End of summer update - Going well!

I haven't updated in a while but I have been plodding along with training and have also cleared my diet up.

I stopped with the 5k plan I was doing (despite this, I would actually recommend it), I just have a problem of wanting to change things up and do things my own way!

Anyway my running is now a lot better than when I started and I feel a lot healthier. There's also a lot more routine in my life and I feel this has been an important attribute to knuckling down and cracking on with the running.

Today I finished a 5 mile run in 48:40 which I am quite pleased with. I'll keep doing quite long time runs until I'm doing 10k run in under 50 minutes, which I honestly don't think is too far away. I can't believe I've just typed that considering how bad I started! haha, maybe toward the end of September I'll hit that goal, when I do expect an update!

Once I'm happy with my 10k times, I'll look into adding running workouts to my training such as HIIT and hill / off road / terrain.

Onwards and upwards!

Shin Splints

Ah, so it seems I've fallen victim to the infamous shin splints. It's so frustrating, just as I was working through the program, starting to feel more confident - Shin splints strike. 

I took a 7 day rest after realising I had them as it's recommended the best treatment for them is rest. So I've just been on my first run back and within 10 minutes it was too painful to carry on.

I'm gonna search for cures / warm ups / tips to prevent them. 

I really didn't bargain on this, quite pissed off.

Update on progress

I'm cracking on with the program, though not as far in as I should be as there's been a few mishaps preventing me running- the main one being an annoying bruised big toe! Injured in a drunken incident, bad times, thankfully it was alright to run on this morning so I went out and completed my 2nd run of 3 min run, 3 min walk x 4 I managed the whole set but I'm not gonna lie, the last minute felt like an hour.

The next run is supposed to be 5 min run, 3 min walk x 3 but I'm in two minds as to whether I'll struggle too much with this (embarrassing, I know- but this is where I'm at!) so maybe I'll change it to somewhere in between.

Week 1

I ended up starting the programme a little later than I said I would earlier in the blog, so now I'm unsure if I'll be ready for the 5k race at the end of the month.

So far I've done the 1 minute run, 1 minute walk x 10 and 2 minute run, 4 minute walk x 5 run plans, the first I found fairly easy which disappointed me when I ended up struggling with the second, but I did just about make it despite how difficult the last 2 minutes were- really goes to show the effort that I'll have to put in here.

Tonight I'll be doing 2 minute run, 4 minute walk again- I'll be happy if I don't struggle quite so much this time!

3.0 - Change of plan

Ok, so I've had a bad start. Originally I wanted to start on run 2 of week 2 on the program I'll be doing, but I attempted this the day after a football tournament- basically, I failed 4 x 3 minute runs! Now to make things worse, I ended up playing 5 a side football for 2 hours today, which means my legs won't be in great shape tomorrow.

I'm going to go a step back on the program and try the second routine- 5 x 2 minute runs with 4 minute breaks in between. Depending how it goes, I may skip doing this for the second time on Monday and reattempt the 4 x 3 minute routine. We'll see.

2.0 - Preparation

As I mentioned, the main form of exercise I have recently been getting is at 5-a-side football. I'd been playing bi-weekly but the season is now over and I won't be doing anything else.

There's nothing in the way of me starting training now...

As you would have gathered by now, I'm actually not fit enough to even run a mile yet, though I do come close! For the past couple of weeks I've been aiming to complete a mile circuit and recently notched up a massive 0.9 miles. This is the entirety of my running experience so far and it's time to step it up.

I'll be diving into a running program that I found here - I'm going to start at run two of week two. I'm confident I'm not jumping in too soon by skipping the first few runs. The reason for skipping the first few runs is that I'm really keen to complete the program before an official 5k race that takes place in my local area on May 26th. I'll be entering.

So there's my first target. I have 5 weeks to prepare to run a 5k race (3.1 miles), I don't have a target time though I aim to complete it without the need to stop running. Though I may be naively confident of being able to complete the race without a break I'll also say that if I don't manage to do so, I won't be disheartened! In 5 weeks time I'll be in better shape than I am today, which is good enough in regards to the long term goal!

1.0 - I can't even run a mile...

... Yet after an off-the-cuff conversation, I've found myself and a flatmate in bets with several people that we'll be able to run a marathon.

It'll be a long road for both of us- eating steak at the local just earlier today, whilst wagering crates of beer and bottles of spirits with whoever would take us on- my other flat mate remarked "It's not that I don't think people can run a marathon, it's that you two are the last two I know that would be able to run one!" - And to be fair, he has plenty of reason to say this, he knows our poor diets, he knows how much we drink, and worst of all, he's seen how fast I get tired at 5 a side football! It's all in good heart anyway and the bet isn't exactly what's important here, rather just the element that is going to get me off my arse and eventually ticking "☐ Run a marathon" off the bucket list!

I'm a 21 year old student and I know I should be fit enough to run a mile. It's not that I'm out of shape to the eye, as in, I don't have weight to lose- I'm just extremely unfit. This is where my actual goal lies, not to win a bet but really to overcome how unfit I am.

The bet parameters are

- A full marathon must be ran before the end of 2013

- It must be completed in under 5 hours

... Hopefully without sounding too naive, this really should be possible, it's a large time window and 5 hours isn't exactly a mind blowing pace for the period of time I have to train.

I'll state here that my personal goal is to run a marathon in under 4 hours 20 minutes...

Wish me luck!