C25K-Week 1, Day 1

So in my desire to make myself a priority in my life, I decided (along with porbably half the country) that I am going to make more of an effort to go to the gym. I think what a lot of people don't realize about full-figured girls (and guys for that matter) is that we are not lazy and unactive. I mean, I'm sure there are some people out there that are, just like there are skinny people who lay around who are lazy, but just because I'm full-figured doesn't mean I sit on butt all day long. I enjoy being active. I love playing sports (when I was younger I played rec soccer, basketball, and softball and took dance lessons throughout the year; I also played volleyball). Because I am too old to attend to my dance school and play rec sports, I enjoy taking walks, going on hikes, and going to the gym. Yet, like lot of people, I find excuses to not hit the gym because my jobs get in the way and I simply don't have the time.

Several months ago, a friend of mine who went through a positivity make-over, did this C25K program and recommended it to anyone who was interested in starting an exercise program. C25K stands for Couch to 5K" and it is a running program that has the users run 3 times a week for 9 weeks, and begins be alternating walking and running.

A few months ago I was diagnosed with a-typical fibromyalgia because most of my pain was in my joints (especially my wrists and hips). After seeing a rheumatologist and speaking with her, she said that the best way to manage the pain was to exercise. While I intend on beginning weight training in the future (current injuries prevent me from doing so at the moment), I decided to begin a cardio regimen. C25K worked for my friend, so why not me? I'm the type of person who likes structure, and I prefer someone "telling me" what I should be doing. Because I can't afford a trainer, I figured spending a couple of bucks on an iPod app was doable.

Yesterday, I shuffled into the crowded gym, found myself a treadmill, and set to work. In the beginning it was pretty easy--my warm-up was a brisk 5 minute walk followed by 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes and then a 5 minute cool-down walk. Midway through, my right hip was killing me and I thought for sure I wasn't going to be able to make it through the whole thing. However, I pushed through and finished without stopping. When I finished, my hip didn't hurt so badly by the end.

Now, it's the next day, and my hip is killing me, but that good kind of hurt. The kind that means I worked out and pushed myself beyond my comfort zone. I'm supposed to rest between running days but I think I might go back today to do Day 2 simply because I have off of work from the kennel and actually have the time. I only hope that this running program not only helps me view on taking better care of myself, but also helps with my fibro.

I'll keep you posted xo