W1D1: Starting Off

I did not want to keep glancing down at my watch or a timer to run 60 seconds, walk 90 seconds, so I decided to make a playlist, choosing music that was timed just right.  Turns out that my iTunes library doesn't provide many options for the 60- to 90-second songs, so I would have run out of music after 8 or so minutes.

I figured someone else would already have beat me to this idea, so I googled it like everyone does in 2010. I didn't find any music that suited me, but I started reading about how to create your own track.  As it turns out, I already have all the tools I need.  My MacBook Pro came with an application called Garage Band, which is exactly what I need to assemble my own playlist.

I spent the morning figuring out how to use the application and ended up putting the current audio book I'm listening to on my iPod with voice-over markers to indicate when I should walk and run at the appropriate times.  I saved a template so I can just change out the current chapter I'm on, and voila!!  My very own Couch-to-5K track.

I put on my running shoes, shorts, shirt, and cap and donned my iPod Shuffle and headphones, then set out the door.  There are roads that I never drive in my neighborhood so I had different scenery to enjoy.  The first two run intervals weren't difficult, but I could definitely feel it in my feet and shins.  Oh yea, and in my lungs too.  By the time I started thinking about the running (and not listening to my book), the voice-over told me that my 20 minutes were up.  Wow!  That wasn't that bad.

The program says to run every other day, but my trainer says to do cardio daily, so I'm considering doing this daily.  We'll see how my leg feels tomorrow before I really decide.

I made it through my first official attempt at C25K, and I'm quite proud of myself.