Ok, sorry about my last blog... but venting is part of the experience, right?  Well, anyways, only 2 weeks to go... I don't know if any of the readers out there are joining us for the LIFE sneaker challenge, but if you are I'm wondering how your training is going! Feel free to comment on how you're doing.  I'm getting excited that it's here.

On another note...I got to try on wedding dresses for the first time today, and hopefully that will convince me to keep up my workouts because I'm hoping to fit into a few more of them next time I go try on dresses (anyone else wish they carried a wider size selection?!).  It's definitely going to push me to continue working out after the 5K... and now I know that I need to vary my workouts to keep myself interested and excited about working out. 

Ok, so it's been a few days now, but last week on thursday, I finally got back on the road.  I went out there thinking... ok, self...you can do it.  Just jog for 5 minutes at a time...take as many rests as you need... it's been a while so it's ok if you lost it.  And guess what... I jogged for a full 12 minutes before taking a 2 minute break, then for 8 minutes!  After about 3 weeks off of jogging at all.  So I felt a lot better about things, and hopefully it will help me to get back into the jogging until the 5k...

I have found out a few things about myself during this training.  First of all... 4 and a half months is WAY too long of a time to train for a 5K, because it's not terribly long so once you get up to jogging that much you don't feel like you need to do much more.

Secondly, I HATE to jog or run.  In the beginning I had planned to do some swimming instead of some of my workouts, but it was suggested that I do that in addition to my workouts.  Well, there's just no way that I'm going to spend that kind of time working out.  I already have to get all changed into my jogging gear 3 times a week, do a very uncomfortable jog, then shower and not plan to do anything else for the evening... I was not about to add one more time per week.  Some people are passionate about being active and they love it... but then there are the rest of us who only do it because we don't want to keel over early in life. 

Well, anyways, I should have just thrown out one jog per week to do a workout I might actually enjoy.  I love aerobic workouts like swimming, or aerobic videos... or turbo kick boxing at the gym, but I guess I felt like training for this didn't give me any chance to do any workout I actually liked.  I can't even eat the same lunch two days in a row, let alone do the same boring workout two days in a row, but I guess I feel pushed into just doing the same thing over and over again...which meant that at some point I pretty much gave up.  I have learned that I just won't do that in the future. 

There is no specific plan that will work for me... if I am going to be successful I need to do the workout that I want to do...otherwise I get super frustrated and bored and I give up.  Not to mention, Jogging is very uncomfortable for some people because of the way we are built and it's definitely just not my thing. That's why I like to swim.  I don't come home with deep cutting red marks from the bra that I have to wear to keep anything in place during a run.  I don't have to worry about ogglers.  I don't have to be so uncomfortable.  I don't have to be so hot.  I don't need a bunch of different workout clothes because they get all sweaty every day.  It's just more my style.

So, even if this program hasn't made a jogger out of me, I think at least it has made me reflect on what might actually work for me.  

In the end, I consider that a success.

Oh, and can I add... freaking weird.  I've lost 5 pounds since I STOPPED jogging.  Why is the world such a weird place?  (I know...I know...metabolism...fat to muscle ratios..etc... but really... lost no poundage while jogging and now 5 pounds?  Doesn't seem right) 

I seem to have lost some enthusiasm. This week was tough - I did do my running three times (I try for four), but have to say it was an uphill battle. And an argument with myself. I don't know if it's because my weeks are getting routine, I'm not dropping the weight I think I should, or I don't seem to be getting any better with distance and time. I've hit a wall. Is this normal, or am I just a whiner?

Anyway, yesterday I came home and REALLY did not want to go out. It was supposed to rain, so I was intending to hit the treadmill at the gym but fortunately/unfortunately (depends on the viewpoint) the rain held out until late at night and I was able to hit the pavement. As long as the weather is decent, I've been trying to run outside. All week I was able to run outside, but I didn't have much motivation, and Sunday and Wednesday I did about two very slow miles.

If I lived by myself, I probably would have hit the couch last night instead of the pavement. But my husband kicked me out which some encouraging (nagging?) words about how important it is to exercise when you don't want to...blah, blah, blah. Grudgingly, I changed into running gear and started - in my mind planning to run one mile (essentially to get him off my back) then come home. A funny thing happened - I started doing pretty well. My feet didn't hurt, my legs didn't hurt, my breathing was pretty decent. I did my first mile and thought, "What the heck?" Once I got a little farther it was either run the rest of the way home or call someone for a ride - so I ran. I ran the entire 5K route - 3.1 miles, running a majority of the way.

So this was my second 5K around town. I did it once before a couple of weeks ago with abysmal time. But I chalked that up to my shin hurting and my first time seeing how long 3.1 miles can be. Last night I did the entire distance 9 minutes less than I did the first time. I'm still not "fast" but I feel confident now that I can reach my first goal for our 5K - to finish!

Saturday (today) is my ‘absolute rest' day - I religiously don't work out or run just to give myself a mental and physical break. Hate to say it - but - I'm looking forward to my THIRD 5K tomorrow. And I sooo plan to knock a few more minutes off. I figure if I can do reasonably well NOT wanting to go, think how well I'll do if I'm motivated! And I have another goal - to knock an average of 2 minutes off my time each week. I don't know if that's realistic (I feel like it is), but if I can do that I'll actually be proud of my time in May.

Four more weeks until our 5K Rookie Run in San Diego - and I hope I've overcome my inertia for good! Happy running!