Week 3 Run 1 - gym

This week's programme is:
5 min warm up
90 sec run
90 sec walk
3 min run
3 min walk
(repeat x 2)

So there's only 9 mins of running this week, compared to (I think) 10.5 mins last week. However one runs for longer - stamina!

It seemed OK, although I was quite glad when the 3 min runs were over.

And on leaving the gym I did actually break into a spontaneous jog, at least as far as the corner, anyway. And in the wrong type of shoes.

Today was the first day I have used my new New Balance running shoes. No major aches or pains, which is good, and no foot-cramp. Result. Worth £75-ish then...

Week 2 run 3 - gym

This seemed OK. I'm not sure how much more I could have run, but I did feel a bit bouncy for some of it, not just shuffling along with my toes scraping along the floor. My shoes were definitely a weak point - cramp in sole of right foot for a fair stretch of time. Last time I had sore shins. Trip to Run and Become on Saturday becoming more tempting...

Next run will be at the weekend and will be Week 3 Run 1!

Week 2 Run 2 - Gym again

This time was the first run I'd done on top of a normal day's work and cycle commuting. It was tougher than the other ones, surprise surprise!

At the end of the run my legs were a bit jelly-ish. I was very glad that the gym had cancelled BodyBalance because of some maintenance problem in Studio 2.

I think I won't try to combine both in the future.

Maybe
Mon - run 1 / ringing
Tues - Body Balance
Wed - RTO
Thurs - run 2
Fri - crash out
Sat - run 3

Although Mondays could be tough too.

Vigour

I felt quite energetic today. Maybe this was a result of a week of not-quite-work or maybe it's because of all the running, either way, woo!

Week 2 Run 1 - gym

I should really have had a day's break between runs, but I didn't (needed to do a gym session today anyway) and I won't get the chance tomorrow.

So I had a go at Week 2 (5 mins warm up, 90s run, 2min walk, repeat for 20 mins, 5 mins warm down).

Being on a treadmill, I could see actual speeds (and of course there were no hills). Walking pace was 5.2kph (although this felt a little slow at times) and running pace started at 6.7 but I upped it to 7kph by the end. I think there were 7 runs.

7 x 90 = 630s = 10.5 mins.
6 x 120 = 720s = 12 mins
And I'm pretty sure that it was about 22mins of the fast bit.
So that's up from 8 mins of running from the last 3 runs.

My shins didn't hurt today, probably because the treadmill is a softer surface. I do get crampy feelings on the outside of my feet though. 

Week 1 run 3 - Lochend railway

Back home, so after a 2-day gap because of yesterday mostly being spent in a training room and then on a train, I went out for a jog today around the old railway line route, down to the new bridge at the far end of the Links and back.

Hard work, but I managed every jog as described. My shins were sore and I'm not sure what to do about that. Better stretching pre-jog? Better shoes? According to the NHS, perhaps I shouldn't run for a couple of weeks and also get fitted for proper shoes. This could be expensive...

The weather was sunny, and fairly warm, considering that it's October. I wore my long sleeved blue merino, my bamboo buff and my red cycling top, but that was too warm so I wrapped it round my waist after about the second jog.

Week 1 run 2 - Brighouse

Mainly to escape the clutches of the hotel, and to celebrate the fact that it was sunny, not raining, I decided to take today's run outside. I knew from watching the machine the other day that week 1 run works out about 2 miles, so I plotted a route around the hotel that would be about right. The first but (walking, thank God) was up a really steep hill, but I got to the top before the first run segment. Phew. From there it was nearly all flat, downhill (have to jog carefully) or some very slight undulations. Which felt tough in the latter stages of the run. I think I might be better suited to the treadmill. I noticed that one could vary pace more sensitively though in the real world, for example I could jog at a very slow pace when crossing the road. If you're on a treadmill you may have to just pick a pace and stick with it which can actually be harder work.

At the end of the run I was walking across the grassy field at the back of the hotel and went through a soggy bit so my lovely gym trainers are now rather muddy. Oh well I suppose that's life. Perhaps I'll have to buy new trainers!