Yesterday marked a major milestone in my new fitness program. Nearly a year ago, my neighbor and I decided to try to the Couch to 5K program, an approach to running that helps ol' potatoes like me become svelte runners in no time flat.
I've never run more than one mile before last summer/fall, when we began our evening jogs - my goal at all times becoming the former fit me you see to the right. At the time, neither my running partner nor I could jog more than few minutes at a time without gasping for breath. We spent a good deal of time walking and lamenting how challenging the running was - at first.
A year has passed. Last night, my friend and I ran four full miles without stopping, without gasping for breath and without really hurting. Honestly, I think we probably could have gone even farther had we not been so excited about reaching the four mile goal. We had set out to run three miles in the balmy, rainy weather, only to realize very quickly that we could shift into a comfortable pace that would allow even more distance.
Mind you, four miles is not a big deal to most. To us? It's HUGE.
We have our first race scheduled for 9-24-11 and our goal was to run this four mile race successfully. Me? My plan was originally to just make it through in one piece - in other words, without dying. Now? Running that four mile in a month seems completely doable. (Warning - I'm still high from our success.)
For months we've been stuck at the two mile mark, grappling to go a little further each time. Last night, we blew through a few steps going from 2-4 miles in one evening. Maybe the Fates were smiling, maybe we were both properly fueled beforehand. I don't know. What I do know is that this little victory has been a giant boost in being ready to push my fitness activity to the next level.
Coming in from the run, my boyfriend made the comment: "Wow, I'm really proud of you. You know, if you can do four, you can do five. Ten even!"
A year ago, I would have scoffed at him. I would have said "Yeah right," and headed for a snack. Today? It certainly seems possible. Doable. Above all, I don't loathe running like I used to. A former sprinter (see track, softball, basketball), running distance was not even a blip on my radar. When I first started training, I had no confidence that I could really do it. Now? I feel comfortable telling people that "I run" or that "I'm a runner," when a year ago, it would have been a big fat joke.
Cheers to a new milestone! I'm going to stick with this mileage and hopefully improve my time over the next month in preparation for the race. My goal then will be to increase the miles and improve the time...who knows? Maybe one day I'll do some major races once I've lost some of the anchor weight that inevitably slows me down. Ha ha.
All I know is that right now, I'm incredibly pumped about what my body can do now that it couldn't do before. The opportunities seem endless and it took just a piddly four miles to prove it to myself. Funny how that works.
A recap from my first "major" run:
*Mile Two is the toughest. Once through that mile, I became 'high' on running and things didn't feel quite so difficult. I felt a little light headed and to a degree felt like I was having an out-of-body experience. I went from being an emotional being to feeling more like a machine.
*I have long hair and tucking that giant ponytail under into one of those bobtail-looking thingies, well that helped a ton. I didn't feel like I had my hair weighing me down. In fact, I felt more aerodynamic.
*My running partner is awesome. This journey wouldn't nearly be as fun or as amazing without her.
*My thighs aren't rubbing together - as much. I don't care who you are, but THAT'S Victory right there. :-) I still have about 20-25 lbs to go.
*Running in the rain wasn't bad at all. I remember a time when we'd cancel runs because it was sprinkling. Now, it just makes us feel more badass. Soggy, but badass.
*I'm learning to like running. Every few months I set a goal. Here's to setting the next one at 5 miles.
*I'm still a newbie. In the grand tradition of running, four miles is for wimps. That said, I am excited to learn more, become a better runner, and to share what I've learned with others. Now that I have some distance under my belt, it's time to develop an even better training/nutrition program.
YES! We did it!
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