W1D1 done!  The session was four 7-min run/1 min walk intervals, with a slightly higher BPM than in the C25K program.  The 1st interval I did at my normal pace (4.1 - I know, I'm slow, lol), the 2nd & 3rd 2 did at 4.2, and the final at 4.1.  The main thing that I noticed was that my heart rate recovered a lot quicker with the interval training today than when I jogged for 30 minutes last Friday.  Overall, I had fun because I enjoyed the music a lot more than I thought I would & it was nice doing intervals again.

This program will last for 10 weeks, with a gradual BPM increase from 145 - 149 and 50 minutes of non-stop running. So far, so good!

Hi kukri! You can do the program without the podcast. The only thing is that they increase the beats per minute to gradually increase you to a faster pace, but I've seen a couple of people use their own music to do it.   Here's the link:

Gateway to 8K guide

W1D2 down!  I almost talked myself out of doing it today, but I managed to convince myself to go after my 11AM appointment.  I was concerned because I didn't know how well it would go after being ill, but it was actually one of my better sessions.  The first 2 sets of intervals I did at 4.0, the 3rd at 4.1, and the 4th from 4.2- 4.3.  I even enjoyed the music today (wasn't into that much when I first previewed it).

In addition to working out regularly, another goal for the next couple of weeks is to consistently drink 10 glasses of water per day.  I have been really bad at doing it, but, as the workouts get longer, the more hydrated I'm going to need to be.

Anyway, I'm happy that I worked out today!

W1D3 completed, but not without problems, lol!  When I got to the gym, I found out that my iPod wasn't charged up and I didn't have my stopwatch with me.  Thank goodness for timers on treadmills or I would have been in trouble!  Although I dislike running without music, I went on and did it anyway, so I was pretty proud of myself.  It also helped that they had Seinfeld on, so it was good to be amused while working out.  For the intervals, 1st - 4.0, 2nd - 4.1, 3rd - 4.2, 4th - 4.0.  I found that 4.0 is where I'm comfortable & can carry on a conversation, so that's good to know.  Hopefully, that will get better with time, but the major thing is just getting out there and doing it.

The one thing that was good about not having my iPod was that I got to be much more in tune with what was going on with my body.  I got to actually listen to my breath to know when I was getting ready to do too much.  Music is a great motivator, so sometimes I may go beyond my normal level because of the beat being so good, but, today, I just did what my body wanted to do naturally. 

In addition to today, my running days this week will be on Tuesday and Thursday.  Also, I am supposed to treat myself for completing C25K by going to a Hot Yoga class, so I'm going to try to do that this week as well.  Once the semester is over with, I'm going to incorporate 2 day of yoga/resistance training to up my workout schedule to 5 day a week.

Until next time!

W2D1 done! Wow, not training for a 1 1/2 week definitely took its toll. With 3 of the 4 intervals, I stayed @ 4 MPH. For the 4th, I did 3.9 for 4 min & 4 for the rest. It's a good thing that I'm doing interval training because I didn't have to do a week over. I was thinking about doing my second session tomorrow, but my body needs time to rest. During the beginning, I was aware of my shins, but it wasn't painful. The awareness went away after 10 min, but it may be time for me to get new shoes. We'll see.

Tomorrow's workout will be Yoga @ home. I really want to improve on my yoga practice so I can eventually go back to the regular hot yoga class. It's a really good workout, but I have to build on my arm strength for the faster vinyasas.

This weekend I'll be working 2 12-hour shifts, so my next running session should be on Monday. Until then!

I always get extra motivation for going to the gym when I journal here.  Something about writing that I'm going to do it makes me get up, despite the my bed's siren song, lol!  I signed up to work yesterday from 7am - 3:30pm, so I didn't get to sleep late on Christmas Day.   As a result, my body wants me to lay lazily in bed all day, but I must knockout W2D3 today.  Have to get hydrated before going (lots of wine yesterday), so I should leave the house by 11am.  I'll give report when I get back home!

Well, I never got to the gym that day.  I decided to take a break for the holidays.  I was going to start back up next week, but I got a fire lit under my butt today! 

Hi Milio!  It's sooo good to hear from you & to see that you're starting the program again!   How did today go?  When I saw your message it helped to motivate me to go to the gym and finish Week 2.  My other motivation came from my husband because he was able to get me  out of the house today, lol!  I think it's a great idea for you to start slow & work your  way back into the program.  With your new shoes, you should have no problems!

I would love for you to continue to check in with me.  We can keep each other motivated during the winter.  It can be so hard getting out of bed to face the cold, but we can do it!

I actually had to run in my old shoes from my 1st attempt at C25K today because I forgot the other ones.  Everything still went ok & I just took it slow for the most part.  Did 3.9 for the 1st 3 intervals, then  3.9 - 4.2 for the last.  I can't wait until it gets warmer, then I can just run out the door to workout.  I'll probably try running outdoors next winter, but it's not happening now, lol!  I felt better than I thought I would, so I'm excited to start Week 3 next week.  Hopefully, this program will get me through the winter. 

Ohhh, also I did some ab work today!  I've decided to incorporate that into my running days, so I can whittle down my stomach more.  Until next time!