed to see how far I can go. Amazingly I ran 3.2 miles in the allotted time. This is the farthest I have ever run {and I am essentially starting from the couch}.

To be fair, I have been alternating between a yoga and an aerobics class 4x a week for the last month, but I was still surprised that I could run the full 5K with almost no preparation. My brother was right when he told me it is mostly mental. I will probably hurt tomorrow. A lot. But if I keep running, I have no doubt I will finish my little Jingle Bell Jog and then hopefully I will be motivated to keep at it.

I Hate Running

That's what I thought anyways... I think the problem is that I have always tried to start a running program in the summer. I live in the south, so I'm not sure what made me EVER think that was a good idea.

Running inspiration has recently come in the following forms:

1. The blog, Eat.Blog.Run.
2. My friend Sarah, over at It's News to Me, who just started {and is blogging about} the Couch to 5K program she recently started. 
3. Another friend, Michelle of The Organ Family, who has been running and blogging over the past year about the boot camp program and the races she has been participating in. 
4. And then there is my brother, Mark, who ran his first Disney Marathon last year. He went back this year with friends (he was not planning to run) and he ended up *sneaking in* and running it again (without training). I don't recommend this (the sneaking in AND the not training part), but he LOVES marathons and has been trying to persuade everyone he knows to run one with him.

So... back to why I hate running. I have put off running for a long time. I thought I hated it. But I have an upcoming wedding to be a bridesmaid in and I want to make sure that dress fits. Also, we are tight on money since my husband was laid off last March. Gym memberships were among the first things to be cut from our budget and I need a cheap way to get in shape.

I started my first run, bright and early, Monday morning. I wasn't looking forward to running in the cold. But I found it to be refreshing. Much better than running in the sweltering summer sun that I hated so much.

Today is my third day and I am still going strong. I am up to 11 minutes. And my running partner, my dog Sophie, knows we run now and she won't let me skip a morning. So I guess I don't hate running after all. Let's hope I can keep it up.