Week 2 day 3...YEAH BABY!!!!!

OMG!! I'm late. I overslept, the dog wanted to walk forever this am. I'm more nervous than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
I arrive at Parkville HS track and I see young ladies coming around the track. I ask if they're doing the couch to 5K , and introduce myself. Okay that wasn't so bad.It's a little nippy, not too cold. I bought a long sleeve thermal shirt and jacket from Marshall's the other day. I have on leggings and wind pants. I stretch and get ready to run. They are already half way though the run when I get there. Note to self..BE ON TIME!!!Remember this is only a half hour workout. I plug in my ears, press play and I'm off...

The first run is always the hardest, and it occurs to me (only now) that I'm a day behind. Yep, they're starting week 3!! UGH. I'm still on the 5 minute walking warm up, but i stop, switch to week 3  day 1 and pray. LOL! I must be outta my mind this 1st run is 3 minutes long. 3 MINUTES!! What the hell was i thinking? Maybe i should switch back to week 2 day 3. Too late now, no guts no glory. The first run is always rough, but this is my first time not running on the treadmill and this is harder than i thought. Running on the ground is WAAY different, but what do I know. All I know is this is the longest three minutes of my life. AM I breathing okay? My mouth feels dry.  Am I mouth breathing? My calves feel tight.Hope I don't get a cramp. Maybe I should be eating more bananas. These are the things that are running through my mind.

I stop and chat with the ladies for a few. They're done. They won't be meeting next week, but I forget to ask when is the next run. No worries I'm sure there will be post. I jog off and continue. Last run coming up. Thank you Lord!! I'm getting hot now, maybe I overdressed. The temp was 40 degrees when I left the house, now it feel like it's 80.
Cool down...YES!!! No sweeter words were ever spoken. But I'm grinning ear to ear. I did it. I ran with BGR (sort of) and I started week 3. I might really be able to do this..YEAH BABY!!!

#soproudofmyself
Yoli

W2D2.....

I felt really good today. Feels like I walked more with this workout, but I didn't. Guess I'm getting used to the running.Run 45sec, Walk 60 sec, Run 60 sec, Walk 90 sec....I'm feeling really good about this running thing. Lost my pedometer at the gym, Dangit!
So It's been decided. I'm going to run with the ladies of BGR-Black Girls Run this Saturday. Only because the weather is supposed to be nice this weekend. NOT into the running in the cold thing yet, heck don't know if I ever will be. I HATE THE COLD!!. If I had my way I'd live somewhere where it's 80 degrees all year round. But then of course i would miss the Fall. I love Fall..

Anywho... psyched about my first run with the group, but nervous as hell. I know everyone there is training with the couch to 5K. But, what if I'm the slowest one there? What if I can't keep up?  UGH!!
Stop it!! I'm going, I'll worry about all this later. #justdoit

Yolanda

Week 2, Day 1....

So true. If  I'd kept up with the C25K I started  last  Spring, I could be an accomplished runner by now. The point is...START TODAY!!! JUST DO IT!!!.
I made a play list of music yesterday to add to my IPhone. Listening to music on the treadmill is a must, but my  music was all over the place.
R & B, Jazz, Pop, Hip Hop, etc and so on.  I need something that's starts out slow, builds up , keeps me moving through the workout, and comes back down during the cool down.

Here's what I have so far...Empire State, Rude Boy, I Got a Feeling, Grenade, Born This Way, Moves Like Jagger, Party Rock, Rude Boy, S&M, Jesus Walks...pretty good so far. Thinking I'll add more music each week of the program to keep it fresh.

Week 2. I remember today to stretch for a good 15- 20min before starting. Run times have increased to 45 sec, then 60 sec, then 90 sec. I'm a little winded, but my new music has me going. WOW! Music really does make everything better. I'm jammin to the music, when the prompt says "you are approaching your final run"..I'm like what..already. YES!!!

I bought a pedometer to keep track of my steps. I took 4442 steps, multiply that by 3 workouts a week. BAM! I'm on the road top good health. Hey that's 15K steps I wouldn't have ordinarily taken! Weatherman says it may not be too cold this weekend. Maybe I'll get out and meet the ladies of BGR! Maybe...

Gonna add some strength training to my routine. All these machine at the gym, figure I should use some of them.

#yougogirl

Yoligurl

Week 1 day 3. I did It!!

Today was the end of week 3. I DID IT!! I can't tell you  how proud I am of myself. When I tried to start this program last spring I  barely made it through week 1 and I quit. I wasn't disciplined, or motivated. Here I am 8 months later, totally motivated. It's cold and i still go to the gym. It rained , and i still went to the gym. Every day for months I read posts on Black Girls Run trying to build up my courage to start this program. And today I'm glad i kept reading. I am encouraged. I'm keeping this running journal ( that i may turn into a blog) to help other people who want to start a running program. The ladies of BGR and hardcore and many run outside in the cold. I'm not committing to that. I hate winter and i hate the cold. I will definitely run outside in the spring, but I don't want to commit to the cold. I'm trying to stay motivated, and i don't want to set myself up for failure by setting up unrealistic goals. My next goal...finish week 2! That's it. One foot in front of the other. They are running a C25K group at the high school near me on Saturdays, maybe one day I'll meet them out there. Maybe..

#soooooproudofmyself

Yoligurl

Week 1, Day 2. Baby I'm Back!!

Baby I'm back. So I  realized after reading the last post I never said what the workout consisted of. Couch To 5K is a running training program designed to get you off the couch and running...slowly.  Week 1  Starts with a 5 minute warm up just walking. Run 30 sec. Walk 45 sec. Run 45 sec. Walk 60 sec. Run 60 sec. walk 90 sec. Then cool down with a 5 minute walk. That's it! I know easier said than done, but i did it , and lived to tell the tale. Day 2 is the same as day 1.

I'm more confident today. I know how to turn on the treadmill, I've got my armband for my IPhone (I'd forgotten it the other day). Music is on, I'm feeling really good.I complete the workout in 26:30. My legs feel a little tight. I don't think I stretched as well as I should have. Note to self...make sure I stretch before each workout. I'm breathing pretty good, I don't feel like I'm gonna cough up a lung or anything. LOL. I grab my towel , wipe down the treadmill, and head to the lockers.

Week 1, day 2 ....COMPLETE!! doing a happy dance!

Week 1, Day 1

SCREEECH!!!! OK let's back up here a bit...This is how I'm feeling as I'm walking into the gym. I really wanna turn around and go home, but the parking lot is full of people who will see me and think I'm a chicken. I get out of my car and head for the door. As I'm crossing the lot a little old man gets out of his car that's parked in a handicapped spot upfront. Well damn! If gramps can get  his workout on ,then I guess so can I. Here's goes  nothing...

So I'm standing in front of the treadmill, when it occurs to me. Not only have I NEVER been in a gym..LOL..really. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA HOW TO USE A TREADMILL!!!. AHHHHH!!!(me screaming silently inside) Now this is really not seeming like such a good idea. There is no one on  the treadmills to the left or right of me, so  I breathe a sigh of relief that no one will notice my confusion. OK so I step onto the treadmill, (trying to look like i know what I'm doing) , adjust my earpieces and  press QUICK START. Thar's it and the treadmill starts moving...YAY ME!!  A lady steps on the machine next to me, adjust her speed and incline, and I follow her moves. I only go to incline 1 and speed 2.0. I'm not crazy! And I'm off to the races....

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.The total workoput lasted 27:00. not too long, not too short. I felt really good! Not winded, but I definetly felt my muscles moving. :) A little different running on a treadmill, than running on pavement, I'll get better as I  go along. I was sooo scared walking into the gym today and starting this running program. Now I don't know why. They say the first step is the hardest. They were right. But the last step makes you feel accomplished.

Week 1 day 1 ..COMPLETE!! YAY ME!!!

Is the world REALLY coming to an end??

If Nostradamus and the Mayans are correct, the world may truly be coming to an end in 2012....I started running. LMAO! Well, I started a running program. For those of you who know me, you know I used to be a runner. I ran track in high school, and got a partial track scholarship to college. I was a sprinter, a hurdler and a long jumper. I decided not to run in college, (it just wasn't fun anymore), then the partying began.....
Let's jut say I was young, single, living in Downtown D.C. and I KNEW how to have good time! Then came the smoking, yes I was a smoker, for more years than I care to say. But that's all behind me now,(sometimes....don't judge me!!) Well any who last spring I decided to try and start running again. Long story short, i didn't succeed. It was too hot, too hard, I lasted about a week. I felt defeated.

Fast forward 4 months ago. My friend and wine club sister Michele asked me to vote for her running clubs' blog...Black Girls Run. You know me, anything for a friend. I voted like a gazillion times, I friended them on Facebook, and started reading the posts. I was encouraged. I found a wonderful group of ladies who believe in fitness for Black women. I was reminded after reading each post, of the theme song for one of my favorite shows The Biggest Loser. The theme song is~~~ "What have you done today to make you  feel proud". Week after week I watched this show,(and i'm not even overweight). But I was enamored with the tenacity, courage and dedication  of the participants. One  night after reading posts on BGR-Black Girls Run, I decided F!*# it! I CAN DO THIS!!!

Once upon a time in the land of You've got to be kidding right?, there was a girl named Yoli  who decided to run...............