First time out

OK - so here's what I've been doing since Thursday night. I bought a pretty pink ipod shuffle.

And then I spent some time making a playlist for my first time out. Music for me is everything. It can stop me dead in my tracks or pump me up to keep moving. So here's my first playlist:

Don't Let Your Feet Touch Ground (Ash Koley) - remember that fall the first time I ran? ;-)
Modern Girl (Sheena Easton)
Electric Avenue (Eddy Grant)
Gonna Make You Sweat [Power Remix] (Biggest Loser Workout Mix)
Jump [for my love] (The Pointer Sisters)
Holding Out for a Hero [or a heart attack at this point] (Bonnie Tyler)
Love in an Elevator (Aerosmith)
So What (Pink)
Rock the Casbah [Workout Remix] (Shape Walk Classic Remixes)
Freeze Frame (J. Geils Band)
Pretty Vegas (INXS)
Waterloo (ABBA)
Born This Way (Glee Cast Version)
Hard Day's Night (The Beatles)
Flashdance - What a Feeling (Irene Cara)
Walk This Way (Run DMC / Aerosmith)
Afterglow (INXS)

Yes - I always finish with Afterglow, it is one of my all-time favorite 'chill' songs.

SO... I spent a few hours Friday night and a few beer creating and ordering the above songs so that I would have a heart-pumper followed by a slightly slower one to catch my breath. I figured I was ready to go. Tomorrow. Saturday.

I woke up this morning and figured there was no better time than the present. Had a quick bite to eat and got ready to walk out the door. Turned on my ipod and realized that somehow the ordering of my songs changed. I never was strong in technology.

Anyway, off I went, the sun was peeking through and it was a great walk. I walked 0.6 km to warm up and then decided to try a jog. It felt so good I did 0.3 km jogging. Then I stopped for a breather and Holding Out for a Hero came on. I felt more like I was Holding Out for a Heart Attack so I walked (mostly because there were people around) and realized that my legs hurt. Walking was fine, but I was pretty sure jogging wasn't going to happen for a bit. I actually finished out the remaining 4.0 km at a very brisk walk (keeping up to the beat of my music). Almost stopped for a rest on Jennifer and Tommy Hunter's wall, thought for sure I was going to have to crash but I held strong and  Flashdance - What a Feeling came on. The slow intro gave me a few seconds of relief and then it pumped me up the hill and I knew I would make it all the way back. 48 minutes was my time. Is that good? I dunno. I think map my run said 6km/hour, but I'm not sure where that fits in the whole scheme of things.

Then I drove the route to see how far I walked. 4.9 km. Guess I'll have to walk to the bottom of the street and back next time at the end to round it up to 5k.

After Noah's basketball game at SMU I celebrated with a guilt free donair on Pizza Corner. Yum.

So, next up - what do we need to do this week? Get your music ready, we have two 30 minute walk/runs (Tuesday and Thursday) and another 5k Saturday.

If you are a total pre-beginner like me we are going to take it easy. You can choose between run 5 seconds and walk 55 seconds, or run 10 seconds and walk 50 seconds. Use the telephone poles as your guide. It likely works out to run 1 telephone pole (or 2) and walk 9 (or 8). And if you get sore or tired, just walk. You are doing more than you usually do so it's all good!!