Ease into 5K

Full disclosure- I had grand visions of spending my maternity leave and summer break losing the baby weight I had gained (and then some) and getting fit. Ha! Instead, I spent the summer sleeping when Maggie slept, going to the pool, and just trying to survive the newborn months. Exercise was literally the last thing on my mind. Friend's weddings, family vacations, and Maggie (of course!) filled up all of my summer. Plus, have y'all been outside in the Georgia heat lately? Today the high was 85 and it's October 24! One can only imagine how hot it was in June. . . . Yes, I have walked numerous times but the majority of those walks involved catching up with friends and no sweat.

So yesterday, almost 7 months after Maggie was born, I actually full-on, legitimately, sweat-inducing, exercised. And after hearing about Couch to 5K on my friend Keight's blog, Put Up Your Dukes, I decided to try it. It has since been renamed Ease into 5K but it's the same thing. Basically, it is an app for your phone that "teaches" you how to run. The premise is this: run 30 seconds, walk 30 seconds, run 45 seconds, walk 45 seconds, etc. The times vary each exercise and the running amount increases while the amount you walk decreases. At the end of the 8 week program, you are supposed to be able to run a 5K in about 30 minutes. The best part of this program is that you only have to "run" 3x a week. My personal goal is to run at 5K without stopping to walk, and frankly, I don't care how long it takes!

Wish me luck! 

Maggie, my personal trainer and weights, will be with me on every run!