Week 6: Couch to 5k

Damn you, Robert.

Your week 6 program just kicked my ass, so pardon the frustration.

I don't know what it is about this week, but this is the first time I've felt pain. Specifically, in my calves. Maybe it was the mind-bending 20-minute run on Saturday (in the pouring rain, mind you), but today just didn't feel the same.

Usually I go from leg-quaking agony to full-stride euphoria pretty quickly. But not this evening. I could be that, for the first time, I actually measured how far I ran instead of for how long. I walked up to the spongy Parkside track and relived my not-so-glorious high school track days - the only other benchmark I have of this whole experience.

I learned that 2.3 miles of pain in the blaring sun doesn't come without a price.

This after learning from my diabetic doctor that my triglycerides are at a remarkable 58 (good is anything below 150), and my cholesterol is at super levels.

It could be the cucumber I ate for lunch. Or it could be that my body still hasn't recovered from the rainstorm death march this weekend.

But I'm tired. And sore. And two-thirds of the way through this thing.

A group of what I imagine to be cross-country students galloped past me on my cool down walk to home. They weren't missing I beat. Then there was the young girl doing amazing things with a soccer ball. I think back to my high school days, and I can't believe I'm in better shape now that I was then. If I would've tried this in college, you'd be placing flowers on my grave rather than comments on my blog.

Week six:
- Day one: run 5 min, walk 3 min, run 8 min, walk 3 min, run 5 min
- Day two: run 10 min, walk 3 min, run 10 min
- Day three: run 25 min

...and then gut-busting death.

See you on the other side.