Run, run, as fast as you can...

So on Monday I started running.  No one is more shocked about that as I am.  I've always said the only reason I will ever run is if someone is chasing me with the intention to harm me.  I hate running!  I have lots of friends who are runners -- 5K's, mini and whole marathons, triathalons.  I could never identify with them.  I've heard of a "runner's high" -- I can't EVEN imagine!  Nothing about it to me seems enjoyable.  I can't even believe it's come to this.  I just never thought of myself as a runner.  But the other day, my friend, Paula, came over to drop something off.  I invited her to come in.  She and I had gone walking together a few times, and it's so much easier to do any form of exercise when you have someone to do it with you, so I asked her if she was free to walk this week.  She explained that she was going to take up running again.  She had run a 5K a time or 2 before and felt like she wanted to do that again.  Paula's not a runner either.  She hates every second of it.  She says she doesn't become more energetic, but conversly feels completely zapped of energy when she runs.  But she wants to be healthy and lose weight, so she's going to try it again.  Paula is a little older than me.  Her kids are in college and high school.  She and I have similar body types and activity levels.  All my other friends who run are crazy, psycho runners who love it and are skinny and live for the next race, blah, blah, blah.  Paula was the first person I'd come across who actually made me feel like maybe I could do it.  And we could do it together.  She had run in the past but had stopped and it was going to be like starting all over for her, so I decided to go along for the ride...or run.

She uses a C25K app on her phone (which stands for couch to 5K).  It's a really cool app and totally free!  On day one, which for me was Monday, you start out doing a 5 minute walking warm up.  Then you alternate between running for 60 seconds and walking for 90 seconds for a total of 20 minutes.  Then you do a 5 minute walking cool down.  The app allows you to listen to music on your phone at the same time and will interupt your music to tell you when it's time to walk or run.  So...I did it and I survived.  It actually wasn't that bad.  There were a few times that I was surprised the 60 second run was over and I could have gone longer.  It's set up for you to work out 3 days a week, gradually progressing to more running each week, with the being able to run a 5K in 9 weeks.  I'm still not totally convinced, but we shall see.