I’ve tried exercise plans and tried them again. I’ve tried to jog, but I always hit a plateau before I get to a decent mileage. At present, I can jog 0.1 mile intervals. It’s sad, I know. I’ll alternate walking and jogging until I’ve done 0.5 miles of jogging. Then, I’ll keep walking until I’ve reached a total time of 20, 30, or 60 minutes, depending on how I’m feeling.
I also find excuses that keep me from jogging, such as I need to find something on Netflix or a TV show to watch as I jog. Yup, I’m more motivated when I have something to watch or listen to.
What do I want from jogging? I want to be more fit, it’s great for your mental state, and I want to be able to jog long enough distances that I can do races again, such as 5K’s, maybe 10K’s, and even triathlons.
I had printed out the treadmill version of Couch to 5K, but I didn’t get far past the first week (Remember the distance plateau?). Of course, it hasn’t helped that since school started, I seem to be sick with something or other every two weeks. That can definitely mess up any exercise plans.
Recently, I tried a new tactic. On the Couch to 5K website, I listened to the podcasts, where they have music to go along with someone’s voice telling you when to walk or run. I’m sorry, but I wasn’t a fan of the boring music. Sorry.
They did, however, have a plain podcast with just the voice every interval, telling you what to do. The website said you could add your own music in GarageBand.
I decided to make my own podcast with the blank podcast (no music, just voice), and I’m so glad I did!
I downloaded the blank podcast, dragged it to iTunes, opened GarageBand, dragged it to the workspace, and then added my personal iTunes music to go along with the workout. It’s easy to tell when there’s a voice, because the wavy line shows up (sorry, I can’t describe it better or more scientifically). I decided to use a different piece every time the intervals changed from running to walking or back, and I alternated fast, upbeat songs with slower ones. When I was done, I clicked on Share-Send podcast to iTunes. It was great!
The songs I picked are from Bend it Like Beckham, TobyMac, Glee, The Sound of Music (I love organ music), Sense & Sensibility, The Princess & the Frog, Michael Bublé, and Tangled. Yes, it’s definitely a mix! I’m excited to use my jogging podcast, and I’m sure I’ll do okay on Week 1, but I worry about getting through and beyond Week 2.
Here are the songs I picked:
Running Week 1
Warm Up
Darkshan – W
Intervals
Baddest Ruffest – W/R1
Hey, Soul Sister – W
Start Somewhere – R2
Processional & Maria – W
Tonight – R3
I Dreamed a Dream – W
Hey Devil – R4
Willoughby – W
Get Back Up – R5
Almost There – W
When We’re Human – R6
Ma Belle Evangeline – W
Down in New Orleans – R7
Kingdom Dance – W
Dig a Little Deeper – R8
Cool Down
Haven’t Met You Yet – W
When Will My Life Begin – W
I See the Light – W
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