Couch 2 5k [Week 1, Day 1]

I bought new running shoes last weekend. I had no intention of doing any exercising, but we had gift cards for both of us. Unfortunately it’s still very much winter in Iowa so we aren’t taking our new shoes outside anytime soon and going for walks has basically been my only form of exercise since being pregnant with Maximus. Opps! Night after night I’ve listened to Bryan running on the treadmill and it slowly started to get to me. I’d only had the chance to wear mine once to volleyball and I was starting to feel the exercise bug. {This is major! Usually I smile nicely when Bryan mentions exercise. Obviously, then I go back to my phone and eat another Nutty Bar.}

When Quinten was about four or five weeks old I felt well enough to start doing some exercises. I saw way too many pins about toned arms and bodys so I started doing an arm routine. Well, it’s sort of a routine. It’s more like a bunch of different exercises and never the same order or lifts. It’s not quite getting me the results that I’d like, but I’ve also been using five pound weights and not exactly doing it often. {Also not a surprise!} Anyway, lifting weights in my living room was no longer filling my needs. There was also a lot of whining and barking in my house and I was starting to feel tense. For some reason I started thinking about running. Every time someone whined or cried, running popped back into my head. It was suddenly the only way I could make it through the evening. Once these babies go to bed, I can run! I wasn’t sure that I was fully committed yet, so I didn’t say anything to Bryan. Instead I powered through the evening with a smile on my face. During one really loud part of the night, I focused my attention on downloading the Couch 2 5K app. Then I told Bryan what I had done. I’m sure Bryan would have urged me to put on my shoes, but I did it all on my own. {After passing off a baby who was all of a sudden very chatty. He had JUST been asleep in his room.} Looking back, I’m glad I had spent the evening pumping myself up. Otherwise that awake baby would have stopped me in my tracks. He was still awake 35 minutes later when I came back upstairs.

The shoes were great and I love them! This is the second time I’ve bought shoes from professionals who watch you walk and run and find shoes that fit you. I had no complaints about my old Mizuno shoes, but I wanted to try something new. I ended on a pair of Saucony shoes and so far they are perfect. I just love the feeling of new shoes! They give me an extra bounce to my step and fill me with motivation and energy.

I’ve completed Day 1, Week 1 of the C25K program and so far I’m satisfied. When I looked at the schedule, I thought it seemed like a lot of walking and not much running but by the end I had worked up a small sweat. My old routine is to just jump on the treadmill and start running. Usually about half a mile in I’m exhausted and can’t catch my breath. I leave feeling good, but also a little defeated. With this program, I accomplished the goals so I left feeling good about myself. However, I didn’t feel all that great about the body parts that were bouncing. Some are out of my control and even more so depending on when my baby last ate. I may need to get a better handle on that. 🙂 Other parts of my body fall into “last January I broke my foot and had to lay on the couch for six weeks,” “then I basically got pregnant as soon as I was able to walk” excuses. Both could be summarized by this … I haven’t put a lot of focus on myself the past three years. If I’m being honest, I’m not entirely focused on myself now either. I’m semi-motivated to be active again, but just a little. My main purpose is still to grow a baby. It’s at the top of my list right next to, Teach Maximus to Use Words Instead of Whining. One of my favorite parts about this program is that I only have to commit to 30 minutes three times a week. I’m not looking to lose weight, in fact I need to maintain in order to continue to produce the milk that Quinten needs. However, I would like to tone many areas of my body and feel better about myself. I know at some point I’ll be ready to focus on myself again and I hope that I’m laying the foundation for that and getting myself into some good routines that will help even out some of my highs and lows.


How do you stay motivated to exercise?