Run like the wind

Ok - so I don't quite "run like the wind".....

But I thought I'd give a little update from a couple weeks ago when I posted the 5k schedule I was following. Remember I was a little shocked at how it jumped from running 3/4 of a mile on day to running 2 miles the very next time. Well, let's just say I didn't do the 2 miles.

Week 5 had me doing 5-8-5-8 (walk 5, run 8, walk 5, run 8). I did that for a couple days then decided to "up it" to 5-10-5-10, and I was shocked that I didn't fall over dead. In fact, I realized that I honestly could have gone 5-12-5-10...maybe more. I think I'm starting to break through that "wall".  I have to have conversations with different parts of my body when my head starts screaming at me "STOP!! What are you trying to do to us - we can't do this! You KNOW we can't do this - STOP!!"

I have to consciously "check" my legs - they're fine....no pain...just tired...they can keep going. My arms: same thing, no pain - keep going. My chest - take some slow breaths, try to do some deep breaths instead of all quick shallow breathing. Calm down. No pain in the side.  Then I tell my head to F*#k off, we CAN do this.

Now I think most "runners" do this about mile 13-14....I do this at about 8 minutes in. :) However, it really makes you realize how short of a time span 2 minutes is. If you can run for 8 minutes, then I bet you can do 10. If you can do 10, then I'm sure you would survive 12...and so on. Plus - the first minute goes by so fast, doesn't really count....so if you run for 15 minutes....you really only have to worry about running 10. (Stop laughing...this rational works for me.)  When I was pregnant the first time, we took a delivery class at the hospital and that teacher told me something that really helped get me through the delivery.  "You can do ANYTHING for a minute."  A minute is not that long - you really can do anything for a minute.  Take each contraction, deal with it on it's own.  Take each minute you run, deal with it on it's own.  They all end sometime.

I think I've come a long way. The fact that I can run a whole mile - walk for 4-5 minutes, then run another mile right away, makes me happy and proud of myself. I never could do that before. So, I'm not really following the 5k schedule anymore - I'm improvising my own. Right now 5-10-5-10 is a good challenge, and I'd like to see the first 10 minutes increase a little each week, while the 5 minute walking in between shortens up. Yesterday I did 5-10-4-10 and that was a challenge. Usually by the end of this 29 minutes, I'm at just under 2.75 miles....then I was for about 90 seconds and sprint the last 90 seconds so I can get 3 miles in around 32 minutes. My goal has always been to get a 5k in under 30 minutes. Not sure if I'll ever get there, but after 7 weeks of solid running 3 times a week, I'm happy with where I'm at.

My question for you all.....
I've had to re-vamp my music that I listen to lately. The hard, fast, pulsing sounds of Green Day seem to make me more out of breath, even if I don't speed up. So I've inserted some Avett Brothers, Dave Matthews, etc.

If you listen to music when YOU exercise, what do you listen to?