run a 10K

So I completed by second ever 10k today! Hurarh!

I’d barely done any training for the last month, so was quite worried – but managed to do it in about 64 minutes! And I felt like I was running much more consistently than on my first 10k. But my legs really ache…

My first run for over a week – slightly too much on in the evenings and weekends at the moment.

Feeling fairly pleased with myself, though quite achey. Someone here suggested building up endurance before building up speed, so I did three ten minute runs with a couple of minutes off in between, and then alternated between running for a few minutes and walking for a few minutes for the rest of the hour.

All nearly went pear-shaped when I took a wrong turning in Hampstead Heath and ended up running up an extremely steep, slippery hill for about five minutes – I gave up and jogged back down it!

My 10k is in about 6 weeks time and, after really good early progress I had started to feel like I wasn’t improving – now it feels like there is a good chance I’ll be able to beat my time last year.

But I might see if I can find somewhere a bit more flat to train next time…

Got home from work at gone 9.30 tonight, got changed and tried to go out for a run. Not especally successful. Too tired and hungry to be much good, but managed about 15 minutes of slightly half-hearted jogging around the streets near my flat. Must be bonkers to be doing this. Time for bed.

So have been at this for a few weeks now – seems like a good time to take stock. Overall, making reasonable progress. If I keep it up, I should be in reasonable shape to run a 5k in a few weeks’ time. And checking back through my entries, I think I am fitter than I was this many weeks before my 10k last year.

However, not sure I’m motivated to push myself hard enough. And there aren’t many weekends free for the next few weeks for a longer run.

Maybe I need to find some kind of drill instructor?

Did about 3k in a bit under 20 mins this evening. Ran up to the Heath, past a lake and then back down another route, adding a loopy bit at the end to make it a bit further than last week’s midweek runs. Pretty good making it out after work – knackered after a long day, though. Also, who put a big hill in the way of the Heath? Outrageous.

Did 4k earlier in about 25 mins including a couple of stretch-stops. Went up to Hampstead Heath, tried to take an Ingenious And Novel New Route through the woods, got lost, and only just made it back in time to head to Crouch End for lunch.

The door fell off of my train back from the North East yesterday (yes, really), thwarting my plan to get home in time to go for a run. So went out tonight instead. Fuelled by pie, I did 2.5k from the flat down to Swiss Cottage and back, in about 15 mins, followed by a few sit-ups and press-ups. Looks like I’m only going to have time for one mid-week run this week – will try to do more on the weekend.

Went for a run with Ade this morning. Headed up to Highgate Woods and went from there to Crouch End. Probably about 4k in 30 mins or so, plus then an extra bit jogging from Jim and Kelly’s new flat back to Ade’s.

So, pretty good week: three runs in total.

I’m getting better at this again! Yay! Managed my second post-work run of the week. Same route as last time – from the flat, up the hill a bit, down to the heath, round the lake at the bottom of the heath, and back. Took about 15 mins for around 2.7k, then had a bit of a stretch and jogged round the block – probably a bit over 3k in total. Feels like I can go further each time, which is great. Hope to fit in a run on the weekend, too.

Through an astonishing feat of willpower I managed to pass up a post-work beer in favour of a run this evening. Not the furthest I’ve been – about 2.7k – but felt pleased with how I’d done. It’s the first time I’ve stopped and felt like I could have kept going, rather than stopped because I’m about to drop. And especially pleasing as it was a fairly late post-work run after a knackering day. I’m hoping to do another short run later in the week, and then a long run on the weekend.