Negative Nellie

I started doing the Couch to 5K (C25K) program last fall. I stuck with it pretty faithfully. For awhile. Then life and the holidays got the better of me. In mid-November, we went to DisneyWorld for a week. The following week was Thanksgiving, with my sister and her family visiting us. Then there was Toys for Tots. Then the kids were off for their winter break and Stretch had two 96's (4-day weekends). All of this threw my routine completely out the window.

But the kids have now gone back to school and there are no more excuses. Stretch and I have a done a workout DVD in the evening a few times now. And I've tried to get back into running, this time outside (I'd always run on a treadmill in the fall due to the heat where we are). The runs did not go well. I walked at least half the time and wasn't going as far.

Today, I decided I needed to go back to the C25K program. I thought I'd go back to Week 4 but couldn't find it on my iPod. So I went with Day 1 of Week 5: 5 minutes of warm-up walking, 5 minutes of running, 3 minutes of brisk walking, 5 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 5 minutes running, and 5 minutes of cool-down walking. It kicked my behind! And that was only the first 5 minute run!

By the time I was on the last 5 minutes of running, Negative Nellie wasn't just whispering in my ear, she was shouting. Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a runner. Maybe those extra pounds around my middle aren't really that bad. Maybe I'm not a runner. Maybe I just don't want to lose the weight/ get in shape badly enough. What made me think I would ever be a runner?!

But I did it. I didn't cheat. I ran when I was supposed to and didn't stop to walk until I was meant to. And maybe I'm not a "runner." Yet. But Negative Nellie needs to go away and Motivated Molly needs to come back!

*This is cross-posted at SpouseBuzz.