Week 1, Session 1 - From Couch to 5k

Session Details: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Just finished my first session of the Couch to 5k training program.  I jogged for one minute 10 times so I guess that means I jogged for 10 cumalitive minutes. Wow! That's amazing!  I did that?????   I must say it hurt like hell though!  The first two weren't so bad but after the 5th I thought I wasn't going to make it. I ended up walking for 5 minutes instead of the 90 seconds after that one because I couldn't catch my breath but I never stopped walking!  Soon as I caught my breath I picked back up and did the last 5 to the letter.  The last 2 I must admit I was light headed and things starting seeming a little surreal. I think thats the only reason I made it through.  The wife and nephew both went with me. She walked the whole thing and used the stop watch to keep track.  She kept resetting it after each interval and I think she lost track of the time cuz I think I actually did more than I should have but hey, who cares right? I DID IT!   My calves and ankle muscles were burning like crazy by the time I walked home. I think I'm gonna have to get some different running shoes because I think I'm having to over compensate to keep my ankles from rolling.  Anyways, long story short I got home and sat down and felt absolutely wonderful. I felt warm and energized. Now I'm ready for a shower then bed!   Session 2:  Thursday In case anyone doesn't know about this and wants to try it for themselves I've put the link below.  I still don't remember who told me about this but thank you! http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

LOOKITCHOOO!!!!!  wowzsa.  That name is a crack up - Couch to 5K. Yes, in the early days, you will unearth some demons.  If you lurked at all on the E/F board, you may have heard about my"heart attack-like" pains in my upper back when I first tried jogging. I had the phone off the hook, ready to dial 911, it hurt that bad. I guess it was my muscles rebeling from arms pumping.  My freakin calves absolutely screamed with pain.  i had shin splints pretty much off and on for the first year. I didn't even work as hard as you are.  I would jog as far as I could without puking, which was pitiful, like 20 feet.  Then walk it out for the rest of my half hour. Every day i would do that til i was running more and more.  Good for you, Bro!

We are all cheering for you.  That is so great to hear that your wife and nephew are there supporting you.  That is so important.  I think after all that work you should soak those feet and ask your wife to give you a foot massage.  You deserve it.  Don't be surprised if you start to feel really hungry after exercising like that.  The more I exercise the hungrier I get.  Since I am so close to losing 100 pounds I have added a half hour of cardio to my morning workout.  I have hit a plateau and I think I need to challenge myself.  Just that extra half hour of walking makes me feel so much hungrier by mid day.  Make sure you do some stretching after your workout.  It will help those muscles.  One day I walked 5 miles and that night I got a charlie horse in my thigh.  That was real nice.  I should have stretched after my walk. 

The only muscles that gave me problems were my calves and later my ankles on the walk home. My left calve muscle started locking up.  Oh charlie was buckin'!  S'okay, I just took at longer stride a few times and fixed him up!  This morning I'm not all that sore but my muscles do feel tight.  I have found that I favor my right leg an awful lot. Those muscles are a lot more sore. Mostly the muscles around the knee and thigh. I will do some stretching next time as suggested.  I kinda do like the sore feeling. Makes me feel like I did something. :) I think I'm gonna ban my nephew from going with me. He makes me sick the little atheletic monster.  He was LITERALLY running circles around me. He and the dog both were doing it!  I had to tell him to keep behind me so I felt like I was winning! lol Nah, he's great. Very supportive and doesn't try to cut me down like most kids his age probalby would. He pushes me if anything. My wife said she might even try doing the running next time too. She was on the phone with everyone telling them what I was doing. Made me feel good to know she's proud of me. :)

(((((chris & family)))))) group hug....

Awesome job, Chris!