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.

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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!

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.

Day 1, Back At It (Briefly)

Today was day 1 of my new training plan, so I put my kit on and rugged up with an extra layer, stepped out the front door into snow! I hadn’t realised it had snowed (although it was a sprinkling really), but as I was already dressed I went out anyway.

I was supposed to be going for 45 mins, but lasted 10 before I turned and ran back home, with freezing fingers. Perhaps some gloves are in order. And warmer layers. (A chance to buy more running stuff, perhaps?)

But my legs held up much better than I’d feared, so that’s something.

Another 5k PB

My first run in two weeks went much better than I thought. I’ve been concentrating on gyming and HIIT in the last two weeks to try and drop as much fat as possible before the 10k on the 28th (last night’s Mexican dinner and tub of peanut M&Ms probably didn’t help though).

Anyway, went out today and was hoping to do 7km, just ‘cos, but only managed 6.25km (including the run/walk home), with a 5km PB of 39′08.

Very pleased.

5k PB (Unofficial)

Off I trundled to Tooting Common for what was to be a very, very determined effort to not only complete 5k but to beat my previous best effort of 44.06. That was the second 5k in my 10k back in May, when I was absolutely fucked, so if I couldn’t manage to beat it today I would have been very cross. As it happens, I beat it by almost two minutes – 42.25!

Is a PB ‘official’ even if it’s done in training? Or does one only consider a PB a PB if it’s done in an organised race? Perplexed, I am.

Not a 5k, but a 3.38k

I was supposed to do a 5k time trial today at Banstead Woods, but my running/work buddy piked out begging exhaustion, so we have rescheduled it for next weekend. So instead I skipped down to my usual round of Tooting Bec common, deciding I would do my own 5k. Didn’t quite happen, though.

A slow one, on pace to beat my 5k PB by only a minute, and my 10k PB by only 4 minutes. The Hampton Court 10k race is 4 weeks away, so a little bit of work to do. I haven’t been going for many runs at all, spending too much time concentrating on weights, so I will need to get out in the morning for a 10-20 minute spin every other morning, and longer runs in the evening 2-3 times a week.

Needless to say I was bloody crackered at the end.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention: I’d forgotten to blog my run on the 20th – 2k in 15 minutes 10sec. That was a fair go I think.

Sunday 3k

My “long” run for the week, a 3k spin around Tooting Bec Common. The first km went quite well, but the wheels fell off during the second. At one point I decided to cut across the park for a shortcut, but halfway over I realised I was on the other side of the railway tracks and there was, actually, no way out, so I had to double back through long grass – which, as an Australian, had my head screaming “SNAKES! SNAKES!”. But there were no snakes, and I survived to continue my plod.

My heart rate was screaming at me during the second half, and after letting it drop down to a nice level, I’d only manage to run another 100m or so before it’d top out again.

For the last 200m I just thought fuck it, and jogged slowly to hit 3k instead of walking. It felt good to hit 3k though, but my legs are killing me.

I managed to control my speed better this time (although I stil found myself running too fast at times), but I have to remember to stop running on my toes. No idea why I do this, but I think this is the reason why my shins suffer so much – I don’t really find it comfortable to do, so it must just be a bad habit I picked up from somewhere.

ZOMG! An update!

Wow, I actually have something to say today!

It was a cardio-only day today as part of my new fandangled gym regime, so decided to take my new Garmin Forerunner 305 out for a spin around Tooting Bec Common. I stood by the side of the road for 5 minutes without it picking up a satellite, so began to wander down towards the common. It beeped at me, “Are you indoors now?” NO! “Have you moved hundres of miles or km since your last workout?” Erm, I don’t think so!

Finally it synced up and I began my trundle. Oh my gosh, I almost dieded. 2.14k in 17mins 19sec which, if I managed to maintain it, would give me a 10k BP of 1hr 20min (10 better than my first one). Which would be nice, providing I didn’t die before the end :)

Beginning thrice weekly short runs, with 1 long run on Sunday, ‘long’ being very generous.