Well, it is five week since I wrote “Tell everyone you know that you’ve quit,” in which I promised that by this time I would be ready to run a 5K race, having completed the Couch to 5K running program from CoolRunnings.com. I didn’t specify any sort of speed, just that I would have the endurance to run 5K (3.1 miles) without stopping. And with that caveat in place, I am reporting back on my progress.

I’m pleased to say that I accomplished that goal in week 7, and at that point I stopped the training. Granted, I’m not “pleased” that I stopped training, in fact I don’t have a good excuse for my lack of enthusiasm, except that I got sloppy and started going to bed late and waking up late and not having the time or energy for the runs. Last week while in California I ran twice on the treadmill and it felt good, and I need to do more of it, and I hope to, if I can just get back on Eastern time and start waking up early again. I need to continue to work on both endurance and speed, so that I can run a 5K consistently, thrice a week, and not just once in a while.

But that said, the program has helped me a lot. I can run for a good 15 or 20 minutes without really feeling tired, provided I keep it at a nice consistent pace. And that is a real improvement from where I was two and a half months ago. I think what I need to get to the next level is a new motivation, some sort of goal or a challenger or a running partner. Kelli suggests a 5K race at the end of October, which might be enough, provided a few other people choose to join in, but I dunno.