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.'