Monday Update: I did it! I completed my first day of training that included running. I didn’t have the wardrobe right, not warm enough in the beginning, too warm at the end, but hopefully as the days get warmer, that won’t be an issue. The running part? Well, it wasn’t easy to complete 10 reps, 2 felt pretty good though. I guess I have to learn that breathing hard and wishing it was over, is just part of the whole experience!

It’s finally here, my first “official” day of running. True, it’s only 1 minute at a time, and only a total of 10 minutes, but I have to say I’m a bit nervous. I did a bit of a test yesterday (it was really nice out!) and attempted to run 1 minute. Of course, the route I happened to be on had a bit of an uphill climb and it was a whole lot harder than I expected. I admit, it made me pause. I then tried again on the downhill side. Much easier, of course. But 10 times?? We’ll see.

My plan for tomorrow is to go around our very flat neighborhood park as many times as is necessary to get my 10 minutes of running in, no hills. I’m not sure that after 3 days of “running 1 minute/walking 1 minute” 10 times, I’m going to be ready to do 2 and 2, but I’m going to try my best. I’m also bumping my yoga up to a 20 minute session from 10. Yes indeed, a big challenge week for me this week. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Our Facebook Challenge Group is now 18 members strong. Hopefully after this first week of running for those of us who are newbies, we’ll still have 18. Our fundraising efforts have slowed a bit this week, but hopefully as we pick up speed on ground, we’ll also pick up the pace a little on fundraising. There is time, of course.

It’s still not too late to join us. It’ll be fun! Here’s the link to learn more.

If you’re really not interested participating in the 5K, you may certainly be a part of our fundraising efforts (and my team of encouragers) by donating. If you’d like to offer me encouragement by supporting MEOW, you may donate via my Facebook or Network for Good fundraising page. Thanks!

With one week of “training” under my belt (or should I say my feet), I’ve made some discoveries. Since the active part of training this past week involved walking, which I already do, I focused on adding dynamic stretching and yoga to my routine. I have enjoyed my time on the mat with Adriene, although it’s brief (only 10 minutes at a time). So glad she suggested adding enough lift under my hips to allow comfortable cross-legged sitting, as it’s been way too long since I was able to sit that way. I’m thinking all the way back to when I played jacks. And, that was a very long time ago! 

The yoga does provide time to reflect, and the stretches feel quite good. I’ll stay at 10 minutes this week and then perhaps try to find a new, 20 minute video for next week. Have to keep challenging myself, right? The dynamic stretching really does loosen everything up and even makes the initial part of my walk easier. Admittedly, the muscles got a little sore from the stretching, but it’s a good sore!

I also discovered (or confirmed) that training in the rain is going to be a hurdle. No one in my household likes to go out in the rain. I can guilt my husband into it, but Kaya stands on the porch, sets her feet firmly and will not move. Since the training run/walks are short initially, I try and check the weather forecast app and hopefully I’ll be able to find a break or two sometime during the day. We’ll see, especially since this week’s weather looks very wet. Might need to create a “reward to self” for every day I have to train in the rain. Not a bad idea!

I’m excited that we now have 17 members in our FB challenge group, with 5 fundraisers so far, and we’re 1/3 of the way to our $5,000 goal! I hope we can add a few more in the coming weeks.

It’s not too late to join us. It’ll be fun! Here’s the link to learn more.

If you’re really not interested participating in the 5K, you may certainly be a part of our fundraising efforts (and my team of encouragers) by donating. If you’d like to offer me encouragement by supporting MEOW, you may donate via my Facebook or Network for Good fundraising page. Thanks!

On the eve of training day 1, what am I thinking? I’m not too worried about the first two weeks of training as I’ve been a regular walker ever since I got my first Fitbit back in 2011. That being said, often my walks are more like a stroll. So, for those first two weeks, I think I’ll try to intersperse “fast” walking with my “let the dog sniff” walking and focus on doing some yoga and strength exercises on the off days, to get into that habit. Of course, at our house, which has been filled with 32 years of dogs and cats, doing anything that involves being on the floor is not so appealing. But, I’m going to brave it (or at least attempt it) for the animals of MEOW!

For the pre-training stretching, I’m going to try this Dynamic Stretching (referenced on the training plan). Just 5 minutes, that’s doable, right?

For the beginning yoga, I went to YouTube (“10 minutes, yoga for beginners” search) and found Adriene and her dog, Benji. The dog’s lack of interest made me smile and felt a lot like what it will be in our household.

I’m very excited that I found a “training by text” partner. Linda Rubin, our Volunteer Programs Manager, is taking the challenge too. We don’t live near each other, and of course she has a job, so we’ll mostly be encouraging each other (“it’s not raining that hard!”) and celebrating successes (“yes, a glass of wine is definitely deserved after that workout!”) via texts.

I am a bit worried that there won’t be any other challenge takers and there will only be 5 of us participating! Although we’ll be a dedicated group certainly, we most likely will fall short of our $5,000 fundraising goal and it will be pretty ho-hum on 5K day. Why not join us? It’ll be fun! Here’s the link to learn more.

If you’re really not interested participating in the 5K, you may certainly be a part of our fundraising efforts (and my team of encouragers) by donating. If you’d like to offer me encouragement by supporting MEOW, you may donate via my Facebook or Network for Good fundraising page. Thanks!

What is motivating me to take this on? That’s a very good question and one I’ve asked myself a few times in the last several weeks. But, since the Couch to 5K Challenge was partially my idea, I feel like, if I’m not willing to give it a go, how can I expect others to? Plus, if my efforts will raise funds for MEOW, that’s highly motivating, And finally, Coach Steve (aka fellow Board member Steve Heaps) assures me that if I follow the training plan, I’ll be ready and it won’t be difficult. Of course, I’ve never forgotten the time a co-worker told me his wife’s brussels sprout recipe made them taste like candy. Tried the recipe – not candy! But, I’m willing to trust again.

I’ll be clear. I am not a jogger. Yes, back in college and in my early 20s, I jogged. Didn’t everyone? But I eventually grew out of it (in more ways than one). In 2018, when we got a very spirited puppy, I thought, OK, time to jog again. But, my veterinarian (who I trust completely – has never said anything good about brussels sprouts), recommended that I wait at least a year until she was full grown before taking her running. Well, you know the rest of that story.

If you know me, you know that I am both a rule follower and a check lister. That means a schedule that tells me exactly what to do, and then allows me to check a box when I’ve done it, is probably the best chance I have to make this happen. I doubt I’ll become a regular jogger after this (and yes I use “jogger” not “runner” because running happens in a gear I don’t think I possess). Back in 1994 a friend and I trained to ride the STP (a 200 mile-2 day bike ride from Seattle to Portland). We had a 3-month training schedule, followed it religiously, even in the rain, and enjoyed a fairly easy ride to Portland. I think I’ve been on my bike perhaps 3 times since then.

If you know me, you also know that I’m all about motivating myself using rewards. So, I think I’ll spend the next several days deciding an appropriate way to reward myself on April 23^rd; one that will be enticing enough to get me out the door when it’s cold and wet (or cold or wet) out. And, to be honest, I may need to dangle the carrot of a reward for each of the days between next Monday and April 23^rd.

Stay tuned…