On the 5K Training Track - What the Heck Am I DOING!?

It's been a while, dear blog, and more pounds have crept on, and so the time has come to do something.

Last spring, I was elected to the National Afterschool Association board of directors (yea me!) - and I absolutely love it. At our fall board meeting, we discussed the 2011 NAA Annual Convention (http://www.naaweb.org/) and it was mentioned that this year we will be offering a 5K run/walk event through the GoFar (http://www.gofarclub.org/) for conference participants. Our CEO issued a challenge for all board members to participate in said 5K. Most of us looked at each other with the 'surely he's joking', but he wasn't. So, that was the beginning of October 2010.

My sister in law, who is in graduate school for something to do with fitness - no one really understands, but it sounds good - offered to create a plan for me to train for the 5K. I should also mention that the GoFar people have an extensive plan on their website, but being the couch potato of the garden slug variety that I am, I was afraid to even look at it.

I put it off until the first of the year, and then thought, 'gee, it's the first of the year, the conference is in April, guess I better do something about that whole 5K thing'. Nah, let's wait a few more months, besides, I need to lose the holiday poundage first.

So, now here we are about 5 weeks before the convention and suddenly preparing for this whole 5K thing has reached a sense of urgency or complete failure - course, even participating could result in complete failure - they may have to carry me off on a stretcher, but at least I can say, 'I tried'. (I tried and failed, but I tried - good for the headstone!).

I emailed my sister and said, 'okay, I'm ready' and she wrote a 5 week plan for me that on the one hand I questioned if she was trying to kill me and on the other hand it looked pretty weak. Resting every other day? Resting for two days in a row? Walking for only 15 minutes? What? How will this possibly prepare me to move my body 3.5 (ish) miles. Course, again, she's known me for most of her life and I've always been the couch potato of the garden slug variety.

Meanwhile, I received a photograph of myself at an event and I kept looking at it wondering who that 'fat' person was - oh, wait, that's me! Realizing that not only do I need to train for this grueling 5K, I also need to do something about this tushy that you can see both coming and going! So....I added in my own personal Lenten 40 Day Challenge.

Now of course, any reputable fitness person would tell couch potatoes such as myself to not try to do too much at one time or you will get frustrated and stop - which is true and has happened time and time again (check out the date for the last blog post!). However, this time, I've added in the Lenten guilt and the prospects of having my picture taken at NAA 2011 and that seems to be pushing me forward.

Here I am Day 6 of my sister's training for the 5K program. I've done one day of a long distance mile - took me 18 minutes - not bad I thought. I did a 15 minute fairly fast pace on another day and I was so close to finishing the mile so I had to finish it - it would have bugged me if the little dots on the treadmill panel had not completed a circuit. And today...after two days of rest...another 15 minute walk which I expanded and completed a mile in 17 minutes. Yes, there is a part of me that wants to hurl, but I did it.

Let me also say, that I hate to sweat. You don't understand, I really hate to sweat. The only time it might be slightly okay is if I'm at a rock concert of some big hair band from the 80's who have cleaned their act up and our touring again to pay the bills - and then just maybe I don't mind to dance so much I sweat, but really...not so much even then. However, today I am really sweating - as a did a little power run to finish the mile to get it under the 17 minute mark. (Who is this couch potato?) I must confess, that today there is something oddly therapeutic about the whole sweating thing. Hmmmm....I'm afraid I may be crossing to a dark side for couch potatoes.

So, what's the 40 Day Lenten Challenge you may ask....well, I'll tell you - and if you didn't ask, I'll tell you regardless. Have you heard of Leslie Sansone? She does this walking in place fitness program. The mile version is pretty tame (although challenging when you are REALLY out of shape), but I have made a vow to do that each and every day for the season of Lent. (after Lent, we'll regroup and find something more tangible). I figured it's 40 days - some people fast for 40 days and it doesn't kill them, how can walking a mile and some days 2 miles kill me. My sister was inclined to agree with me, so here I am. Course, then again, it might be her training to just 'tell them what they want to hear'.

I have walked my LS mile for 5 days now and today will be the 6th day - after I stop sweating of course!

We'll talk about nutrition another day - but two words - Weight Watchers (online - guess that's three words).

If you are planning to come to the 2011 NAA Convention it is NEVER too late to start training for the 5K. Trying is the first step, whether or not we finish the race is the next, and how long it takes us or how pretty we look at the end is just garnishing! And if you are not coming to the convention, join me in getting fit. Getting fit together is half the fun.

From the garden
The Slug!

PS - this slug has made the scale go down by 4 pounds already and it's not been a full week yet of training. Official weigh in day is Wednesday!