Running: getting easier

Turns out I didn't need to be as skeptical of my ability to complete week 3 of the couch-to-5k program as I was. Last night's workout went remarkably easy. I didn't feel nearly as physically taxed during the two three-minute runs as I was expecting. It actually felt easy.

Am I turning into a runner? Perish the thought.

I managed to get through the workday without indulging in candy (besides a couple of Hershey's dark chocolate truffle kisses). Time to go trick-or-treating now. Neither my niece nor my nephew are big fans of candy -- so why do they go out in the first place? Must be the joy of getting stuff for free -- and they try to give a lot of it away. Tonight, I'm not buying.

New shoes

I am now the proud owner of a pair of 2007 Nike Air Pegasus + running shoes. Sounds like I just bought a car, doesn't it?

I had to try on seven pairs of shoes before finally settling on this one. Ironically, this was the first pair I tried on. I didn't really like the look of them, but the next several pairs I tried were either too narrow or too short.

I'm taking them for a spin on the treadmill tonight. The nice thing about getting shoes at Running Room is that you can take them back within 30 days as long as you haven't worn them outdoors.

Weekend Update

Not much to update, really. I've run for the last four days, so today will be a rest day before I start week 3 of the Couch to 5K program: two intervals of 1:30 run/1:30 walk/3:00 run/3:00 walk.

This week will be the first week in a while we're going out to eat twice. Tonight we're going to The Works Burger Bistro on our way to Running Room to get me a pair of indoor running shoes. Nepean Sportsplex is banning outdoor shoes starting Friday, necessitating the new shoes. Wednesday, we'll probably be picking up some fast food on the way to joining Lynne's niece and nephew in trick-or-treating. I'm only holding myself to two rules, no soda and reasonable portions, so hopefully I won't see too much of a weight gain this week (if at all). If I could get through Thanksgiving weekend without gaining, I can make it through this week, right?

The back story

So what prompted this latest attempt at weight loss? It actually started about two months before I really began in earnest, when I TiVo'ed NBC's rebroadcast of the 2006 Ironman World Championship from Hawaii. (Incidentally, Hawaii in high definition is breathtaking.) As I was watching it, it rekindled an old desire I had to do a triathlon someday. I watched it three or four times before going on vacation, and it motivated me more and more each time.

Now, of course, being around 300 lbs. and completely out of shape like I was is not really conducive to running a triathlon, even the shorter sprint variety. So, I slowly started to get myself in shape. And I do mean slowly, at least at first. So slowly, in fact, that I once again found myself at a complete stop shortly after coming back from vacation.

But I watched that recording again and again, and something must have finally snapped, because I started a new routine at the beginning of October and haven't stopped yet. I started out doing laps around my block, which I measured out to be almost exactly a mile. I walked it at first, then started to run for short bursts. When it was too dark to do that, I ran/walked on the treadmill in my building. I did two laps of the block in the rain one day, which is completely unheard of for me.

It got better. I started doing the Couch-to-5K program on Cool Running. I improved my eating habits, to the point where it's now second nature for me to have breakfast at home and take my lunch to work, instead of buying both meals in the cafeteria. I got a 6-month membership at the local municipal fitness complex, giving me somewhere to run on a decent treadmill and ride on a decent stationary bike in the winter. I'm planning on signing up for spinning classes, and on getting myself in the pool. I'm even to the point where I'm considering signing up to run the 5K on marathon weekend here in Ottawa next May.

The results so far have been tremendous. I'm currently down 11.8 pounds in 20 days, and I'm excited for more. My current goal is to get under 250 by February 1. We're going on a cruise to the Southern Caribbean, and I want to be able to sign up for some of the excursions that require you to be under 250 to participate. Long-term, though, the goal is still to get under 200, and I really think I'm going to make it this time.

Ten down

I weighed myself back on October 4, and clocked in at 301.6 lbs. My weight yesterday morning was 291.0.

More details soon.