I finished week 5 of Couch to 5k!! [small voice]so what it took me a month?[/small voice]

As grouchy as I was to workout today...as reluctant as I was to run...I just sucked it up and did it. I'm also super proud to report for the last 4 weeks I've been doing week 5, during the running minutes, I did not stop once. I reeeeeeally wanted to. Most times I felt like my legs wouldn't make it, but I just summoned up the strength to go a few more seconds. I wonder if that feeling would ever pass? Today, I used music and the closed captioning on the TeeVee to get me through it all.

Has it already been a month?

This is my final week of week 5 in couch to 5k. Week 6 is the last week of run/walk combos then I'm on my own from here on out. So how do I feel? Am I ready to move on? Do I even like running?

I actually feel ok. What I'm most proud of, and I must knock on wood lest I jinx myself, is each run/walk or pure run, I haven't stopped once. Now I wanted to. I even had a time or two I held onto the treadmill, which by the way makes me feel worse. But I didn't stop.

• Walk, elipp or precor 225 miles (18.75 miles per week in 12 weeks)

Week 1: 0
Week 2: 2.02
Week 3: 13.88
Week 4: 7.82
Week 5: 5.07
Week 6: 14.19
Week 7: 13.11
Week 8: 25.51
Week 9: 23.66
Week 10: 29.02
Week 11: 27.86
Week 12: 31.21 (Like WHOA!)

Weeks to go: 0
Miles went: 193.35. 13.95 more miles than quarter 1.

I'll post a full recap and upcoming plans for Q3 tomorrow. For now, I rest my tootsie

Earlier in the spring, I shared gym time w/this woman. A few months went by and our schedules conflicted before I saw her again. Last week I saw her and was like, HOT DAMN she looks different.

Not necessarily skinnier, as she wasn't very overweight to begin with. More plump, no visible rolls, I can also tell b/c she sports a one piece unitard. But now she looks, toned, slender, different.

I couldn't help but wonder, do I appear the same way to someone who hasn't seen me in a few weeks?

• Walk, elipp or precor 225 miles (18.75 miles per week in 12 weeks)

Week 1: 0
Week 2: 2.02
Week 3: 13.88
Week 4: 7.82
Week 5: 5.07
Week 6: 14.19
Week 7: 13.11
Week 8: 25.51
Week 9: 23.66
Week 10: 29.02
Week 11: 27.86

Weeks to go: 1

Compared to last week, running was hard today. Mentally and physically. Mentally b/c I keep having the stupid word games going in my head how hard running is and physically b/c it's been a LOOOONG week for me offline. I can NOT believe it's only Thursday. Given the emotional rollercoaster I've been on since…Tuesday…it should be Saturday already.

So I bucked up and ran. This time to one of my fave drum and bass or is it trance or shall I call him house or techno…whatever…Mauro Picotto. He got me through some long nights @ the computer lab I tell ya.

Plus the beats are always good for a few seconds burst of energy as I try to focus on the music, and not so much the time. But other tricks get me through running.

::small voice::

I imagine I'm on The Biggest Loser.

!!!

So a hot new weight loss drug is coming to a store near you. Alli. I haven't seen commercials or ads for this, but saw lots of discussions on a few health & fitness boards I frequent. It's not that I'm a saint when it comes to diet pills *cough* but it's not a move I'm willing to make.

I caught a segment on the Today Show discussing it (GAWD I hate when media sites don't update to match what they discussed, so I can't provide a direct link to the story like I really want to.). After all the blah blah blahingg, a few things the medical correspondent said that firmly made up my mind. Well two things:

1) Oily discharge
2) Pack an extra pair of pants

Are you goddamned kidding me?

A little over 3 weeks ago, @ a random health screening my blood pressure was 148/74.

I was upset, hurt, a bit ashamed, but mostly mad. I set upon a misson to drop that number by any means necessary (no pills though) and for the next 3 weeks made exercise my top priorty and ate foods that naturally reduced blood pressure.

I got a follow up read today.

89,880 seconds of sweat sessions @ the gym...

equals

13,300 calories of fat burned off...

Which results in a net loss of how many lbs?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Bueller?

Alright, I'll reveal...

• Walk, elipp or precor 225 miles (18.75 miles per week in 12 weeks)

Week 1: 0
Week 2: 2.02
Week 3: 13.88
Week 4: 7.82
Week 5: 5.07
Week 6: 14.19
Week 7: 25.51
Week 8: 23.66
Week 9: 29.02 (BOO-YAH!)
Week 10:

Weeks to go: 2

Today was the day all my Couch to 5k preparation for the last few months came in handy. My first str8 run, 20 whole mins. I've been looking forward to and dreading this day all week.

Is it wrong that I said a silent prayer and made the sign of the cross before the run began?

Is it even more wrong that I just lied about praying and making the sign of the cross?

Dammit.

I'm already on the slow boat to hell for a whole host of human transgressions, I s'pose I just speeded my trip up a tad.

Anyhooozle, back to the run.

Sure I've waxed poetic about running before. But this was different. For one, there was absolutely no rush. The other Couch to 5k jaunts went so quick, I didn't quite enjoy the process if building up my stamina as much as I was barreling through each week to tick it off my exercise checklist.

But first things first, before I run, I had to have my iPod filled w/enough tunes so I didn't have to watch the clock and enough beat, to keep my hype. These are the little diddies I chose:

Miles wise that is. Quarter two has been a rough one for me. I never even got around to making, or @ least writing about my goals. Then I had the month of April where I walked, ran, elipped, precored, arc trained and/or jogged a whopping 26.21 miles.

Pffft.

• Walk, elipp or precor 225 miles (18.75 miles per week in 12 weeks)

Week 1: 0
Week 2: 2.02
Week 3: 13.88
Week 4: 7.82
Week 5: 5.07
Week 6: 14.19
Week 7: 13.11
Week 8: 25.51
Week 9: 23.66

Weeks to go: 3