I've set a goal...

...I'm going to run a 5k.

I've always hated running. It's just never really been something I enjoyed. I ran distance in track in high school but that's because I wasn't very fast and distance was something I could do, and in a small school you're in every extracurricular activity. There's also the issue of my boobs. They're not small and without the assistance of a pretty supportive sports bra running just hurts.

I've been trying to shed some weight and nothing seems to be working, so I decided to man up and try running since it seems to work for a lot of people. I know myself, however. So, to ensure I keep running, I signed up to run the 5k Road Race that's part of the Des Moines Marathon in October. I figure this gives me plenty of time to train for it so I don't die and it's in a cooler time of year so I won't pass out from heat exhaustion. Also, I turn 30 in December so it's a good goal to set for a milestone year. "I will run a 5k before I'm 30." I already paid the registration so if I go back now I'm wasting money. So far I seem to be doing okay.

I'm using this program from Cool Running called Couch to 5k. It eases you into running so you can gradually build up your endurance and so your joints don't suffer as much. Thing is, I really hate clock-watching while I work out and I know that if I had to remember which segments I'm walking vs running I'd lose track and my workout wouldn't be as effective. I decided to hunt for podcasts that would help and to my great pleasure I found some! The original is from Robert Ullrey and it's great!! It is a series of songs that are perfect for running and he pops on to tell you when to switch from walking and running and also gives you some encouragement along the way. It's fantastic. It eliminates the clock-watching and makes the workouts go faster. It's also really good to have someone come on and tell me to loosen my shoulders or run on my heels as I start to get tired.

I'm hoping this works for me. I'm not too terribly far along on my training but it's going well so far. My goal is to run the entire thing but I've heard that's rare for first time 5k runners. But, if I can do it, it'd be awesome. Also, I'd like to see some weight come off. I think I'm seeing progress but I could be overeager and imagining things. We'll see.

Wish me luck! I'll try to post updates regarding my progress as I go.