As some you, my avid readers know, I have started a new fitness/torture program … running. I’ve started this both out of a desire to get fit (and do it cheaply) and to make it to the finish line in my very first ever 10K run, booked for April 20th – The Vancouver Sun Run.
Since I have never been a “runner” before I thought that taking up a training program would be a wise idea, and so for the last 5 weeks I have been running 3 times a week following the How to Run 10K Guide provided by the race organizers.
At first I thought it would be a run in the park (lol –man am I puny) but how very wrong I was. See, its not that I am inactive – I ski, mountain bike, play volleyball and walk a hell of a lot – but when it came down to actually running, I had met my match.
The first day was easy, starting off with a 5 minute walk, then run for 2 minutes, walk for 3 … and do this 5 times. Ok, so that seemed like nothing. As the week progressed, the intervals got longer and the run/walk times got longer/shorter. But I made it through all 3 sessions and even thought … hey, I kinda like this running thing!
The second week was a bit harder on the mind than the body. It took a lot of coxing to get me out there in the dark after work, but my trainer (Mr. Phil) made it hard not to lace up the runners and hit the pavement.
By the third week it was smooth sailing. I wanted to run when I got home from work, it seems to melt the stress of the day away, clearing the head and gives you a reason to get out and really take advantage of the wonderful winter Vancouver gets blessed with.
And so here we are, at the start of week 5 and I have now reached a new goal. Tonight I ran for 6.5 km,(running in 3 minute intervals, with only a 60 second walk break between them – 9 times) and though it was hard at times, it was totally worth it. I hit a few walls and thought I was not going to make it but I persevered, and honestly, I kept thinking about one of my best friends Shane who just pushed a whole new person into this world this afternoon (Side Note –Don’t even ask how excited and happy I am for Shane, Todd and new little Victoria!!! OMG I could die) and that was motivation enough to keep on going to the end.
It seems that as the weeks go by and the sessions start to get behind me, I am actually getting better and better, my times are getting faster, my pace is getting faster and I am not gasping for air or reaching for my inhaler at the end of the run. It really is energizing, stress relieving and dang it makes me feel like I could scale a mountain … oh wait I did that last week (yah that’s right, I climbed a MOUNTAIN!!)
So everyone, wish me luck on this crazy 10K race I have ahead of me and I’ll keep you all posted on my progression with the training.
HUGZ
E
xoxo
