Names have been changed to protect the innocent...and my husband...and me...but not the dog. His name is Dexter.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Actually running a 5k?! That's crazytalk...or is it?

I'm no stranger to 5k races.  I use the term "race" very loosely.  I've walked 5k's in the past but have never actually ran them.  Because....well, I'm not a runner.  I'm a spinner.  Occasionally even a cycler.  And I'm a big  fan of yoga.  But definitely NOT a runner.  

Enter The Dirty Dash.  I was talked into participating in The Dirty Dash during a Twitter chat for the Breathing Space Retreat a while back.  I warned the Dirty Dash tweeter that I just don't dash and he suggested that I just come and wallow.  Now how could I resist that?  Wallowing it would be.

Or would it?  Dun, dun, dun.....

Now, I wouldn't be me if I didn't have some sort of random, often impossible to accomplish, goal that I'm working towards.  Lately I seem to be going for more physical goals since I've almost completely lost hope on ever getting my house organized.  Although I have been told recently that a label maker will change my life.

I've heard a bit here and there about the Couch to 5K program.  I wouldn't consider myself a couch potato but I'm so NOT a runner that I thought that would be a good place to start.  If it can get a couch potato running a 5k in 9 weeks than it should be able to get a spinner/walker/yoga-er running in 9 weeks...or so.  Right?!

To make it a bit easier, I downloaded the NHS pod casts for the program.  It times the running/walking intervals, plays music and gives instructions in a British accent.  The perfect trifecta for success really.  Technically I've only completed the first two workouts.  I was waylaid on Saturday by a mild head injury for both of my children and a poorly timed virus for Babs.  Instead of getting stressed and/or giving up if I'm  not able to keep up exactly on the weekly runs, I'm just going to do my best and realize that life still happens even when I'm trying to learn how to run.

According to the program I'll be able to run for 30 minutes after nine weeks of training, which is often about 5 kilometers.  I'm a pretty slow "runner" so I figure that I'll do the program and then work towards running the 5 kilometers after that.

Now you may be asking what my motivation is for doing this training and exposing myself to possible public humiliation/failure via blog posts.  Back to The Dirty Dash......on September 22, 2012 you will find me in Midway, Utah not just wallowing in the mud, but running through it in order to RUN my first 5K.  Ever! 

Public humiliation can be a great motivator. 

4 comments:

Kristina P. said...

I will eat a donut in your honor.

Barbaloot said...

I did the Soldier's Hollow Dirty Dash last year and LOVED it!! It was so fun.

And there are so many people doing it that it is impossible to run 75% of the time cuz there are too many people to move that quickly:)

Emily said...

You can do it! I'd love to do the Dirty Dash sometime. Always sounds like so much fun!

Leslie said...

wahoo!! I'M doing the Dirty Dash this fall too!! not sure what time, but i'm stoked for it!!

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