Training for a Virtual 5K - Day 1 - Recon

Since I'm so overweight and out of shape and just getting back on the fitness trail after straying down the wrong path for a very, very long time, the word training seems like a pretty strong word for what I'm doing, but I don't know what else to call it.

I'm using SparkPeople to keep track of my food intake and exercise, and just signed up for a virtual 5K Trick or Treat Trot that is scheduled for the end of October.  I'll plot my own course locally, get some training in and then post my final run time on the day of the 'race', along with hundreds, if not thousands of others.   I don't expect to be running, but I'd like to be able to jog at least part of the distance by then.

Yesterday I went out to a local bike path and walking trail to see if it would work for my 5K route.  I'd never been on these trails, so it was virgin territory for me.  I walked what I think was just under a mile at a fast clip on the bike path, and while it didn't wear me out, the hard surface was unforgiving and I was wearing new shoes that I'm finding aren't the best for this sort of thing.  The nearby walking path is supposed to be 2 1/4 mi so I decided to tackle that too, which should have brought me to just about the 5K (3.2 mi) mark.

The walking trail was much easier on my feet, but since I had already had a bit of a workout, the few small hills that were thrown in had me wondering if I'd done the right thing by taking all this on my very first day out.  Prior to this, the only thing I'd done is a short 15 min or so walk with my dogs.  Still, I persevered and trudged on to finish the loop.

Uh oh ... the last half mile or so of that loop is the same bike path I had already walked, and the hard pavement was even tougher than my first go 'round with it.  By the time I got back to my car, I was more than ready to call it a day and haul my butt home.  I was already starting to stiffen up, but even as tired as I was, I felt a great sense of accomplishment at having finished my course.  

All in all, I was pretty proud of myself for the exercise I got in, as well as the food choices I made throughout the day.  I even treated my two dogs to a short walk at dusk, which helped relieve some of my stiffness from earlier.

Haven't craved any carb-laden sweets.  Made much healthier food choices.  Put one foot in front of the other, doing more than I have in eons.  Yes, it was a good day.

I can do this.

~ Marie Anne