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How to Walk a 5K by Mistake

So, I've been training to walk a 10K next month and I'm freaking out because it's coming up soon. May 11th to be exact.  It's the 12th Annual ALS Lou Gehrig's Disease 10K in Coconut Grove.

I haven't been extremely diligent in my training, but I have been training and I have noticed some improvements in my speed and endurance. I'm hoping that what training I have done and will do in the next two weeks will enable me to finish the 10K and cross the finish line within the allotted time. This is an intermediate step that I'm taking before I start training for the 2013 Philadelphia Rock and Roll Half Marathon which takes place in September.

Two Sundays ago, in furtherance of my training, I got up, dragged on my sneakers and prepared to walk. It was the day for endurance training, so I made a plan. I used shopping as a way to provide myself with the incentive to take a good hike. I planned to walk from my house to a nearby Best Buy store and back. To reward myself, I planned to stop at the Best Buy store and purchase an I-Pod. I wanted one because they're lighter than my I-Phone and thus easier to carry while I train.

I walked to the Best Buy store, made the purchase, grabbed a bottle of water from a vending machine and walked back. When I got back home, I was somewhat tired, very hungry and a little sweaty. I stretched my tired muscles and then plugged my Garmin Forerunner watch into my computer to see the stats pertaining to my walk. To my surprise, I had walked a total of 3.2 miles (1.6 miles each way). That's .1 miles more than a 5K!

I couldn't believe it. I had no idea that the Best Buy Store was that far from my condo building. I thought about the way I felt after walking the Tropical 5K earlier this year versus how I felt after this trek and realized that I had made measurable improvement in my speed and stamina.

So, what incentive can you give yourself to get off the couch? A massage? WeightWatchers activity points that can applied to food? Together time with your honey bunny or child? A new toy or gadget? Apparently shopping is a great motivator for me. 🙂 Whatever it is, go for it. The benefits are worth it.