The Long Run

[Runner]

Hi Guys! Not sure if you remember me, I was a small timer round here a little while ago. Anyway I'm back with a new challenge, I'm going to live up to my user name and start running again. I used to run last winter but since the pool opened I haven't been for a run once. I have been doing heaps of swimming which I really enjoy every weekday, but I really want to mix it up abit. And there a race comming up in autumn that might give a go if I can get good enough.

I'm going to follow the same beginner's programme I followed last time I started running. Its 6 weeks of gradual increments in running time with walk breaks in between. Hopefully at the end I will be able to run for 30mins non stop. The 15th of march will be the earliest I can get to 30 mins but it might take abit longer, with a few repeat sessions to get my fitness ready for the next level. Last time I followed the programme I got to up to week 5, Run 9mins walk 2mins twice. Which is only 2 weeks from the end! So hopefully all the swimming will help with my aerobic capacity and I can get there again and then go further!

My weight has been real good, I've been maintaining around the 63.5kg mark give or take a kilo, but I'm going to be more focused on fitness and toning up the wobbly bits. I'm going to try get into yoga to help with that. I would love to see the scales drop abit to maintain from 60 to 62 kg but thats not going to be my primary goal.

So my goal is to do every run in my schedule (repeat a few if I need to but never miss one) and to run non stop for thirty minutes. My first run is tomorrow so I will let you guys know how I go.

[Runner]

Ist run complete! It wasn't so hard which is a good thing. I ran for 1 minute then walked for 1 minute, with ten minutes of stretches at the end. Boy I love stretching.

Anyway next run is on wednesday, see you then.

[Shalimar]

Good on you Runner . I always think about taking up running but just cant seem to get up the nerve to do so.

[Runner]

Thanks Shalimar, you've just got to find yourself a nice quiet oval, put the trainers on and just go before you think about it too much! I get changed at work and go, so I have no time to think, its just a 'this is what I'm doing now' kind of thing.

2nd run complete! I ran the same as last time. I felt good throughout but knew my heart right was up! The next run is on Friday with 2mins of running and 3 mins of walking repeated 5 times. Looking at it the 3mins seems a long time to be walking but I think I will need it by the 3rd or fourth 2mins!

see you Friday!

[Shay]

I love running but im not very good at it! How long do you reckon it takes before endurance improves and the feeling of your lungs coming out lessens?

[Runner]

Well Shay all the articles I've read say that if your lungs are busting your running too fast! However I've only ever been a beginner runner so my lungs have always worked hard, when I did try to slow down to a slower pace so I wasn't breathing hard, I ended up back on the couch! I find it hard to find a pace that feels like running that is easy to maintain. I guess we just haven't got there yet.

Well my third run didn't go as I planned. I was going to go before work but forgot my sports bra which put me in a bad mind set, so I figured I go when I got home, but by then it was way too hot and then my fiance got home and we got to celebrating friday night. So I missed my run date.

Good news however is that I just got back from a 5km run. I know I was jumping the gun a bit and probably going too hard too early but the Boy wanted to go and I figured I wouldn't push too hard. Well just see tomorrow how the muscles hold up!

So my next run which is on Monday will be what I should have done on friday. 2 mins running 3 mins walking.

[Runner]

3rd run complete! It wasn't too bad, I got through the 2mins runnning pretty well, and then almost completely recovered in the walk breaks. Although the running bits got harder as I got through them I never thought I wouldn't get them done. So a good run. Next run is 2mins of running again and then a shorter walk break of 2min repeated 5 times on Wednesday.

[Runner]

4th run complete! much the same as last time. My next run is tomorrow, 3mins running 4mins walking repeated 4 times. Am thinking of cutting the walk part down abit. I know why it is so long, to get you used to being on your feet 'running' for longer periods. but will see, I should jut stick to the plan and not get to big for my runners!

[Runner]

5th run complete! Man I was not expecting 3mins to be that much harder than 2mins! I had to really concentrate and tell myself that I could do it! I did change it abit, I ran for 3mins and then walked for 2 mins instead of 4. I figured if I can catch my breath back in 2mins why not go for it. so I did. My next run is a consolidation on this one with the same intervals. It should have had a 3min walk break but I'm going to stick to 2min. Hopefully the next run will be easier to give me the confidence to go to four minutes the run after!

Catch you on monday

Runner.

[Runner]

6th run complete! I so didn't feel like going when I finished work but I decided I would anyway. I think I read or heard somewhere about an athlete who 'trains hard when he feels like it, and trains hard when he doesn't.' So I used that as a bit of a kick start. The 3mins were still hard but I am going to try for 4mins of running on my next run on wednesday. I am still going to stick to the 2mins walking inbetween. I really want to be able to run!

See you wednesday

Runner.

[Runner]

Okay, I'm a day late but, 7th run complete! Man it felt awesome too! I was able to do the 4mins like it was 3, and still with a 2minute walk break. I'm confident I'll be able to do the 5mins on my next run. I am really looking forward to it. I just had such a great exercise day today I feel like I could take on the world and win! I did my usual 4.5km walk in the morning and went straight into my run after that. Then after work I jumped in the pool and absoultly owned it! I did 30mins of freestyle at speed. It felt wonderful.

Hope your exercise today was great too!

Runner.

[Runner]

8th run completed, but I'm going to repeat it. I was pretty confident I would be able to do it well so I mixed it up abit and ran a road route. The first 5mins on the road included these two small hills, which I got up but it probably took abit more out early that I ended up needing later. The second 5min was also up a slope but not as steep but for the whole 5mins. I got it done but it was a challenge. The next 5mins was around the small oval. The one near my house that slopes. yay. I would run but I would get it in my head I had to stop, I'd slow right down but just as I was about to walk I would say to myself stuff it just keep going. On the walk break I decided that that would be it, I'd skip the last 5min but talked myself into and did it. So I got it done but because it was a struggle I'm going to do it again on monday. This time on a nice flat oval.

Oh and I'm down a kg since I started.

See you on monday

Runner

[Runner]

9th run complete! after looking at my schedule I realised that I had two 5min runs to do, which means I don't have to repeat. so I did the second 5min run which was fine. I even did 7mins as the last 5min. The next 3 runs are now all 7mins long with shorter and shorter walk breaks. As I have been running with 2min walk breaks already I'm going to do 2min with the first 7min run and then 1 min on the next 2. oh yeah repeated 3 times each.

See you soon

Runner.

[Czarina]

Sounds like you are doing well! I have just started incorporating some running and stairs into my walk, I'm sore (and have blisters), but I'm enjoying it!

[Runner]

Thanks Czarina! I really enjoyed my run today too, I'd had a frustrating day at work, so I think the run blew off a bit of steam and by the end of it I was smiling again! So yeah 10th run done! Really looking forward to the next one where I try to drop a minute of my walk break time. I think I will be able to do it but if I can't I'll just go back to a 2min walk and try again on the next run. Scary thing is that there are only 7 more runs till I try for 30mins!

See you friday

Runner.