Getting in Shape, part 2

Back in March I made a post about getting in shape. I figure it's about time to update you on my progress.

I did not do the couch-to-5K plan. In fact, I hardly did anything except buy myself some shorts. Then about three weeks ago, Jeffrey and I started jogging. Because I was with him, I did nto stick to the actual plan. I figured that I would just do what I could and let him do whatever he felt like.

It's had it's ups and downs. The first time, I was horribly embarrassed. I was winded before we even got out of the parking lot, and I had to start walking not long after we got on the sidewalk. There's a flag on the side of the road outside a shop that we jog/walk to, and it's about a quarter of a mile away. That first time, I walked most of the distance there and back, and was horribly embarrassed by my out-of-shapeness

My bad knees did slow me down. I was good the first few times, hardly any pain, and then one day it came back. First it wasn't too intense, just a little pain while jogging. I pushed through it. Then one day, while I wasn't jogging, it came back full force in the right knee. Every step I took was killer. Even though I didn't say anything, Jeffrey took me and bought me a knee brace, that same day, and it's lovely.

Yesterday I jogged almost the whole way there and about half way back. I'm not quite at my goal (all the way there and at least half way back) but I'm getting close. I went from barely able to go up the stairs, to almost able to jog 1/4th of a mile without stopping. I'm excited. I'm proud. And, oh my god, I'm SO SORE!

This is the first day that I'm actually hurting. It's not my legs that hurt, but rather my core. I never realized how much my abs were involved in running, but they are, and they hurt. I feel like I've just done 200 crunches. It hurts to transition from sitting to standing, and in the other direction. It hurts to walk. I'm sort of waddling because it hurts less. It's a bit ridiculous. Thankfully, though it hurts, the pain isn't actually bothering me beyond that. I recognize this particular sort of pain, and in the end, it's a good thing. It's that building-up-muscle sort of pain. Nothing major, just soreness.

Mostly, I'm proud of what I'm doing, and I have secret hopes that this might relate somehow to my bucket list. Not going into more detail than that, in case things don't work out the way I hope.