Running...

One of the challenges of being in a house as opposed to an apartment is exercising. It was easy (once in the habit) of going to the weight room and cardio room at the apartment to work out. The equipment was there, the ipod was charged. Josh and I were faithful for months to work out.

then we moved.

Now, in a house, we have more expenses and no gym. Memberships are too expensive right now for us to justify it. So we strapped on our running shoes and started running through the neighborhood. Let me tell you, I HATE running. I'll ride my bike 40 miles, I'll do jumping jacks until my arms fall off, I'll march 4 miles in the snow carrying a 70 lb tuba ... but I cannot run. My feet get numb, I get dehydrated, I can't see where I'm going and my glasses dont' stay up, can't carry the ipod right, I can't breathe despite my training as a wind musician, my knees hurt, I don't have the right clothes ......... My excuses could go on for pages. But I need the cardio and my bike isn't working right since we moved.

OK. I'll try running.

I found knee stretches and a podcast on itunes (thanks to my Crosswalk ladies) called Couch to 5k. I'm not sedentary, nor I overweight, nor out of shape; but my body DOES NOT run. So I thought this podcast would do the trick. It's an interval program, run for a minute, walk for a minute, while listening to music. Every week the running intervals are increased a little bit more, then before you know it, you've run 5K in 30 minutes. (OK ... it takes 10 weeks to do.) I started doing the program and I was exhausted after the run. I didn't think I would ever make it. it's so hard. But I kept at it. Suddenly I was at the end of week 5 and ran for 20 min nonstop. Holy cow!!!!!

Then I went on vacation, we got a dog, met the new landlord. Obstacle after obstacle and I didn't run for 2 weeks. Last night I went running again and holy cow I was so tired. I couldn't do the whole program again. I feel like I fell backward 2 weeks.

But ... I was out there doing my thing.

I'm not a runner yet, not sure if I ever will be. But I can do it and it will get me my 20 min of cardio to stay in shape.

I still HATE running though.