c25K

Prior to pregnancy, I led a life of varying levels of exercise.  At some points I was pretty lethargic.  In high school I participated in the (required) sports.  After that, I seem to have had cycles of slacking off, and then picking things up again.  Martial arts, bellydance, and yoga have all been things I have enjoyed doing to lesser or greater extents, and have kept me interested.

Now that I have A Commute to work (40 minutes is a short day to get to work; it can take 1 - 1.5 hrs on long days), a job that has been quite stressful the last couple of years, and now a child, I have not had time to exercise until 8 or 9 pm, when I am exhausted, and my husband is sometimes asking me what is for dinner. 

In order to get back into shape (I still have 20 lbs extra on me, 15 of which is "baby weight") I have started the c25K ("couch to 5K") program.  It's a guideline for moving from the "not running" state to "running". 

This past weekend I went to a local running supply store and a young woman watched me walk, picked out three pairs of shoes and I tried them all while jogging on their treadmill (and feeling very self-conscious).  I picked the pair that felt the most like I was wearing little on my feet, the Brooks Accelerator II.  I also bought a Timex IronMan digital watch which have an interval timer: this ability allowed me to set up the run/walk times and be cued by the alarm, rather than having to look at my watch all the time.

Each of the nine weeks has three workouts per week.  You are encouraged to do only what is on the list, and not overdo it (which is a problem I get myself into - I can do more! I think, and then burn out).  Yesterday was Day 2 of the first week. 

So far I am liking the program.  I'm enjoying feeling physically better.  Even with a ton of stress going on, I think it's improving my mood a bit.  My legs feel better.  My back feels better.

And now, I am thinking of trying to run in this 5K in the Autumn:  the Run for Your Life Zombie 5K. But it may just scare the poop out of me.