5k Plan

No Menu Monday today- thanks to some unexpected ribeye steaks that needed eating last week, spoiled ground beef, and a late evening that ended in eating out, we are eating many of  the meals planned for last week this week. There are a couple of new recipes we're trying, and I'll be sure to share them if they're tasty. We have, however, begun a new training regime for our upcoming 5k debut! 

Thus far, my training for the upcoming Turkey Trot 5k has consisted of walking and jogging around our neighborhood for around 30 minutes four or five days per week. I realized last week that this wasn't working very well at all and with only a few weeks left until the race, I began searching for a structured program for more effective training. I found this- Fitness Magazine's Beginner Training Program: 6 Weeks to a 5K. We began Saturday. Here's what the first week looks like: 

Week 1

Day 1: Walk briskly for 1 mile. Run 2 minutes every half mile until you reach 3.5 total miles. Walk 0.5 mile.

Day 2: Walk 3-5 miles.

Day 3: Off

Day 4: Walk 1 mile. Run 3 minutes every half mile until you reach 3.5 miles. Walk 0.5 mile.

Day 5: Off

Day 6: Walk 3-5 miles, including 10 run/walk intervals (run 30 seconds, walk 1 minutes) in the last mile.

Day 7: Off

Week Total: 16-20 miles

The first day (Saturday) was rough! We jogged at the local high school track and were joined by a few other runners. I felt very slow and out of shape, but I'm proud of myself for going the entire prescribed distance! Johnny and I are going to follow the plan to a T and hopefully I won't collapse halfway through the race in November, haha! 

5K Training

I'm not much of a runner. In fact, I hate running. Or jogging. Or walking quickly, even.

However, after a frustrating bout with a pair of formerly-flattering jeans a couple of months ago, I decided it was time to do something. I asked Johnny for advice. He suggested running. Of course. After all, running is free, you don't need any special equipment, and you can do it any time. Running it is. We set a goal: Run the Fort Worth Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. It's a 5K, benefits a great program, and is, in Johnny's opinion, very doable. 

I'm not sold on the last point, but every time I tie my New Balances, head out the door, and fire up JogTracker, I feel good about it. Of course, I feel less good once we've run a quarter of a mile downhill and I'm wheezing, clutching a stitch in my side and Johnny, former basketball player, cross-country runner, and Ultimate-Frisbee-er is pounding smoothly along, stitch-free. I try not to think about it. 

All this running is paying off, though- while I can't fit into the jeans (yet!), I can run further, faster, and with a less-painful stitch. Just look- we did over 2 miles on a recent jog and made a lot of progress on our time. Even so, I think I'll be happier when the pants fit.