Going from the 5K to a Stronger 5K

I don't feel quite ready to take on a 10K seeing as it took me 40 minutes to complete the 5K. So for the next 8 weeks, I'm going to go through the Couch to 5K (C25K) again with a few adjustments.

Using C25K as my base, Week 1 looked like this:
Days 1 & 3: Walked 5 minutes. Ran 10 minutes. Walked 5 minutes. Then the C25K run/walk split (run 60 seconds/walk 90 seconds) for 20 minutes. Ran 5 minutes. Walked 10.

Days 2,4,6: Walked 55 minutes.

Day 5-Long Run Day: Planned on running 20 minutes or 2 miles without any walk breaks. Instead, I ran the first mile and then had to take a walk break for 3 minutes. Then ran another 12.5 minutes. Walked a mile with my son, Austin, as a cool-down.

Some of you have asked me about my weight loss since beginning this venture approximately 12 weeks ago. Well, drumroll please. . .I've gained about 4 pounds. And yes, that is very discouraging to me. But I keep telling myself that the other benefits of being healthy i.e. heart, lungs, blah blah blah are what I need to remember and upon those things I need to put my focus. Admittedly, this is a difficult task, but I am trying. I am beginning to think that all those "facts" about weight loss and that it comes when you burn more calories than you take in, well those "facts" don't apply to me. I believe that even if I were able to hire the best trainer and nutritionist in the world, I would only frustrate them too. I really do try and do things "by the book" and well, it doesn't work for me.

I'm not trying to complain, just attempting to be honest about the way it is. So somewhere along the line, I just have to be happy with who I am. Be thankful that I am the size I am and move forward.

That being said, today should have been Day 1 of Week 2, but I never made it out the door. Here's the plan should I make it out tomorrow:

Days 1 & 3: Walk 5 minutes. Run 12 minutes. Walk 3 minutes. Then the C25K run/walk split (run 90 seconds/walk 60 seconds) for 20 minutes. Walk 4 minutes. Run 7 minutes. Walk 4 minutes.

Days 2, 4, & 6: Walk (or any other cross-training i.e. aerobics, biking, etc.) 55 minutes.

Day 5-Long Run Day: Run 25 minutes or 2.5 miles. Walk a mile.