Couch to 5k

Somehow, a combination of (1) being able to walk again, (2) coming back from a cruise on which I probably gained about 50 pounds, more or less, and (3) the pressure to make New Year’s resolutions, all made me realize that the stars are aligning and it’s time to get back in shape. Last year I lost 30 pounds and it felt amazing. When I started suffering from Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, I could barely walk, never mind even begin to think about exercising. I tried lifting weights and doing ab exercises to help myself stay active, but it was hard. Now that I’m back from the cruise and my pants barely fit anymore (ha!), it’s even more obvious that now is the perfect time to really get down to business.

Recently, my friend Amy commented on one of my posts and suggested that I look into the Couch to 5k program to help me get back into exercise now that my feet are better. I’ve always wanted to get into running – completing a 5k race is one of my goals for 2012! After looking the program over, I’ve decided that this is the perfect thing for me to try. I’m not sure if my feet are going to be able to handle it, so I’m giving myself the leeway to take more than the 2 months the program is based around. They actually want people to go at their own pace, which is exactly what I need right now.

The Couch to 5k program allows people to train at their own speed, let people decide whether they want to train for speed OR distance, and doesn’t overwhelm people by suggesting that you train an average of 3x per week in order to complete the program in 2 months (if desired) AND fulfill the national recommended guidelines for adult physical activity.

Right now, I’m making a goal to be back to a size 12 by June 1st. I’m deciding that at the start of each month this year, I’ll make new goals that will help me stay healthy on my way to reaching my goal of becoming a size 8 (eventually). I’m also vowing not to make goals in terms of how much I want to weigh, but instead I’m going to base it on clothing size. Personally, I think the whole idea of using a scale to intimidate and pressure yourself is not a good choice for me.

My Healthy January Goals:

Work out 3x/week using the Couch to 5k program
Drink the amount of my reusable water bottle 4x/day
Eats LOTS of vegetables

I wanted to make this month’s goals seem attainable so that I didn’t get too overwhelmed. It’s probably going to take me a while to get used to being active again because for so many months I’ve barely been able to walk. I foresee having to use my inhaler a lot!

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After writing the first part of this post last night, I wanted to comment about how my first workout went, using the Couch to 5k program.

Even though going on the cruise was only a one-hour time difference, I seem to be suffering from a little bit of jet-lag. I couldn’t sleep, so when I woke up super early this morning I decided to get my workout out of the way early so that I wouldn’t have to worry about it for the rest of the day. Excellent plan!

I was hesitant about working out so soon after I started being able to walk again, but I was also really excited to become active again. Even though the plane ride and partying on New Year’s Eve really bothered my feet, resulting in me having to use a wheelchair to get around the airport a few days ago, I was confident that I could at least start the workout and promised myself that if my feet started hurting I could stop early.

The workout started out kind of shaky. After completing a warm-up walk of 5 minutes, I proceeded to alternate 60-seconds of jogging with 90-seconds of walking. Starting to jog after not having been active for so long was a real shock to my body. I started to panic, worrying that I wouldn’t be able to finish the workout and I would fail at reaching my goal to complete the program. Once I realized that 60-seconds of jogging wasn’t that bad (especially with 90-seconds of walking in between), I knew I could do it. Even though I was only jogging at 3mph because I was worried about over-exerting myself the first time, it feels amazing to know that I finished the first workout of the program AND my first workout since being diagnosed with a disability!

I hopped off the treadmill after jogging & walking for 20 minutes, feeling like I could conquer the world! Although I was sweating profusely and couldn’t wait to chug a huge bottle of water, I was so proud of myself for having completed something I had previously thought might be impossible for me to do for the rest of my life.