So after a week of missing the gym and ordering in at work for an entire week (bleh!), I went back Friday night with Mike and finished week 1 of the couch to 5k program. Just like the previous 2 sessions, it was easy going for the first 2 intervals and then it got harder. I did push through and finish but after taking a week off, I think I am going to do one more week 1 session before jumping into week 2. I think I owe it to my body especially since I went back to the gym yesterday and lifted weights for the first time in what feels like forever. It was definitely a shocker in how out of shape I got so quickly. I learned though and will not be letting this happen again.

I will say though that I felt I started out stronger than last time. I was able to go to a brisk 3.8mph walk to start things off within 2 minutes of starting the session. After that the first two 5 minute intervals of walking/jogging went by really fast and I was feeling really good. Then, once that timer turned past 15 minutes in, I started feeling it and noticing how out of shape I am. I didn’t give up and I didn’t turn the treadmill down but I did think about it a few times.

So by the end of the 25 minutes required by the program I had covered 1.74 miles (up .01 miles from session 1) and burned 170 calories. I also bumped my walking up to 3.8mph vs. 3.7mph and kept my jogging flat at 5.0mph.

I also pressed forward and did another 5 minute walk at 3.8mph, one 5 minuter interval, and then another 5 minute walk before cooling down for the night. I definitely felt like I had pushed myself but in a good way. We’ll see in the morning though what happens. I am hoping to finish week 1 tomorrow before jumping into the car and heading to Baton Rouge for the weekend. It will probably be rough as I am not too sleepy right now and then still up typing in this blog post and I need to wake up early for a doctor’s appointment. Riding an exercise bike for 40 minutes tonight didn’t help either. Oh well. No pain no gain right?

So I decided to revisit the Couch to 5k program. If you are unfamiliar with it the link is here.  Everything seems very easy and straightforward.  You follow the program 3 times a week for 9 weeks and before you know it you are running a full 5k (3.3 miles roughly).  Week 1 requires a brisk walk/jog combination.  At first glance, warming up via a walk for 5 minutes and then alternating 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes sounds like nothing bad.  It actually seems easy and kind of wussy when you are use to running for 20-30 minutes (a year ago of course).

Off I went down to the treadmill and I started up my 5 minute walk – 2.5 minutes at 3.6mph and 2.5 minutes at 3.7mph.  Felt really nice and easy.  Then I started the interval portion.  The first 5 minutes were great, second 5 minutes and I’m feeling a nice sweat, the last 10 minutes I couldn’t believe this program was kicking my butt but I kept going.  I finished off pretty strongly but I’m curious to see how I progress as I was no where near 3.3 miles tonight.

Here are my final stats:

Day 1, Week 1

1.73 Miles

168 calories burned

25 minutes

Day 2, Week 1- Tuesday night!

I didn’t think skipping for a month would be a big deal. I mean look at this past summer, I skipped most of July due to the wedding and then exercised off and on between January and June. Each time I picked myself back up and went to the gym, it was fairly easy to get into the swing of things and there was no revolution from my body. Rather, everything felt good, the stress was going away, and I felt re-energized.

This time around has been a whole ‘nother story as I like to say. I am tense, achy, and quite tired these past two days from exercising. I thought possibly that I just overdid things yesterday by spending an hour on the elliptical machine after taking the month off so I turned things down a small notch tonight – 35 minutes on the treadmill. I hate to say but I’m still not feeling much better about this whole exercise thing. I’m hoping that once I start lifting weights and take some of the focus away from cardio workouts that I’ll start feeling better and re-energized.

I think I’m going to pop an IB Profin and then take a warm bath so I can rest up and do it all over again tomorrow. The results are worth it, it is just a battle to get there!

So why the ouch?  Well, last night Mike and I went to the gym and I did a session of light weights and a little cardio on the eliptical machine.  I thought my feet were in better shape so I decided tonight to jump onto the treadmill for 50 minutes – 25 running, 25 walking – and by the time I got off I think I reaggrevated the blisters on the balls of my feet.  Ouch!  I hope the light pain goes away by morning and I can just go back to light weights and some light cardio on the eliptical tomorrow night.  I need my gym time and these blisters are in my way! LOL.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been too good lately with the Wii Fit.  I weigh myself once a week for Think Thin Thursday and that is about it.  Part of the reason is because I started using Jillian Michael’s 30 day shred and part of it is pure laziness.  Enter Fitness Friday.

I’ve been looking for new Wii games to play and came across the Wii Mommies.  It is a group of moms (and non-moms) using the Wii to lose weight and it can be any game not just the Wii Fit.  I am super excited and I am going to start joining in on Fitness Friday to talk about how I am using my Wii to get fit and stay in shape.  I have my afternoon mapped out since work is slow.  Leave at 12, eat lunch, hop on the Wii, then go run a mile on the treadmill.  I might give Jillian a run for her money this afternoon but I’m not too sure.  I might have to bring her to San Antonio with me instead.  So happy Friday and if you have a Wii come join in the fun with the Wii Mommies.

Places to workout:

1. At home ->  This sounds like an obvious choice but I can tell you that many people don’t feel they can workout at home.  A pair of dumbbells, a mat, and an exercise video can really go a long way.
2. Again, at home this time though with your Wii Fit -> You need a Wii to play this game but it really is an awesome way to workout and you really can get your heart rate up as well sweat in as little as 30 minutes on the Wii.
3. Around your neighborhood -> Walking your neighborhood can really do wonders to your exercise routine.  Put Fido on a leash and take off once a day for a long walk (30-45 minutes) and watch that waist whittle away to nothing.  The fresh scents of being outside and sunlight can also do wonders to your mood.
4. Parks -> Parks are a great place to go workout and a great place to socialize or find an exercise mate.  Most parks also have their mileage marked on the trails so you will know how many miles you have walked, jogged, or even biked.
5. Zoos -> Zoos are a great place to exercise and see some of your favorite zoo friends.  Even if you are walking at a turtle’s pace something is better than nothing and your heart rate will increase.

I hope a few of these suggestions are helpful or at least get you brainstorming on how you can change up your exercise routines and get out and about and most of all have some FUN!!