Wellness Wednesday

Happy Wednesday! Was this past week a little happier? I hope so and I hope this week is even better!

 A part of being whole is being physically healthy. A big part of being physically healthy is exercise. One of the easiest exercises to start at home is running.

In August of 2009, I decided I wanted to run a marathon. When I made this decision, I couldn’t even run for more than about 2 minutes before I wanted to fall over from lack of oxygen. It was an impossible goal for me to set and yet, I set it anyways. I wanted to be able to say I ran a marathon.

To start marathon training, I found a great couch to 5k program. Once I could run for 30 minutes straight, I continued to increase my mileage. On April 12, 2010, I crossed the finish line of the Salt Lake Marathon. It took me 5 hours and 33 minutes but I don’t care. I still did it and it all started with this one program.

Here is the couch to 5k program I started with. I’ve taught multiple people how to run using this same sheet. The starting date is next Monday, August 11. If you follow this 8 week program, you will be all set to run a race starting in October. There are a ton of super fun races around Halloween! Even better, share the love and find a friend to run with you. I’ve found you will run further and faster with someone than if you are alone.

 

 

 

"Sit as little as possible. Give no credence to any thought that was not born outdoors while moving about freely."
--Friedrich Nietzsche
	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Week 1	11-Aug	12-Aug	13-Aug	14-Aug	15-Aug	16-Aug	17-Aug
Workout	Run 1 min, walk 2 min Repeat 10 times	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 1 min, walk 2 min Repeat 10 times	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 1 min, walk 2 min Repeat 10 times	Run 1 min, walk 2 min Repeat 10 times	Rest
Completed
Notes
Training tip:	To fuel up for your workout, have a piece of fruit or an energy bar about 2 hours before you lace up your shoes. An hour later, drink 8 ounces of a sports drink. The drink will ensure that you are fully hydrated, and also that you have sufficient sodium and potassium for a healthy workout.
"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself."
--William Faulkner
Week 2	18-Aug	19-Aug	20-Aug	21-Aug	22-Aug	23-Aug	24-Aug
Workout	Run 2 min, walk 1 min Repeat 10 times	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 3 min, walk 1 min Repeat 7 times	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 4 min, walk 1 min Repeat 6 times	Run 4 min, walk 1 min Repeat 6 times	Rest
Completed
Notes
Training tip:	Always walk 2 to 3 minutes for a warmup before you begin your workout, and walk another 2 to 3 minutes as a cooldown afterward. Don't stretch before running. Save it for after your workout or in the evening while you're watching TV.
"Obstacles are those frightening things that become visible when we take our eyes off our goals."
--Henry Ford
Week 3	25-Aug	26-Aug	27-Aug	28-Aug	29-Aug	30-Aug	31-Aug
Workout	Run 5 min, walk 1 min Repeat 5 times	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 5 min, walk 1 min Repeat 5 times	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 6 min, walk 1 min Repeat 4 times Run 2 min	Run 6 min, walk 1 min Repeat 4 times Run 2 min	Rest
Completed
Notes
Training tip:	Hold your arms comfortably at your sides while running, aiming for maximum relaxation. Bend them 90 degrees at the elbows, and move them forward and back at your waist. Bend your fingers into a relaxed grasp, and don't let your hands sway back and forth across the middle of your torso.
"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
--Theodore Roosevelt
Week 4	1-Sep	2-Sep	3-Sep	4-Sep	5-Sep	6-Sep	7-Sep
Workout	Run 8 min, walk 1 min Repeat 3 times Run 3 min	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 9 min, walk 1 min Repeat 3 times	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 10 min, walk 1 min Repeat 2 times Run 8 min	Run 11 min, walk 1 min Repeat 2 times Run 6 min	Rest
Completed
Notes
Training tip:	In hot, sunny weather, wear sunscreen, sunglasses (to relax your facial muscles), and a visor or cap to keep the sun off your face. Expect to run slower in particularly hot, humid weather, and take more walking breaks as necessary. Run in the early morning or late evening if you can.
"Sweat cleanses from the inside. It comes from places a shower will never reach."
--Dr. George Sheehan
Week 5	8-Sep	9-Sep	10-Sep	11-Sep	12-Sep	13-Sep	14-Sep
Workout	Run 12 min, walk 1 min Repeat 2 times          Run 4 min	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 13 min, walk 1 min Repeat 2 times Run 2 min	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 14 min, Walk 1 min Repeat 2 times	Run 15 min, Walk 1 min Run 14 min	Rest
Completed
Notes
Training tip:	On occasion, skip your running and walking workout and do a cross-training workout instead. Bike for 30 to 40 minutes, try the elliptical trainer in a gym, or join a circuit weight-training class. The break from running will refresh you, and you'll learn new skills while developing new muscles.
"You can have anything you want, if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, if you hold that desire with singleness of purpose."
--Abraham Lincoln
Week 6	15-Sep	16-Sep	17-Sep	18-Sep	19-Sep	20-Sep	21-Sep
Workout	Run 16 min, walk 1 min Run 13 min	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 17 min, walk 1 min Run 12 min	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 18 min, walk 1 min Run 11 min	Run 19 min, walk 1 min Run 10 min	Rest
Completed
Notes
Training tip:	Running is a great way to build strong bones, but you also need plenty of calcium--1,000 milligrams a day, or 1,500 milligrams if you're over age 50. Drink a glass or two of low-fat milk per day, or enjoy a cup or two of low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese. Dark green, leafy vegetables are another great calcium source.
"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."
--T.S. Eliot
Week 7	22-Sep	23-Sep	24-Sep	25-Sep	26-Sep	27-Sep	28-Sep
Workout	Run 20 min, walk 1 min Run 9 min	Run 20 min, walk 1 min Run 9 min	Run 22 min, walk 1 min Run 7 min	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 24 min, walk 1 min Run 5 min	Run 26 min, walk 1 min Run 3 min	Rest
Completed
Notes
Training tip:	Beginning runners often develop shin splints or sore knees. These pains should pass quickly if you treat them immediately with ice packs after your workouts. Put a bag of frozen peas on your shins or knees for 15 minutes. If the pain persists, take several days off before beginning your training program again.
"One cannot consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."
--Helen Keller
Week 8	29-Sep	30-Sep	1-Oct	2-Oct	3-Oct	4-Oct	5-Oct
Workout	Run 27 min, walk 1 min Run 2 min	Run 20 min, walk 1 min Run 9 min	Run 28 min, walk 1 min Run 1 min	Walk Easy 30 minutes	Run 29 min, walk 1 min	Race Day!!	Rest
Completed
Notes
Training tip:	For clean air and healthy lungs, try not to do your workouts at the side of a busy street or during rush-hour traffic. Find low-traffic streets where any exhaust will be dispersed quickly. Even better, as often as possible, try to run in greenbelts--in parks, on bike trails, around reservoirs, and the like.Success may come quickly to you as a beginning runner, but the race is never won. Run for life.

 

 

Since this program, I have continued to run 3-4 days a week. It has become a way to clear the chaos from my mind. It brings peace and calm to my soul and is a way for me to reconnect.

It is a little scary to start something new because we feel judged by others. Don’t worry about only running one minute at a time. YOU are out there trying and that is all that matters!!

Happy Wednesday,

Stef

Thought for the week:

 

 

 

 

(I don’t claim to be an expert, just a lover of new and useful information. I hope you enjoy new and useful information too! If you have a question, comment, suggestion or would like to be added to the weekly email, please contact me at stef.wellness.coach@gmail.com.)