Week Four, Day One - Couch to 5K and more things that are things.

Couch to 5K – Week Four, Day One

This week’s sequence: Jog 3 minutes/walk 90 seconds, jog 5 minutes/walk 2 min 30 seconds, jog 3 minutes/walk 90 seconds, jog 5 minutes.

Today’s mindset: I’m okay. Not “ooh-rah” great, but definitely better than last week, when I felt like I was dragging myself through mud with weights strapped to my arms. I started out feeling, “okay, let’s get this done,” and ended feeling, “hey, I did it!” So that’s good.

I did have to drop back down to shuffling (from jogging) during the first five minute segment and keep to shuffling during the remainder of the jogging segments, but I tacked on an extra three minute jogging segment at the end. That’s my personal “fuck you, low self-esteem, I win!”

Today was the first day I felt a serious amount of pulling in my calves (specifically soleus, it’s the lower part of the calf that becomes the Achilles tendon) when I was finished. Not pain, just my body telling me I need to stretch them longer, both before and after.

My awesome spirit-sister, B3, sent me a pair of Experia sports socks! I wore them today, wonderful padding without heating up my feet. Must have more!

This morning I also looked up nearby places for tandem skydiving. Yesterday my younger sister went for her first tandem skydive to celebrate her fortieth birthday. It’s something I had decided I wanted to do awhile ago, because I want to be Zee to be able to put real emotion into describing Joseph Kittinger’s freefall when she tells Micah about it. Seeing my sister’s video made it clear this to me this is something I have to do. Plus damn, that looks like fun. How is it I don’t like roller coasters, but skydiving looks fun? There’s a place very close to me, the Chicagoland Skydiving Center.

 



Skydiving also makes me think, "dirt in the skirt." I don't know why.

(Photo/Sports Illustrated) All American Girls Professional Baseball League

Now I just have to save for it, because the package I want will cost $420 at least. That’s if I booked it today, which I can’t do. Save more in case prices go up.

Okay, while looking for images of "dirt in the skirt," I found the Dirt In Your Skirt webpage, a thing I did not know was a thing. Here's the Mission Statement:

Explore. Conquer. Inspire.

Dirt in Your Skirt creates a supportive community to foster and encourage women to step out of their norm and explore new possibilities, conquer old fears, and inspire those around them with their daily actions. All in an effort to support a healthy active lifestyle in the process.

I'm down with that.

And now? I must steel my nerves for the trip to the social security office. An hour drive, however long waiting, and an hour drive back home. Just to get my name changed on my card. The things I do for an awesome last name. It's worth it. At least I’ll get some writing done while I’m there.