distance: 6.16 km, time: 00:45, pace: 07:18, calories: 584, effort: 4/5, feeling: ok
I’ve decided to stop pushing my bad foot with the Bridge to 10k program as it was leaving me really really sore. So I started at week 4 of the Ease into 10k, which is essentially starting 2 weeks before the B210k begins. So I did 4 x 8 min runs + 3x1min rests and 10 min warm up and down. This is heaps gentler than the 3 x 15min blocks I was doing.
I’m still very tight in the calves (a side effect of bad foot) and had to use my 1min intervals to streeeeeetch. New shoes are wonderful but a little snug across the toes, so I also had to stop to adjust them during the 1min intervals.
But, overall, it was a nice run. And I made better time over this distance than I have done during the C25k. I think. :D
humid, sunny
Edit: My knees hurt a _lot_, so I think I’m going to have to take a serious break from running for a while to get over the impact of the longer B210k runs. I wish I’d followed my initial instinct and gone with the easier runs at first. Oh well. But the pain is quite debilitating – I’ve got very sore knees, and I’ve had trouble with pains in my shins (like shin splints, but actually almost certainly related to my bung foot) and begun to get some ache in my sore foot.
So it’s time to ease off. This is quite demoralising. I’m addicted to running, mostly for the way it improves me mood, and makes it easier to manage stress and anxiety. I am going to need to find some sort of exercise substitute so I can keep my fitness and mood up. Cycling, unfortunately, is terrible for my sore knees. Dancing isn’t much good either.
Sorry to hear about your knees giving you grief. A real bugger with the progress you have been making.
What are you using to record distance, time pace etc? I was using the Nike Sensor but found it a little flaky. I also put it somewhere where it would be safe betweens runs as well. So safe I haven’t been able to find it for about two weeks.
Hey Shaun. Yeah, it’s disheartening, but then I was pushing it too hard. I had to choose between the Ease into 10k program and the Bridge to 10k program and I went with the latter because it was shorter. I should have been less cocky and gone with the longer one. I have to keep reminding myself: a year ago you couldn’t walk at all without pain. So running _anything_ is a giant accomplishment.
So now I’m going to take the rest of this week off (and try to stop myself dancing on Friday – dancing is the killer as it’s faster and involves lots of twisting and jumping _as well as_ running type movements) so my foot can unload. Then I think I’ll start again from scratch with the Ease into 10k.
My one concern is that the E210k and B210k aren’t programs written by the C25k people. They’re applications developed by these people: http://c25kapp.com/
So, I use their apps on an ipod touch to keep track of my running intervals. I’m thinking about using a Garmin (which belongs to the Squeeze). But I really can’t be bothered with all the accessories.
I map my runs on http://www.dailymile.com These maps + entering my times allow the site to calculate my pace (which is the time it takes you to run a km… I think). It also calculates calories and can calculate more if you give it your weight and so on. I’m really only interested in keeping track of kms to keep me feeling motivated, though I’m getting interested in pace as well, now that I can run 5k. I figure, now, that if I have an upper limit because of my foot, I can at least work on getting faster over 5km.
I usually just put in the entire distance of my outing (including warm up and down walks), so the pace and distance are probably off. I think I walk about 500m when I’m warming up and down. Which is a bit scary because it means I’m walking 1k in 10min, and only running 6k in about 45min. So my pace is about 7min. Or just under. Boo. I am a very slow runner. I don’t push myself, though. But I think that if I went back to the shorter runs, I could improve my pace, now that I’m fitter. The problem now, though, is the pain in my foot and knee, and trying to go super slowly so I don’t injure myself again.
I think you can use the Nike Sensor with Daily Mile…? I like Daily Mile because it helps me keep track of my running and also keeps me in contact with other people who’re working through c25k, etc. I have some hardcore running friends (who run about 3 times as fast as I do), and they’re good for inspiration.
If you’re at week 6 or so, what are you planning to do after this? I reckon week 6 is the hard part – if you’ve gotten through there, you totally rock.