Couch Potato to 5K Week 7

Did I mention, am a runner! Yes I run 3 times a week. :0) Am playing in the big leagues now! Am hard core. Am no longer breaking the running into bite size pieces am straight into Monday morning 25 minutes running (5 minute warm up walk first of course, am not Rambo!).
Monday was also first day of school in Spain and was slightly thrown off stride when kept seeing people I know whilst attempting to keep running. School headmaster included! Was slightly hurt by all the gaping in amazement. It’s off-putting! I mean it is obviously a shock to see someone you know heaving themselves around town but no need to stare!! Plus felt awkward when could only manage a vague wave hello but not stop. Can’t stop, never get going again!
Lovely sister starting to feel pressure of week 5 (remember this one ends in 20 minute run). She has made serious error by looking ahead. Luckily as big sister am here to help, will be running 25 mins myself (cos am a runner now) so can be with her every step of the way.
Wednesday we had to go early as lovely sister had an early start with work. Met her in the street at 7am, ridiculous, stars still out, moon there, cars using headlights, parallel universe kind of stuff. Saw the sun come up!!!
Friday again saw the moon and stars even though went at 715am.  Is this reason enough to give up?  Is fact that now having to run so early is still night, good enough for facebook friends and family?  Probably not!  Lovely sister ran 20 minutes, amazing and another reason why must press on!  Was running last 5 mins all by self this morning and started to see all the teenagers in the street heading for school (8am start here for secondary school), more gaping, am not a freak show (well maybe am but they should really try to hide expressions more)!
Anyway, successful running week! Am thinking about offering my services to the British Olympic team. Feel it is patriotic duty to help really. If have improved self 1000% in only 7 weeks what could be possible for athletes in the months left before 2012 Olympics. Even if could only improve them 100% think what that would do for our chances. Am wondering if actual Olympic coach has been able to achieve the kind of improvement I have in such a short time, think not! Anyone got his number?

Couch Potato to 5K Week 6

Was right to be scared of week 6!  Culminated in a 25 minute run!  Laura says can now officially call myself a runner, yes am officially an athlete!  No longer pretend athlete, real one.  Can casually drop phrases like “yes, I run three times a week” and “yes, I like to keep fit” into conversations.  Lovely sister Joanne doing very well with her running and looking up to athletic older sister in awe and wonder.  Quite right!

Am now expanding brand to clothing, cool, attractive fitness wear to go along with fitness dvd.   Am not only fit now but also getting calls from Sir Alan Sugar wanting to buy out super overnight success.   Have had to explain to Sir Alan, is the woman behind the brand that makes it work, not just business model.   Is disappointed but sees the wisdom of my words!

Made the mistake of looking ahead to weeks 7, 8 and 9.  Basically no more walking after the warm up 5 mins.  No is just running.  Still at least I can test samples of new clothing line and see what works….

Couch Potato to 5K Week 5

Laura has lost the plot this week!!!!  Clearly on some kind of power trip, getting enjoyment from telling people to run for stupid amounts of time.  Laura is a wolf in sheeps clothing!

In week 5 she had three different runs for me.

Monday. Had to do three stints of 5 minutes, it was mega, but managed it.   She has more confidence in me than I do.   This week  had the definite feeling that would reach personal limit in this experiment.

Wednesday.  Did two stints of 8 mins each, unprecedented!!!

Friday.  OK you will not believe this!  Warm up walk 5 mins completed, then 20 mins running non-stop.  Laura quite helpful with occasional encouraging comments however at end of run, after much well deserved praise, during 5 minutes cool down walk, announces that if failed to make the 20 minutes then be a good idea to repeat week 5.  Can you believe it?  Was an option to fail, but not offered before, offered at the end!  Needless to say felt cheated.

However, am legend!  Am incredible!  Am an inspiration to all around me especially lovely younger sister!  Have run for 20 minutes non stop.   Any day now will be putting out own excercise dvd for purchase and become huge overnight success as fitness guru.   Alright maybe not quite but getting there.   Not yet graceful cheetah more like lame duck trying to make it back to the nest to die , it’s not pretty but can work on the look later!

Yay weekend off now, then onto week 6 :0/ scary!!!!

Couch Potato to 5K Week 4

This week had to start on Sunday due to being dedicated athlete and fact that have to drive to Madrid on Friday for very important visa appointment at American Embassy so running not possible on Friday.  Lovely sister taking all in her stride and completed everything without problems, am feeling pressure of continuing to set a good example as am two weeks ahead in program.  Have been reminiscing about  the good ole days of week three.  Was back in the days when had to do a couple of 3 minute stints of running.   This week the stakes were raised and 5 minute stints were introduced.   Contrary to popular belief (confess to have led this opinion) did actually manage to finish the week.   No-one is more amazed than I!   Managed to drag lumpy body around the village doing as Laura tells me.

5 mins is amazingly long amount of time when doing something unpleasant like running and incredibly quick when doing something nice, why is that?  Technically time should be constant but have proved beyond reasonable doubt that is not.  Running 5 mins warps time stream and messes with reality.  Wonder if am actually endangering others by time warping activities.  Mmm need sonic screwdriver to measure effects and only one in existence with Doctor Who, tricky!  Is this credible argument that can use to bow gracefully out of running program.  Think not, shame.

Couch Potato to 5K Week 3

Lovely sister (Joanne) returns but turned traitor almost instantly deciding would join me on quest for real fitness.  Now have no way to give up.  Can’t face facebook fall out from abandoning quest as Joanne begins (blast the fact that have 60 mutual facebook friends) .  Now have to be responsible older sister and pave the way for younger sibling.  On top of running, lovely sister has decided to start diet, now am compelled to join in other wise will look even larger by comparison.  So now diet and fitness all part of daily routine.  Only good bit is fab new iPhone app that tracks calories and exercise.  Now exercise gives extra calories for yummy treats.  Finally exercise has a point.  Am sharing link so others too can enjoy yummy twix bar on diet.

http://www.mynetdiary.com/iPhone.html

So am up at crack of dawn with lovely sister doing power walking warm up and we got wolf whistled!! Yes true!! Then they yelled “guapas” (pretty in Spanish)! Lovely sister of course yelled “gracias” as is only polite thing to do and our Mother would expect it, plus to be quite honest we were really grateful – clearly all this exercise has really started to pay off!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

Drive by compliments are really a great way to start the day!

Week three, was, shall we say a big shock to the system.   Last week was up to running in 90 second stints compared to 60 second ones in week 1.  Well this week has jumped to include 2 lots of 3 minutes.   When Laura said had to do 3 minutes of running nearly turned around and went back to bed.   However, was half way through my warm up walk and was with lovely sister (who looks up to me as wonderful older example) so gave it a go.  Laura was right! Did it! Amazingly.

Lovely sister Joanne completed week 1 without a hic-cup probably mainly due to excellent advice about footwear from lovely more experienced older sister.

Can not say that enjoy the running part (or even the walking part) but do quite like feeling afterwards when have done it.   Yes it’s nice – it’s over, and don’t have to do it again for 48 hours!  Is that normal?  Maybe that’s the high of excerising that people talk about, just turns out that it’s a high from finishing!  Yes have found bit can enjoy, finishing!!

Sister in law, Abi,  inquired  as to exercise burn status and following conversation ensued on face book;

Abi: Has the burn gone?

Me: NO :0( xx

Abi: But it feels nice, yeah? ;o)

Me: Again Abi NO :0( xx

Move on to week 4 with much trepidation!

Couch Potato to 5K Week 2

Week 2 is complete!  Run/walk ratio now 90 seconds run/90 seconds walk repeat six times.  That did not get easier to do, but  have to say that my legs didn’t ache nearly as much.  My daughter Beatrice pointed this out in the following conversation;

Beatrice – “You must not be aching as much Mummy, it must be working”

Me – “Don’t know, it’s really hard”

Beatrice – “Well you aren’t complaining every time you move now, so it must be getting better”

Hmmm so it must be!!

Things I have learned this week, it is much harder to run in the morning if you drank the best part of a bottle of wine the night before :0).  Valuable lesson learned, will not be repeating that.  Lovely warm fuzzy feeling of wine in the evening replaced by even more tired feeling in the morning.

Lovely sister arrives back from holiday this weekend so prob quit running if can face  horror of comments after updating facebook status to say have given up.

Couch Potato to 5K Week 1

Things I have learned this week on my three runs.

Monday.   At the moment had finished the 5 min warm up brisk walk and as started the first running stint realised that flip flops are not standard sporting attire for a reason, not even fit flops!!   Had not even thought about it until that moment, that is the kind of challenge this program is up against!  Laura expected too much, way too much.  Had me walking to warm up for 5 mins, then run 60 seconds and walk 90 seconds until had done 8 lots of running then cool down walk for 5 mins.  Could not do it!  Managed 3 of the runs and half of each of the remaining 5.  Am horribly ashamed, am disgraced!  Am thinking is possible to totally blame fit flops for failure as long as can manage full program on Wednesday.  Must find trainers!  Laura has given me a day off tomorrow probably to give herself some time to adjust claims of program after seeing what happened today.

Wednesday.   Trainers (sneakers) are definitely the way to go, top tip there for any of you thinking of doing this! Also helps to work it so that everytime you have to run is not on an uphill bit, and is amazing what feels like uphill when running, that felt flat in the car!!  Have managed all 8 one minute runs today so was definitely the fit flops to blame.  Am no longer pathetic failure am on the road to fitness.

Friday.  Have again completed program, two out of three not bad.  Was touched and grateful for many friends voicing concerns that will become fitness fanatic but fear not.  Think there is NO CHANCE that I will become addicted to exercise like some people, just NO CHANCE!!!! So all of my friends out there that were concerned about that can stop worrying :0).

Hooray!!!  Have completed week 1 of Couch Potato to 5K!   It has required a superhuman effort but its done, scary thing is there is a week 2!

Feel the burn

Should disclose that started running program when my sister went on holiday.  Thought as we had been walking every morning that instead of boring lonely walk would try running.  Thought to self that after two weeks of this program she will return and as will have reached my limits in the running will go back to nice comfy walk and chat with her.  However have made potentially catastrophic error by announcing on facebook to friends and family that am starting this program.  Had thought making such news public would help to keep going through the two weeks but now seriously regret rash impulsive move.  Failure so much more comfortable in private.  Blame facebook and it’s status updates and pressure of nothing to write.

Am now feeling the exercise burn, I no likey!  Am I not supposed to feel better after so many days of exercising (read 3 days)?  My sister in law has said that burn will feel nice after a while, told her am unlikely to like anything that hurts. She then said that burn only happens when settling into exercise or if you have over-done it. That’s it!  Have over done it!  Legs are feeling very bad, maybe  am just not built for this.   Maybe I have a wide rear as thats more comfy to sit on, yes that must be it, am built for sitting, yippeee I can do that really well lol!

Couch Potato To 5K

It’s true!  Am queen of the couch potatoes.  Other couch potatoes look to me for inspiration.  Have even started to look like potato except for my rear which is starting to look like a couch, couch potato status confirmed!

Have decided that have three options;

1.  Buy whole new wardrobe (current economic status rules this one out)

2.  Continue to look like a couch and get re-upholstered (upholstery fabric can be pricey though)

3.  Do something about it!

Well options 1 and 2 have definite merit but are ruled out as would have to have funds available so am going to take option 3 and go for diet and fitness.  NHS has very kindly written a program available on podcast just for me.  Am grateful but skeptical.  Couch Potato to 5K in 9 weeks.  Do they know what they are saying? Laura (my very own personal trainer on podcast) thinks am going to be able to run 5k or 30 minutes in only 9 weeks.  This program may have just met it’s match!!!!

Am feeling incredibly generous today so if anyone else wants to try program themselves, am posting a link here!  :0)

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nhs-couch-to-5k/id394384987