I’ve never been much of a runner. Way back in college, I took one semester of PE classes (required course) that included running as part of my grade. It was the only class I ever got a D in. The next time I had to take a PE class, I made sure it was one without a running requirement.
Fast forward to this summer. I’ve tried a couple of Couch to 5K programs in the past, none of them took. This summer though, I wanted a faster way to hatch eggs in Pokemon Go, and also hit the realization that while my new hobby of riding motorcycles is dangerous, I’m far, far more likely to die from a heart attack or stroke if I didn’t make some lifestyle changes.
Enter My Running Mate and the 5k101 program.
One thing nobody ever tells you is that the worst day of a workout program is the second day you have to do it. For (formerly) sedentary folks like me, the first day isn’t so difficult. You feel tired and worn out, but hey, it was the first day. Then you wake up the next morning, and feel like you were hit by a truck. But hey, you don’t have to work out that day, and you’ll feel better the next day when you workout again, right?
Not so much. the second workout day comes around, and you still feel terrible. And this is where a lot of people just quit out. But if you keep going, it gets better. Muscles start getting used to being used again, and the soreness diminishes.
With the 5k101 program, you start out running for two minutes. Then two and a half, then three. By the end, you’re running for thirty minutes. For me, that’s something I could never have done before.
If things go as planned, next year I’ll be improving to a 10k, and after that, who knows?