My 40th high school reunion is scheduled for July 28, 2012. I got the email this week. In 2009 and 2010, a group of woman with whom I attended high school (and most of them went to the same junior school with me and three of them went to the same elementary school with me) got together for one weekend. In 2009 we spent the weekend at a state park in Indiana. We stayed at the lodge. Some of them are runners, so they would run in the mornings.
In 2010 we went to New Orleans because one of the ladies lives there as she is a professor at UNO. For this year's mini-reunion, not as many ladies could come as in 2009 due to scheduling conflicts. None of them runners attended, so there was no running involved during this weekend.
When I got the email from Jane this weekend, she mentioned that they would hold a 5K walk/run, the same as they did then we had our 30th reunion. I've decided that I would like to participate. Now, you've got to realize that the last time I ran ONE mile was in junior high school (back around 1967 or 1968). One time I tried to do some running in high school, and that was when I found out I have asthma, so I gave that activity up. OK, I have one year to train to run 5K.
I started training to run one mile on August 3, 2011. I could only run for about one-tenth of a mile. The training program I found online said to run one-sixteenth of a mile, then walk three-sixteenths of a mile and repeat for a total of 4 repetitions. Now, in Florida, it is H-O-T in August, so I wisely decided to run at 9:00pm. In addition to trying to stay out of the heat, I decided to run at night so no one could see me since I knew I would be struggle at this. I used my car to give me an indication of how far one-sixteenth of a mile is, but the smallest increment the car could do was one-tenth, so that's what I used.
Last night was my second training session for training to run one mile. I didn't want to do it as a friend came over at 7:00 to help me set up for a luau I am having tonight. After we were finished, she sat on my lanai and had a cold beer. I wanted to join her, but knew that I would never do the training session if I drank a beer.
The first running of one-tenth of a mile was agony, but then after that and walking for a bit, the rest of the repetitions were easier. In fact, it sort of felt good. Kind of. The muscles in the back of my legs are pretty tight, so that hurt a bit. And by the time I finished the one-tenth of a mile part, I am really, really out of breath.
So, I have two training sessions under my belt. The plan I'm following is a 4-week plan just to get me to be able to run one mile. Then there is a 3-month plan to train for running 5K. I'll be happy if I can do it by the beginning of 2012.
I just hope I can stick to this training program. I am so out of shape. I used to do weight work at the gym, but when my gym membership ran out in October 2010, I didn't go back. I re-joined the gym in March 2011, but I have not been able to motivate myself to go one single time! After doing two training sessions this week, I feel more motivated to go. I am thinking that after doing this for one week, I'll spend the off days going to the gym and lift weights again. Then after a few weeks, maybe I will be confident enough to run on the treadmill at the gym, so I can run after school (instead of waiting until 9:00pm).
I've probably gained 10-15 pounds (and gone up two clothing sizes) since last October, so if nothing else, maybe I'll lose some weight while I struggle to run one mile.
Wish me luck at sticking to the training.
