5k Training Update

I told you I would update my running progress on the blog, mainly to help me stay accountable to my commitment to train for the 5k by running three times per week.
The first couple weeks went really well. Amazingly, I was able to do most of my runs in the morning before work. I am REALLY not a morning person, but I do find I enjoy running in the morning much more than I ever would have imagined. It's peaceful, there's not too many people out that early, I get to see the sunrise, it's cool (temperature-wise), it gets exercise out of the way early, and it makes me feel more energized at the start of my day.

The last couple weeks I have not been doing quite as well. My runs are getting more spaced out then they should be, so I'm not as far along in my training as I should be. It's been more challenging at times to get up early, but the weather has been warmer, so it does not appeal to me much to run at night. Fortunately, I was able to muster up enough motivation to get out and run tonight. I finished day two on week 3 of the couch-to-5k training program. I am still really enjoying the running podcasts. It makes it much easier to know when to run and walk and I love the music while I'm running. Overall, I really like the Couch-to-5k training program. The idea of alternating walking with running and slowly increasing the length of the runs makes it so much easier for me. I don't feel so awful, so that helps me want to go out and run.

I signed up for the Couch-to-5k group on Facebook, so I'm getting to read where other people are at in the program and read encouraging stories of success. I was reading tonight about some possibilities once I've completed this program for going on to run 10k or half-marathons. I can't believe I'm even thinking about that!! Crazy!! Although I'm pretty sure I said once that I had a goal of running a marathon. That would have been sometime while I was in Boston and after watching the Boston marathon. There is something very inspiring about seeing people commit to something so difficult.

The other major plus for me now that I'm running is that I can feel better about encouraging my patients to exercise. I have always followed my own advice with my diet, and I do feel I am fairly active with my daily activities. Since my office and the Nutrition Clinic where I work are on complete opposite sides of a very large hospital, I get a decent amount of walking in at work. However, I am proud to now be doing exercise "outside of my daily routine" like I encourage most of my patients to do. So overall- so far so good! I just need to continue to keep up my commitment so I can reach my goal in October!!