Couch to 5K

So at the end of last year I decided that I was going to be a runner. I played in organized sports from elementary through college, but really never loved to run. Run, just to run....ummm no thanks! Now add some bases that needed to be rounded or a ball that needed to be caught I'm all in! I was never the fastest at running. Nor had that super long crazy endurance that some people just have. However, I did live on a farm that had a super long driveway that I may or may not have had to run up in order to catch the bus maybe once or twice. Lately I have been on a little quest to stop making excuses, two boys are at school full time, N can sit in a jogging stroller, and I actually have more energy afterwards that chores around the house aren't that bad either. That last part is the key for why I wanted to start running in the first place.

I want to have energy to be chasing these three crazy boys around, not just this week, but for as long as humanly possible...and believe me these three take some energy!

So with the holiday's I neglected to do any running, but this week I have managed to get three runs in. Wednesdays run just about killed me (note to self: do not try running with Diesel and pushing the jogging stroller at the Duck pond so early in the training unless you want shin splints from all the hills), but managed to go running sans stroller (and kiddo) yesterday and felt good...maybe even looking forward to starting off week 2 day 1 tomorrow.

One positive side affect I am having is craving healthier food, although food in general looks pretty darn good too, but I know that if I am going to (re)lose the 5 lbs I lost the first time I started the program and the 10 more lbs I set as a goal I need to be consistent about the 5k program and what I am putting into my mouth. You may saying wait a minute I thought you did this for more energy, well that is a side affect of eating healthy and building endurance so they all sorta go together...plus who doesn't want to go shopping for new clothes when you are trading in for a slimmer size!

So the app I am using is the Couch to 5k program. It tells you when to walk vs run, keeps track of the time and distance you ran, and also gives you an overall look at your progression. The program also allows me to listen to my Weezer station on Pandora while I run, music makes running go a lot faster and enjoyable for me.

The app that I am using on my Iphone to help kick my butt.

Pretty sure this sums up what people are seeing when I go for a run...but I can't see myself so its all good ;)