Couch to 5k – W3D2

Couch to 5k – W3D1

So! Week 3 Day 1, and that first 3-minute running spell almost killed me. It was more than I was expecting; I was a bit big-headed about it going in, thinking it won’t be that difficult, but it humbled me I’ll admit. I had to take a couple of 10-second walking breaks in the middle of both 3-minute spells this morning, but this mirrors the events of the past two weeks’ Day 1s, so hoping that Thursday and Saturday will be somewhat more successful!

Also did a longer (slightly) route today, so the distance is increasing as well.

Starting From Scratch

I’ve started running again, after too long off. I’m currently doing the Couch to 5k plan, and have been posting updates on Runners World’s forum the last two weeks. Here are the posts to get us up to speed; I will update on here regularly now as well.

Read the rest of this entry »

Juneathon III – Days 1 & 2

So, Juneathon started yesterday The goal is to exercise every day, but me being me I completely forgot it was starting (despite the hint in the title…), but luckily for ol’ me, I walk 2 miles a day anyway. So Days 1 and 2 sorted :)

Tomorrow I start my fitness plan proper again. What this entails is:

• 3 days (wednesday, fridays and sundays) doing strength work (i.e., compound lifts at the gym: squats, deadlifts, bench press etc)
• 3 days (thursday, saturday, monday) cardio (i.e., runs through the park)
• 1 day (tuesday) “rest” (which, since it’s a work day, and I walk from the train station to work – c. 1 mile each way – counts as exercise, nyah)

My running is going to start from scratch as I mentioned t’other day, and I will be following Running From 30’s tip of doing the Couch to 5k plan, and then the Non-Runner’s Marathon Guide after I can do 5k without stopping. That’ll be interesting, since after a year of ‘running’, I can still barely managed 1.5k…

No other races lined up as yet (other than the BUPA London 10k next year), so right now I am concentrating on fatloss and endurance. My lung capacity is shit, and am hoping that dropping 3 or 4 stone will help with that.

Happy Junathonning!

Looking Forward

So, that looming 10k that was I dreading for months due to lack of training is now behind me, and I recovered much better than I thought I would (hobbling for only 2 days instead of 4). Now comes the time to take a look at what I am going to do for the next 3, 6, 12 months and set some fitness goals. I am still very much a big runner: while in the last year I have lost around 15-20lbs of fat (and put on around 10lbs of muscle), I still want to lose at least another 40lbs of fat to be in the condition I want to be in.

Half of my training schedule is now being taken up with strength training using compound lifts (a 5×5 format: see Strong Lifts for more information). The other half was meant to be simple interval training, however I hate doing cardio in the gym – the treadmill is like slowly running yourself into your grave, dead from boredom. So the natural alternative is to run outside.

Here’s the deal – I like to have an aim with everything I do fitness-wise other than “get fit”. My strength training is, natch, to get stronger and have a solid foundation of muscle (as opposed to the bodybuilding routines I’ve been doing the last year, which while helpful did nothing for my strength). The aim there is to be absolutely stronger than I have ever been in my life.

With the running, again I need an aim other than to get fit; it could be to be able to actually run for 20 minutes without stopping (I think I’m at about 10 minutes now, after running for a year!). Dropping my weight will help with that, of course, but what will it enable me to do?

So I’ve decided my running aim for this year is to lay the foundation for the ability to run – completely run – a 10k by early next year, and a complete half-marathon by mid next year.

And to do this, I’m starting from scratch… i.e., as if I’ve never run before in my life.

I guess the main issue now is to find a “newbie’s guide to running a half marathon without having to walk, given a year’s training (and hopefully without dying, either)”. Maybe Runner’s World has one…

BUPA London 10k 2009

Yesterday saw 9,000-odd people descend on Birdcage Walk in London for the 2nd annual BUPA London 10,000. This was my first ever 10k (and road race, period) last year, so it holds a special place in my heart, and it was with much nerves that I returned to it this year. It took me over 90 minutes last year, and with little training this time round I wanted to get at least a 1hr 20 finish.

From my review on Runners World UK:

I did this last year, where we basically had to swim around the course thanks to the rain. This year, despite a few drops while waiting for the start, ended up being nice and dry and not too warm.

The course, of course, is brilliant – through the heart of London with all the sights. With over 12,000 runners the atmosphere was brilliant, and it was great seeing a crowd of people ahead and behind.

Organisation, as with last year, is spot-on. Baggage reclaim quickly and friendly, and even down to having the timing chips removed (again, quick and friendly).

It’s quite expensive to enter, but I think if you have one special race per year, and you’re not one for marathons (I’m definitely not) then this is the race for you.

I managed to get ’round in 1hr 18m, so I’m very pleased. It was bloody heard going, but I managed to run most of the first 2km (the first 1.5 or so non-stop), and kept my walking breaks as short as possible (unfortunately there were quite a few of them!).

Now I have to decide whether I should continue with my running, or pack it in… that sub-60 still eludes me though.

Back to it – Training run #1

Run: 2.17km
Where: Tooting Bec Common
Time: 17:39

A tiring, short run today as I went back to the park for the first time since February. I tried to concentrate on my pace, and my breathing, and my stride, and all those things which after doing this for this long I should be able to do properly without having to think at all.

The first km was easyish, but the wheels fell of during the second, when my walking breaks started lasting much longer than I wanted them to, and my running breaks much shorter. However, this will improve over the next few weeks as I go back to the gym to improve my general fitness (following some Turbulence Training workouts), and plodding the trails 3 times a week.

Three Weeks ‘Til BUPA London

It be only a mere three weeks until the BUPA London 10k on May 25, and here I am not having gone for a trundle since February. I have to admit it was only this past week that I cam to realise just how soon the race was on (although I may not be running at all if they don’t hurry up and send me my pack!).

The archivists amongst you will remember my first ever entry was bemoaning my poor performance at last year’s BUPA 10k – my first ever race. Since then I have knocked 15 minutes off my 10k PB, but I am not holding much hope that I will have another PB this time (but who knows, eh?).

So, I need to get out there and put some asphalt under my feet before then I think. It being a lovely long weekend this weekend gives me no room for excuses!

BUPA London 10,000 – Fundraising

I’m running the BUPA 10k in May, and looking to raise funds for the Everyman Campaign.

Anyone have a few spare coppers they can throw my way, via Justgiving? :)

Start as you mean to continue

So it’s been a month since I went out for a half-hearted run through the snow (as I’ve been concentrating on resistance work for the last couple of months), so what with it being the new year and the gym being closed, and being scheduled to do some HIIT, I decided I’d best go out for a trundle.

It would also give me the chance to try out the Chi Running techniques I’ve been reading about to sort out my running style from shuffling pensioner to actual athleticism.

So I went out for a spin around Tooting Common, 3.1km all told, in a frightfully slow 26 minutes. The Chi Running techniques, when I remembered to use them, were actually very helpful. I’m sure it’ll take a few more spins to get the hang of it but I did find myself able to run at a reasonable pace (14km/hr at one point – woosh!) without too much extra effort. Lovely!

So here’s to more than one run a month this year.

PS: also tried out some proper stretches and leg drain thing from the Chi Running book, and my legs feel fine. Amazing!