30/30

So, I decided that walk/run should be a good way to get me back. Hal Higdon has a 30/30 plan. It is simple 30 minutes of exercise for the first 30 days. The first 10 minutes you must walk. The last 5 minutes you must walk. During the middle 15 minutes, you jog for 30 seconds, walk until recovered, jog 30 seconds again. Jog, walk. Jog, walk. I think I got it! After this if no injury to the ITB I can look forward to his 5-K training plan!

I remember when I would run 3-5 miles before work everyday and now I am taking such small steps. It is really hard for me. Well, because of the ITB pain I don't have any options. I know if I go out full force I will be sidelined for another month.

On the bright side, my big Aussie JJ will love this program. When I started to run a few years ago, he was my "running buddy". He still gets so excited when I put on my running watch and it "beeps" to set the time. We would run every morning, even in the rain. As I became stronger and faster and gradually gained more miles, JJ became less interested. He has a mind of his own and he showed me. There were times he would "fake pee". Yes, he would lift his leg on a tree but would not pee. I swear he would do this and smile at me! That would frustrate me and so I would give him the 2 block no sniff, no pee penalty. He would counter that with just stopping and sitting on the grass and eventually would lay down. When trying to convince my 50 pound dog to move I realized that this wasn't fun for him anymore. He did his job. He got me started. He got me to run 3 miles without walking. It was his way of telling me he was done. I would still take him sometimes and when I did it was on his schedule not mine.

I can't wait run with my buddy again. Just like we used to. Slow and pokey on his schedule.