Yesterday I finished week one of Couch to 5K training.  I highly recommend the program, I followed it last year and was ready to run a 5 k in 8 weeks.  I decided to restart the program after dealing with 4 weeks off my feet.  This time I am doing it at a faster pace though.  The blackbelt test I will face in August finishes (after 8+ hours of karate) with a one mile run, 50 pushups, 50 situps and 50 deepknee bends. I need to be faster than I was last summer for the mile and I am basing my c25k pace on that goal.  I have also decided to add in pushups, situps and deep knee bends daily.  For January it will be 20 a day, February it will be 25, March = 30, April = 35, May = 40, June = 45 and July 50.  I am also wanting to develope the mentality of a martial artist in the rest of my life and so I've brought home a few reads from the library.  I think I will start with Zen in the Martial Arts.

One thing I have learned about myself through this journey is that I can do it.  I have come back from injuries and I have every faith in my ability to live a martial artist life.  I am the Ninja Librarian!

Playing with my GoPro today gotta learn somehow.

So today I started my c25k training - it's an 8 week program meant to take you from being a couch potato to running a 5k race.  I have used this program before and really liked it.  Given how much I have not exercised in the last month I thought it best to start at the very beginning.  This week there is a 5 minute warmup followed by 8 intervals of 1 minute run and 1.5 minute walks.  I have challenged myself to use a faster run pace than I have in the past.

You can check out my Garmin data here: Garmin data


I also chose to wear my heart rate monitor to karate class tonight and until I find an app that I like to record just hr during class I used the indoor treadmill setting but you can see my average heartrate for class at Garmin Karate

First day back at karate class after 4 weeks off and I made it through.  I even did jumping jacks in warmups - I hadn't done those since I injured my ankle a year ago.  My toe is a little aggravated but nothing I can't deal with.  I've been doing 30 minute walks on the treadmill for a few days now and using our versaflex.  I hope that by February I will be able to increase the stretch from 110 to 120 degrees.  Jan 9th starts c25k at a faster pace than I had previously done.  I practiced our form a few times with kiddo before class too.  Now to start working the midset as well.

Question for my readers - what martial arts books/films do you enjoy?