Trying something new this summer

I'm doing the Couch 2 5K (C25K) program to get myself back to running condition.  Not that I was ever a hard core marathon runner or anything even close to that (I can only wish).  But once upon a time, I used to enjoy running for fitness and hobby...and I've always liked the time to myself to think about things and ponder life.

And why am I not in running condition anymore, you may ask?

Almost exactly a year ago (May 24th), I tore the meniscus in my right knee.  The orthopedic surgeon was able to repair it instead of having to remove it, which meant that my recovery would be significantly longer.  As in 6 weeks non weight-bearing, then 2 more weeks of physical therapy before I learned how to walk again (literally), then another 2 months of physical therapy to get my ROM back to normal.  I was cleared to try running again about 6 months post-injury...I tried, but I couldn't run without having some significant knee pain.  But I was persistent and kept at it, doing a little bit of running when I was out walking over the past few months.  And it's paid off -- I can actually run now!  There is some pain when I first start, but it goes away.  Yay progress!

New problem is that my lung capacity is shot.  I have asthma which has always been a factor in my running, but I can manage it.  After a year of not running, I'm basically starting from scratch.  I can get out and run and my knee feels fine, but then I start to huff and puff and wheeze and sound like a 70-year-old COPD'er.  *sigh*  So, I thought maybe I could benefit from an actual running program that builds up from nothing.  Enter the C25K program.

I finished my 1st week today...all I did for 3 days was a 5-minute brisk warm-up walk, then I ran 60 seconds, walked 90 seconds, repeat 8 times to get to 20 minutes.  It doesn't sound like much, but hey, you gotta start somewhere.  And after the 9-week program, I'm hoping I'll be back to my norm of running 3-4 miles at a time.

So...new project, new goal to work for...and hoping it will help me drop those few (*ahem*) pounds that I picked up this past semester, thanks to my nursing school diet.  And I've missed my good endorphin rush the past year.  A runners' high beats out a walkers' high, no contest.

Have a good weekend  :-)