Exercise: A Beginner Runner

Last year a friend and myself decided that we were going to train for a 5k.  Before this time I was able to run about 1 mile on the treadmill and then I was done and the I just walked or did the elliptical.  So we set out on the mission to accomplish the 5k.  It seems like a huge number but it is 3.1 miles.  We ran outside and I ran on the treadmill.  We started in the spring of 2009 and ran a few times a week with some training program we found online.  To our amazement on Thanksgiving Morning of 2009 we ran in the Detroit Turkey Trot.  Believe it or not we didn't pass out or die.  It was pretty earlier to wake up for especially on a holiday but it was a great tradition to start.

After accomplishing our first 5k another group of ladies decided to train using the Couch to 5k.  It was a great training program for those who have never ran...in recent years that is.  This group ran the Turkey Trot in 2010 and did amazing.  If I could tell you each one of their success stories you would be amazed.

The Ladies who trained together weekly

The Whole Gang who ran- we even had fans to cheer us on

Now we are onto training for a 10k.  We have discovered an App for your IPod touch or IPhone that is amazing and you don't have to think about when you walk and when to run.  You can listen to your own music and it tells you "Walk Now", "Run Now", "Workout Complete".  Stress free!  I hate to watch the clock when I run so this has been very good for me and for the ladies who are training as well.  

Here is the link to the app: Couch to 10k App for IPod and IPhone
Here is the link for on on the web that you can print off: Couch to 10k Website Instructions


Here is the link to the app: Couch to 5k App for IPod and IPhone

Here is a Facebook Link to 5k: Facebook Link for couch to 5k- On their facebook page you can see a whole list of websites that will have plans on them.

If you don't have an IPod or IPhone, if is crazy because you do have to watch the clock the whole time.  Just to give you a heads up, here is an example:
Week 1, Day 1 in the Couch to 10k: 5 minute Warm Up, then run 30 seconds and walk 4:30 minutes seven times.

Happy Running!  Take it one mile at a time and you will get there!

Since Spring of 2009 these are the runs I have ran:
Livonia Turkey Trot - 5k November 2009

Detroit Turkey Trot - 5k November 2009

Livonia Turkey Trot- 5k November 2010

Detroit Turkey Trot- 5k November 2010

Jingle Bell Run - 5k December 2010 (I had to walk most of this because I was pushing two kids in a double stroller and the little girl started fussy at mile marker 1.  It was the worst day of my life).