Couch to 10K

I mentioned in my opening entry that one of the reasons why I had signed up to participate in the Underwear Affair was to get myself into better shape. I’ve done the lifestyle change before and for the most part had stuck to it, but just like anything else, it requires practice, practice, practice.

I stopped practicing for a while. And then the weight started coming back on. At my heaviest I was 170lbs. While that’s certainly not obese for someone of my height (5’6”), it certainly didn’t make me feel good. There’s also the health risks associated with gaining too much weight. So it was my objective to not only conquer this 10km run, but also get myself into better shape.

I’ve never been a fan of the gym. I’m someone who resists and avoid at all possible. So I had to find a way to make this challenge stick. I found a great program called “Couch to 5km”. The point of the program is to get people off the couch and in nine weeks of interval training to get them running a 5km run in 45 minutes. A little more digging unearthed a modified “Couch to 10km” run on someone’s blog. The 10km version has me doing interval training three times a week for thirteen weeks. With my love for yoga, I got myself running three times a week and bending and breathing myself through one to two sixty minute yoga sessions a week.

It’s also about the healthy eating too; less processed foods, more fruits and vegetables. Portion sizes and frequency of eating as well. I rarely eat junk food, and I keep out of the house to avoid the temptation. I still indulge from time to time, but I’m finding I’m more careful about my choices, and am aware of how often I eat it.

Overall, committing myself to the Underwear Affair has forced me to take a good look at how I’m living my life. I’m eating better, working out and a few weeks ago hit my goal weight. I’m a leaner, fit version of myself. With a little luck, some hard work and advances in medical science, I hopefully will never have to face cancer in my life.

Couch to 5km
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Couch to 10km
http://dailyburn.com/workout_programs/345751-Couch-to-10k-Running-Program