Day One of the Couch to 5K running program, and I am off to a good start. It’s three days a week, so you wouldn’t HAVE to start this very day, but I did and I’m glad because it’s nicer to have six days to do two more days of exercise than having six days to do three more. Um, duh. So, here is my report:
Good: I did it, rather than finking out before even doing it one single time, which is what I’d feared might happen.
Bad: The whole “doing it” part.
Good: It was a good idea to bring Rob and William, because it was more like doing a difficult game: “Okay, now we run for 60 seconds! Okay, now walk for 90!” I think if I’d gone out by myself, I would have turned around after a few minutes and said forget this crap.
Bad: Not only did I have to keep my own motivation up, I had to keep THEIRS up. “Come on, you can do it! Come on, keep running!”
Bad: Also, they kept wanting to TALK when I was working on DYING. “How many more seconds?” they’d ask again and again during the minute-long runnings, while I was wondering if I should be trying to draw another breath or just lying down and skipping the whole breathing thing entirely. And then Rob would want to start complicated conversations: “How many calories do we eat in a day? And how many calories does this burn? So how many more do I have to eat when I run like this? And what percentage of…” Me: “Let’s … *gasp* … talk … *gag* … later … *pant pant*”
Good: The way Rob and William struggled and complained tells me they could really use the exercise too.
Bad: Aesthetic considerations aside, can it really be good for me to JIGGLE that much?
Bad: I mean seriously, my FAT hurts more than my muscles do.
Good: Doing it even ONE TIME makes me feel like I’m starting on the road to better health.
Bad: The road to health sucks, and is full of alligators and mud and burrs and taxes and dog poop.
Good: After running, I no longer felt like eating the Hershey bar that was waiting for me.
Bad: Nor did I feel like continuing to live. And when the will to live returned, so did the will to eat the Hershey bar.
Good: I shower in the evenings usually anyway, so I showered early (while Paul had to take care of the kids) instead of at my usual time (when it cuts into my kid-free evening).
Bad: Even after the cool refreshing shower, I still felt–and looked–as if something had stepped on me.
Good: With just one session of running, I have learned things about myself and about my body.
Bad: Those things are that I hate exercise, that I hate the WHOLE EXERCISE THING—the changing in and out of clothes, the sweating, the need to shower afterward, the stretching, the warming up and cooling down, ALL of it. Hate! it!
So, how about you? Did anyone do it today? It seems as if we ought to keep a tally or something: people who have done one session, people who have done two sessions—I won’t bother to continue that sentence until we know if we even need to go on.
“That road sucks, and is full of alligators and mud and burrs and taxes and dog poop.”
I have died. From the awesome.
(And no, I did not do anything remotely like this today, but my excuse is that I am hanging solo with a toddler, where my biggest calorie expenditure had to do with offering repeated, frothy assurances that Nemo is in fact okay, and those sharks are the NICE kind of sharks.)
I also died laughing about the bad road.
I laid on my ass all day… my tummy is getting too big to move already and I still have like 3 more months till baby.
Swistle! I’ve done this program. A year and a half ago. I can promise you this: it does get easier. By the second week I started to feel really really good, and it does get easier, and I started looking forward to it. And I hated it at first for a lot of the same reasons you listed.
YAY for you! Seriously…that is awesome! I might have to get in on this Couch to 5K thing. Maybe. But, probably not.
Sorry ’bout the alligators.
I know what you mean about the changing and the sweating and the breathing and the ugh.
And I used to be an athlete in my younger days.
Alas, tomorrow has to be my Day 1. Today was filled with much child-watching (just my own) and no sneaking away to the treadmill time.
I’ll let you know how tomorrow goes.
I think it’s awesome that you are doing this with your boys. Perhaps when it’s all said and done, one of them will find they love running.
I’ve never run more than one mile in a row in my whole life (even back when I was an athlete).
I started Couch to 5k today too. It was awesome (and I haven’t exercised in years). I do believe I’m going to be VERY sore tomorrow. Thanks for the info on the podcast, it helped so much!
Is anybody else starting today?
wtg you! That post was hilarious and I’m impressed that you did it, even if it’s just one day!
congratulations on completing Day One! That’s a major accomplishment — probably the hardest hurdle of the entire program. :)
Swistle, I’m proud of you. Even though you are very obviously out of your mind. Running? With children? Jiggling? On purpose?
next time run ahead, so people looking out their windows think you’re running away from two children!
OOOooo, this is my favorite entry yet! Well, except for the postpartum one. And the registry ones. Well, TOP FIVE anyway.
Great idea bringing the boys. Sounds v. motivational and sounds like they loved it!
I am the same way when I start a running program (TODAY is my first day). After the very first run, I am all like “I feel so HEALTHY! WHY AM I NOT IN TOP PHYSICAL CONDITION YET?”
i went for a walk half around the block. it was the first time i’ve gotten exercise since being bed rested…and dang i’m out of shape. need to take it slow and get back out there though!
Wow, great job. You’ve acomplished the first task – getting off the couch. Not me. Still sitting here in my chair. Maybe I’ll try to move later. The best I can do is walk/run on my Gazelle inside, though, while the kid is napping. I suppose that would be a start. Maybe if I put some effort into it I can talk my hubby to get a treadmill. ;) Maybe. Or maybe it will just take up too much room and I’ll only use it twice.
I’ve been down that road and it does inspire maximum suckage. I am so proud of you, though!
I…ummmm..well…I cleaned off half the kitchen counter today and it’s a very big counter.
Yay, Swistle, way to go!
Great post! Taking the kids is a good idea. Perhaps one of them could do the timing, then they can just bug each other?!
I went out a couple of times with my daughter riding her bike, with little success. She’s still a little wobbly on just two wheels, so there was a lot of stopping and starting and she still doesn’t go consistently fast. The last time we went out, she veered off the path and started bolting down an escarpment. She’s not too keen on joining me anymore… probably because I laughed too hard to be any help to her!
This post was SO funny. It does get easier (this from a woman who hasn’t done anything more strenuous than carrying folded laundry up a flight of stairs in over a year – pregnancy and now baby (and the 3 others) is my excuse). I used to run 3 miles a day, but it took me A LONG time to get there. I started at a half mile which KILLED me the first week or so.
Just the fact that you did it once will help you do it again… oh, who am I kidding? The best part of running is when you’re done running.
You know, from one runner to another, starting out at 60 second intervals is a LOT to ask of a beginner. Personally I’d start out with 30 sec, and make sure you’re breathing normally before engaging in another stint.
Good for you for doing it though!
I signed up for sparkpeople.com because running? pshhha
You are a better woman than I am!
Great job! I would love to try this but can’t for 6 weeks due to a back injury, but you’ve given me the motivation to try!!
I hope you keep up the good work.
And I know all too well what you mean about the jiggling stuff – whenever I take an aerboics class, I wish I had a sports bra for my WHOLE body.
Maybe I should invent one…
taxes and dog poop? HAHAHA hilarious. I feel the same way about exercise, which is why I’m THOROUGHLY impressed!
Alright, Swistle, where’s the info on the Couch to 5K? Since I have a treadmill and can do it at home with no one to laugh at me, I’ll join up.
Okay, I found the info. Thanks for linking to it in an earlier post. I’m going to try to start tonight. I have all the gear I need, so I shouldn’t have any excuse.
Honestly, it makes me want to schedule a run into my hectic evening! Good for you for doing it!
Yay for you! I went to the gym one day last week, does that count?
Tis post had me cracking up! I’m actually on week 3 and yes, it does get easier. I absolutely hated running before I started and now I look forward to it.
I know exactly what you mean about the jiggle. The way the treadmills at my gym are set up, no one can see my belly flab flopping but all the the other machines are behind me. It is just wrong how much my ass moves up and down when I run. I’m sure it’s entertaining for all the people on the ellipticals.
Black Sheeped: It is very hard to imagine going from feeling “like this” to feeling “really really good” in just a couple of weeks, but I will cling to that hope.
Mommy Daisy: That is exactly my worry: I really want a treadmill, but what if I buy it and never use it? Then it takes up tons of room but was too expensive to get rid of. Plus, it will sit there REBUKING me.
Penny: Oh THANK YOU for saying 60 seconds seems like a lot! I was running along thinking (when I had enough oxygen to think, that is), “This does not seem like the ‘couch’ end of the program to me.”
Shelly–You’re right, I should have a link in there. Added!
I actually started the whole she-bang last Monday, and I did the first day of Week 2 yesterday. Honestly, I don’t hate it! I actually even kind of like it! The 60-sec run/90-sec walk had gotten sort of easy by the end of the first week, but the first day of Week 2 was a challenge, but I feel okay, and I feel like it will get easier this week, too. I’m even sort of enjoying it a little bit… it feels good to actually exercise regularly. And it doesn’t hurt that my pants were the teeniest bit looser this morning!
Good for you for at least starting the program!
OMG, I can’t believe I’m going to type this…. Count me in. I read it and it doesn’t look so awful. Ok, yes it does. But I’ve got to do something about my giant ass, and sitting here reading blogs isn’t helping. At least I won’t feel like I’m doing it all on my own with you all doing it with me.
Swistle – I’ve been so out of the loop lately, but I’m glad to hear that you’re doing this program. Many props to you for having the energy and motivation, all with 5 kids at home. I have only one, so now you will be my inspiration.
I have been thinking about doing this program for a while now. Maybe I’ll get off my ass and start today! I’ll post back later if I do.
So awesome that you actually DID IT! I am all talk, no action.
Hey, in all of my marital/blog drama last week, I deleted my blog. I dont recommend it. I am trying to rebuild now. Here is my new URL:
http://igot2babe.blogspot.com/
That cracked me up. This was EXACTLY how my first jogging experience went…
When I started over a year ago, I was so very out of shape-week 1 was too much for me. I just walked briskly for the first couple of months and it felt like enough. I personally think that a real newbie should just concentrate on walking at first- Otherwise, you will seriously burn out fast. Modify! Do everything at your own pace. It will feel much better!
Oh my gosh, you motivated me. I did Day 1 today! Yeah, I posted about it on my blog. Thanks Swistle! :D
I have to confess–I’m still in the “couch” phase of this program and I’m feeling kinda guilty since I was really excited about this back when you first suggested it. My excuse has been that it’s too hot outside, but I am going to start tomorrow, I swear!
I did my first workout today and it went better than I expected it to. It wasn’t exactly fun, and it was tragic how the 90 seconds of walking passed faster than the 60 seconds of running–like somehow the properties of time have been reversed. And I’m doing it on a treadmill because it is hot and humid and disgusting in DC in July, so I can watch each second tick by.
But it was okay. Maybe all that time I spent on the elliptical before is actually paying off. And in my twenty minutes, I walked/jogged exactly one mile. Which made me wonder if I’m going the right speed. How far did other people go in 20 minutes?
Jess: Good point! We did our jog/walk outside and ended up being out longer than we should have (because we had to turn around, and I misestimated where we should do so). According to my pedometer, we went 1.85 miles in 32 minutes. Twelve minutes of that time was the 5-minute warm-up walk and the 7-minute still-need-to-get-to-our-house walk. The rest of it was the alternating 60 (lonnnnnnnnnnng) seconds jogging with 90 (short) seconds walking.
Good for you! It is really difficult to get started. I ran in college thanks to Erin (MO Mommy) who was insane and passed her insanity around our dorm like she was handing out candy. It was horrid at first, then we ran a lot and I liked it. But that was many moons ago and I’d be lucky to run around the block today. At least I know from my own experience that it truly does get easier. I’ll let you know if I ever get started. Definitely not this week because my mom is here and that would be one too many witnesses to the jiggling.
Jess: In my 25 minutes (I’m including the 5 minute walking warm-up) I have gone between 1.75 and 2 miles, depending on how much I feel like kicking my own ass that day. I walk at a speed somewhere between 3.4 and 3.8 miles an hour, and I run (jog) at somewhere between 5 and 5.5 miles an hour.I try and kick it up more and more toward the end of the week in preparation for the week ahead, you know?
Swistle and Christina: Thanks for your answers. I think I’ll have to increase the speed of the treadmill in my next session. Otherwise week two will kill me.
Does going to an amusement park and walking ALL DAY on Sunday count? How ’bout going to camp with my daughter on Monday where I walked ALL DAY? ‘Cause that’s why I haven’t started yet–I was outside walking in the blazing sun for the last two days!
Maybe tomorrow….
I did it! I started today. I went to the gym on my lunch hour and it wasn’t half as bad as I was thinking it was going to be. I was on the tredmill and I thought watching the seconds tick by would make it seem longer but it somehow made it seem like no time at all. I went only 1.25 miles in my 30 minutes (including the 5 min warm up and 5 min cool down) so maybe I need to pick a the speed a bit tomorrow (or Thursday) so I can be closer to the two miles. Also what is with the awsome floaty feeling when you step off the tredmill and walk across the room, I”l keep it up just for that even though it only lasted about two minutes.
This was a highly amusing post! I hate exercise too. Except for swimming. Seeing as how it’s a bout 98 degrees here in the shade… I am off to the pool now.
I hate running. Actually, I hate all forms of exercise. You’re a beter woman than I, especially what with those alligators.
WHY DID YOU JUST NOW TELL ME ABOUT THIS BLOG???? I’m so mad I could spit. I just read this post and all of the comments, laughing as hysterically as is possible while trying not to wake my snoozing husband, and feeling SO glad that it’s wintertime and I don’t own a treadmill. Suckers!!! Seriously, though, maybe this will make me talk my husband into buying that house next to the track… Gosh, I hate running.
Swistle, you should move further north. Then your bitterness and my bitterness could unite, reaching some Captain Planet-like level of awesome.