Couch to 5K: reflections

It's raining when I go for my jog today, a slow, steady, not-too-heavy rain that soaks my clothes in minutes. It drips off my hair and freezes my hands and runs down my face like tears.

Tufts of grass make my shoes as wet as my hair, the ground bumpy under my feet. Concrete, tanbark, gravel. The slow curve around the oval. A small respite on the perfectly tailored athletics track. Then back to bumpy ground, and the gradual rise at the end of my 20 minutes.

I've decided not to finish Couch to 5K, at least for the moment. I made it to 25 minutes, but my knees and I have come to a compromise: 20 minutes - about 3K - is enough for now. That way there's enough pep left in my knees for walking, and carrying bags, and climbing stairs, and all the other things I have to do.

Here's the plan. A 20 minute jog a couple of times a week, and a broken-up getting-used-to-running jog with my daughter on the weekends. Plus a lovely long meditative walk once a week, and maybe some weights once I get around to it.

Once or twice a week I swim with my son. He swims for his health (migraines and chronic headaches). I swim for joy. To my vast astonishment, I swam a kilometre yesterday, all 40 laps of it, without much puffing. And I used to do 8 laps and collapse!

So would I recommend Couch to 5K? Most definitely. This particular couch potato - or computer potato - is now fitter and healthier and stronger, and has muscle in places where fat used to be. Even better, running lifts my mood, helping me fight anxiety and discouragement as I care for our chronically ill son.

As I reach the end of my run, damp and dripping, Sara Groves sings through my earphones. Many times I've finished jogging, done some stretches, then sat on my rock and stared at my lake with the words of Like a Lake drifting through my thoughts. This song, along with a few others, has supported me through the last hard months.

Today feels like a new beginning, the start of a new pattern, a new way of being. I'm settling into this fitness plan now, making it part of my life, enjoying its benefits. So it's appropriate that this song plays now, at the end of my 20 minute run.

Couch to 5K: take 2

Week 6
There are three different workouts for this week. They are as follows:

Workout 1: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 8 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running.

Workout 2: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 10 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 10 minutes of running.

Workout 3: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 25 minutes of running with no walking.

I walk out the door into Autumn. The air is nose-shrivelling cold, the sun warm, my favourite kind of day. Yellow leaves drift past. Sara Groves sings Why it matters into my earbuds, her words of parks and memorials somehow suited to the day.

I raise my face to the tree tops, and think: yes, this is it. Today, I can do this.

I'm walking. I'm running. Running around the park. Running back. And back again. This 25 minute run eats up a lot of ground. By the end, I'm avoiding any little rise in the ground, going the long, flat way around. Not. Sure. I. Can. Make. It.

Just as I pick up my iPhone to check if I can stop - now, please now! - the annoyingly calm voice of the app says, "Well done! You've made it!".

For the umpteenth time, I think, "It's all very well for you, Miss Virtual Trainer, you're not the one doing the running." (Pet hate: that pert little "You're half-way there!". "Only half-way?!", my lungs and legs scream.)

I walk to the lake, stretch every leg muscle I can identify, then sit on a rock and watch a flock of cockatiels fight over a tree full of gumnuts. The nuts don't look particularly tasty to me, all dry and brown, but the cockatiels rip them to shreds and eat whatever's inside.

Time to go home. My muscles are a little achy, but that's to be expected. My knees are, surprisingly, without twinges of any kind. And I'm triumphant - and relieved.

And I realise:

• you can work through a week more slowly if your body demands it, and still reach your goal.
• I just bought a second knee-brace, and my knees feel better this way. I also think it helps that I'm not jogging quite as many times a week. Recently, it's been one longer jog and one broken-up jog with my daughter.
• you shouldn't wear woollen socks on a run, cold day or not. My feet are soon begging for air.
• you shouldn't have a hot drink before you run. Not unless you want to find out what it's like to run with a full bladder. Uncomfortable.

It's the end of week 6, take 2 - or 3 - or, perhaps, 4 - and I did it! My first 25 minute run!


How did you find week 6 of Couch to 5K?

Couch to 5K: loud was the rejoicing

Just did my first ever 25 minute run for Couch to 5K. And my knees are fine! Woo-hoo! I can't quite believe it!

(I'll let you know how it went next week.)

Couch to 5K: weeks 7-9 (or not)

Week seven
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 25 minutes running.

Week eight
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 28 minutes of running.

Week nine
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 30 minutes of running.

Well, it seems that I like jogging, but it doesn't like me. I'm still hovering around week 6, wondering if my knees are ready to take the next step - the 25 minute run. More and more, I wonder if I'll have to stop and get my exercise in some other form.

In the meantime, my friend Jane has long since finished Couch to 5K. I asked her what the last few weeks were like. Here's what she said:

Jane - These were the weeks that got easier for me. With just one jump up to running 25 mins, this was when I felt I'd 'become' a competent runner. The other increases were small and I didn't really notice them. 

Around this time I made myself a cool down playlist of my favourite congregational / God focused songs to help me begin the day in prayer and worship God aright in my heart before heading inside to help with the breakfast routine. 

I've been reading Amy Grant's memoirs and she talks about how every day before breakfast she goes outside to look at the day and she says out loud "This is the day The Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it". I've adopted her idea and adapted it to help align my heart with God's at the end of my morning run. 

I also pray for whatever I know we have on that day - all while cooling down and listening to beautiful recordings of such songs as Come Thou Fount and I Can Only Imagine. This is now my favourite thing about running!

Go Jane!

Couch to 5K: week 6, day 1

Week 6 day 1.
A brisk 5-minute walk, then 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 8 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running.

Day 1: that's all I've done of week 6 so far. I'm e-a-s-i-n-g my way through a combination of weeks 5 and 6, nursing my knees (so far so good), working up gradually to my first 25 minute run.

I ran on Sunday afternoon (I'll do my next run today if I can). The first 5 minutes were sluggish and slow; the 8 minutes, a test of stamina; the last 5 minutes, joyous. It reminded me, again, why I'm doing this whole Couch to 5K thing.

I've been feeling worn out, flattened by life. After my run, I felt happy, energised, ready to face the week. Exercise isn't the key to life, but it's a good cure for blah-ness. It's a great gift of God, isn't it?

And I ran with my daughter! It was her first run for months. Despite that, she powered ahead of me through the first 5 minutes, long legs taking in big gulps of ground. "You go ahead, darling!", I panted. "I'll catch up!". The difference between 44 and 14 years.

Ah, but then she chose to sit out the 8 minute run. Okay, so she wasn't super-well, but it still made feel a bit better. Ageing legs and all, I've developed some stamina over the last few months.

We ran the last 5 minutes together, and she hit the sweet spot, where your mind gives up and your body takes over, lungs and legs doing their thing. It's a glorious feeling, best of all the first time you feel it.

She enjoyed it so much that she declared, "Mum, I want to go jogging again!" Sweet words to a mother's ears. Seems I have a new jogging companion, on weekends at least.

Couch to 5K: *pause* for sore knees

So far, I've done 5-weeks-plus-a-day of Couch to 5K twice!

The first time was last summer. That's what you've been reading about. It ended with a sore left knee and a month-long break from running.

The second time - well, you've been reading about that too, because I've been running at the same time as I've been posting.

This time I got through the 20 minute run with no localised knee soreness.

Here's what I'm doing differently this time around:

• I do a set of stretching exercises, based on these, at the end of every run. They are necessary for every jogger, apparently - running creates injury without them - and I love doing them! I'm more flexible than I've been in years.
• I bought a new pair of runners, designed particularly for the way my feet pronate (or is that supernate?  I don't know). But they make a huge difference - much more padding than my old cross-trainers!
• I started wearing a patella band just under my left knee. Not a cure-all, apparently. But it really does help my knee to feel more stable.
• I slowed down once I got near the 20 minute run, and repeated the 2 x 8 minute run a few times. No point rushing things!
• I changed where I run, keeping to a place with more even surfaces and less slants and hills.

I'm still getting a little general knee achiness, but much less than the first time around (and I suspect due to some extra over-doing it during the last week).

I've pulled back a bit this week, and will e-a-s-e back into jogging over the next week or so - and keep you updated.

Not sure  I'll ever make a long-term jogger, much as I'd hate to give it up! I love running. But if I keep getting sore, I might have to try a different form of exercise.

Couch to 5K: week 6, take 1

There are three different workouts for this week. They are as follows:

Workout 1: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 8 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running.

Workout 2: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 10 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 10 minutes of running.

Workout 3: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 25 minutes of running with no walking.

I only make it through the first day of week 6. Then my left knee packs it in and I have to take a break for a month or so. But Jane is still busy jogging, and I'm busy buying jogging clothes:

Jane: Am meant to do the big 25 min run tomorrow... Feeling scared!

Jean: You are so far ahead of me now! How are you finding it?

I bought a pile of jogging clothes from Target today. Sick of coming home from a jog and having to wash everything I have on! Well, I'll still have to wash it, but at least I won't have to delve into my not-that-huge wardrobe...

I had to prove to myself it was worth the cost. Getting to 20 minutes and enjoying it did that!

Jane: Oh yay for jogging clothes! I never thought I'd love the sight of bike pants so much - can't run in shorts - they just ride up the whole time. Most of my stuff is Target too - good range, good prices.

Are you running this weekend?

Jean: Yes, I will be running today or tomorrow, but I'm up to day 1 of the week you just finished. I was sick with a tummy bug that other week!

My problem is I need a pocket for my iPhone, so leggings and bike pants are mostly out. I went for something looser with pockets. I've been running in a pair of old, cream-coloured 3/4 pants with a tight waist (they need to be tight or they fall down!). Effective but kinda daggy. Don't feel comfortable about showing my legs in shorts. How vain am I?!

Jane: Yes, it's all about problem solving (e.g. phone) whilst considering what you're comfortable wearing in public! I invested in a running band that holds my iPhone and it's terrific - never need to worry about what my phone's doing and it means I can go for the over-the-knee style bike pants. It was $30 from Rebel and it's mostly made out of wetsuit material except for a clear plastic part for the front of the phone.

You caught me after just getting home from the last run of week 6 - 25 mins. I was scared it would be too hard, but it really wasn't. Might go back to bed now though!

A few weeks later I invest in a waist band for my iPhone and a new pair of running shoes.

After day 1 of week 6, my running comes to an abrupt (temporary) halt, and I learn:

• jogging clothes aren't essential, but they help - as does a spot to put your smartphone
• good jogging shoes, on the other hand, are essential. So are stretching exercises.
• you need to take care of your knees. You need to take notice when your knees are getting sore. More about that next week.

It's a slow journey back into jogging, but I don't want to give up yet. 

How did you find week 6 of Couch to 5K?

Couch to 5K: week 5

Week five
There are three different workouts for this week. They are as follows:
Workout 1: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking, 5 minutes of running.

Jane: How's the running going this week? I had a few bad nights sleep in a row so didn't run again until this morning - Level 5 run #1. It was actually ok. Still enjoying it, though it's not easy.

Jean: I missed lots of days too because so busy, planning to do Level 5 run #1 this morning but it's 37 degrees here so we'll see...

The 37 degree heat adds a big degree of difficulty but I'm okay this time.

Jean: DONE! Hot. Sweaty (didn't post that word on Facebook TMI!). Tired. The next two days look completely impossible, especially the 20 min jog. It's like falling: never look down. Aaaargh!!!!!

Jane: Well done - and in such heat too!

There's something very earthy about jogging. My face gets unbecomingly red, sweat runs down my back, and I gulp for air. The sharp scent of exertion fills my nostrils (and hopefully not other people's). When I get home, I badly need a shower.

I'm usually a thinker and an observer, lost in my own head, losing touch with things around me. But now I can feel every muscle and tendon stretching and striving. I love the way jogging gets me out of my head and into my body.

It helps that there's a drink to be had during my run. I stop at a bubbler half-way through, to put water on my face and neck and gulp some down.

For the rest of this very hot day I discover another benefit of jogging: I don't feel the heat. Sweating no longer seems like an enemy, but a friend.

Workout 2: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 8 minutes of running, 5 minutes of walking, 8 minutes of running.

The app doesn't work all that well, and I find myself doing 10 minutes instead of 8 - and I don't even notice! I can't believe what my body is newly capable of.

As I reach the end of the 10 minutes, it's as if my breathing begins to slow down. My lungs feel like a pair of bellows, puffing in-and-out, in-and-out. My body moves more smoothly than it has in years.

I come home brimming with feel-good-endorphins. It's like that joyous, free-floating feeling after a swim. I'm hooked.

Workout 3: a brisk 5-minute walk, then 20 minutes of running, with no walking.

Jane: Can't quite believe it, Jean - I just ran 20 mins - 3k!!

Jean: Well done Jane! I'm not feeling well so had to pause just before the 20 min run...my max so far is 10 minutes...but well done you!

Jane: Yes that was me last week and it set me back quite a few days. I actually wasn't at all sure I could do it, but Jess was right - she said to trust the program. I do feel great, and surprisingly, it didn't feel too hard until just at the end. Very pleased that I'm back to four shorter runs next time before trying to pull that off every time I go!

Jean: How do you feel? (I feel like the torturer from The Princess Bride - "It's for posterity, so be honest"...) 

Jane: Yeah the 20 min run was good. It felt difficult, but not too difficult. As always the last 2 minutes are just sheer grit and effort. I think that is just how it is - getting comfortable with feeling like it's hard.

Then, after I do the 20 minute run,

Jean: Yes, that last couple of minutes was a challenge! Normally I find the first part of the run hard, so those double runs killed me. But this time I was bounding after the gate: nothing like a week of rest!

And I realise:

• the first few minutes of jogging are the hardest. Then my legs and lungs settle into it, I hit my rhythm, and it's (almost) a joy.
• my app said, way back in week 2, "Breathe deeply and find a good breathing tempo to avoid getting out of breath". Now it makes sense.
• a long run leaves you with a completely different feeling to a short one. It's worth persisting. I feel like I'm floating on air.

It's the end of week 5, and I can't believe how good I feel.


How did you find week 5 of Couch to 5K?

Couch to 5K: week 4

Week four
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then 3 minutes of running, 90 seconds of walking, 5 minutes of running, 2½ minutes of walking, 3 minutes of running, 90 seconds of walking, 5 minutes of running.

The first day of week 4 is completely horrible. We're at my mother-in-law's place in the country, and the road near her house is hills! hills! hills!

For the first time, I can't make it through my run. I struggle through the first 3 minutes, puffing and panting up a slope. I have to stop half-way through the 5 minute run: there's not enough breath left.

The final 3 minutes is a little easier - downhill, and I've found my pace - but I finish with the conviction that this is it for me. It's going to be 3 minute runs for the rest of my life. Which I guess is better than no running at all.

Jane and I share our sorrows:

Jane: So the first run of Level 4 was a bit of a step up! 

Jean: Oh yes. Nearly died. Good to hear I'm not the only one.. My friend who goes to the gym says longer times / distances are always much harder. Hmmm... Didn't help that there were hills where I was staying.

Taking a few days off and might restart at last step of level 3... Telling myself any level is better than none. 

We could write a blog post about this!

Jane: Yes, I nearly died too. I do agree with you - any level is better than none. I'm telling myself if I just do Level 3, 3 times per week for the year, I'll still be doing awesome exercise! 

The hills make it tricky. I do the same circuit every day (strangely comforting) but there's a pretty big hill right in the middle of the last 5 minute run right now!

Jess tells me via text that we'll be surprised that we can do it if we just keep going ...!

Am imagining what a blog about this might say... "Can't believe we're able to write this post because we thought Couch to 5K had killed us..." xxx

Jean: PS still a bit dubious about what Jess said. And as for keeping going... *puff, puff*

Jane: Yes, I had a little worried chuckle when she said that too! At least for the time being I will try to keep going. Time will tell!

The next time I run - and yes, I do push on - it's a little easier.

By the third time, it's all starting to fall into place. The adrenaline rush returns. I feel capable and grounded and strong. Who knew that inside this bookish, library-ish person there was a jogger?

Jane: Just did the level 4 run for the second time - once again it nearly killed me, but it was a tad easier...

Jean: I did it for the 3rd time yesterday and FINALLY felt like I'd gotten the point. It was hard but, remarkably, FUN! And the first two of week 4 were so horrible, and I didn't enjoy level 3 much either...

First time I've felt energised by all this jogging stuff for a while. Pretty sore last night. But I'm feeling so much stronger and fitter: walking, climbing stairs (no puffing!), even standing are easier. A lot firmer around the middle. Better posture. More energy. Stronger.

All that "inner core" stuff is true after all! And it's good for the mind too: I feel happier, more confident, and less anxious.

I sound like an evangelist! I feel like writing a (very boring) post about the benefits of exercise...

No doubt I'll hate it again next week.

And I realise:

• the first day of the week might feel completely impossible, but it will get easier
• exercise is packed full of unlikely benefits, and I'm starting to see them
• my body is capable of so much more than I thought it was.  

It's the end of week 4, and, after a few tough weeks, I'm enjoying running again


How did you find week 4 of Couch to 5K?

Couch to 5K: week 3

Week three
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then two repetitions of 90 seconds of running, 90 seconds of walking, 3 minutes of running, 3 minutes of walking.



I'm not sure I can run for 3 minutes, and sure enough, the first day is tough. It doesn't help that there's a strong head wind. And it's raining. Running along the beach suddenly isn't so appealing.

After all that, my phone runs out of charge and my run fails to record. So I have to repeat it. Which means that this week, I'll do this run four times rather than three.

That doesn't sound like such a bad idea. After all, if 3 minutes is this hard, how on earth am I going to move up to 5?

So I do two runs along the beach, and we drive home from our holiday, back to pavements and dry summer grass. And I do two more runs, and the last one is super-easy, and I realise I was ready for the next week after all.

The app's annoying me. It's not super-reliable: sometimes the trainer's calm voice tells you to stop jogging, but sometimes it forgets, so I have to check my iPhone as I run. Plus these fiddly little runs are starting to bug me.

I'm so excited about all this running that when I get back to my computer, I announce it on Facebook: "I'm up to week 4 of Couch to 5K"! I get a few "Likes!" and a private Facebook message from my friend Jane*. She says,

I'm up to week 3 of couch to 5k too! Loving it! Loving the apps that allow you to use your own music! I will think of you tomorrow when I go for my next run xxx

That's when our virtual running partnership starts. And that's when I realise,

• it's much easier with two. Run with a friend if you can. Or at least with a virtual friend. 
• some days will be harder than others. It's windy, it's hot, or it's rainy. You're just tired out for some reason. Don't worry, you haven't lost it. Next time will be better.
• when you're struggling, and the next week looks impossible, don't worry: you're more ready than you realise. Don't slow down. Don't repeat a run. Trust the program.

I'm not loving Couch to 5K at the moment. The adrenaline rush has gone. But I'm determined to stick at this...

How did you find week 3 of Couch to 5K?


* Jane blogs at the excellent foodthatserves.

Couch to 5K: week 2

Week two
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then alternate 90 seconds of running with 2 minutes of walking, for a total of 20 minutes.



Week 2 of Couch to 5K isn't that much of a stretch. Yes, my legs want to stop at 1 minute. And yes, it's hard to get that extra 30 seconds out of my puffing body. But that first exhilaration hasn't worn off - not yet.

I discover the joy of running at the beach. We're on holidays, and nothing beats this: a straight stretch of sand, long waves to my right, running past holiday makers and dogs and fishermen.

One day, I go jogging with my daughter. That doesn't work out so well. She's faster than me, but she doesn't see the fun in this. We get back and I ask, "Do you want to do that again?", and she answers, "Not really."

My (sporty) sister-in-law looks at my outfit and says, "You're jogging in jeans?" Well, yes, I am. I didn't want to invest in running clothes until I found out if this program would stick. And better 3/4 jeans than nothing.

I think she's kind of impressed that her non-jogging sister-in-law is willing to give this a go, though. She's sidelined with a sore hip, so we've swapped roles this year: the sporty and the not-so-sporty.

I notice with amusement that, when I run past someone, I speed up to impress them. Then I can barely make it to the end of my 90 seconds. The penalty of vanity.

I reach the end of the beach - can't believe I've made it! Normally I wouldn't even attempt to walk this far! - and pause to watch the waves curling and the seagulls curving overhead. Then I turn and jog-walk-jog-walk back to our holiday house.

And I realise...

• running at the beach is completely, utterly glorious. Wish I could do it all the time.
• it would help if I had proper jogging clothes, but ordinary clothes will do for now - although I'll learn soon enough that running in your old cross-trainers is perhaps not the best idea.
• my app tells me, "Don't go too fast. It's about distance and intervals, not speed." Clearly it knows the way I'm tempted.

It's the end of the second week, and I'm still enjoying this.

How did you find week 2 of Couch to 5K?

Couch to 5K - week 1

Week one
Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then alternate 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of walking, for a total of 20 minutes.


I'm no jogger (dodgy knees, not athletic enough, walking is for me). Yet here I am, jogging, feet thudding through the parkland near our house.

Not sure what brought this on! A hand-me-down iPhone from my mum? An article about apps like Couch to 5K? The slow-burning realisation that, when I break briefly into a run during my walks, I actually enjoy it?

Mostly, it's because I made just one resolution for 2013: to get more exercise. I spent 2012 in front of the computer - at least that's how it felt - and I'm fed up with that well-padded, lethargic, energy-less me. So here I am, jogging.

I'm surprised to find that it's fun. It's hard, yes. A whole minute! And then another one! And then another! It doesn't sound like much, but my legs and lungs aren't used to this, and they're soon complaining.

But I get home, and I'm hot and puffed, and I sit next to my husband - so far the trajectory of this has been 1K to couch, not couch to 5K - and I'm smiling from ear to ear. All those promised endorphins have kicked in and I'm exhilarated and energised.

I learn a few things this first week:

• don't jog in 40 degree heat. Yup, I tried it. And came as close to heat stroke as I never want to be again.
• it's not a good idea to run on a full stomach. Eat breakfast, then wait an hour, then jog. Or jog first. Otherwise you'll be sluggish and slow.
• boppy music makes a great jogging companion. It puts a spring in your step. Later on, I'll find I can listen to slower music; but right now, I need the bop.
• the occasional stitch in the side is to be expected. They go away soon. Or at least they did for me.

That's the end of the first week. And so far I'm loving it.


How did you find week 1 of Couch to 5K? Tell us here.

Couch to 5K - hints and tips

* Please leave a comment if you're planning to start Couch to 5K (or similar), are half-way through it, or have done it before.

* Just click here and let us know where you're up to and how you're finding it!

* And no, you don't need a Smartphone - a watch and this program will do.

* Next week, I'd like to start my jogging diary, as promised here (as long as my knees are still holding up... :) ).

*In the meantime, here are some hints and tips from friends who've gone before.

   

Jess -

• One tip is to keep stretching afterwards. Even if you don't need it to prevent soreness, it still prevents injuries and back issues. I've noticed my hamstrings are tighter than they have ever been and it's just the running so I need to just keep working at stretching them. 
• Tanya and I found signing up for a fun run very motivating to train for a longer distance. 
• Having a friend to run with is probably the main reason I've kept going regularly. 

Tanya -

• I would emphasise the importance of moving up levels despite it being hard. It's the main way you see improvement, and your body can actually cope, even if your head thinks it can't. 
• In terms of pace/speed: if you are getting way too breathless, slow right right down, even if it's slower than walking pace. As long as you keep jogging you are challenging your body and will see improvement. You can always work on getting faster later. The rest in between runs helps.
• Runs after very little sleep are harder but manageable. Early nights make for an easier run : ) Jess and I both notice how much harder the run is if we've had too many late nights. 
• It really is a luxury having someone to keep you getting up and going consistently. I think encourage people to find a friend, if possible, and begin it together like we did. Not only does it help physically but can be wonderful bonding experience.
• You'll be surprised that you can do it if you just keep going.

Jane -

• "Hard but not too hard": that phrase sums up my whole experience. I've found it quite addictive, setting myself a difficult challenge and then finding I can actually do it. 
• I've also found Jess' advice helpful - to "trust the program" when feeling scared the next increase would be too hard. There were times when I really wouldn't have given the next challenge a go had that not been ringing in my ears.

Me - 

• Stick to the program, especially in those moments when you think you can't move to the next step. When I paused and re-did a step, I realised I was actually ready for more. 
• If you can, run somewhere beautiful - it helps a lot! The best course is not too hilly, with gentle curves.
• Put something boppy on your MP3 player (if you have one). It will make you feel more energetic, and it'll be a lot more fun.
• I've been sidelined with a sore knee for the last few weeks, probably because I took a week off and then jumped straight into my first 20 minute run. Here's what I learned:
• get a decent pair of running shoes
• do a set of stretches after you run (it helps prevent muscle tightening and injury)
• if you take a break (e.g. due to illness) you might want to go back a few steps
• if your knees start to get sore, don't push through it: rest and ease back into running s-l-o-w-l-y 
• seek professional help if needed.
• My daughter's self-defence teacher told her: Stay safe. Run with just one ear-bud in, so you can hear what's happening around you. Don't run in a place or at times that are too isolated.

Three final thoughts -

• Jogging is FUN! Who knew? Exhilarating, energising, and a great work-out. 
• I'd never done more than a minute's jogging before. I was astonished to discover how capable my body is. You can do it!
• The program works! I feel like Master Yoda: "Trust - the - program."

Don't forget to let us know if you're joining in.

Couch to 5K: anyone want to join me?

I just finished my first 20 minute jog ever! It's week 6 of Couch to 5K.

At the end of this post, I'm going to invite you to join me.
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I swore I'd never jog, but this being the year of more exercise, I gave it a go, using the iPhone app. And - surprise! - I love it.

My legs are a little tired (I've just had a week's break due to illness). But the rest of me feels just fine.

Better than fine. Fantastic!

• I feel fitter (well, duh). Healthier. Stronger. 
• It's exhilarating. I feel happier. Less anxious. 
• My posture is better. I get less tired walking, or even standing. 
• I've rediscovered my waist, and (oddly) my biceps.
• My heart and lungs are stronger. As I jog longer distances, I can feel my breathing deepening and slowing down.
• I even feel the heat of this very hot summer less!

And (did I mention this?) it's actually FUN! Yes, hard - there have been weeks when I thought, "I'll stop right here" - but fun.

Couch to 5K is a very well-designed program.

Every time I go off-program - take it more slowly, or double up on a day - I realise I was actually ready for the next step.

Sometimes you feel like you can't go any further, but on the whole you make slow, steady progress, and surprise yourself with how good you feel.

So does anyone want to join me?

Let me know in the comments if you'd like to do Couch to 5K. Tell me when you want to start. 

And I'll post a little diary of my experience each week to accompany you along the way.

image is by Ed Yourdon at flickr

how I exercise (2) restarted

Why do I exercise? Why does a Christian women try to exercise for half an hour every day?

The Bible says that "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (1 Tim 4:8). Now there's a verse which appeals to me. Love, service and obedience are far more important than exercise. Yes!

But the older I get, the clearer it becomes that when I don't exercise, it's these more important things that suffer. Lack of exercise hampers my joy, energy, and willingness to serve. I'm more tempted to irritability, laziness, and despondency. I'm no exercise-worshipper - far from it! - and I don't want to waste too much time and money on exercise. But when it's within my control, I want to keep my body suited to cheerfully serving God and my family.

So here it is: one busy woman's personal exercise program. Interrupted, restarted.

• I aim for half an hour's exercise most days, after the morning school run while Andy watches Playschool (the key, I've found, is to discover a time that works well in my day)
• when I can, I go for 30 minute's brisk walk (and have done so regularly for many, many years!). I let my thoughts drift, or pray and meditate on the Bible, or memorise a Bible passage, or listen to a talk on my iPod, or just enjoy God's world and allow it to catch up my thoughts to him.
• twice a week I get out my weights and do this set of exercises from Strong women, strong bones:
  Chair stand
  Biceps curl
  Upward row
  Overhead press
  Side arm raise
  Back extension
  Abdominal curl
  Pelvic tilt
  Push-up
• on the days when it's too wet for a walk, I get out Wii Fit and do some aerobic and balance training. (Shadow boxing and step are FUN! Jogging on the spot is not so fun, but good for the soul. Skiing down a virtual slalom course, and tipping virtual balls into holes with your feet, are definitely too much fun to be left to the kids.)*
• I'm also discovering that when exercise does get interrupted by illness or busyness, the key is to start again as soon as I can: starting slowly (after the flu, walking was all I could manage), then building up gradually.

Okay, that's enough from me. I'm going to brush the cobwebs off my box of weights. Playschool's nearly over (oops!) and I have some exercising to do. Now.

***

Done. And I really do feel better for it.

*I love swimming laps too - such a meditative experience, all in watery blue, and it leaves you so deliciously all-overly relaxed! But my hair and timetable don't like me doing it often.

images are from toughkidcst and Frodrig at flickr

how I exercise (1) interrupted

I got out my weights this morning, and there was a cobweb on the box. Not a good sign.

It's been a month - or is it 6 weeks? - since the weights left their box. A week of flu followed by a month's writing for EQUIP book club has left my arms feeling as floppy as overcooked spaghetti. By the end of a normal day I've been teary and grumpy from (physical) exhaustion. Where's the strength, woman?

The older I get, the more I need to exercise. W-a-a-a-y down the end of my 2009 reading list was Miriam Nelson's Strong Women Stay Young. It says that as you get older, your muscles and bones weaken if you don't do an increasing proportion of weight-bearing to aerobic exercise. I know this. Walking regularly no longer keeps me either trim or terrific.

Until this year, I'd never lifted weights just for exercise. It didn't seem necessary. Like most women, I can carry a 1o kg child on my left hip, and 12 litres of milk in my right hand, on top of 20kg extra weight when I'm pregnant. But in March I tentatively unpacked the arm and leg weights my mother had given me, and tried out some of the exercises from Strong Women Stay Young. I did them erratically for a few weeks. Then the weights stayed in their box for the middle 6 months of this year.

Surprisingly, it was buying a Wii for the kids' Christmas (a few months ago, on sale) that got me exercising again. Wii Fit sucked me in with its guilt-producing weighing sessions. If you've used it, you'll know how motivating it is to see the arrow rapidly rising to measure your BMI - not to mention the chubby little Mii alter-ego shaped to your body's proportions!

So there I was, a couple of months ago, and the crazy burnout-inducing part of my year was over. The weights were looking at me from their box. God's good world was asking me to go walking in it again. And the Wii was beckoning. I came up with an exercise program which was working beautifully, until illness and busyness intervened, and the cobwebs started gathering on my box of weights.

Until today.

Next time: how I exercise (2) restarted. The how and why of how I exercise.

images are from stock.xchng and Chung's blog.