HOLD THE PHONE!

Wow! Woweee! Wowzers! Hold the phone! Up to this point, the C25K program I have been using (to go from sitting on my duff on a couch to running a 5K), has had me doing the "same thing" for all three training sessions each week.

Examples:
Week 1 (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3): 
          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk
          -Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 
           seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
          -Five-minute cool down

Week 2 (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3):            
          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk
          -Then alternate 3 minutes of jogging and 2 
           minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. 
          -Five-minute cool down

Week 3 (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3): 

          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk

          -Then do two repetitions of the following:

                 -Jog for 3 minutes

                 -Walk for 3 minutes

                 -Jog for 3 minutes                          

                 -Walk for 3 minutes

            -Five-minute cool down

Week 4 (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3): 

          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

                 -Jog for 3 minutes

                 -Walk for 3 minutes

                 -Jog for 5 minutes

                 -Walk for 2-1/2 minutes

                 -Jog for 3 minutes

                 -Walk for 3 minutes

                 -Jog for 5 minutes

         -Five-minute cool down

SO...........when I got to WEEK 5 (on Tuesday), and I saw that on "Day 1" I would be running all 5 minute lengths, I was nervous because of the length of time I would be running! Running a whole 5 minutes is a big deal for me.

          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

                -Jog for 5 minutes

                -Walk for 3 minutes

                -Jog for 5 minutes

                -Walk for 3 minutes                

                -Jog for 5 minutes

          -Five-minute cool down

However, I figured that by "Day 3" of doing this, I would be feeling better...

....cue dramatic music....

Imagine my shock and awe when I looked at "Day 2" of Week 5 and saw that it was NOT the same as "Day 1". Day 2 had me running for EIGHT MINUTES!!! And guess what? I did it! I jogged for EIGHT MINUTES, two times today!!! 

          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

                -Jog 8 minutes

                -Walk 5 minutes

                -Jog 8 minutes

          -Five-minute cool down

In my optimism, I told myself that there was no way "Day 3" of Week 5 could be even harder. Surely, the powers that be (those who designed the C25K program), KNOW that my poor, pathetic self needs to catch up. Well, ......apparently they did not get the memo, because guess what "Day 3" of Week 5 has in store for me? Guess? 

Ready for this?....

          -Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

                -Jog for TWENTY MINUTES with no  

                 walking

          -Five-minute cool down

Really?!?!?! TWENTY MINUTES?!?! Is that possible? I guess we (I) shall see. It seems like a huge jump in 3 training sessions to jump from running 5 minutes, to 8 minutes, to 20 minutes, but I am going to do it!!!!!

I AM going to do it!!!