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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Are You Sure I Can't Take the Couch With Me?

For months, I've been saying I'm going to get back into the habit of going to the gym. I've been looking at my jiggly thighs and flabby arms and thinking, "damn, I  really need to do something about that."

The weight loss efforts (now that they're actually happening) are helping, but no amount of point counting and calorie watching is going to firm up those triceps or rid me of my cellulite.

Nope, to make that happen, I'm going to actually have to move my butt. Away from the couch (and preferably in the direction of the gym).

I've started a few times, but something always comes up. A sickness. Or a deadline. Or a convenient snowstorm. Or a good TV show. You know. Stuff.

So I just went and signed up for a 5K (sorry, mom).

Now, I have bad knees. Make that horrendous knees. Running is probably the very last activity I should be engaging in. But you know what? I love running. I'm not very good at it (in fact, I suck rather badly), but there's nothing quite like the feeling of freedom that sets in about halfway through (in between the I-really-don't-want-to-do-this and the oh-my-god-is-it-over-yet phase).

So I'm going to try again. I'm going to get through that whole dang Couch to 5K app that I downloaded for my iPod if it kills me (and it might). I know I can do it - especially since I just told you guys I'm going to.

So, on  Saturday, May 1, you'll be able to find me at the starting line of the Coach Hep  Cancer Challenge.

And if I don't make it? Well, then, I just made a $35 donation to a good cause. That's not so bad, is it?

8 comments:

  1. Hi Amber, i'm doing the couch-5 program at the moment too despite my better judgement. i'm so impressed that you've signed up for a run...that is awesome.

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  2. I miss running. I used to do it a lot but then I found out I have bad hips and it was slowly destroying my knees. Sniff.

    Good luck

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  3. Two years ago I did the same thing, signing up for my citys half-marathon. When it finally rolled around, I smiled at my $75 donation and went right back to sleep. I'm not very good at keeping motivated either. I did like this book : The Non-Runners guide to Marathons for Women. Not a bad read. . . of course, it can't get me off the couch either, but still. . not a bad read.

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  4. Hurrah for signing up for races! This is the best thing about spring... 5k season!

    Please keep us updated about your progress. You can do it- even if it is slowly. Make sure you get FITTED for REAL running shoes... (It's not often I shout in all caps, so that means I mean it for real!)

    You can do it!

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  5. @preggo - that might very well happen, but at least I can say I tried, right?

    @Captain Dumbass - I never learn. Seriously, I don't. I'd be better off walking slowly...

    @erica - real running shoes. Got it. I suppose you mean the kind that don't come from Kohls?

    @ijogthereforiblog - hooray! we can do it together!

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  6. I have also been afflicted with bad knees. May I make a suggestion? Knee braces. For me this would also require ankle braces, but that is a whole other affliction.

    Very brave of you. Good luck!

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  7. Good for you! I love running myself, but can't take part in it due to bad knees and due to my tendencie to get not only shin splints but stress fractures, ouch! So I wish you all the best and that your knees will be ablt to take it :D

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  8. Good for you! I, too, signed up for a 5K (Race for the Cure), which is interesting b/c 1) I can run about .25 of a mile before collapsing, and 2) I have bad knees, a bad back... pretty much a bad everything. But yet I hope to overcome these small problems and get my a$$ moving. I think you will fare far better than I.

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