Good morning and happy Monday. When this blog is published I’ll hopefully be halfway through an appointment with the dental hygienist. I’m sort of looking forward to having my teeth scaled and polished. As always, I hope that whoever reads my latest life and training update had a fabulous weekend. My weekend had a couple of highlights; another tasty but calorific lunch in Bistrot Pierre, and a mostly niggle free interval session early yesterday morning.

The NHS Live Well website provided the following information about the interval sessions in Week 4 of the Couch to 5k training plan.

As in previous weeks, I supplemented the interval sessions with cross training sessions on Monday and Saturday, and rest days on Wednesday and Friday. Each interval session started with a 5 minute warm-up walk and ended with a 5 minute cool down walk. As my exercise bike is now gathering dust in the garden shed, my cross training sessions comprised of a 30 minute power walk in the style of Harold Bishop from Neighbours. As I’ve realised I need to increase my flexibility, I also attempted to follow this Yoga with Adriene Runner’s Yoga video. I spent at least 30 minutes a day going through my strength and conditioning exercises and using my massage gun.

Monday – 30 mins cross training

Thanks to the Bank Holiday which enabled me to treat myself to an extra hour in bed, the fourth week of my Couch to 5k training good off to a relaxed start. Unusually for a Bank Holiday Monday, the weather in Four Oaks was perfect, so I spent most of what was left of the morning pottering around the garden and reading ‘Running in the Midpack’.

After lunch, as I needed to complete a 30 minute cross training session, I pulled on my trainers and went for a reasonably quick walk around the block. I got back, set up my laptop and laid out my yoga mat on the back lawn. I’ve realised that much as I don’t enjoy yoga, I need to improve my flexibility so I had another go at the Runner’s Yoga video. Let’s just say that noticing that one of my next door neighbours was watching my poor attempts at ‘yoga’ didn’t do much for my confidence. In future, any attempts at yoga will happen inside.

The rest of my Bank Holiday Monday was productive but not exactly what I’d describe as blogworthy. I finished writing and scheduled my latest personal challenges update post let’s just say I failed. I treated myself to a pizza and a couple of beers, laid out my running gear and checked my Garmin was charged, set my alarm, and headed to bed at a sensible time.

Tuesday – 21.5 mins intervals (run 3 mins/walk 90 secs/run 5 mins/walk 2.5 mins/run 3 mins/walk 90 secs/run 5 mins)

At the start of each week, I’ve spent a couple of minutes reading through my weekly update from when I last attempted the Couch to 5k a year ago. Last year, I described this interval session as feeling effortless. I put this down to running in the road rather than along uneven pavements.

Fast forward to Tuesday, and I woke 30 minutes before my alarm so I decided to head out slightly earlier than planned. Conditions were perfect for this unfit runner; a cool temperature and a minimal breeze. I managed to start the first 3 minute run at sensible pace which I maintained, as a result I enjoyed every second of the 21.5 minute interval session. When I reached the end of the second 5 minute run interval I felt like I could have carried on running, always a positive sign.

I captured the slightly dubious photo above – I’ve just noticed how swollen my left knee looks – walked back home, drank a couple of glasses of chocolate milkshake, and then spent 30 minutes working through my strength and conditioning exercises.

As it was unfortunately still too early for me to start work, I headed back to bed for an hour. This turned out to be the wrong decision as I felt terrible when my alarm woke me from what felt like a deep sleep. I spent most of the day feeling like a zombie and even writing a simple email took me twice the time it usually would. After struggling to focus during a meeting, I decided to make the most of the flexible working my organisation promotes and finished work at 3pm. A nap after work made me feel a little more human.

Wednesday – Rest

As always, this weekly update is turning into one of my essays so I won’t describe my rest day in detail. After several weeks of suboptimal sleep, I woke feeling amazing after getting 8 hours’ sleep. I’ve said it before but I don’t function very well unless I get at least 7 hours’ sleep a night and recently I’ve been averaging between 5 and 6 hours’ sleep a night. I had a meeting-free day so I managed to complete a couple of online training courses, my time recording, and some project planning. After work I vacuumed the house, used my massage gun, worked through my strength and conditioning exercises, prepared and ate the most amazing chicken and bacon salad and headed to bed at a sensible time.

Thursday – 21.5 mins intervals (run 3 mins/walk 90 secs/run 5 mins/walk 2.5 mins/run 3 mins/walk 90 secs/run 5 mins)

Predictably, I woke well before my alarm. I’ve no idea why I keep waking up so early at the moment, but it’s getting a little frustrating. I completed my 5 minute warm-up walk and some stretches, said hello to a friendly ginger cat and then started running. It was so humid it only took a couple of minutes for me to regret wearing a gilet. I always wear a gilet because it hides my wobbly stomach and I carry my phone and house key in the pockets. Midway through the second interval run I remembered I’d been sent a Freetrain vest to review. I decided that as my wobbly stomach isn’t going to disappear overnight, if I could find the vest, I’d be brave and would wear it on my next run.

Despite the humidity, the interval run felt relatively easy and I ended the final 5 minute run feeling like I could have carried on running, always a good sign. I spent 10 minutes stretching, found and picked up a pound coin and then walked back home. Luckily, it was so early no one witnessed my beetroot impression. And then the real struggle began when I discovered I was ‘trapped’ in my sports bra. I think I worked up more of a sweat getting out of my sports bra than I did during the interval run.

Fast forward approximately 12 hours and I dialled into an Injury Prevention and Training for Runners Workshop presented by The Run RX after work.

I found the workshop incredibly informative so I’ve included the link the recording of the workshop here in case you want to check it out. If you watch the recording of the workshop, please let me know what you think. The main take-home message for me was that I need to get my knees checked out by a sports physio ASAP. I was also reminded that I need to work on my core strength.

Friday – Rest

I think the highlight of my Friday was finishing work at 3pm. Thanks to me spending a couple of hours reading running blogs and falling into the comparison trap, I spent the afternoon and evening feeling like a failure both as a runner and as a person.

Saturday – 30 mins cross training

I decided to keep things simple and completed another 30 minute power walk. It was so warm at 9am I was reminded why I run at 5am. I spent most of the walk thinking about how busy parkrun would have been if it had been allowed to return. Fingers crossed for June 26! I got home and spent 20 minutes trying to follow a different yoga for runner’s video and another 20 minutes using my massage gun.

Like last week, I met up with a friend in Bistrot Pierre for an early lunch. We were asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside – we opted to sit inside as the restaurant was empty – and were seated in the bar area again.

I never have much of an appetite when it’s warm so I ordered the crispy duck salad with a side portion of chips. If you’re ever in Bistrot Pierre, I’d highly recommend the crispy duck salad, it tasted amazing. Just looking at the photo of the salad makes me feel hungry.

I spent the rest of my Saturday gardening, adulting, reading and watching the British Athletics 10,000m Olympic qualifying events at Birmingham University. The highlight of the evening was seeing Jess Judd qualify for Tokyo.

I was 17 when 2012 came around and missed out on that Olympics. I tore my hamstring in 2016 and missed Rio, I was slower than 2012! In 2021 I will be going to Tokyo 🇯🇵 never give up, and never doubt yourself! The bad times make the good times so much better!🥰 https://t.co/rENnxPzYyb

— Jess Warner-Judd (@jesswarnerjuddx) June 5, 2021

 

“Never give up, and never doubt yourself! The bad times make the good times so much better!” Wise words.

Sunday – 21.5 mins intervals (run 3 mins/walk 90 secs/run 5 mins/walk 2.5 mins/run 3 mins/walk 90 secs/run 5 mins)

I found yesterday’s interval session slightly more challenging than I was expecting. I’m not sure if it was the weather – it rained, stopped raining and suddenly became very humid – my far from ideal pacing, or my stomach which was feeling a bit iffy. It was very much a case of getting the session done and trying to avoid walking during the final 5 minute run interval.

The remainder of my Sunday was a relaxed affair. I spent what was left of the morning reading and researching exercise bikes for people with stupidly long legs. After a much-needed afternoon nap, I spent a couple of hours writing blogs and replying to emails, I also remembered to order a Father’s Day card. I’m a creature of habit my Sunday ended with a takeaway from my local Chinese restaurant.

So, that’s the fourth week of the Couch to 5k completed. I just hope that my fragile left knee continues to cope with the training. It feels quite niggly at the moment, so I’m not sure how it will react to the final more challenging final five weeks. I obviously hope that this doesn’t happen, but if my knee starts to hurt when I’m running I’ll stop. Much as I hate feeling like I’m letting myself and others down, I don’t think there’s any point in me running if I’m in pain.

Week 5 of the Couch to 5k training plan looks difficult. Just looking at the interval runs makes me feel slightly nervous, and a little confused as there are three different interval runs. I think this will probably help me as I have found completing the same interval runs three times a little uninspiring. The duration of the longest run interval increases from 5 minutes to a whopping 20 minutes. I’m sure there’s a reason for this, but the prospect of running for 20 minutes does feel a little daunting.

Training totals

• Runs: 12 (out of 12)
• Time: 4 hrs 1.5! mins
• Distance: 20.34 miles

Niggleometer

• Right knee: 3/10
• Left knee: 5/10
• Right foot: 2/10

Did you have a good weekend? I’ve said it before, but I need my Saturday morning void filling with parkrun.

Did you watch the 10000m races on Saturday? I’m starting to look forward to the Tokyo Olympics; I just hope that they take place.

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