10×10 in 2010

Posts Tagged ‘Running’

My New Running Shoe

Last weekend, in preparation for the running project, the family went on a trip to buy a pair of running shoes for yours truly.  Since we were already at a sporting goods store it seemed like a good idea to save some time and buy the shoes there. Wrong answer.  While the shoes weren’t “bad”, they didn’t fit quite right, and I’ve since learned that if running shoes don’t fit well at the store, they never will.

Fast forward to yesterday, when we took a jaunt up to Bauman’s Running and Walking Shop in Grand Blanc, Michigan.  It’s about 20 minutes away, so not too far, and it also happens to be where Heather bought her shoes roughly six months ago.
Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday (Saturday) marked the first week of a nine-week subproject – the “C25K” project.  It’s an interval program designed to take the average couch potato (me) off the couch and up to running 5k (3.1 miles) in only 9 weeks.  By running three days per week (27 times total), your body is conditioned to run 5k non-stop.  It’s not designed to make the hapless couch potato into a speed demon; that comes later.

So far, so good.

On a recent Saturday morning my amazing wife went out and just ran a 10k – because she could.  Motivational is not precisely what I would call it, though she has been absolutely excited the past few days (as she should!)

After considering her victory, I’ve decided to (literally) follow in her footsteps and start the “Couch to 5k” workout series that led her down this path to becoming an honest-to-goodness runner.

This new side project supports the overall goals of the 10×10 in 2010 project by providing a healthy mechanism to increase health, burn calories, and lose weight.  It has the added benefit of preparing me for a bright future of active living with the woman I love – that’s a tremendous bonus.

Here’s the link to the website with the interval mixes: http://www.djsteveboy.com/podrunner.html

If you’re interested in downloading them at iTunes (they’re free), here’s the link to the podcasts (will launch iTunes): http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?i=55501053&id=124686671

The Plan

3 days per week, 9 weeks – 27 running sessions.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Day 1 – March 22nd, 2010 – COMPLETE (and it didn’t kill me, or even hurt all that bad.)

Today I went for a one-mile run with my wife. Now, to be fair (to her) she’s been running for over 5 months and has turned into an honest-to-goodness true-blue runner.  I, on the other hand, haven’t been a runner since about 1992.  And oh yeah, I weigh about 100 pounds more than then, too.

In any case, I struggled along like a manatee on life support. She power-walked next to me.  They may take my man-card at the next guy-meeting.

She told me she’s proud of me for getting out there.  If she weren’t so serious, I’d suspect patronization.

Next week, maybe I can get her to break into something approaching a jog.

This post is somewhat late, since “The Run” actually occurred on Monday or Tuesday this past week.  As many of you know, my wife started running about 5 months ago, and she’s been churning up the miles.

As part of this grand 10×10 in 2010 project, two exercises per morning simply won’t be sufficient to maintain a 2lb-per-week pace.  Years ago (18 of them, gah) I used to run a fair amount (6 miles 2-3 times a week), but then … I stopped.

So, I decided to give it a shot, got dressed, stretched out, headed out the door, and… Read the rest of this entry »