You Don't Have to Go Fast … You Just Have to Go

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I DID IT!!!

I am now a Couch-to-5K graduate!

Couch-to-5K Plan

Getting back in shape after baby number two has proven a lot more difficult for me. … Perhaps it has something to do with spending the greater part of three years being pregnant. Still, I seemed to bounce back last time with quick results once I started working out, so I have been somewhat disappointed. At the beginning of June, I decided to start running, even though I haven't run consistently since before I got pregnant with Kieran. And (let's be honest here) the longest I have ever stuck to a consistent running schedule is a couple of months. Oh, and did I mention that I had never run more than a mile and I detested the very thought of that?

I started with one-mile runs; my goal was to work on decreasing my mile times. My first run was June 6th, and a couple of days later, I posted this on facebook:

The other night, I ran for probably the first time in thee years (I've exercised, just no running). My time to run just one mile was awful. Tonight, I ran for the second time, and my mile decreased by 45 seconds. ...Maybe there's hope for me yet. 

My first mile was an impressive 12 minutes, people! At one point, I think I got down to 10:30, but a few weeks in a friend told me about the Couch-to-5K (C25K) plan; I looked into it and jumped in at week four. I was kind of glad I got to skip all of the really boring-looking intervals. Since I don't have a smartphone, I had to map out my runs ahead of time and keep track of my intervals myself. And since I am incredibly, incredibly slow (shout out to all my friends who have never reached five feet), I decided to train based on distance, rather than time.

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Some runs have been wonderful, but many have been hard. I am super stubborn, so that works in my favor, but I want to be so much faster than I actually am. And the more I run, the better I feel in some aspects, but old injuries and aches and pains seem to enjoy paying me a not-so-friendly visit. However, I do love the challenge and the feeling I get when I meet one of my goals.

Never in my life have I ran two miles. I did it for the first time today and was hoping I would come in at or under 20 minutes. I finished in 25:08--but by that time, I was just glad I finished at all!

And, of course, the final goal:

COUCH-TO-5K COMPLETE!!! Three miles in 36:22. #C25K #fitforlife #insertinspirationalfitnessmantrahere

I'm so glad I started this journey and proved to myself that I could do something I never thought I could or would do. I am not sure that I will ever classify myself as a runner (I know, I know, "You run. You're a runner."), and while I have lofty ideas of someday doing a 5K to 10K training, I am not sure my poor joints are built for long distances. Whatever challenge I take on next, I know that when I get discouraged I can look back on this one and say, "Remember what you did there?"

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