Goal update

Goal 1 is complete! This week I ran 2 miles, 3 times, and I'll be increasing distance up to 3.1 miles in the next few weeks. Running is really becoming part of my routine now, and I look forward to my scheduled runs.

As for Goal 3, I've decided not to set a pace/time goal after all. Instead, I would like to finish the 5k feeling strong, and hopefully feeling like I could run even farther. I'd want to focus on how I feel rather than on my speed so that running keeps being enjoyable and so I can avoid making judgments about how fast I should be going. The point is to get exercise, not to be speedy.

Running goals

Goal 1: Get to the point of comfortably running 2-3 miles, 3 times a week.

I don't have any aspirations to become a long distance runner, I just want to make running a regular part of my schedule. Training for the 5k will naturally help me accomplish this goal. I found some advice on Runner's World suggesting a mileage increase of 10% per week, so that is what I am following to get myself up to the 5k distance. I'm not sure if I will continue increasing mileage beyond the 5k...If I do, I think that 5-mile runs is really the farthest I would want to go. I guess we'll see.

Goal 2: Finish the 5k without walking

This is my top goal for the 5k and it is much more important to me than speed.

Goal 3: Finish the 5k in under ??? minutes

Okay, obviously this goal isn't fully formulated yet. I recently bought a Garmin running watch, which is hugely motivating for me. As you may suspect for someone doing a Ph.D. in the sciences, I just love data =). So it is super fun for me to look at my running stats and track my progress. And I'm hoping that the Garmin will help me figure out a comfortable pace to aim for. So far, my pace varies between 9:50 - 11:10 min/mile or so, depending on the hilliness of the course, the weather, and how I'm feeling, so I'm not really sure what to aim for as a race pace.

And as you can see, I'm pretty slow =). I've always been a slow runner, even back when I ran track for one (miserable) season back in high school, I was pretty much the slowest one on the team. But the actual speed doesn't matter to me that much, as long as I'm getting a good workout, doing the best I can do, and enjoying myself.

I've been loving my runs lately, so hopefully I can keep it up! I'm definitely getting the running bug...

Getting in shape

Although I love learning about nutrition and healthy living, and I'm generally quite good about maintaining a healthy diet, I haven't really developed good exercise habits. I know that regular exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and I want to develop good habits now that I can maintain (and enjoy!) as I get older. For the past couple years, the only regular exercise I have been doing is Vinyasa yoga. I have been practicing since the fall of 2009, and try to attend a class twice a week. The class is fairly intense, and is great for muscle building, stretching, and mental stability, but doesn't really get my heart pumping. My main challenge with exercise really is cardio. So a few weeks ago I decided to start running 2-3 times a week, and see if I could make this a truly enjoyable part of my schedule. I've gone through phases of running in the past, but I usually do too much too soon and then burn out or get frustrated and decide that I don't like running after all. So this time I decided to slow down and increase mileage very gradually, so that I can develop a running routine that is sustainable. To motivate myself, I decided to run a 5k (my first!) in October. I want to document my goals and progress here to stay motivated and hold myself accountable for the goals I set.