I did it again.

Another 5k today. :)

And, it's less than 24 hours until we leave for the airport (I should start packing, hey?) and just under 30 until we take off!

Wahoo!!!!!

For the record...

I got up this morning, ON A SUNDAY MORNING, at 6am, to go for a run! And I ran....wait for it, wait for it....

5k!

We're going to the beach today, and I knew that if I didn't go run before, it wouldn't happen today...but I already didn't run Friday and Saturday, so I really wanted to go today. So I did it.

Now I have to get Joel out of bed and get us ready for the beach, because the boy ain't getting up!

P.S. Mere, I know that they say that the intervals are more effective for calorie burn- here is my problem. When I run on a treadmill, it doesn't count my real calories, it counts only according to its own gadgets. So, when I run, I don't see as big a number at the end of the interval run as I do at the end of the straight runs. Also, I will say that the interval runs feel easier than the straight runs. So, right now, everything is conspiring against me to make me think that straight running is more work, and therefore more calories. Clearly, what I need is a good heart-rate monitor, so I can actually know what I am doing calorie wise. Maybe a certain someone who told me last night that he doesn't know what to get me for Christmas, *coughJoelcough*, might read this, and surprise me with one. :)

Learning to run...

I've gotten back on the exercise wagon- my sticker chart is up to 35 stickers now- 20 of which have yet to be redeemed. I think I'll be getting a mani/pedi in Oz; maybe just before our party. :)

Anyway- last week, when I decided to head back to the gym, something got me on the treadmill, running, not walking. Don't know what it was, and I don't know why- but I found myself running, and enjoying it!

I started that first day setting the timer for 20 minutes- and I warmed up for 5 of those and cooled down for 2. I used a "run 2 minutes/walk 1" pattern to get started. That first day, those first 20 minutes seemed ok. It wasn't too hard, but felt like exercise that was actually accomplishing something.

I went back the next day and tried again. I ran a little faster, but kept to the 2/1 intervals.

On the weekend, I went back to gym again, and decided to push myself. I upped my time to 25 minutes. I did it again the next day.

I had heard of a program called "Couch to 5K"- a running guide to get basically anyone off the couch, and eventually, running a 5km distance. Sounded good. After enjoying the few previous runs, I started thinking about doing a program like the C25K one. I also mentioned my interest to a fellow teacher, who is a real runner (one marathon in her past, she's training for the next). I also started to, for the first time, watch the distance counter on the treadmill (instead of the time, or the calories burned).

My previously mentioned colleague stopped by on Monday and handed me some papers- a beginners running program that she had printed for me. I glanced at the first week, and saw that in the first week a couple 3K runs and at least one 5k run were included! I thanked her, but also said that I thought I might need a beginner beginners program if this one included 3 and 5ks in the first week!

But then I went to the gym. I decided to push myself some more. Still using the 2/1 intervals, I selected 25 minutes again, and upped my speeds. I surprised the crap out of myself that day by running 3.3km. Who knew I could do that?!?

All of a sudden, that 5k didn't seem that far off!

Over the last two days, I upped my time to 30 minutes on the treadmill, and upped my speeds. Yesterday I ran 3.9km, and today, 4.1km. Oh, and, today, I didn't run/walk in intervals. I just kept running, telling myself that if I felt pain, got a cramp, felt too out of breath, I would walk. I ran for 25 minutes only taking one 1-minute walking interval in that time.

I'll do a 5k next week.

I'm not really sure what I'm doing when it comes to this running thing. I'm not following a program, and maybe I should. Maybe I should do some reading on the Internet and just take note of some pointers.

The thing I am doing is listening to my body. I'm not pushing myself further or faster than I can go. But, at the same time, I am pushing myself when it feels easy, when it feels like I can do more- and look, turns out I can do more!

What surprises me is that before, any time I tried to run, it was always the breathing that got me. I would have to stop because I would get a cramp in my side, because I couldn't breathe. My legs never felt that tired, they always felt like I could keep going, but I couldn't breathe. This time, I'm not having this problem. I mean, the 25 minutes today blew me away, because that was a long time running, without any problem breathing! I found myself wondering if possibly, I'm not just that much further from the abuse I used to inflict on my lungs (it's been nearly a year and a half since I quit smoking now).

So, I'm learning to run. I'm enjoying it. I'm still aware that I am running measly distances compared to most real "runners". I remember my brother heading out for a run in high school- I think he'd head out and do 10 miles in an afternoon. Yeah, I'm still a ways off that! And, I am running 1-2 kph slower than my running colleague. But she even said that for a beginner, I'm moving at a good pace.

I've started tracking my runs- because I think it'll be fun to watch my progress. So far, the progress is pretty impressive. I'm excited to keep going, and see what I can achieve.