C25K Graduate!

Would you look at that? (Teehee...)

Nine weeks ago, I never thought I'd be able to say it, but as of Saturday morning, I am officially a 'Couch to 5k' graduate! My how time flies!

I'm (personally) not where I want to be consistently, but weather has turned more towards the hot and humid side of Indiana. Typical July and August, but I only hope that I can improve upon where I am as far as mile per minute times. But guess what? I DID IT! I NEVER thought it'd be possible, let alone actually enjoying running. Who knew?!

Currently I'm running for a half hour, with a combined 10 minute warm up and cool down. I'm not exactly comfortable with myself or with running for a full half hour just yet, but that is certainly my next goal. I want to be able to run a 5k distance-wise on a consistent basis, working up to running four times per week. (I'm currently running three per C25K training.)

I've already learned so much about myself, my body, and how it responds to different foods, weather, and of course shoes. I'm still in awe of where I've come in just nine weeks, even with mile times. When I started, my first run was an average of 15:06 minutes per mile, and my last run was an average 12:23, (though I've been able to get into the 11:00-ish minutes per mile range.) It's my goal that I can improve upon the times that I run, getting faster, and that one day I can complete a 10:00 minutes/mile. We shall see! (You know I'll keep you posted!)

Even though I jumped the gun and completed my first "timed" 5k (read more about that here), the 5k I have trained for is this Saturday. I'm running the Color Run-Ft. Wayne with friends, and I can't even begin to describe how excited I am for it. I've never done anything like this, and of course it has me a little nervous, but after seeing several friends' pictures, it looks like so much fun. I'll have a recap as well as pictures of before and after (maybe even during). If you're not familiar with the Color Run, let's just say you come out at the finish looking like a rainbow threw up on you. Head to toe "color-bombed."

I'm hoping I can figure out a way to map my run with my iPhone. I'm thinking of throwing my phone into a zip-lock baggie and using it to track my pace. The Color Run is a fun run, and therefore not timed, so unless I track my run, I won't really know what my pace is. (I really need to stop focusing on numbers, start focusing on fun...)

If you're interested, as with revamping my blog a bit, I've added a 'Races' tab at the top of this page, showcasing planned races for this year, as well as goals for 2014. I'm already looking forward to the future, with friends suggesting I train and run the Indianapolis Mini Marathon next May. When thinking about the possibilities of completing the race, it makes me tear up. I've mentioned it before somewhere in the blog, but it's one of my items on my bucket list, one that I've dreamed of doing for several years. It just blows my mind knowing I'm that much closer to a dream or goal I set long before I ever thought my Weight Loss Journey would be possible, let alone actually enjoying running!

I plan to run several more 5k's this year, and you can also check that out on my Races page. And as always, I will keep you posted along the way!

I'm absolutely loving running, again, something I thought I'd never say. So, here's to many more! :)