Today was a big day at the gym.It was the final day of C25K Week 5, in which I would warm up, run 20 minutes straight, then cool down. No run-walk-run, just run.
I had two good workouts earlier this week, so I was cautiously optimistic I could make it.
The first sign was a good one - not one treadmill was occupied at 6 am (the only significance is I like to pick my treadmill, I've got no problem running in front of others). After 10 minutes of warmup walking, I cranked up the speed to a blistering 3.5 (LOL) and lifted off. The first 5 minutes or so were a mind game, but soon I got in a good rhythm, ignored the timer on the treadmill and just watched the local news and SportsCenter.
Several minutes in I went up to 3.6, then 3.7. I checked the timer and I was halfway done. I felt good - warm, limber and smooth. I watched more news and told myself to run to the next commercial break, then I could check the timer again. When the commercial break kicked in, I looked and I had 1 minute left. That's it. Quickly, it was over and I did it. I ran for 20 minutes straight, a distance of 1.71 miles. I hadn't run for more than a mile straight in 8 years.
I enjoyed my victory cool down and hopped off the treadmill triumphant - all before 7 a.m.
Week 6 start Sunday and I realized I'm more than halfway done with C25K. Just 2 weeks ago a 5K seemed very far away. Now, it's time to start checking out races for the spring.
Ahh, great post! I'm doing C25K, and I'm attempting the exact same run tomorrow, 20 minutes with no walking. I really hope I can do it! Well done on your weight loss, it's inspiring! :)
ReplyDelete