C25k: Day 1, Week 1

Yesterday I started the Couch to 5k (C25k) running program as detailed on coolrunning.com. I downloaded a podcast from Running Into Shape to help me keep track of when to walk and when to run. I recommend to anyone who wants to do this program to either download or make your own, it made things a lot easier to be told what to do when and for how long.

I am just coming down with a head cold so I didn't really expect to be perfect at this. I will probably end up doing the 1st week schedule for two or even three weeks before moving on. Between my head feeling like an overfilled water balloon I also have to be mindful of my back. I don't want to re injure it. As far as trips to the gym go I will NOT touch a weight machine until I meet with a trainer and get some advice (I have a meeting scheduled for 4/8) from my chiropractor. Hell the exercise will probably help my back get stronger so hopefully I can stop going so much.

Back to the C25K program. This week after a warm-up you jog for 60 seconds then walk for 90 ending with a cool down walk. All told you are exercising for roughly 20 minutes.

Yesterday was my first day on this program. The treadmills were full so I opted to try the elliptical. Probably not recommended but it was what was open. In the end I probably got more of a workout then week 1 is intended to give you but it felt great and, in my opinion, worked fine.

I made it about 3/4 of the way through before just walking the rest of the program. My back held up rather well but between being on the elliptical and having the head cold I didn't want to push myself to far. I could feel myself getting light headed and called it over about halfway through the actual cool down walk. Since I started a little early and walked through the last running portion I wasn't to worried about not getting a good cool down in.

Exercise

Part of needing to wait three months to recheck my thyroid levels is to make sure that they weren't out of whack from something environmental. The doc suggested I actually eat and to try to make it healthy (before I went in I was down to one meal a day, if I was lucky. I just was never hungry. Still am not but I try to eat at least a little something anyway.) and that I also start exercising.

So I am trying to eat more and healthier and I will also be going to the gym and starting the Couch to 5k running program. I plan on trying to keep track of how well it is going here. Since I am not doing this for weight loss I am not planning on tracking that however that may change. Any weight that I drop will just be an added bonus, at this point I am doing this for health and energy levels.

Basically, I just am tired of feeling like crap every day.