Aug 16: Operation GOMA

Well hello there, patrons of the arse!

As you may have ascertained, I've had a tumultuous, on-again off-again relationship with running. Yes, I have completed the Sporting Life 10k run three times. But almost all of my training for the event in the past has been indoors, on a treadmill. I have gotten to a point of being pretty comfortable running on a treadmill, for an hour with only a few walking breaks [disclaimer: nowhere near that level of fitness at present]. But I have never been comfortable running outside. I get wheezy and asthmatic and zooming heart rate within 4-5 minutes, and the whole thing is pain and un-fun. I want to run next year's 10k in personal best time, and not have to walk more than I run in the last 5k. I know I need to learn how to run outside if I want to achieve that goal.

So around a month and a half ago, I purchased the C25K mobile app for my iPod Touch. For those not in the know, C25K stands for "couch to 5km run". This is a 9 week program that's meant to guide green couch afficionados from zero movement to running 30 minutes or 5 kilometres continuously. The idea is to gradually increase the amount of time spent running between walking breaks. You commit to going out three times a week for just a half an hour.

In week 1, you're out for 31 minutes: a five minute brisk walk warm up (not even running!) followed by 21 minutes of running for 1 minute, walking for 90 seconds, and then another five minute walk at the end to cool down. I mean, you get to walk for longer than you have to run! Soooooold!

The mobile app makes it super easy. You create a playlist (one thing I dislike; cannot just import a playlist from iTunes - you have to add each song to your playlist from within the app, one at a time) and press go. A little bell rings and a man or woman's voice tells you every time you have to switch from walking to running. The clock counts down for you how much longer you have to go before you switch. Your music plays throughout. You just do what you're told and before you know it the half hour is up. Easy!

So what's the deal with buying the app six weeks ago and not doing anything with it? Erm, well? Yeah, that.

Anyway, I've been really inspired by my girl Dylan, who's been doing the C25K for about 2 months now. In fact it was her regular postings to her Facebook page, every time she completed one of the runs, that got me thinking I should look into this. And it's really amazing to hear from her that she's running for half an hour at a time now. Wow!

Also truly inspiring is the progress made by the ever-awesome L-Mac2, who completed the Acura 10 mile [16k] run on Sunday, and is planning to run her first ever half marathon in October. Holy shiza! These women! Are fantastic! And they are inspiring me every day to Git. Off. Mah. Ass.

Yesterday I decided I would do it. And I realized I needed to hold myself to it by creating a threat of pain and consequences for myself if I didn't follow through, or ultimate triumph if when I do. So I signed up for the Toronto Women's 5k run in Sunnybrook Park on October 29. No turning back!

I completed Week 1, Day 1 of the C25K program last night to celebrate.