C25K - The Riveras Are Really RUNNING Through It

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Now who in the hell came up with this hair-brained idea?!

Oh... wait a second... that might've been me.

It's a bit foggy, but it's coming back to me now... Hubby needs to lose weight (weight that the stress of me and my illness thrust upon him) and I need to work towards being, you know, healthy. Food is one thing, but man oh man, do we both need some exercise!

Early on in my blogging life, I came across one of my wonderful online challenges called Couch-to-5K which, according to its website is a "beginner's running schedule has helped thousands of new runners get off the couch and onto the roads, running 3 miles in just two months." When I first found it I thought, The couch? Well... that's EXACTLY where I've been! Maybe this was made for me!

I set myself up to start the program in the winter of 2010. Obviously, that did not work. Then, I thought that I would be ready last summer. Another epic fail. A couple of weeks ago I delicately presented the program to my husband, explaining to him that we both needed it, but more importantly, I needed him if I was ever going to feel confident enough to exert myself physically throughout the neighborhood.

We were supposed to start Monday.

Then Tuesday.

By Wednesday I decided to wait until his school year ended and, instead, to rededicate myself to the writing of my novel.

Plus it was raining, anyway.

So, of course, what happened? My husband walks in Wednesday night and says, "I'm ready to do the 5K thing now."

We've been married almost four years now, and we dated eleven years before that; I knew one thing for sure: if I didn't go with him Wednesday night, the deal would be off.

In short, here's what happened:

• horrible flashbacks to my first ever swim practice where I got in the water believing I knew how to swim and, after five minutes, knowing I had tons to learn.
• my playlist was so not ready for running; two years of headaches and relaxing changes what you listen to.
• halfway through I thought I would die.
• almost got hit by a car.
• almost tripped in the darkness about a thousand times.
• was attacked by a tree.
• my husband runs faster than me. 
• got confused by husband's shadow and swore he was running right at me.
• lost half a lung.
• my C25K app for my iPhone was awesome and I probably would have given up without it.
• we finished.

The rule is, you must have a day of rest in between, so the Riveras will be "running" again on Friday.

*Special note: The iPhone App I am using, from Zen Labs altered the original Couch-to-5k program slightly. Here is how they define C25K

What is C25K™ all about?

• You alternate between walking and running until you build strength.
• C25K™ is designed for people who are just taking up running
• C25K is an 8 week long plan.
• You workout 3 times a week, ideally with breaks between days.
• Each workout session is from 30-40 minutes long (including 5 minutes warm up and 5 minutes cool down)

Finally, as much as I am disappointed about my lost writing time due to my first workout in over two years, while on the "run" my mind remembered something I wrote on this blog just about 24 hours before:

In my dreams when I am healthy, strong and 100% back to me, I am a runner. I'll get back there.

I am constantly mystified by the power of the written word. I remember writing the first sentence, pausing and then, almost as if I had decided it in that moment, following it up with the second.

I will get back there... the first step has finally been taken!