Week 6 run 3

Moved up to 25 mins solid running this time. This run was on Tuesday.

When I got home I had real shooting pains in my Achilles' tendons. I'd be sitting normally and then - ow!
This is the first time I feel proper damage, and I'm not sure what to do now. I have an enforced gap until Saturday anyway because of Christmas nights out, so hopefully it will feel better by then.

Week 6 run 2

This was on a Sunday and overall it felt pretty good. The schedule was 2x 10 mins with 3 min walk between. This was the last of the interval runs though - Laura says at the end that its all nonstop from now on.

Week 6 Run 1 - gym

My weeks are a bit askew, from missing a couple of weeks and last weekend being away for the Sunday run, so I started this "Week" on a Thursday. Awkward.

So the run requirements were 5 / 8 / 5 with a 3 min walk inbetween each run. Total of 18 mins so less than the last run, although strangely it felt just as hard work. I think if you gear up for a time period then you go flop a bit when you hit the end of it.

I ran in total for about 2.1k I think (hard to count, when adding on the walking). I ran the first 5 mins at about 7kph, then dropped down to 6.7 for the other two blocks. I find when display-watching, that it's nicer to look at the track image and calculate in my head that I'll need to run to about THERE in the time allowed, rather than look at the clock and work out how many more minutes I have run for. Is that a positive thing? I think so. I certainly would never have thought that 2 months ago I could run for 2+k in half an hour.

Week 5 Run 3 - the biggie - Gym

This run was the first long run - 20 mins non stop.

Mentally I was scaring myself about it in advance (knowing what's coming...) and was telling myself both "you'll never manage that" and "come now, other people on the forum say that they thought they'd never manage it, but they did. Trust in Laura".

So I gave it a go and took it gently (6.7kph and 0% gradient - maybe that's cheating), but lo and behold, I indeed did manage it. Just kept slogging away and I got there in the end. I gave myself a quiet sky-pump to celebrate, and told Lynne the gym worker. Yay me!

I don't think I've ever in my life ran for a continuous 20 mins. Ever. At school, I probably had to do 1600m round the track, but I am sure I would never have managed to run it all (or it would perhaps have taken me less than 20m anyway). And when we did cross-country runs I definitely didn't run it all!

Week 5 Run 2

Completed this run today after work at the gym. Nicely, it wasn't too full tonight (I was maybe 10 mins later than "normal" because of trying to go via the bike shop to pick up the Cannondale), so I didn't feel the normal guilt of being the longest person on a treadmill when people were waiting ("Please limit your use to 15 mins when busy")

So tonight's run was 2x8 mins, with a 5 min walk in between.
I feel I just about managed it, although the prospect of 20 mins non-stop next time is rather freaking me out.
It is apparently a Mental Thing.

Week 5 run 1

After a couple of weeks off running, I went back to the gym on Sunday and repeated Week 4 run. It felt OK.

Today I had a go at Week 5 run 1. This is 5 mins running, 3 walking, 5 running, 3 walking, 5 running (i.e. 15 mins running in total). Slightly less than last time, but all longer.

There is only 1 of this run, the next one (Thursday, probably) is 8 mins running x 2. And then after that (when, I'm not sure, as I'm away for the weekend...) is 20 mins solid running (minor eek!)

I felt today that 3 x 5 might be too much (on top of commuting), but it's a mental thing - I managed it. While I was running, I actually was thinking to myself, "if I had to keep going for another 3 mins, I could make myself do it" - and perhaps the same will be true of 20 mins non-stop. Of course the aches and pains might take over on that one; we shall see...

Livia Doesn't Run

Haven't run since last Thursday, as I got hit by a cold last Friday lunchtime, and walking was a struggle, let alone running.

I think I will re-do the final run of week 4 when I feel better (breathe, breathe) and then have a go at week 5, whenever that is.

A week into the cold, and I'm still feeling choked with it. :(