Well, I officially started Couch to 5k for the second time tonight. For any who've started reading recently, it's not that I didn't finish before (I did!). I've just not been running much over the past 18 months, so felt starting over would be a good way to ease back into things.
Wow! What a difference. I'm amazed that my body has retained as much as it has since I first went through the program. Day one that first time through left me thinking I just might die right there, out on the trail. Tonight, on the treadmill and watching CSI, I got through the whole thing without even wanting to throw in the towel. What an amazing residual effect!
Should I really be surprised? Looking back on my Day One entry from back in 2009, I was 30 lbs. heavier (300 lbs.). That weight surely makes a difference.
Yet that wasn't the only difference. That first day, my running was pretty pitiful, especially near the end. I was probably lucky to have made it over 4 mph. Tonight, I ran flat fives for the first seven running segments, and I started at 6 mph and pushed it up to 8 mph during the final minute. Sure, I was spent at the end of the workout, but nothing like I was back then. As a point of reference, W5D3 (week five, run day three) on my first time through still had me running slower than four miles per hour during my 20 minute run. That, alone, gives me some hope.
One interesting thing to note: I ran tonight's workout in my Keen sandals. One of my boys used my running shoes a while back and he wore them down a bit, and lost the clip used for my elastic laces. I found the Keens to be surprisingly well suited for running. They are light and they flex very well with my feet.
I've also noticed that I'm really starting to favor a fore-foot strike. In part, I attribute it to all the stairs I've been doing lately, since I do the stairs on the balls of my feet, and to standing while at work (rather than sitting in a chair). When at the water park this past weekend, I found myself walking on the balls of my feet most of the time. When standing there, I also found myself favoring the balls of my feet. No complaints here, or from Mrs. F.--my calves look really good!
Because I started my C25K redux tonight, I'm delaying my next 100 pushups workout until tomorrow.
Well, goodnight, all!
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