Week 1 Day 1 - success

[rmc28]

I started today!  I managed the whole of the Day 1 run, using the GetRunning app and listening to a backlog of the News Quiz.  I do like the way GetRunning plays nicely with the audioplayer on my iphone, pausing it for the start/stop running announcements and fading it for the "30 seconds more" updates.  So I did 5 min warm-up, 8x 1 minute run separated by 90 seconds walking, and 5 min cool-down.  I had to walk another 5 minutes or so to get home given the route I'd taken and then I stretched.

I also used the RunKeeper app to map my "run" which showed that I covered a bit over 2 miles by the end of the cool-down.  (I'm estimating from memory of where I was - next time I'll take a note at that point even if I'm not quite home.)

Week 1 day 1

[liv]

Thank you for making a community! Yay accountability. I've started recording on Fitocracy, but the site sort of implicitly sneers at my little beginner intervals, so a DW community might well be better.

Having not really run at all since my unskilled attempts to get fitter when I was in sixth form, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do this. I went out into the little bit of green space at the back of my house and just started out to see how far I would get, running up and down. I actually completed the suggested week 1 set, which really did a great deal for my confidence. I can run for 8 x 1 minute! I was too puffed after each running section to be able to walk briskly during the recovery sections, but I didn't ever come to a complete stop, I either walked slowly or ran slowly for the entire time.

I need a better way to time myself and ideally get some kind of pace. Right now I don't really have a good way to carry any devices, though. I tried putting my house keys in an armband holder meant for a phone or music player, and the holder kept falling off or the keys falling out, so I'm glad I didn't try with any expensive electronics. Ended up threading the keys through my watch strap, and watching the second hand to time my 60 and 90 second intervals, while holding the keys in my hand so they wouldn't bash against my wrist. Not exactly ideal. I'm thinking perhaps a better quality armband, or a bum-bag like they used to have in the 80s (do they even still exist? Maybe in a special store for the terminally uncool).

Running outside, even just up and down a little patch of grass where people walk their dogs, small enough that I was doing two "lengths" during my 60 second runs, was definitely more pleasurable than running on the treadmill. And easier on account of not having to walk a mile into town and sort out getting changed and putting stuff into the locker in order to work out in the gym. But obviously that won't be the case if it's dark or raining, so I am holding the gym in reserve so that I don't miss any days of my regime.