How I did it: i started out slow, not able to run the entire intervals in week 1, so i repeated week 1.  The first five weeks of the program i ran faithfully, and improved a lot, then repeated part of week 5 because i had trouble running that long.  In week 6 i bought new shoes, and they gave me blisters, then i got sick, and had finals, so the program fell by the wayside.  For 10 weeks i had winter break, worked full time, and got sick again.

When the spring semester started again, i repeated week 5, but it actually took me two weeks to get in all 3 runs.  In February it took me two weeks to run week 6, and i started week 7 at the end of the month.  At this point, i was feeling discouraged because i had school and work and was stressed.  i didn't feel like i had the time to relax, let alone work out.  i finished week 7 in the first week of March, but didn't even start week 8 until March 24.

At the beginning of April i decided it was time to stop procrastinating and focus on taking care of myself.  i finished week 8, then started training to compete in a triathlon in June.  Over the past 3 weeks i have worked out 4-5 times a week, running on the days my new training program called for it, but following week 9 of the Couch to 5k program, except for one day when i was too exhausted to run that far, and ran short intervals instead.  At the same time i am going to school full time, working part time, and getting ready for finals.  Has it been challenging?  Yes, but right now i feel like i can face anything.

Lessons & tips: i'm not focusing on my running anymore, i'm focusing on becoming a
triathlete and taking care of my body.  i could not have become a
runner without this program, but i have always listened to my body. 
There were times where i would get a cramp in the middle of my run, or a stitch in my
side; i would walk it out, or sometimes press on, but i discovered
that my body is capable of doing more than i realized.  Every time that
i felt like i couldn't make it, i did.


Today i ran and walked 2.9 miles.  The day before yesterday i biked 10
miles, and the day before that i swam over 300m without getting tired
out.  Next Saturday i hope to run my first 5k at a local Girls on the
Run event.

Resources: DJ Beatsmith's Podrunner Intervals podcasts
lots of water
a healthy diet with few processed foods
giving up Coca-Cola and high fructose corn syrup (for the most part)
prayer

Apr 26, 2009, 01:44PM PDT | 0 comments