I’ve decided to start running. I could blame my sister and stepbrother, who both ran the Seattle (half) marathon Sunday and may have infected me with the need for speed. I could also blame the fact that my exercise routine has been running on fumes the last month or so, to the point where I’m doing barely enough to feel human (which is still more than a lot of people do, sadly).
(OK…I just noticed I typed “running on fumes.” That was not an intentional pun.)
So, since time is in short supply, and I am craving more exercise, I figure going fast and intense is the key. Trouble is, I’m not a runner. But with the “Couch-to-5K” program, I will be! I sort of cringe even saying that I’m doing that program, because my couch is actually quite underused (now my desk chair…that’s another story). But I know people who’ve had luck with it, so I figure I’ll give it a bash. While I’ve played around with running intervals before (of the casual “I’ll run as far as that tree way down there” variety), I’ve never followed any sort of structured program, and I think that’s why I’ve not yet really embraced running.
One obstacle I needed to overcome before getting started was how to keep track of the running/walking intervals without constantly checking a watch or phone display. I found a free interval app for my iPhone that will let me listen to music at the same time (oddly, most won’t). I had to work out some bugs with it on my inaugural run/walk yesterday, but if I decide I I like it, I’ll give it a plug later.
It’s a little ironic that I decided to start running in the last few weeks of the school term, which to me always feels like a sprint to the finish line. Papers, projects and PowerPoints, oh my! And that’s all before finals week! Fortunately, I worked hard over the long Thanksgiving weekend, so I’m on or ahead of schedule for everything.