Monday 31 January 2022

PWR Couch to 5k 2022 Diary Week 3

 

Week 3 - Planned

4 x 2.86miles 

A new, reduced distance for week 3. 

After 48 hours rest, the energy had returned but the calf muscles are still playing catch up and go tight after a short distance. 

I introduced some faster intervals and ran up hills, but this exhausted me and forced me to walk for a breather.

My legs feel very heavy by the end. I may need to stretch more in between.

I expect to develop more spring in my running stride, although this is taking a while to develop. At some point, a prolonged rest of 4 or 5 days, from running, may be of more benefit than continuing with the daily runs. for Week 3, remember to take it easy and not be too concerned with beating the times set.

  • Run #1: 29min 45sec








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Summary so far:

Week 1 - Completed

4 x 2.25miles walk and jog

Total miles: 9 miles

Week 2 - Completed

4 x 3.25miles walk and jog

Total miles: 13 miles

Friday 28 January 2022

PWR Couch to 5km 2022 Week 2 Summary


Week #1 - 2.25 miles = 3.6km   more details

Walton Park to Ribble

    Run #1: 17/1/22 : 30m
    Run #2: 18/1/22 : 27m 21s 
    Run #3: 19/1/22 : REST DAY
    Run #3: 20/1/22 : 25m 27s
    Run #4: 21/1/22 : 24m 55s



    Walton Park to Ribble
    Week #2 - 3.23 miles = 5.2km  more details

       

    Run #1: 24/1/22: 40 minutes
    Run #2: 25/1/22: 36mins 23s
    Run #3: 26/1/22: REST DAY
    Run #4: 27/1/22: 38mins 33s
    Run #5: 28/1/22: 38mins 30s



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    Monday 24 January 2022

    PWR Couch to 5k 2022 Diary

    WEEK #2


    Day 5 Sore legs but a steady pace throughout and some good hill runs to. Stopped to talk to a couple of people along the way, and stopped for a comfort break, so 38 minutes wasn't too disappointing, on tired and heavy legs.

    Day 4: calves feel like stones. Not looking forward to this morning's attempt. Must do a good stretch before and after.

    Day 3 of Week 2: Enforced REST DAY due to overtired back and legs. After one day of rest, I resumed the 3 mile distance. The time was slower than 48 hours prior, proving that the distance was increased by too much to soon. Another week of walk jog at this distance wil be needed. 

    Week 2: Commencing 24th January 2022  (see week #1 here)

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    After 4 walking jogs at 2.25 miles, the intention was to complete the 2.25 miles circuit without stopping.

    Despite improving the finish time by the 4th attempt, I had not managed to jog the entire distance. I needed to stop several times due to leg fatigue and I could not run for very long up the slopes.

    However, I am slightly impatient for weight loss to start, in earnest, so I decided to increase the distance to the full 5km. Plus, I have felt significant improvements in stamina and the legs feel much stronger after the initial 4 attempts. As the ultimate fat burner is a much longer run than 25 minutes, I decided to step up the distance at the start of this second week.

    This 3.23 miles circuit is an extension of week 1, given the paths and terrain are enjoyable and completely traffic free, other than dogs and cyclists.

    Run #1: 24/1/22: 3.23 miles: 40 minutes. Got a good sweat on even though it was 2°C outside.
    Run #2: 25/1/22: 3.23 miles: 36m 23s. 
    Run #3: 26/1/22: Tired legs and sore lower back. REST DAY: I could do swimming or cycling as a form of active rest, but I had a few errands to run so I took the chance to allow some recovery and adaptation. I'll eat fruit and proteins and feed the recovering muscles and blood. Back on it tomorrow refreshed. 
    Run #4: 27/1/22: 38mins 33s Cramp and numbness in calf muscles. Had t walk and stop to stretch a few times. Sluggish legs were still tired from 48 hours ago. Otherwise stamina increasing and longer running spells developing nicely. Keep up protein and fruit intake plus high volume of fluids.

    Sore calf muscles. Overdid it a bit. I may need a rest day tomorrow. Always a balancing act between progression and injury prevention, but  I feel I need to kick the muscles into shape a bit to toughen them up.

    Have I progressed too quickly?

    Yes possibly, but I need to shred some fat off, quickly so the increase is a necessary move.

    After one attempt, the legs are feeling well worked. The issue may be that the legs may not recover in time for tomorrow's attempt. This may mean that progress diminishes over the course of the week, in terms of finish times. Equally, the risk of longer lasting injuries is greater from this fairly quick and significant increase in distance. This is a common mistake for most people, often made in haste and out of impatience. It is important to recognise the signs of fatigue and injuries creeping in and, if you can, try not to ignore those signs. A rest day is often the better choice over running with pain.

    For the sake of fat-burning benefits gained from the longer distance, I choose to take the risk of the longer distance. If the legs pack in early into the next run, I will take it easy and use walking intervals.

    On reflection,  two weeks ago, I could not run for a minute! My legs are already feeling stronger and 'lighter.'

    Friday 21 January 2022

     Vitamin B12

    There is some very good and detailed information pertaining to vitamin functions and sources at this website.

    Worth a read at lunchtime if you feel under the weather.

    https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/


    How to get started with your fitness plan

    You can ask any questions you want before considering to start with PWR PT.
    You can have a completely no-obligation conversation with Paul. Ask any questions you may have.
    Discuss a plan that suits your time frame and budget. 

    Thursday 20 January 2022

    PWR Couch to 5km Jan '22

     After a period of inactivity due to a combination of laziness, injury and the odd sniffle, I've embarked on returning to some light and steady jogging. The goal is firstly, to feel fit and, secondly, to burn off some excess adipose tissue gained during 20 months of uncertainty surrounding career, decision making and opportunities.

    The goal is to complete a 30-minute jog (approximately 5km) - non-stop - every day. This used to be fairly comfortable. Not anymore!

    1. First up, find a route that is safe, convenient and enjoyable. Roughly a 30 minute walk/jog route (about 2-2.25 miles).

    2. Secondly, build up to the 5km distance at a very comfortable pace.

    Taking each run very easily by swapping intervals of walking and light jogging, paying attention to any pain or fatigue, and adjusting the speed and tempo at any time according to those signs and sensations. For example, during the first run, I jogged for one minute and felt a twinge in my left knee. Half of my brain said run through the pain. Had I continued, I would have crippled myself for a few days and had to rest up, which is not good for the daily fat burning component of the programme. So I slowed down to a walk, gave it a stretch and a rub and stopped any unwanted injury. As it happened, the next day, the knee felt fine, so the judgement call was proven correct.

    3. Stick to the same route for 10 consecutive runs. 

    Record the time for each run. Try to shave off some seconds each run by lengthening the jogging intervals and walking for shorter periods. Again, be mindful of pain and fatigue, always keeping tomorrow's run in mind. Walk the entire route if the legs are tired or painful.

    4. Eat and drink well

    Flush toxins via the kidneys by drinking lots of water through the day. More than you think is normal! Eat fruit and vegetables and good proteins. Eggs, meat, fish. Soups. I also eat a protein shake each day, using a pea protein to avoid cow's milk, for digestive system health.

    5. After 10 runs, increase the distance

    What took 30 minutes to walk/jog now takes much less as jogging replaces walking. Increase the distance to a genuine 5km/3mile distance by adding another 30% distance. Restart the plan. Set yourself 10 attempts to complete the 5km in under 30 minutes. Remember to keep the intensity at a comfortable pace, mindful of being fit to repeat it the next day - to retain the fat burning component!

    Progress so far.... 17th-21st January 2022

    Route: 2.25 miles

    Walton Park to Ribble banks

    •  Run #1: 17th January 2022 : 30m
    •  Run #2: 18th January 2022 : 27m 21s 
    •  Run #3: 20th January 2022 : 25m 27s
    •  Run #4: 21st January 2022 : 24m 55s

     

     

    5 minutes shaved off my time after 4 runs. I felt tired legs at the end, and I was out of breath for a minute or so. Areas of concern are the calf muscles, the ankles, knees and lumbar back. But all felt much better and stamina is increasing, allowing 5-10 min intervals of continuous jogging. 

    I'll attempt 4 more runs next week and aim to jog the entire 2.25 miles non-stop before increasing the distance to 3 miles.

     


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