Welp… I’ve completed 4 running workouts so far. I did 3 runs last week, then started week 2 today with a nice little jog through the neighborhood.
It actually hasn’t been so bad just yet. I wouldn’t go as far to say that it has been fun, but it certainly hasn’t been as horrible as I thought it would be.
This little journey of mine has also proven to be a GREAT supplement to my typical lifting program, so that makes me a happy camper.
My first 3 workouts last week were definitely very manageable. The app that I’m using, Couch to 5K (Fitness22), essentially makes me do timed run/walk workouts that are about 30 minutes long. Last week was definitely more walking than running, but I covered some decent ground. I’ve decided to make it a goal of mine to improve a little each day, meaning that, at least here in the beginning, I would like to add a little distance to each work out. As I progress into the 8-week workout plan I’ll focus on time.
So far I think I’ve done a decent job.
Day 1: 25 minutes, 1.44 miles
Day 2: 30 minutes, 1.73 miles
Day 3: 30 minutes, 1.81 miles
I’ll be honest… I’m certainly no Jesse Owens. I’m not going to break any land speed records, but at least I’m accomplishing my goal of making some small improvements here or there. Beyond that I’ve basically convinced myself that running further away from home means I need to cover more distance to get back.
Today I totally f*cked up, though… and there’s really no other way to describe it. I am running in a different place this week than I was last, so my sense of distance was totally off. Maybe I can blame it on the eclipse? I did decide to run during the eclipse because I though that would be pretty sweet.
Anyway, I had a 28 minute workout today, and during that time I covered 1.78 miles, but I ran into a pretty significant issue – I was still quite a ways from home. According to the old Google I had to cover an additional .7 miles, of which I ran about a third and walked two-thirds – so I ended up with close a 2.5 mile workout.
Needless to say I experienced quite the roller coaster of emotions.
I was beyond furious that I had done such a poor job of planning, I was shocked that I could actually go for about 2.5 miles and, ultimately, I learned that cartography is not in my future.
As for my health… I can definitely say that this shit clears out my lungs, which is the main reason I’m doing this. The first 5 minutes always suck. To the casual onlooker, I probably look like I’m about to die with all the stuff that’s flying out of my mouth, but once I clear out, it’s smooth sailing until my legs get tired. Despite having very little leg strength (never skip leg day, kids), I’d venture to say that I’m already in decent physical shape – I go to the gym a couple times a week and play hockey once a week – but I can feel that I’ve given myself a decent boost as far as my health goes.
I have received some of feedback from a bunch of people with CF telling me about sprints, interval training, etc., and I really appreciate the response, but if you would have seen me play try to play lacrosse back in high school, I think you’d understand why I’m not venturing down that path.
I’ve also come to learn that a bunch of people with CF are joining me after reading last week’s post, and if that isn’t motivation for me to see this thing through to the end, then I don’t know what is. It’s not too late to join, and if you do join (or have joined already), let me know how you’re doing! I never imagined I’d get people up off the couch with the last post, but if this is the push you need, then I’m happy to serve as the catalyst.
We’re not competing against each other; we are competing against our health, and even though we are not pounding the pavement together, we can prove to everyone that fighting CF requires more than a one-man Army.
