This morning I woke up with a mission. Even though it was freezing cold outside, I was going to head to the track at my neighborhood high school and start C25K. (I was supposed to start on Monday, but Sofi was feeling ill and after our visit to the vet, I didn’t want to leave her home alone. I’ve had appointments and other obligations the rest of this week, so today was the first time I’ve been able to get to the track in the morning).
As you guys know, I’ve tried C25K once or twice before. Both of my previous attempts weren’t successful. I really wanted to do the program, but I just weighed too much to physically do it. In fact, both times before, I wasn’t even able to complete all of the running segments on the first day. I figured that it was ok to skip a few of them, as long as I was out there and moving, and I guess at the time it was alright, because my fitness level just wasn’t up to it. The heart wanted it, but the body couldn’t follow.
So getting up this morning, I have to say that I was determined that this third time was going to be different. I wasn’t going to allow myself anything but success. But I was still scared that I wouldn’t be able to do it, even though I really wanted to.
Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because that’s the one that is going to require the most from you.” – Caroline Myss (One of my MFP peeps posted this quote today, and it couldn’t be more apropos).
It was 46 degrees as I got out of the car and walked toward the track. (That temp downright frosty for this Bay Area girl!) But I knew that I’d warm up quickly once I started jogging. So I turned on Endomondo, opened my Madonna Madness Rock my Run playlist, and opened my C25K app from Zen Labs.
I started on the 5-minute warm up, really enjoying the Madonna beats the DJ had put in the mix, and taking in the gorgeous, sunny weather. There were only 3 other people out on the track with me, and since I had my shaper on underneath my workout pants, I felt confident that there wasn’t “too much jiggle in my wiggle.” Even though I was anxious about starting the running portion of the C25K, I decided not to psych myself out and just enjoy the warm up.
As I was rounding the track for the third time, I thought to myself, “wow, I’ve gone 3/4 of a mile in 5 minutes!” And then I thought, “wait a minute…that’s not possible, I’m only going at about 3.5 mph, what’s going on?!” And that’s when I realized that the dumb C25K app I was using wasn’t prompting me to switch to running. Apparently, I had to keep it open and active for it to give me any cues. I thought it would work in the background, but apparently you get what you pay for. (This app from Zen Labs was free and not worth the time it took to download it). In reality, I’d gone 13:56 minutes. Ugh. But I wasn’t going to let this less than stellar start deter me from doing the C25K – I’d make it work.
So, I started the app over again, did another 5 minutes of warm up, and then hit the intervals. 60 seconds of running, followed by 90 seconds of walking, for 20 minutes. It sucked to have to keep the app up and active the whole time, but I wasn’t going to let that stand in my way of completing this goal.
{If anyone can recommend a C25K app, please leave it in the comments. I’m willing to spend some money on an app that can run in the background}.
As I started running, I felt light, smooth, and easy. Ok, easy probably isn’t the right word, but I did feel strong. I wasn’t huffing and puffing as I had in the past. I’d learned from my last attempt at C25K that I needed to pace myself and not run at a sprint, otherwise I’d wear myself out. So I jogged in my “tip-toeing-through-the-tulips” style that my sister says I have. Carina said that this might mean that I’m light on my feet, and since she’s a running expert, let’s go with that. 🙂
In the past, I’ve been so out of breath during the running portions of the program that I had to skip a few of those segments, but not today. Today I completed each 60-second run, and sure, those last 10 seconds or so were me willing myself to finish it, but I didn’t give up and start walking early. I stayed with my jog and pushed through it.
I’m so glad that this morning, for the first time ever, I listened to the part of my brain that has helped me lose 106 pounds. Today I tapped into every single ounce of perseverance that I possess, and I kept going. And you know what, it was actually great.
As I finished the 20-minute run/walk intervals and began the 5-minute cool down, I had the hugest smile on my face. I’d accomplished something that had been a goal of mine for so long. And I did it well. Sure, today’s just Day 1, Week 1, but I am confident that I will be able to complete this program this time, and that’s more exciting than I can express.
Reward Time!! TGI(Black)F
Because I’m someone who responds well to rewards, and since today is Black Friday, I decided to take advantage of the deals Old Navy was advertising and buy myself a few casual/workout/”after school” clothes. I’d just completed Day 1, Week 1 of C25K and it was time to shop!! I got all of these items for $65, including tax, which I’d say is a GREAT deal. I know that within two months these will be too big for me, but at prices like, this, I’m fine with it. Part of enjoying each step of my journey is feeling and looking my best as I do it. Having clothes that fit is a huge part of that. So I don’t mind buying a few pieces that won’t fit me forever – I deserve it.
Bella on the Beach 