Couch to 5K ~ Week 4

I can't believe I'm halfway done! I still have a long way to go, but I'm proud of how far I've come. I honestly think that I might have quit by now had it not been for blogging. I feel more pressure to continue since I have an audience! That's a good thing!


Week 4 Routine (3 Times a Week): Start with a brisk 5-minute warm-up walk. Then do the following routine:

• Run for 3 minutes
• Walk for 90 seconds
• Run for 5 minutes
• Walk for 2.5 minutes
• Run for 3 minutes
• Walk for 90 seconds
• Run for 5 minutes

Finish with a 5-minute cool-down walk.

Angie's Week 4 Schedule: I started the "week 4" routine on Friday, March 20. I completed it on Friday, Sunday, Monday and today.

Angie's Notes: I was sooo nervous to start this week's routine. It seemed like such a huge jump from the previous week. You can imagine my shock when I completed the first routine without any major problems (my knees even felt better)! It was definitely HARD, but I'm amazed by the body's ability to adapt to exercise. I would never have been able to run this much four weeks ago. Running for one minute had me huffing and puffing! Now, I'm running for 16 minutes of the routine. And in a few weeks, I should be able to run continuously for the whole workout.

Which brings me to the key lesson in all of this...

TRUST! As a beginner, you have to trust that your body will adapt. Don't think, "I could NEVER run for 10 minutes!" Instead think, "I only need to get through this minute, or this routine, or today..." Slowly, but surely, your body will grow stronger.

In fact, as you push forward, things that seemed impossible will suddenly become routine. For example, running for 3 minutes is now the "easy" part of my workout. Soon, running for five minutes will be the "easy" part. And so on...

The human body is truly amazing. Let it work for you!

-Angie