C25K - Week 3 recap and a running epiphany

First of all, so sorry I didn't blog about W2D2. Life got in the way! But I can assure you that it did indeed happen!

Both Wednesday and today I was able to move off the track and onto a trail to do my run. LOVED IT! It is SO much better than running in circles! The one thing I don't like, is I have no idea how far I am going. I am attempting to suppress my inner control freak and just embrace this wonderful notion of running in scenery even if I don't know how far!

So I am now 2 weeks in to the Couch to 5K program. What do I think so far? Well, that l answer leads me into my running epiphany. So let's start there.

The short answer to the above question is I am really loving this program. And I didn't expect to. I expected it to help build my endurance. I expected it to push me when I wouldn't normally push myself. In short, I expected it to "work". I also expected it to be painful and hard. It is such a surprise to report that it's not!

And that lead's me to the obvious question - why on Earth is that not the way they introduce/teach running to young people??? Why isn't this "taught" in gym class? Why isn't this the way the get people running correctly in track? I was an athlete in high school (volleyball) and let me tell you, running was for punishment. Nothing more. I remember seeing a cross county runner once wearing a shirt that said "My sport is your sport's punishment!" True that!

So here's my epiphany: I am a homeschool mom. I am in charge of my children's academic education. I am also in charge of their PHYSICAL education. You can bet that, when they get older, I will definitely be institute a little C25K into their curriculum! As it is, the days I run on the track I take them with me and let them run or walk or ride their scooters/tricycles while they watch mommy run. I figure this is where early physical education begins - in front of their eyes.

I am so thankful for the changes I am seeing in myself after only 2 weeks in the program. But, I am even more thankful for the far-reaching effects this will have on my family as a whole. Yes, as a whole. In addition to (hopefully) inspiring/teaching my kids one day, my mom has already followed my lead and begun the program too. My sister also, plans to begin as soon as she is cleared to exercise after her recent c-section. There are also 2 of my husband's co-workers who have expressed an interest after seeing some of my postings on Facebook.

It just goes to show that you may never know the effects your choices have - not only on your life, but on the lives of those around you.

I will close with a quote from last season's Biggest Loser. It is from one of the mother-daughter team's initial interviews before the show began. It is one of the catalysts that gave me to courage to start this program:

Daughter - "What if I try and find out I can't do it?"
Mother - "What if you try and you find out you can???