I have just finished the first week of Couch to 5k! It has has been a challenging week, but incredibly rewarding. I have gone from having not run in years to doing three runs in a week. I’m very happy!
This week I have felt myself being pushed to my physical limits. I have become more aware of my body and its movements. I start thinking more about my breathing (and I look forward to the breaks in the run when I can catch my breath). I notice when motivation kicks in and I find a stride in my step. I feel when I need to slow down a bit and when I can speed up. I notice the incline and decline in the hills more. It’s harder to run up hill, but it is so satisfying when you get to go down a hill, however small.
This week, the schedule was a five minute warm up followed by eight periods of running for 60 seconds then walking briskly for 90 seconds, concluding with a five minute cooldown. As I work through the Couch to 5k programme, I will be running for longer with each passing week.
One of my favourite parts of the run is when the coach says that there are only two more running periods left to go. At that point I am tired but hearing those words grounds me in the fact that I can finish: I‘m already 80% of the way there by that point!
I learned this week that I probably should not eat breakfast too soon before a run. I decided to go running after breakfast on Wednesday and my stomach wasn’t as happy as it was on Monday when it had been a few hours since my last meal. I thus decided to run before breakfast today. I may stick with this schedule of running before breakfast. Now, I can go enjoy some coffee and a bagel!
My legs tend to get very stiff after the cool down phase. Perhaps I need to be doing stretches? I tried one or two today, but I need to consult the programme app to learn what is most effective.
I will be taking two days rest this weekend in preparation for next week. I hope to continue running on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Now it’s time for me to make breakfast!
