welcome to my non-runner's world

{from the last 5K i did ... walked the whole thing ... it can only go up from here!}

for those of you keeping up on my goals (is anyone, really?) ... one of them is to run a full 5K. then we found an 8K close to home in the end of may. and someone convinced me to sign up for it. if i can finish the whole thing, i will be able to cross that off my list and say i one-upped myself at the same time.

in order to do that, though, i downloaded a "couch to 10K" training app on my phone. i love love it. i open the app, start my music playlist, and then listen as miss-bossy-pants tells me when to start warming up, when to run, when to walk, and when to cool down (that's my favorite part!). in the beginning, it was run for 30 seconds, walk for 4.5 minutes. but over time, the amount of running has increased and the amount of walking has decreased. the run today was the first one with more running than walking. and it felt so good!

a few running-related things i've learned in the past month:

1. i'd prefer running outside to running on a treadmill. even if it is 35 degrees outside. there's more to look at and it's harder to quit in the middle of the run.

2. i'm in love with my headphones. skull candy ear buds. you should try them.

3. geese are big, dumb, dirty birds. and i'm afraid of them.

4. running with friends is better than running alone. even if your friends are faster than you. the good ones run a little ahead then turn back to meet you. i'm looking at you, mia casey. (thanks)

5. every day that i finish a run, i surprise myself. sometimes i feel like a 5K, 8K, or a 10K is out of reach ... but then i decide if i take it one run at a time, i'll get there. because i can. and because it's going to feel oh-so-great when i do.