Project Dreamcatcher: week 1

In case you missed it, jjraffe's lovely post about the idea of hitting a goal in 8 weeks is named Project: Dreamcatcher . It's just 8 weeks of setting some goals and then reaching them in some steps but it is huge to me. Wait... "just"... no, this is a big thing for anyone, especially a parent, because so much of the time we put ourselves last and our dreams on hold. No more.

So here it is, my goal: I will run an entire 5k race. I am not aiming for fast, just running, for the whole thing.

This week I am actually, at long last, starting this fancy app that I acquired for this purpose. It's an 8 week program, so look at that matching up smoothly.

So why am I attempting this running thing? Firstly, although I have a fancy gym membership right now, I can keep running even with no gym membership. It is me and my pair of shoes.

Secondly, it is working the bunch of muscles that I need the most help with. I expect it is going to be unpleasant but also more rewarding than just about any other kind of exercise. My hips and knees sometimes hurt just from hauling myself up and down stairs.

And my aunt runs marathons. She had a body a lot like mine until she decided it was time to change things and started running. Now marathons and triathalons and such are a big part of her life. She's done some really cool races that I'd like to tell you about to raise money for HIV research, but the specifics are gonna be left to your imagination. So I have a role model and evidence that just running can be enough to go from me to healthy weight.

I am now going to register for a 5K on August 3rd, 8 weeks from Saturday. It's even an emotional one that's a fundraiser for a group that supports families experiencing loss, a difficult pregnancy, or complications after baby's arrival. There's a local support group with a library of useful books and such. It would have been nice to know this existed sooner! Maybe I'll decide to get around to volunteering to do publicity for them.

Here's hoping I don't trip and hurt myself to the point I can't get to my goal. I think I'm going to find some balance exercises to work on during all this running too, just in case.