Run a 5k in less than 30 minutes

Sometime after writing my last entry I stopped running because I wanted to do more yoga, salsa dancing and swimming instead (not a bad excuse, eh?). Still my running shoes were staring at me, accusingly. So I decided to give it another go late 2010/early 2011. Which went reasonably well, until my running buddy had to give up due to physical issues. Running on my own is too hard to do sometimes… Still I might take up this goal again; I seem to have flashes of inspiration when it comes to running. So I’m keeping this on the list.

So… 4 weeks ago I ran 5k in 35 minutes, which does not suck. But I ran on a treadmill. And that is so much easier than running outdoors! I’ve been sick for 1,5 weeks and traveling as well (and other excuses) so I haven’t been running that often since my last entry. But yesterday the weather was so gorgeous I decided to get up and go for a run again. I still love love love my new shoes, they make me feel so bouncy!

But… it was TOUGH. The air was cold and crisp, my nose was running, there were slippery patches of snow. It WAS a gorgeous run as the city was still rather quiet and the sun was out. Running outdoors is much more interesting, but definitely tougher than running on a treadmill… good lord. I decided to take it easy this time as I’d pulled a muscle in my back last week during yoga class. I picked one of the weeks from the couch to 5k programme to get back in the saddle; it was hard but I managed to finish it. Next time I’ll bring my mp3 player though.

Yay! This morning I ran 5k in 35 minutes, so I’m back at my old level. As a reward I got myself shiny new running shoes. Had a gait analysis done first and now have shoes that fit gloriously and support my feet in all the right places… I can’t wait to go for a run again!

I’m even more confident now that I will reach this goal. The date I’m working towards is the 24th of April 2010, by which time I hope to run 5k in 30 minutes or less. The total run will be 6.6k, and we’ll be circling the city’s canals (where the city walls used to be). Looking forward to it!

Last time I wrote an entry about this goal, I was jobless for a month so I had all the time in the world to run regularly. When I got my current job in February, my running efforts got sidetracked… Instead, I took up swimming in the mornings. Recently I’ve started doing power yoga AND I’ve taken up running again. I really like this combination of various forms of exercise; the power yoga helps to keep my muscles supple and lean, the running helps me build stamina. Today I ran 3k in 20 minutes without breaks/slowing down. I felt great afterwards. Next goal will be to run 4.5k in 30 minutes. I think I can do this by the end of this year. I didn’t make it to the running event in April this year, but I’m definitely going to go for the same event next year. Although combining running with other forms of exercise means that I don’t have the time to run more than 1-2 times per week, I feel that I am building a more solid endurance this way. Also, I enjoy running much more. So here we go again with this goal; wish me luck!

35 minutes to run 5k. I hope to run 6k in April and participate in a running event that involves running around the city’s outer canals (6.5k)... At least the weather will be better then!