About Me

I am 29 and have a 21 month old at the time of writing this profile. I'm going to try to get fitter and I'm doing the couch to 5k programme with an iPhone app called GetRunning.

Friday 3 September 2010

Week 9 Day 1...Finally!

Yippee!  After 2 failed attempts (one run in strong wind and it took my breath away at around 23 mins, and another in hot sun too much for me at around 20 min) I did my first 30 minute run, possibly my first ever!

So I'm well and truly in to the final week of C25K.  I feel quite sad but very excited to be on the cusp of starting my new HM plan!  I have a HM booked for next Feb in Silverstone, which isn't far away really and I'm a bit worried about that!  More worried about raising the £400 to be totally honest.

Anyway today was beautiful low morning sun, blue skies, cool fresh air...I just LOVE these mornings.  My legs felt like the might cause problems but I got over that and they were fine.  I kept to a slowish pace to cover the 30 minutes but when I got home was very surprised to see my average pace was actually 7:84 km/min which is good for feeling ok throughout.  That means if I keep that pace up for 5K I'd do my race in just over 36 minutes.  That would be amazing!  I'd expected around 45 minutes - if the weather is  kind I think I will manage to keep that pace for just another 6 minutes!  I felt I could have kept running today for a bit longer.

I still hope to achieve 5K in 30 minutes or under.  Can't wait to start work on adding distance to my 30 minutes.  Slowly, of course.  As far as this week goes I'm just going to keep going at a steady pace to complete the time.  Still...I'm well chuffed! :)  Yay!

Thursday 26 August 2010

Well hasn't it been a while...!

Since I posted that is.  I'm running week 8 run 3 tomorrow before I go onto my final week next week.

I'm doing well, I had a false start to week 8 managing just 20 minutes so I cancelled that off as a bit of exercise then started week 8 again a couple of days later.  So anyway I can't go over everything now, but I have managed two 28 minuters this week! :D

Also, I have a race on 3rd October which is 5k so I'm training towards that as soon as C25K ends, then possibly a half marathon in Feb 2011 which I'll be raising money for the Cardiomyiopathy Association.  We shall see about that one!

Thursday 12 August 2010

No more intervals!

I have three weeks left, that's all.  I'm really going to miss C25K and am already looking around for what to do next.  Might do the one hour runner programme.  Sure it wont be as good as using my GetRunning app though. 

I was just looking through my app and I'm actually excited (albeit nervous) that next week is just three days of 25 minute runs!  I'm hoping that by next Friday I'll be good at that.

The following week is 3 lots of 28 minutes, which after running 3 days of 25 minutes shouldn't be too bad!  Then the final week is 3 lots of 30 minutes!  I can't believe I'm actually looking forward to that.

I know I wont make 5K though!

Week 6 Run 2, 2 again and 3!

Hi,

It's been too long since I updated this blog, it's been a hectic week!

I attempted to do run 2 on Monday, failing badly! Run 2 was run 10, walk 3, run 10.  I had a fast pace on the first 10 minutes so I think that wore my legs out and I just couldn't continue to complete the second run. I walked home and was not happy with myself at all.  See a forum post all about it here:  http://www.runnersforum.co.uk/beginners/17866-pick-your-thread-subject-need-encouragement.html

With a lot of fantastic support I got out again on Tuesday and did it again, this time with success! :)  I slowed it down again which was the key.  My first attempt at this took me on a slightly different route, and I worried halfway through a particular section that  I shouldn't be there, it's private etc.  Then in private land around here I worry that people may be hunting or something lol.  Possibly made me run faster!

Today after not enough sleep (was working till midnight boo) I managed to drag myself out of bed at 5:50am and get out for my 25 minute run.  I used my iPhone armband for the first time despite having it for several weeks!  It worked well, and stopped me from checking the time continuously so I'll be using that more often.  The first few minutes were really hard and my legs started to ache!  Luckily I remembered from the 20 minute run that it gets better!  It did, and by the 10 minute point I'd started to get in to it, a good steady pace and steady breathing.  My route isn't circular so turning around to come home always throws of off a little and it took me a few minutes to get my pace back.

All in all I am really pleased with how it went.  I wasn't too wiped out and don't really ache.  I would like to get faster but need to get the time up first!  So, no more intervals.  Argh!

Saturday 7 August 2010

Week 6 Run 1

I really can't believe I'm on week 6 already!

I managed to beat Jessica-leigh to getting up this morning so was able to go for my run.  I felt a bit mad, getting up at 5:50 on a Saturday morning to run for half an hour in the rain!  Still...I was determined to stick to the programme so get up I did!

I think I expected this run to be a bit easier than normal, having just run the 20 minutes a couple of days before.  Now I think intervals are harder than straight runs!  Today was run 5, walk 3, run 8, walk 3, run 5.  I felt a struggle at the beginning of the first run, but I put that down to it being uphill and early morning, plus I forgot to eat something small before I left. 

The 8 minute run went well, but something weird happened.  I was running alongside a field and could see quite a long way ahead as it is pretty straight there.  I saw someone up ahead coming in my direction.  I usually see a nice dog walker in mornings but I was pretty sure it wasn't her, she doesn't go as far as the field I was on and I couldn't see or hear her dog.  I put my head down for a second, looked up and the person had totally vanished!  Now, the only place someone could have gone in that time would be in to the field or in to the hedge/ditch to the side.  The field had just been cut so there was no long wheat, I could see into the field well - and I could not see that person anywhere.  Logic tells me I just missed them walk off, but I was literally not looking for just a few seconds - there's no way they could have walked or ran out of sight in that time.  So, that spooked me.  Then I thought the person could be waiting in the hedge!  So, as a female running v early in the morning on her own, I chose to turn round a little early and head the opposite way, towards home!  It was almost halfway through the run anyway.  Maybe it was a but silly but I thought better safe than sorry.

So anyway, that over with I continued and headed towards home, completing the remaining runs.  I found the last one much easier but again, that's my downhill!  I tend to run faster when I'm almost finished, I think it's because I know I don't have much further to run, so I don't need to pace myself so much. 

All in all, it went well.  Not 100% happy but it wasn't agony! :D

Thursday 5 August 2010

Uh-Oh

Oh no.  This afternoon I've started to feel yucky.  I have a very sore throat and feel...just blurgh.  I hope it doesn't set me back at all.

Week 5 DONE!!

How happy am I? Answer: VERY!

Week 5 run 3 came around and although there was a hitch and I wasn't able to run in the morning, I managed to get out in the evening.

I still cannot believe I actually did it!

Lots of things to mention. 

Speed: I didn't run very fast.  There was a HUGE black sky overhead which looked very thunderous, and I didn't want to be too far from home when the heavens opened!  They didn't in the end, as it happens.

Legs: My legs felt achy on about the 5th minute!  Not too bad but just that I could feel them working.  I told myself I had just 3 minutes to reach 8 which I knew I could do!  The hardest part of all was just after I turned around to come back.  My route isn't circular and that effected my momentum for a time.  Took about 3 minutes to adapt.

Breathing: As I kept the pace slow my breathing was good.  :)  Again, the first 5-8 minutes were the hardest then my body just seemed to adapt.  I kept breathing through my mouth and could feel it fuelling my muscles on every breath (imagination?) which really really helped and lifted me.

Feeling:  It felt great!  Wasn't too hard and actually completely amazed me that I found it easier than the 8 minute runs of week 5 run 2 - the intervals make it harder possibly?

I actually almost cried!  Silly I know, but I was really so happy that I did it, my eyes did get a bit watery it is such an achievement for me.  At school I was always the one using the cross country as an excuse for a good gossip while walking at the back!

I'm sure there are things I haven't covered that I had wanted too but that's most of it.  Oh and I don't ache today yippee!  Need to work on building speed as soon as this C25K is over I really want to get my 5K time under 30 minutes, we'll see!  I have until my race in early October.