Michael + Kristen + Kellan + Alden: 5K Update!

I am so proud of myself for keeping up with my Couch 2 5K training! I was a little skeptical about how it would work and if it could actually help me become a runner. I have to say it is unbelievable how much of a difference it makes. You can find out why I am doing the Couch 2 5K training by clicking here.

The Couch 2 5K program lasts 9 weeks and I am at the end of the 5th week. It is actually set up to be a 3 times a week run. I have been running every other day but sometimes I do end up skipping 2 days in a row so I think it will all work out in the end. I use an app on my phone called Run Double and I LOVE it! It tells me when to start my warm up walk, running and walking intervals, and cool down walk. It keeps up with and saves your time, follows your route by GPS and lots of other statistics for each run you complete.

I started this program the week of June 18 so I actually should be at the end of week 7. I have learned one major thing about running. If you hurt your knee, ankle, foot, whatever...do not continue to run on it! Sounds like common sense, huh? Yeah well sometimes I'm lacking in that department. My right heel and ankle started to hurt somewhere around the end of my 2nd week of training but I continued to run on it, through the pain, for maybe 3 more runs. I, not being a runner or even the tiniest bit athletic, just chalked it up to my body getting used to me running on a regular basis. Bad decision, bad, bad decision. Eventually BOTH of my ankles were really swollen and it hurt to even carefully walk. The entire time we were on vacation in Florida my heels and ankles were killing me. When I walked up and down steps I had to seriously take each step carefully one at a time. I ~~walked~~ shuffled like a 100 year old woman. I have never been in that kind of pain. I stopped running for two weeks and eventually the swelling went down and the pain went away. I picked back up at week 3 and I have not been in anymore pain since. I am not 100% sure if this is the reason but I was running in old tennis shoes and I have heard that a good pair of shoes will make a lot of difference. Once the pain went away I have been running in a new pair of running shoes and I have had no problems.

Pretty confident these shoes will be life changing ;)

This is what my schedule has looked like up to this point. I don't want to say it has been easy because each week has been a challenge but for some reason Week 4 was exceptionally hard for me. I actually ran 4 runs instead of 3 that week because I was not satisfied with my performance. I'm glad I did because Week 5 has been fantastic. I am so proud of how far I've come and how much I truly am enjoying it.

Week 1: 5 minute walk, 8 repetitions of 1 minute running and 90 seconds walking, finish with 5 minute walk

Week 2: 5 minute walk, 6 repetitions of 90 seconds running and 2 minutes walking, 5 minute walk

Week 3: 5 minute walk, 2 repetitions of 90 seconds running, 90 seconds walking, 3 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 5 minute walk

Week 4: 5 minute walk, 2 repetitions of 3 minutes running, 90 seconds walking, 5 minutes running, 2 minutes 30 seconds walking, 5 minute walk

Week 5, Day 1: 5 minute walk, 3 repetitions of 5 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 5 minute walk

Week 5, Day 2: 5 minute walk, 8 minute run, 5 minute walk, 8 minute run, 5 minute walk

Week 5, Day 3: 5 minute walk, 20 minute run, 5 minute walk

Most of the time I wait until Michael gets home from work before I run. The main reason is that it is just so hot during the day and its hard to go in the morning because I never know when Kellan is going to wake up and Michael is getting ready for work. The perfect time is around 7:30 p.m. for me. It is so peaceful and quiet in the neighborhood usually and I can be alone in my thoughts. It might sound crazy but I have run 3 times in the rain...those have been 3 of my best runs.

I have taken Kellan in the jogging stroller a few times. I have read that if you train WITH the jogging stroller you will feel like you are flying when you run without it. This is SO true! One day I was feeling particularly ambitious because I took Kellan with me, in addition to it being hot and extremely humid...this was another bad decision...I really thought I might die or either throw up on the side of the road. Kellan however, thoroughly enjoyed himself!

Although I have said how proud I am of myself for sticking to my goal of running the ColorRun 5K in September, I probably should also mention that I still believe some higher power is trying to tell me that it is a bad idea. In my last post I told you about a few little stumbling blocks that were popping up in my running journey. To finish up this post I'm going to add a few more that have happened since then...

1. The jogging stroller wheel shook so badly I was seriously afraid it was going to throw Kellan out
2. The jogging stroller wheel kept pulling to the left so it was almost impossible to steer
3. We ran by a live snake in the middle of the road
4. My ankle injury and horrible 2 weeks of pain.

Jarratt is a small town...I'm running out of roads that I feel are good options to run down...

5. One road has boys that yell at me when I run by, not the biggest deal I guess, but I try to avoid "Hey Baby" when I can.
6. One road has a group of houses that all own big dogs that come out and crowd right up next to me when I run by. I do not feel threatened by any of the dogs and I walk down the road often with no problem but again they are BIG and I do have enough common sense to not RUN in the middle of a group of big dogs...I do not particularly want to be chased.
7. I had a 9-10 year old boy run down the street beside me, pumping his BB gun, and yelling at me, asking if I saw his gun and to let me know that he could shoot me. I really thought he was going to.

Yep, that last one really happened. So do YOU think someone is trying to tell me to stop running? It sure feels like it to me but I'm just ~~crazy~~ dedicated enough to keep plugging on!