An intro, and Couch to 5k

I started blogging before it was cool, just for fun, and now I've stopped because it's dumb, just a way to monetize or advertise. No one actually uses blogging for its original purpose -- they've switched to Twitter of Facebook. I'm on Facebook (I don't care for Twitter). However, I need a place to record some thoughts. If someone finds this and likes it, fine. If not, I mostly realize nobody cares about this kind of endeavor. These thoughts are simply the scribblings of just one more among many doing quite the same. I'm no special snowflake.

So, the reason for this blog is that I've started running. I hate running. I have started the Couch to 5k program, and somehow I don't hate it (fair warning: this may be more or less the subject of every post). I hope to do the Disney Princess marathon in February. Yes, literally the only thing that is motivating me to run is running in costume in a place like Disney. If only there were a Doctor Who half-marathon or something... that might be the only OTHER thing.

When I decided that this was going to be a good idea, we immediately bought a good but used and therefore very cheap '90s treadmill off craigslist. Managed to decide this, read a million reviews, find one within budget, buy it, install and run on it all in one day.

I like the C25k runs. When I used to run for ROTC, I would just run and run and run and run and force myself to run more until I couldn't run. Even if I kept an easy pace, this always felt like a death march that it took sheer will to conquer. This training program begins with a minute of running and a minute and a half of running, alternating until one has been running/walking for 20 minutes. With 5 minutes of a brisk walk for warm up and another for cool-down, that's 30 minutes of a workout. It seems to be a good recovery time. Running for a minute straight isn't bad, and knowing that I only have to run that 8 times isn't a crushing mental strain. It's hard, but it's easy. I've been doing these runs on the treadmill, except tonight I did an extra run outside, on several hills. It's still not at all terrible, and I am looking forward to moving on to the next week's 1.5 minute run and 2 minute walk, alternated four times, and then a 1/1 run/walk twice.

More later.