I started training last week for a 5k run this fall.  Its the second year in a row I left the couch after a long cold winter and headed out the door.  This year I’m 15 pounds lighter and hopefully maintained a small measure of conditioning from last fall.

My early conditioning plan is to walk/jog three times a week for 20-30 minutes with at least one rest day in between.  I’ve chosen Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays as my workout days.  Since I’m in my 60’s, I want to test my joints and ligaments by alternating jogging and walking laps on a 400 meter track.  Once I build up my distance, I plan to head out on a scenic cross-country route on a woodland trail.

Last Tuesday was my first workout.  The weather couldn’t have been more challenging; a cold, stiff northern wind with 40-degree temperatures surely taxed me mentally.  I spent most of the time muttering and trying to talk myself out of completing the 25 minute workout.  Thank goodness for I-tunes.  Thursday’s workout fared much better.  An overcast sky and southerly breeze hiked the temp to 74 degrees.  Such is the weather this time of year in Upstate New York. Saturday it was back in the 40s and I had to resort to dog walking.  Brody pulled me around the neighborhood while I held on to his leash.