Couch 2 5k – Week 8 Update

This morning I started Week 8 of Couch 2 5k.  Week 8 is a 5 minute warm up walk, 28 minuets of running, and then a 5 minute cool-down.  Back when I first started trying to run, the thought of running 28 straight minuets was inconceivable!  Flash forward to today, and I am able to do it with not too much difficulty.  I am really proud of how far I’ve come!

I’ve been running about 4 days a week, and try to do it first thing in the morning.  If I get out of bed early enough, I run down trail that winds through my neighborhood.  Couch 2 5k tells me when I am at my halfway point.  When I hear that halfway point bell go off, I usually jump up and down and do a quick cheer because I made it that far and I know I can make it back!  I probably look like a big dork doing it, but I don’t care! 

I really enjoy running on the trail.  The scenery is so nice and I always see some type of wild animals.  To occupy myself on my run, I’ve named all the different areas of the trail.  There’s Alligator Pond (where I see Mr. Alligator chillin’ most times), Scary Bridge (the catwalk that takes you over a swampy-forest area), Sunshine Trail (a long stretch where the sun is always beating down on me), and Deer Valley (sometimes I see some deer prancing through there).  There are more named areas on the trail, but I won’t bore you with all the little details.

It was super humid and hot this morning.  85 degrees at 7:45am to be exact.  I’ve never been so sweaty and tired before in my life.  The best part about completing a run like this morning is, 1.) that I did it – I feel better about my whole day if I start out with a run, and 2.) I get to go home and make myself breakfast!  Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day, so this morning I whipped up a delicious breakfast sandwich.

• 1 Whole Wheat Bagel Thin     (110 cals)
• 1 Tbsp. Greek Olive Hummus   (35 cals)
• 2 scrambled eggs                  (140 cals)
• 1/8 c. shredded cheese           (35 cals)

 

Let me tell you – It was sooo good adding that hummus to the sandwich.  It really beats adding mayo, butter, or ketchup and it’s so much healthier!

Next week, I’ll be graduating from Couch 2 5k and then I’ll be starting on a new app that will bridge me from running a 5k to a 10k.  Eek… that sounds hard, but I look forward to starting the next challenge!