C25K: Running Update

I haven't run in over 3 weeks until today & I made it 20 min. WhooHoo!

I had to drop my speed down (from 4.8 to 4.5 mph) a bit because my heart rate was getting up there (180's) but I still did it. Getting the endurance thing down is my first priority, speed will come later (at least that is what I keep telling myself).

I wanted to go 25 min but the last 2 min of the 20 was a killer & my legs started to feel weird so I decided not to push it too hard on my first day back. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow.

My goal is to get to the point that a 10 min mile is fairly easy (& maybe a 6 min mile when I really push myself, but that is years down the road). Right now I'm running about a 13 min mile.

Running is still such a dramatic process for me. I have to cheer myself along ever single second. I argue with myself the entire time:

Shoulder devil: "Just walk for a couple of seconds."
Shoulder angel: "No, you can do it, that would be cheating."
Shoulder devil: "Ooo, your heart rate is getting a bit high, maybe you should take a breather. You could have a heart attack."
Shoulder angel: "Are you nuts, you're fine, just keep pushing. Just think, you can go home & brag when you hit the 20 min mark."
Me: "Lord, you're going to have to pull me through this workout."
Jesus: "I'm right here next to you. Keep going!"
Me: lip syncing the lyrics to whatever song is playing on my mp3

And such is my inner conversation. Most people would think I was nuts if they could be in my head for just a few seconds. Maybe I am. ;)

Tomorrow, the goal is to bike up to the gym, try to run again, & then bike to the assisted living place that my grandmother is staying in now. It is about 1.5 miles to the gym from my place & about 0.25 mile from the gym to the assisted living place, then about another 1.5 miles back to my place. It forms kind of a triangle.

This will be a bit more of a challenge than it sounds, though. I have not been on a bike in over 10 years. I'll try to get some footage of me doing it but just staying erect on the bike may be more of a challenge than I think it will be.