“I just felt like running!” –Forrest Gump
Well, devout readers, I am on a new quest…running a 5k. I told myself that one of my resolutions for this year would be to train and run a 5k run. I have finally exhausted my fertility schedule and can now begin to train to run in a 5k race. As a GVSU alum, I chose to run in Grand Valley’s Homecoming 5k race on October 17, 2009. I paid my money and was the first to register for the event (how do I know this? Oh yeah, Ben’s office wrote the app and I was the test case!)–do I sound committed?
To get prepped for the event, I googled couch to 5k and came across Suz. Suz created podcasts for a full nine week training schedule that you can download free to your iPod. Each week, she used different music and recorded prompts over the tunes to tell you when it’s time to walk and run. You build up gradually over 9 weeks to running an entire 5k. I am almost done with the Week 2 schedule and I have discovered muscles I did not know I had! It has been a good workout and I have not struggled as I thought I might–I feel good thus far.
I will keep you updated with my progress, especially once school gets going and I need to juggle life, working, and this training. I am most concerned with an injury that might sideline my quest to finally fulfill a new year’s resolution–it seems most people I know begin to have injuries once they begin a running regiment. I am optimistic and careful when I run, but anyone who knows me knows that if it can happen to anyone…it’s me!