Couch to 5k

Have I mentioned that Matt and I are running in a 5k in two weeks?

Did you know that 5k = 3.11 miles?

Did you know that before January, I couldn't run .11 miles without keeling over? It's true.

When I told Matt that I was signing up for LA Marathon's 5k, he told me he'd run it with me. I said, "But you don't have time to train." He said, "I don't need to train, it will be easy." Then I gave him the death look.

WHY am I doing this? Just because. Because I've never been able to run more than a block. And because I just always thought that "I can't run." And because I watch Biggest Loser and see people who are WAY overweight becoming runners and then running marathons, even when they've still got the extra pounds on them. I decided I had no more excuses not to at least try.

As I started developing my plan for this effort, I consulted the pro-runner in our family- my brother Will (also known as William, Willie, Bill, Bother of a Brother). He wasn't so much of a bother that day, and was very helpful and encouraging when I told him of my idea. He told me of programs called "Couch to 5k" that gives you a running schedule, gradually adding more running each week.

Last May I walked a 5k at the Revlon Run/Walk that benefits women's cancers. I walked in memory of my friend Kerri Lane and was really moved by the experience. I decided that I would RUN the 5k this year instead, and run in Kerri's memory again. William, however, thought that I should shoot for the LA Marathon 5k held 6 weeks earlier in March. He told me it was ok if I didn't run the entire thing. So I immediately signed up.

My plan was to start training January 1, but due to a certain number of events (rain, stitches, etc), I didn't start until the end of January. Six weeks later, I am actually still in week 4 of training. I was moving right along, but when I came to week 4, I really struggled with it. I am about to finish my 3rd week of week 4, and I'm doing much better. One more run on Saturday, then I'll move on to week 5.

Here are the things that have helped me the most:

I rarely find athletic shoes that don't hurt my feet. I have wide feet (ugh) and when I wear tennis shoes for long hours, my feet inevitably hurt at the end of the day. Well, not anymore! I need to own 2 pairs of these New Balances. They are incredibly comfortable for running and for just hanging out. (Shout out to Jack & Jill for giving them to me for Xmas!!)

This is the plan I've been following. If you have an iPod touch or iPhone, you can search for the "C25K" app that I've been using. It is a-mazing!!! Once you open it, you can choose music from your own iPod to run to! And then it tells you when to walk and run. So when you begin, it says, "Ding, ding, ding, WARM UP", and then your music begins. Five minutes later, it says, "Ding, ding, ding, RUN." Then you just walk and run when it tells you to! This way, you're not having to pay attention to your time or a watch. So easy. You can also friend them on Facebook, and they update their page with really great articles for runners of all experience.

For most of my runs, I've been listening to music. I downloaded some Top 40 sorts of songs (yes, I had some Lady Gaga and Timbaland), because Bon Iver just wasn't getting me going in the mornings. But one day, I decided to listen to my favorite podcast- This American Life. It made ALL the difference with my run! I got lost in the story and didn't pay as much attention to how much time I had left. It also helped me with my pace, so that I wasn't running faster to upbeat songs and slowing down for other songs.

T-minus 15 days until the race!