"The longest journey begins with a small step taken by a brave person."

I need to start off by saying it is a beautiful, picturesque day in the Central Valley. The air is clean(er), it is fresh and brisk outside, and you can see the mountains! Well, not really in my picture but they are there and they are magnificent!

I downloaded this app for my iPhone last night: 10K Runner: Couch to 5K to 10K and used it for the first time this morning. I decided to leave Hank at home and complete Day 1, Workout 1 on my own. Overall, it's an easy program to use but I found that even though it advertises that you can play music and still hear the commands, it  just doesn't work well. Or, I just can't hear the commands (today's playlist was Beats Antique). I need to figure out how to make it work because running/walking without music is lame-o.

D1/W1 was 30 minutes long but I was out for 38 minutes. The total distance of my walk should have been 3 miles but I cut the last half mile because I was seriously fatigued. So, 2.5 miles in 38 minutes isn't bad at all because using my speed and per mile time, I reduced my 3 mile time by about 3-4 minutes just by adding the running intervals that the app prompted me to add. I'm not running fast, but I am running! The only difference in today and yesterday is that I do not feel like a rockstar today, I feel like crap. Goals: find a better pre run food, have a better stretch routine for before and after my workout.

My real problem is rating my speed. I feel like my speed is all over the place and that it really hurts my ability to run for longer distances. I'm also not a breather. Yes, I breathe unconsciously because that is what a body is designed to do but when I am thinking about breathing, I ruin it for myself. Yesterday I had the ability to say no to running because of the wind and I think that was a really smart decision. Now I need to learn how to pace myself and breathe correctly. Tips and advice on anything running related are welcome!

And RIP to my Slouch Beanie. I left it at the gym or lost it between the gym and my car on Tuesday night. It was my headgear for walks and a necessity for the 7AM dog park trips. Le sigh... you are missed, comfy beanie. Now I need to search Etsy for a new one.