Couch To 5K Update: ’80s (Leg) Explosion

Here we are again; it’s time to give you my weekly Couch to 5K update. If you didn’t read my first update, you can catch up here.

You know what they say about the “best laid plans”, right? (No? Okay, click here.)

Don’t worry, I didn’t quit the program. Remember, though, how my plan was to actually do the workout FOUR times per week instead of three, to accelerate my training a bit, and that the fourth day of the week would be a repeat of the day before? The plan was to NOT move ahead to a more challenging workout on the fourth day, because I was worried I’d hurt myself. It was a great idea.

Unfortunately, last Monday (Mondays are my Day 4) was…well, let me tell you.

I started my workout on Monday morning and was feeling okay, for it being only twenty-four hours since the last one. On the first 90-second run, I felt really good. My playlist was still motivating me, and I was in it to win it.

On the second 90-second run, I did really well for the first bit of it. Eventually I wanted to look at how much time I had left really badly, but since I try to only look one time during each run, I put it off as much as possible. When I finally looked, I saw fifteen seconds left. “Shew!” I thought.

I kept running, and fifteen seconds came and went. “Huh?” I thought, after what seemed like another thirty seconds.

Indeed, it was. I checked the time again, and realized something. My C25K app moves ahead automatically to the next day when you finish the workout. I was in the middle of a THREE MINUTE RUN. Unexpectedly. Total morale buster.

However, being the “go-get-’em” type that I am, and being the type of person who really doesn’t want to quit, I kept going. Had I stopped the workout app, I would’ve had to begin ALL OVER AGAIN (on the right day), and I decided to just power through it. By the end of the second three-minute run, my legs were dying. *I* was dying. I just knew it.

I didn’t die, of course, but I limped home after the cool down and Jim, awesome hubby that he is, rubbed my legs for a while. Then I stretched, for a long, long time. It was a really bad way to introduce myself to the new week’s workout, ambushing myself like I accidentally did, but…oh well.

Because of that, I did Week 3’s workout for five sessions. My playlist this week? All ’80s.

Come On Eileen (Dexy’s Midnight Runners): Warm up
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go (Wham)
Running (The Fixx)
Mr. Vain Recall
Blister in the Sun (Violent Femmes)
Tainted Love (Soft Cell)
Holiday Road (Lindsay Buckingham)
Walk This Way (Run DMC, with my friend Dawn’s Pretend Boyfriend): Cool down

The playlist? Eh. I wasn’t thrilled with it this week. Placing “Tainted Love” at the end of my second three-minute run was a mistake. You can only hear that song so many times in your life before it really doesn’t do much to excite you. “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” was PERFECT for the first run, though. Oh well, the 80s playlist is over, so whatever.

I didn’t lose any more weight this week, but I didn’t gain any either. That was a small miracle, because of Father’s Day and the older boy’s birthday: I did NOT do well on my eating. But…I hop back on this week!

Mentally, I’m terrified of my first five-minute run tomorrow. I’m having a hard time seeing myself being able to do it, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it. I’m going to do my best, though.

The playlist theme for this week coming up? Well, I love “Mr. Vain Recall” so much that I’m going back to my basics and I’m going to use old (90’s) and current aerobics music to motivate myself. I love workout music so much that I sometimes listen to it while driving. I’m excited! Wish me luck!

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©2010 Suburban Scrawl

9 Comments

  • This Belle Rocks

    Way to go! I'd like to eventually start this again. And omg, I love Holiday Road 🙂

  • Dawn

    You GO! I'm proud of you! (and how can you NOT do well if you're listening to my pretend boyfriend?) 😉

  • Eternal Lizdom

    Way to go!!

    The 5 minute run was my first hurdle and it was a huge accomplishment for me when I got there.

    You can and will do it!!

  • nycgirl0501

    Oh man ambushed into the 3 minute that stinks but your are a trooper for doing it! I was scared of Week 3 but I loved it! It made me feel like a runner.

    Though I'm skipping hills because I almost died on Tuesday. I ran up a very hilly street to go get some coffee on my way back…bad idea for a rookie runner but I made it. No coffee though the damn line was too long!

  • mayberry

    I had an aerobics teacher in the 90s who used to play Yaz and Elvis Costello. It was great. Good luck!

  • Huckdoll

    Way to STICK IT TO THE MAN!! You owned it and that rocks. My first 3 minute run killed me but it was strangely addictive, leaving me wanting more. Happy running!