Beat the Teach

I have fallen off the wagon.

Once school began in earnest and I got caught up in all the lesson plans, grading, all that goes with school, I didn't even make it to the gym for 2 weeks. After completing Week 1 of the Couch 2 5K, I did nothing.

Nothing. Not even walked down the street.

Guess I need to start over.

Maybe I'll try to start with Week 2 and see how that goes. I participated in 2 Combat classes at the gym this week and they whipped me, but in a good way. Maybe I can handle Week 2.

We'll see.

In the meantime, Nicky and I walked/jogged a 5K this morning to benefit the PTSA of the middle school where I teach, and the cross country team where Nicky goes to high school. Times were messed up because they let the high schoolers record them. Mistake!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think we were somewhere in the 45-50 minute range. Trying to jog on wet grass, leaves, gravel is very different from a regular road or a treadmill! Hopefully the coach will figure out the times. (He's the middle school art teacher, so I'll see him Monday.)

Here I am after the race, in my fab new orange "Beat the Teach" T-shirt:

I think all the kids can safely say they beat this teach! But I still had a great time. All for a good cause.

Tomorrow...Week 2. Here's hoping.

Week 1 Day 3---The First Week is Done!

I survived the first week!

I completed Day 3 of Week 1 today. It's getting a little easier, and I find I'm going a little faster. Maybe this thing really DOES work!

192 calories...1.92 MPH...highest heart rate: 153. I did speed the walking portion to a whopping 3.7 mph. Still jogging at 4.5mph.

I think it's kind of cool that the calories burned usually coincides with the distance walked. Kind of.

I followed the workout with about a half hour of weight training...a combo of arms and legs, with 1 back machine and some good old-fashioned crunches on the floor. I feel good.

Monday...begins Week 2. I think it gets a lot harder from here on.

But I'll do my best.

Here's hoping.

Week 1 Day 2

I was SORE about 2 days after the first day on the program! It took a couple of days, and then my legs protested. I don't think they liked all the running.

I did Day 2 yesterday...no time to post about it then. Stats:

190 calories burned...1.90 miles...highest heart rate: 150.

Not bad...a small amount of progress. I followed with a leg workout on the weight machines.

Tomorrow is Yoga Day, so Saturday will be Day 3 for the week. Here's hoping.

Couch to 5K in 9 Weeks?

Today I began the Couch-to-5K program.

Am I crazy??

I am a 47-year-old woman with little to no experience with running.

I mean, I ran as a kid. And I chased after my kids when they were little.

But running for the fun of it?

Nah.

But yet, here I am, beginning a program designed to get me to run a 5K in 9 weeks. And enjoying it. So far.

I did my very first 5K last December, at a race organized by a group of runners at the high school my kids attend. The organizer was the driving force behind the Weight Watchers-at-Work program that I joined last October at the high school. (As a full-time substitute at the middle school next door, they kindly allowed me to join.) I slowly walked the 5K in a grand 1 hour and 5 minutes, and was sore for 3 days afterwards. I thought I would die.

But gradually, as the weight came off, the strength increased, and I did an unofficial 5K on the treadmill on June 6th, 2010, in honor of 5K Day for Weight Watchers. That one took me about 52 minutes. Not too bad, considering it was mostly walked.

I've done 2 official 5Ks since then...one on September 8th to benefit the county Humane Society. Here is a picture of my son and me in our T-shirts.

Yesterday I did one for Breast Cancer Awareness from our local hospital. A personal best on time:  46:33. That was with a little jogging, but not much.

But now I'm looking to kick it up a notch. Begin jogging more, then maybe develop a slow run. We'll see.

So today was my first day on the program. I went to the gym and did Week 1, Day 1 on the treadmill.

I did 5 minutes of brisk walking (3.6 MPH, which for me is brisk), followed by intervals of 60 seconds running (jogging, in my case, at 4.5MPH), and 90 seconds of walking. I finished with 5 minutes walking to cool down.

30 minutes on the treadmill. 189 calories burned. 1.89 miles travelled. Top heart rate reached: 152.

Not too shabby for a first day.

Then I followed with a half-hour of upper-body weight machines.

I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow.

Week 1, Day 2 will be Tuesday or Wednesday. Here's hoping.