For 31 years I did not run unless someone was chasing me. I was the ultimate couch potato. I ran when I was a kid and a little in high school but never enjoyed it. As an adult I would hop on the treadmill from time-to-time but always overdid it and never stuck with it. And surely never liked it!
Sometime this year someone mentioned the Couch to 5k (C25K) program to me. It piqued my interest and I got this bug in my ear that said I should try to run a 5k. There are tons of great 5k runs out there nowadays: fun runs, color runs, mud runs, electric runs. I love stuff like that!
They say that nature abhors a vacuum. So when my relationship ended...I needed to fill that space with something positive. I jumped on meetup.com and found that there was a C25K program starting within a week or two. I signed up.
I ran with that group for 2 weeks. It was June. It was hot. It rained a lot. But I enjoyed it.
My first run with the group!
The best part about the C25K program is that it works because it starts you off slow. That first week you're only running a total of 6 mins. You walk 5 mins (warm up), then run for a min, walk for a min and a half X 6, then walk for 5 mins. You slowly build up the time and your muscles and eventually you end up running a 5k. It's amazing. It doesn't allow you to burn out but it still challenges you.
So why did I only do it for 2 weeks?
I blame this guy.
I sprained my back lifting my dog Waldo. He was hiding under the bed. I went to pull him out and picked him up to put him onto the bed for a quick snuggle. When I lifted him...I felt a sharp pain in my back. A trip to the doctor confirmed that I sprained my back and put me out of commission from running for three weeks. Thanks Waldo!
By the time my back healed...my group had moved on without me. I was too far behind to catch up.
So I did the unthinkable. (for me at least) I ran by myself! I live 5 mins from the greenway so there was no excuse. I ran 3 times a week for about 6 weeks by myself in August and Sept. I finished the C25K program on my own! I was super stoked.
Then I ran the Electric Run in Sept. I thought I would have to run it alone, but when I got there I spotted a bunch of my friends from the original meetup group that started it all! They let me run with them and I had a blast. I had to walk some parts of the 5K...it was rough...but I finished!
So where am I now? Well about 3 weeks ago I joined up with the new C25K group and I am running with them. It's funny to see how easy the early runs in the program are now that I'm used to running 30 mins non-stop. But it's also nice to run with a group and meet new people.
I'm running the C210K program on my own. I'm planning on running with a different group of runners some days. I'm registering for an 8K Turkey Trot (a race held on Thanksgiving morning). I'm volunteering for the City of Oaks Marathon. I'm going to enter the lottery for the Nike Women's Series Half Marathon in DC. Hopefully I'll get accepted and actually get to run that Half Marathon! I'm planning on running a full marathon with Bliss in Oct. of next year.
Lots of fun running stuff!
Me in all my reflective glory before my run last night!
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