Can you believe there are only two weeks left of the Couch to 5K program??? I’ve definitely surprised myself here. I CAN do this, I AM a runner!

W6D1

So after freaking out about running 20 minutes straight last week, the app dropped me back down for W6D1, which was Run 5 minutes, Walk for 3, Run 8 minutes, Walk for 3, Run 5 minutes. The weather was cool and damp, and after running 20 minutes solid the week before, I decided to head on my western path and take on the hills. Not much of an issue.

W6D2

Since I repeated a day last week with Josh, this week I ran W6D2 with him. The weather was MUCH cooler than it had been the previous week, so our Run 10 minutes, Walk 3 minutes, Run 10 minutes intervals were far easier to take. We went the opposite direction than we had previously as well, choosing to run down the long, shallow hill and up the steeper, shorter hill. This, I believe, worked to our advantage! We decided to take our selfie in front of a pretty Victorian home near work.

W6D3

For some reason I was under the impression that his was 22 1/2 minutes, but it was a flat 22 minutes solid run. I was less worried about this run than I had been about the previous week’s 20 minute run, and I was right to be less worried. I did, however, plan the hills around my neighborhood so I didn’t hit any really long ones. As I experienced on the previous longer run, the first half was harder: once I heard the words “You are halfway!” I got a renewed sense of energy. When I got the finally 1-minute warning, I worked on lengthening my stride to maybe gain a bit more distance. I finished the 22 minutes just as I was going to have to begin to climb a hill again, which worked out perfectly! I was so sweaty my pants felt like they were sticking to my skin and needed to be peeled off!

Week 7 is all 25 minutes solid runs. The only one I’m worried about is the one I’ll do with Josh, because it will be 2 pm and 90 degrees. I think I’ll wrap a damp towel around my neck and definitely bring water.

Now, I’ve been using an athletic headband to strap my phone to my arm. This is bad for 3 reasons: one, it cuts off my circulation, two, it gets my phone all sweaty, and three, it makes it hard to check the time or change the song. So I’ve been researching other ways to carry my phone without dropping a ton of cash. I came across the FlipBelt, perhaps you’ve heard of it. Perhaps you’ve also noticed they want almost $30 for those things. But Pinterest has a wealth of information on how to make your own! Now, this is me we’re talking about, so I don’t need anything with fancy contrast edging or a zipper. I just need something functional. So I decided I would sew my own! I haven’t started yet, but I did buy some neon watermelon colored Lycra at Joann’s for less than $2, which should make me not one but TWO belts. I also nabbed some stretch needles. I’m going to try to get the belt done before my Adventure Run on Thursday night, wish me luck!