I must have run the race half a dozen times last night in my head and I didn't get much sleep.
I woke up and my quads were sore - strange, it's usually my calves - must have been the hills.
Anyway, Sam (my youngest son -4) and I headed off to the gym (Windy Hill) just after lunch for a swim - Sam trod water for 30 seconds straight for the first time without his floaties. I think he's tricking us! He then sat on the side and dried off while I did 12 laps of the pool.
Early evening I decided to do a recovery run, with no set distance, pace or direction and I have to say I really enjoyed it. The only plan I had was to take it really easy, which I did, but when I got home and checked the Garmin, I was only 20 seconds per k slower than my 10k run yesterday. 4k felt like a breeze.
After 7 weeks of training there was something to be said about running just because I could - without rhyme nor reason.
I've finally convinced Michelle (my wife) to take up running and going to enter her into the Sri Chinmoy Maribyrnong 4k. Harry my eldest has also agreed to the run but like Michelle only after I'd set up a training plan for them.
Michelle is like I used to be; I couldn't run, I'd be out of breath in 300m, it was all too hard. Then one day I realised I was trying too hard and trying to run outside my physical capabilities at the time. At this stage my capability is around 5.10:5:30 minutes per k and I could run that for 15-20km. Before I started this running regime I was trying to run 4 minute k's - no wonder I was out of breath!
It's about getting enough k's in at a certain pace and gradually increasing it.
This is a 16 week hybrid of the "Couch to 5k" training plan that I put together for Michelle and Harry. The light blue shaded area tells them the pace they need to achieve and the approx' distance for each run. They are aiming at a pro rata time of 32:30 mins for the 5k. Sri Chinmoy Maribyrnong is only 4k. Pro rata is 26 mins and if she achieves this I've promised her an Ipad for xmas. She should do this easy as she already spends 3 mornings a week at contours and 3 visits to Matrix in Coburg- cardio classes.
For those of you starting out, the "couch to 5k" program is excellent - Looking at the first week (Normally there are only 10) you only have to jog for 2-3 minutes at 7.5 kph - which is a fastish walk. (BTW, I've added the pace to ensure they reach their time goals) Slowly over time you increase the kph and the lengthin k's of the jog.
This was my first ever run about 8 weeks ago (I'd never run before, but was quite fit) As you can see I walked a few times - anything of 7min k's is a fast walk - the 10's/11's were a slow walk and this was over 2.5k.
In 8 weeks I've gone from this to running a 10k in less than an hour without once stopping and I'm nearly 50.
Think you can't do it?
Think again.
If I did, you can.
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