Pre-K

I am in pre-k.

This week I have impulsively decided to start running. Anyone who knows me (at all) knows that running is one of those things I have always said I might not even do if someone were chasing me. I have ALWAYS hated it. Even at my healthiest...it's always been the thing I just don't do. Ever.

What on earth could have made me decide I should take up running? Well, I'm about 8.5 months from the BIG 4-0.

AND...

I'm at my heaviest weight yet...this happens about every five years...I reach my heaviest yet, then lose the weight...then 5 years later...I reach another even greater and more astonishing high point on the scale. If this trend continues...well, let's just say...It's not going to continue, because I am (drum roll please...) Reversing trends in two thousand ten!

Here's the deal. I had a health assesment a few weeks ago. While my numbers were not horrible...I did notice a trend. They are all increasing. My sugar, my blood pressure, my cholesterol, and of course, my weight.

I've been struggling to lose weight for the past year and a half. Turns out, I hadn't really been trying to lose weight, I was merely struggling with the idea of losing weight...which was driving me to horrible food choices. I kept thinking..."I'm gonna eat what I want today, because tomorrow...I diet!' This is a horrible way to live your life!

So, July 5, I started South Beach Diet - Phase I, as a way to get a jump start on my weight loss.

Weighing in at 179...during the 2 week sugar detox, I lost 9 pounds.

Feeling much better about myself, feeling like I don't need dessert after every meal, I have decided to take another dietary approach. I plan on implementing this new plan this coming Sunday, August 1, 2010. More on that in a future post.

Back to the Pre-K.

Here goes. I am putting it out there for the whole world to read and hold me accountable for. I intend to run a 5k race this fall (funny, since no one reads this, that may not be as bold as it sounds). I Haven't picked one out yet, but I am looking at one the first of October.

I am attempting to follow coolrunning.com 's Couch to 5 K (C25K) plan. It's a 9 week plan beginning with alternating walking and jogging, gradually increasing the time until you can run 5k. It's 3 days a week at 30 minutes (including the 5 min warm up and cool down) each session. I've done 2 days. Except that I haven't really. I mean, I havent yet been able to keep up with all 8 rounds of 60 second jogs. By the 5th round I was skipping a jog to rest (walk)...by the 7th round, I just walked home. Comparing C25K to kindergarden for runners...I am definitely in pre-k. I'm not even on the damn couch!

I intend to journal about this here on a fairly regular basis.

Mostly, what I have to say about how I am feeling right now is...ouch. My legs are tired. And stiff. And rubberband-like all at the same time. I am hopeful that it will get a little easier. But I am also aware that it might be an 18 week program for me, rather than the suggested 9!

In any case... one foot in front of another... just at a little quicker pace than I am use to!

Wish me luck.