Day One, Week One: Stupid things to do on a hot day.

Only a complete and total fool would spend a sweltering summer day canning. And it would take a real jabbering moron to leave the kitchen and then go out for a long run. Only an utter buffoon would do such a ridiculously dumb thing.

So, today I decided it would be a great idea to can green beans with the new pressure canner and then start my Couch to 5K program. The pressure canner was easy to use, and the green beans look great. Pickyourown.org is a fantastic resource for all things canning, and it walked me through the green beans (and my first run with the pressure canner) quite handily.

As for the Couch to 5K, I did it: day one of week one is in the bag! In the big scheme of things, the first day is easy - lots of walking and not a lot of running. But every great journey begins with that first step. And to be honest, it wasn't easy for me. It was tough. For one, do I look like a woman who owns tennis shoes? The closest thing I had could best be described as skateboard shoes (they were cute, what can I say?) and while they weren't ideal, they were better than my next-best option: sandals.

But even beyond the inadequacies of my wardrobe, the actual program was brutally tough. By the end of my block I was already wondering why I promised myself I'd do this. I was warm, achy, and my skin was itchy from the heat. By seven minutes in I was sweating and my knees were shaking. But I pressed on, and I made it through the whole 31 minute program. Then I came in the house, sucked every drop of water out of the Brita pitcher, and took the coldest shower I have ever taken in my entire life. And it. felt. great.

My plan is to keep up the Couch to 5K program by running on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, RAIN OR SHINE, for the full nine weeks. I will keep tabs on myself by updating my blog (the Couch to 5K will get its own shiny new tab!) and by putting updates on Facebook and Twitter.

Look for another update on Tuesday. I am going to do this.