Wii Fit replacing the C25K?

I must admit, I have not completed a run of any type in a few weeks. For some reason, I have let life catch up to my routine and I am completely out of it. To get back into my routine, I will start doing some mid range running and try another avenue of fitness... the Wii Fit.

I got a few of these yesterday at 8 am and I am waiting for my TV to get repaired in order to try it out. So far it looks like a fun toy, but I'll see if I can make into a fun exercise routine as well. I'll do my best to put my experiences down here to see if I can make the transition from weekly runner to video game exercise maniac :)

The First 5K!

A few weeks ago I completed my first 5K! It was an amazing experience and I enjoyed it every step of the way. My time was approximately 33:00 minutes which was the fastest I have ever run a 5K distance! Here are some of the things I learned my first 5K:

• Water during a run is really nice to have. I might hide a bottle during my normal runs to duplicate the experience.
• You have to pinch the paper cups in order to pour the water in your mouth while running... otherwise you just add more water on your shirt :)
• DO NOT start at the beginning of the pack if you can not run a 25 minute 5K of if this is your first 5K.
  
• DO NOT start with the walkers if they are a part of your 5K. I spent 1 mile running hard to pass about 4,000 walkers.
  
• Go at your own pace. In my 10,000 participant 5K, I found some old friends along the way that I could not catch up to... which slowed me down overall.
• DO NOT start your final run to the finish unless you have the energy. I tried to race a half a block to the finish and I started to get light-headed before the finish.
• DO have fun!
• DO sign up for a 5K and run it. If you are doing the C25K, you are missing out on a big part if you only do the the C2 part. Make sure you run that 5K!

I'm sure I can think of many other things to discuss, but that's all I have for now. I'm still trying to work on my weight issues, but more of that to come. For now, I am proud of my feat and hope to get back into the 3 time a week 30 minute runs shortly.

4 Days to 5K and losing all the way!

Today is the beginning of a great week! I completed two 30 minute runs last week, lost 6.5 lbs by being diligent on my weight loss efforts, and I will run my first 5K. I hate doing updates after the fact, so I will do my best to get the details out to everyone faster than the current snails pace!

Overall, I will say that blogging is a LOT hard that I thought it would be. It is more of an art than it is a science and I think I need to dedicate a specific amount of time each day to it for my blog to blossom. The original thought was to have something to look back on if I stopped running or to help out others that think exercise is not an option for them. I think I have enough posts to accomplish both of those feats, so I think the blog will have to transition to the weight loss portion along with the C25K stuff. I have 25 or so pounds to go, so I will definitely have enough material for a while :)

Question: Running Shoes

When I started to run, I realized that flip-flops were not the answer to my running needs. I just happen to have a pair of Saucony running shoes from an outlet mall and I use them to this day. Since I am in need of a new pair of running shoes, my question is which shoe should I buy? What do you look for in a running shoe?

I will probably go shopping for a pair this weekend, so leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Missing posts and beyond the C25K

I swear that I put up a post last week about my rough run, but it is obviously not here :) With that being said, I've been doing pretty well so far with my runs. Last week I ran two 30 minute runs that were close to 5K distance and this Monday I ran for 30 minutes with a fartlet in the middle. I tried to run all out on my second lap around my block and my body rebelled against me. I don't suggest running all out in the middle of a 30 minute run if you are not in great shape, but I think that little middle section pushed me to do a 5K in 30 minutes.

I also started to count my points again. I realize that I can eat a LOT of food when I do not regulate myself (i.e. 20 lbs on a 3 week honeymoon), so I went back to what I know works. From Monday morning to this morning I dropped about 5 lbs. I know I should weigh myself until Monday morning again, but it's nice to know that I can still do WW informally an lose weight. We'll see the results next Monday and work from there.

Since I am a novice writing about how to start running, I hoped that I can get some insight from the long time runners that visit JalopyJosh. I am going to start posting some questions for you guys and gals and hopefully it can bring some great knowledge to both me and anyone else that stumbles upon this blog. Let's see how it works!

C25K - W9D? - I'm just not that into you

For some reason, I am making some great excuses not to run 3 times a week. A change in my day-to-day schedule is taking it's toll, but I know it is my own fault for not running on schedule. I will make a public pledge to run after work today, no matter what other things I need to do.

I also need to push my weight loss efforts to the front of my personal priority list. I am tired of knowing that all of my clothes are a little too tight and that I should weight less than I do now. I am doing better with my eating habits, but I sabotage myself on a monthly basis to make sure that I don't see a difference in the scale. That needs to stop, and it will stop this week!

C25K - W9D2 - Finally it has happened to me

Hot and sweaty from my run 10 minutes ago, I'm going straight into the "Lessons Learned" part of this run:

1) A 30 minute run after a big dinner is a bad thing. I felt like I had to throw up for the final 10 minutes of the run and it felt like I had a 25 lbs weight in the middle of my stomach. Bad idea.

2) Late runs are not too bad. My run was within the condo complex with some decent lighting and I did not have any issues with kids and dogs. Even without my glasses, I was able to run with ease.

3) Humidity is not fun. I guess it was a blessing in disguise that I started the C25K when it was cool outside for my area. It must have been 80 degrees with 90% humitidy and I am soaked with a wicking shirt on.

4) I will three 30 minute runs this week. Come hell or high water, it will be done this week