C25k

I've never been a runner.

Never. In my whole life.

So thinking about taking up the Couch to 5k program kind of came out of nowhere. I'm still not sure what inspired me, besides the fact that I'm constantly looking at my life through the lens of What Am I Teaching My Children? and I was finding myself coming up sorely short in the Physical Fitness Example. I tell my kids that it's important to make their health a priority, but then I fail to make it a priority for myself.

Then I read about c25k and it caught my eye. Could it really make a Runner (term used loosely, of course) out of me?

The price was right: free. The time investment was right: 30 minutes 3x/week. The location was right: my neighborhood streets.

Still, I was hedging. I didn't think I would like it. This program said it would get me to a place where I could comfortably run for 30 minutes and, I'm not going to lie, that sounded awful to me.

(I know, I know... those of you who actually run are absolutely laughing your heads off at me. But you have to understand, I'm not an athlete. In any way, shape, or form. I don't do this kind of thing.)

My sister decided to do it with me. Without her, I doubt I would be writing about this from the middle of the program. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have gotten beyond the Imagining What Running Must Feel Like stage. She's stuck with me, even when those first few weeks were ridiculously easy and she was probably wondering why in the world we were doing this thing.

We're finishing week six out of nine. We had to take a week off back in the early stages to let my feet recover from terribly old and bad shoes, but other than that, we haven't skipped a beat. Without a doubt, the getting up and out the door first thing 3 mornings a week is the hardest part. And I know for certain that I look ridiculous: I don't run-- I jog, and I'm sure everybody who happens to get a glance at me immediately thinks to themselves, "That girl is not used to this."

But I love it.

I love that many of these mornings, I've woken up tired and with a headache, but after 30 minutes of fresh air and beautiful landscapes and getting my heart going, I feel refreshed and ready to take on the day. For real! I've done my video workouts and dance classes and walking and so forth over the years, but none of those things have ever left me feeling more energized than when I started. Running does.

I have my first official 5k planned for the last weekend in June. I've not yet run an actual 5k (I think about 2 miles in the most we've done so far), but I'm working my way there and I'm excited.

This is fun!

Who'da thunk???