Week 12 Run 1

Since my last post there have been a few set backs that have put me a little off track.   A big one was an arm injury. One doesn't really think about how injuring an arm would impact your running, but my left arm was very bruised and swollen around the elbow joint, making it hard to bend. The picture on the left really doesn't do it justice. Given the important role arms play in running, not being able to bend my arm without pain was a problem. I allowed myself some time off to recover. The weather hasn't exactly been favourable either, and as a result I've been doing lots of staying indoors in the warm and dry. Sadly, I think my body got the message that the hard times were over and it could start to get lazy again. I was doing a lot of computing while my arm was recovering, which meant lots of sitting, which meant sore knees through lack of movement (the precise thing I started Desk to 10k to avoid).

End of week 1

Picture by Gratisography on Pexels

I completed week 1 of my walk-run training and it wasn't too horrific. Week 1 looked like this:

Day 1 – Run 1 min, Walk 2 min, x8
Day 2 – Run 1 min, Walk 2 min, x6
Day 3 – Run 1 min, Walk 2 min, x10

 I must say, while I didn't run problem free, I definitely felt different on run 3 than on run 1. On run 1 it was very hard to ignore the discomfort in my lungs, which were objecting strongly to the whole exercise. At their worst they created a lovely burning sensation behind my rib cage, and left me gasping for air during all of my walk breaks. I didn't run with much focus other than making it to the end, which I did most ungracefully by collapsing onto the sofa. Yes, I know you're supposed to do a cool down and then a stretch, but it was run 1 and I was exhausted. Now I wondered whether my lungs were performing so diabolically because the pace I took was too fast. I don't think so. I certainly wasn't in a hurry and honestly, any slower and I'd have been walking. So I think my lungs were just getting a fright at having to work.  

Not going to be all plain sailing...

Photo by JESHOOTS.com from Pexels

I kicked off my running training like any total newbie. I put on an old and highly unremarkable pair of cheap trainers and hit the treadmill. My fitness training isn't totally haphazard though. I do at least intend to follow a Couch to 10k regime advocated by a site called myrunningtips.com. The approach is straightforward. You alternate running and walking, starting with a little running and then gradually increasing the amount you run over a 12 week period. Yes, apparently if I follow this training programme I could be able to run 10km in as little as 12 weeks. Isn't that a little soon given my race is 12 months away. Well yes. But, being realistic, there's a fair chance it'll take me longer, and the next 12 weeks coincide conveniently with summer, which means a far greater opportunity to run outside rather than in the gym on the treadmill.

If I manage to run 10km in 12 weeks, then quite frankly I'll be delighted and will be able to put greater effort into complementary fitness training such as strength training and swimming, secure in the knowledge that the distance is achievable. Of course being in the Highlands there are other avenues for improvement. Lots of hilly terrain round here. Less so in Derby city centre.