Week 4, Day 5 - Cracking Run!
Another excellent run today. All of a sudden things seem to be getting so much easier. I'd heard about how the first few weeks are the hardest and you think it will never get easier and then all of a sudden it's like you've got the wind behind your back - that's ringing true with me at the moment.
I wasn't very enthusiastic setting out. I've got a pretty nasty cold and I wasn't sure whether running is the right thing to do when you're sick. I thought what the hell though. After the run the other day I was keen to get out and see if I'd kept the extra lung! I chose a treadmill at the back of the gym overlooking the racecourse. It's wet and miserable here today but that didn't spoil the view. There's something nice about being able to enjoy the view of a cold, damp day from a warm and dry spot in the gym!
My warm up went quickly. I was listening to some Aussie aerobics on the sports channel even though I couldn't see any TVs. They were doing circuit training and the presenter was getting quite out of breath. She took them through a stretching session where they were taking an imaginary walk through their neighbourhood, and then real life interrupted as the fire-alarm in the studio went off!
Set off running at 8 kmph but quickly upped it 8.5 and then 9. It just felt really easy. My breathing felt comfortable in a way that it just hasn't at these speeds before. For the first 45 seconds of running my hips and my knees in particular were just agony. I was doing my now familiar attempt to run without actually using my legs to try to lessen the pain! As usual it passed though.
I think one important lesson I've learned recently is to just try to relax into the running. Part of it is mental - thinking about this being the speed you're going to continue at for the rest of the run instead of thinking "oh god this is going to be hard" and "how many more minutes do I have to do this for?". The other part is physical - trying to relax my posture a bit more and almost slowing down my movement. Starting out I was far more tense and sharp in my movements and this seems to make the effort harder.
In my second and third running segments I did pretty much the same except that in the final segment I pushed my speed all the way up to 10 for about five of the seven minutes. It was pretty good but my lungs were just struggling for air in the end and I had to knock the speed back - that and I started to get tingling pains in the top right hand part of my chest and arm which made me thing I was about to have a heart attack! Lol! Is that the right side or the left side I should be worried about? Because of my enthusiasm to run at 10 the last minute was agony even at 8.5!
It was great - another PB! I should say that I've jacked in the cool-downs for the last couple of weeks. I should amend my programme to reflect this. I do a minute, 2 max rather than 5. I'm always careful to stretch though.
Stats -
Distance - 3.68km/2.29 miles NEW PERSONAL BEST!
Avg Speed - 7.36kmph/4.57 mph
Min/Mile Pace - 13.12
Distance so far this week - 6.57 miles
Hours so far this week - 2.00
I wasn't very enthusiastic setting out. I've got a pretty nasty cold and I wasn't sure whether running is the right thing to do when you're sick. I thought what the hell though. After the run the other day I was keen to get out and see if I'd kept the extra lung! I chose a treadmill at the back of the gym overlooking the racecourse. It's wet and miserable here today but that didn't spoil the view. There's something nice about being able to enjoy the view of a cold, damp day from a warm and dry spot in the gym!
My warm up went quickly. I was listening to some Aussie aerobics on the sports channel even though I couldn't see any TVs. They were doing circuit training and the presenter was getting quite out of breath. She took them through a stretching session where they were taking an imaginary walk through their neighbourhood, and then real life interrupted as the fire-alarm in the studio went off!
Set off running at 8 kmph but quickly upped it 8.5 and then 9. It just felt really easy. My breathing felt comfortable in a way that it just hasn't at these speeds before. For the first 45 seconds of running my hips and my knees in particular were just agony. I was doing my now familiar attempt to run without actually using my legs to try to lessen the pain! As usual it passed though.
I think one important lesson I've learned recently is to just try to relax into the running. Part of it is mental - thinking about this being the speed you're going to continue at for the rest of the run instead of thinking "oh god this is going to be hard" and "how many more minutes do I have to do this for?". The other part is physical - trying to relax my posture a bit more and almost slowing down my movement. Starting out I was far more tense and sharp in my movements and this seems to make the effort harder.
In my second and third running segments I did pretty much the same except that in the final segment I pushed my speed all the way up to 10 for about five of the seven minutes. It was pretty good but my lungs were just struggling for air in the end and I had to knock the speed back - that and I started to get tingling pains in the top right hand part of my chest and arm which made me thing I was about to have a heart attack! Lol! Is that the right side or the left side I should be worried about? Because of my enthusiasm to run at 10 the last minute was agony even at 8.5!
It was great - another PB! I should say that I've jacked in the cool-downs for the last couple of weeks. I should amend my programme to reflect this. I do a minute, 2 max rather than 5. I'm always careful to stretch though.
Stats -
Distance - 3.68km/2.29 miles NEW PERSONAL BEST!
Avg Speed - 7.36kmph/4.57 mph
Min/Mile Pace - 13.12
Distance so far this week - 6.57 miles
Hours so far this week - 2.00
posted by Jenny at
11:25 AM
1 Comments:
WTG, Jenny!! Glad you're feeling better and great job on the PB!
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Unknown, at 1:49 PM
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