Morning Run & Wee Little Virtual 5K Questionnaire

I do not know how I did it, but I got up just after 6 this morning and was out the door and running by 6:40 a.m. I took it really easy and didn't set any pace alerts or goals. I just ran. That was great. I did 2 miles in 28:40. I know I can do more if I push it, but I wanted to enjoy this and I think 2 miles will be my standard runs (3-4 times a week) with 3 miles long runs once a week. Once my long runs reach 3.5 or 4 (in about 2-4 weeks or so), I'll up the daily runs by 1/4-1/2 mile.

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I am running the Wee Little Virtual 5K next weekend. Here is a little Questionnaire the organizer put together.

1. When did you start running?
   I completed day 1 of the C25K running program on April 4, 2008.
   
   
2. Did you follow a plan (C25K etc.) to get you started running? If so, what plan did you use? If not, how did you go about getting started?
   I used the Couch to 5K Running program, which I 100% recommend to everyone. It slowly helped me progress from walking to running and it was a huge confidence booster.
   
   
3. Why did you start running?
   In February, I started slowly working out to get in shape and lose weight. I was mostly doing kickboxing and some walking. On March 29, I entered a 2 mile race as a way to keep me motivated that I planned to just walk. I jogged here and there then sprinted through the finish line. Running through that finish line with all those strangers cheering me on was so exhilarating that I decided then and there that I wanted to become a runner. About a week later, I started C25K.
   
   
4. Now that you are running regularly, what do you find to be the biggest benefits?
   I have a lot more energy and I feel fit. I used to get winding going up stairs, but now I run 2-3 miles 3-4 days a week and bike 4 miles at least 4 days a week. I never thought I could run a mile, let alone 3, and that feels fantastic.
   
   
5. What are your future plans for running? Short-term and Long-range.
   I plan to continue running regularly 4-5 times a week, slowly increasing my millage and pace. My current pace is 13-13:50 if I push myself. I would love to get down to a 10 minute mile, but I also want 2-3 miles to feel easy :) I am aiming to run Disney's Race for the Taste 10K in October and a Tampa's Half Marathon in March (or maybe the OUC 1/2 Marathon in December). I may train for a marathon in a year or 2, but I'll get through the 10K and 1/2 first before making that decision.
   
   
6. What are your personal goals for the Virtual 5K?
   I've completed 4 5Ks so far, but only ran for the entire time during the last one and finished in 41:25. I want to increase my pace a little bit and run a sub-40 5K.
   
   
7. Do you have a music “theme song” that you will use for this race?
   I usually have my ipod shuffle with a random selection of my "workout" music, but have a few songs I ensure always make it on there. As cliche as it is, "Eye of the Tiger" (and Weird Al's parody, "The Rye or The Keiser" ) really get me moving. There are a few other songs that do the trick too, such as "Not Gonna Get Us" by Tatu, "The Loco-Motion" by Kylie Minogue, "Dancing with Myself" by Billy Idol. I think there are a few others, but I can't recall what they are right now.

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Goals Update

• [9+/16] Bike: 16+ miles
  
• [5+/10] Run/walk: 10+ miles
  
• [0/45] Yoga: 45+ mins (20 or 45 min sessions)
  
• [2/3] Meatless Meals: 3+ for lunch or dinner (breakfast is always meatless)
  
• [4/5] Eat Out: <=5 (this means eating out AND leftovers)
• [2/3] Strength: week 1 (3 days) of Push Ups & Crunches Challenge
  
• [4/7] Water: 64+ oz per day