My wife is making fun of me for not running the 10K, but she's probably just wants to cash in my life insurance policy. :-) It's not like she can talk since she'll be sleeping through it. Or as my oh-so-encouraging brother-in-law stated, if I can't jog three miles, I might as well kill myself. (I think he used to run track.)
Most of you probably remember that I began exercising in January despite being a sloth most of my life, because I was overweight and I discovered that I possess enough bad cholesterol to make a cardiothoracic surgeon swoon. I joined a nearby discount gym with the wife, and we're still going nearly every day or every other day. Proximity is key; I don't think we'd go if it was far away.
I've managed to lose 15 pounds without really trying. Fifteen. I mean, I wasn't trying anything weird or special; just running on a treadmill. It's all about your daily (or weekly) net calories; calories spent versus calories taken in. Recently I began lifting weights and doing bodyweight exercises (i.e. pushups), and that helped drive me down a few more pounds. Fat tissue expends very few calories at rest, while muscle tissue has to burn calories 24 hours a day just to maintain itself. So muscle raises your basal metabolic rate. In other words, even if you sit on your butt all day, you'll burn more calories and reduce fat if you increase your proportion of lean muscle mass.
Eating better to reduce my cholesterol also helped, because it meant less carbs, less fat, and more protein.
That's about it. If I was smart I'd market this as a special weight-loss program and write a book! I'm not done, though; I still have a gut and I'd like to build more strength. And I'll post if I survive the 5K.
* It's a tad slower than the famous Cool Running: The Couch-to-5K Running Plan but, since it didn't involve planning or organization, it worked for me.
Way to go - You should be excited!
ReplyDeleteI have run a few 5K and rest assured, if you can run 3 miles at the gym, you can run a 5K. There will be adrenaline on the day of the race and you should finish easily.
Running on a treadmill is different than running a ground race. If you have time before the 5K try a land run to see what it is like.
I did the same as you and started with a 5K. If you enjoy it you'll soon be on to the 10K; six isn't so many more than three.
Good luck! You'll do fine. Like Suzanne H said, go ahead and map-out the 5k and run it before the race. Just head over one day and you'll be done before you know it.
ReplyDeleteRunning your first 5k will empower you and it's always a bigger deal in your head than in reality. I ran my first half marathon this past Thanksgiving and had only run 8 miles (yes, "eight") prior to the 13.1* I figured, "What's another five?" Your mind will command your body.
*not a recommended training approach :)
Following your blog as a new reader and career-changer myself. Got my BA in English in 2005 and I'm headed back to school full-time in under a month (much to the chagrin of my current employer) for my BSN! I can't wait! Keep the info flowing ~ best of luck!