Good morning and happy Monday. As always, I hope whoever takes the time to read my latest training and life update had a great weekend. If, for whatever reason, you didn’t have a very good weekend, I hope that the next seven days are more positive. My weekend had a couple of highlights, volunteering at Sutton Park parkrun and finding running for 25 minutes relatively easy.
The NHS Live Well website provided the following information about the three training runs in Week 6 of the Couch to 5k training plan.
Like the last time I attempted the sixth week of the Couch to 5k, I looked forward to tackling three different training sessions. I also wasted far too much time worrying about running for 25 minutes.
My Tuesday and Thursday evening interval sessions started with a fast warm-up walk and ended with a slightly slower cool-down walk. I supplemented the interval sessions and 35-minute run on Sunday with cross-training sessions on Monday and Saturday and rest days on Wednesday and Friday.
With apologies for the repetition, as I’d love to complete the Couch to 5k before the end of the year, I allocated time every day to stretching. I also used my Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun to massage my quads and calf muscles before each interval session and whenever I felt my legs would benefit from an extra massage.
Monday – 30 mins cross training
Following a week’s break from training, I started the week feeling positive and looking forward to tackling some more challenging interval sessions. My positivity improved when I was able to book Friday off as some last-minute annual leave. Although back-to-back meetings meant I didn’t have time for a lunchtime walk, I spent some time working through my strength and conditioning exercises after work.
As I fancied a change from cooking for myself, I booked a table at the Quill and Taper for Vic and myself the following evening. This left me with no choice but to complete the first interval session of the week before work as I knew I wouldn’t be able to run after eating a large meal.
I checked the weather forecast and discovered my morning run would be in somewhat cooler conditions than I was used to.
Many of us will need to dig out the ice scrapers tomorrow morning with a widespread frost expected on grass and cars ❄️
Air temperatures will also fall below freezing in some rural areas so remember that extra blanket tonight 🛏️ pic.twitter.com/xUDAjGzB6M
— Met Office (@metoffice) November 11, 2024
I laid out a selection of what I hoped would be suitably warm running gear, ensured my alarm was set for 5:30am, and got a reasonably early night.
Tuesday – 24 mins intervals (run 5 mins/walk 3 mins/run 8 mins/walk 3 mins/run 5 mins)
When my alarm woke me from what felt like a deep sleep, I debated staying in bed, but I reminded myself why I wanted to complete my interval session before work. For once the weather forecast was correct and I failed to warm up during my 5 minute warm-up walk.
Despite having to play dodge the wheelie bins and some poor route planning, the first interval session of the week went well. I somehow managed to time all of my running intervals with uphill sections and recovery walks with downhill sections. This meant that although I reached the end of the 24 minutes feeling like I’d worked hard, I didn’t experience any issues with my temperamental knees. Remind me to take better action photos in future.
I got home, drank a couple of glasses of chocolate milk, put on the heating, and spent some time massaging my quads and calf muscles. I wasn’t brave enough to use my foam roller. There was no point in me going back to bed, so I started work an hour earlier than usual. I’ve no idea how some people get up early every morning to run before work as by midmorning I could feel my eyes getting heavy.
Several hours and meetings later, I headed to the Quill and Taper for an evening meal with Vic. I was thrilled when I spotted my first Christmas tree of 2024. I’m not sure about the rather minimalistic decorations.
I fancied a change from Royale Chicken Tikka Masala, so I ordered the Sweet cured Gammon which the menu described as two 5oz sweet cured gammon steaks, fried free-range egg, grilled pineapple, and garden peas.
Although the restaurant was fairly empty, the food took forever to arrive and after spending almost an hour waiting for our meals I was starting to get rather hangry. Luckily, the gammon steaks tasted better than they looked when they finally arrived. We didn’t risk ordering desserts or coffee.
Wednesday – Rest
Although Wednesday was a rest day, I wanted to spend some time outside while it was light, so I completed a 30-minute lunchtime walk.
As my usual lunchtime loop was inaccessible due to roadworks, I walked through Hill Hook Nature Reserve and disappointed some of the not-so-wild wildlife in the process.
Thursday – 23 mins intervals (run 10 mins/walk 3 mins/run 10 mins)
As my early morning interval session left me struggling to stay awake throughout the day on Tuesday, I decided to tackle the second interval session of the week and the final interval session of the Couch to 5k as soon as I finished work.
Well, that was the original plan. I was feeling so peckish when I finished work I decided eating would have to take priority over running. After wasting a ridiculous amount of time weighing up the pros and cons of completing my interval session, I eventually headed out the door just before 9pm.
It was a lot colder than I was expecting and I somehow reached the end of my so-called 5 minute warm-up walk feeling colder than I did at the start. As I stopped to adjust my laces, I accepted it might be time to switch from running in shorts to running in tights. Once I’d warmed up I enjoyed the interval session and found running for 10 minutes much easier than I was expecting given the cold conditions.
I’m not sure if my legs got too cold as soon as I stopped running, but both of my calf muscles started to cramp during my cool-down walk. I hobbled home and spent 30 minutes massaging my quads and calf muscles with my massage gun.
Friday – Rest
I think the highlight of Friday was not having to spend the day at work. I suspect that most people would have made plans for a day of annual leave. I spent the day at home tackling some embarrassingly overdue housework while feeling sorry for myself.
Saturday – 30 mins cross training
I wasn’t volunteering at parkrun, so it was unfortunate I’d once again forgotten to switch off my ‘parkrun alarm’. The early alarm wasn’t welcome, and I was feeling so tired I briefly contemplated staying in bed. Apologies for the all-too-predictable moaning about weekend alarms. I knew that by the time I’d walked across Sutton Park the early start would be forgotten, so I decided to drag myself out of bed.
My right knee twinged quite a few times during my walk to Sutton Park parkrun, so when I discovered Helene was marshalling, I decided I’d rest my legs and volunteer as a bonus marshal. After doing my best to offer encouragement to 545 runners and walkers, I ended up helping sort through a mountain of finish tokens in the Communitea Café in Boldmere.
I was dropped back in Mere Green and more by luck than judgement immediately managed to meet up with my brother in the Ale Hub.
I wasn’t quite so lucky during my walk home as it started to rain, and I ended up getting drenched. I’ve waffled on enough about Saturday, so I’ll fast forward a few hours to Sunday and the final training session of Week 6 of the Couch to 5k.
Sunday – 25 mins running with no walking
My alarm woke me at 6am and I somehow managed to go straight back to sleep. Luckily, I woke a second time at 7am. I got changed into the running gear I’d laid out the previous evening, worked through some strength and conditioning exercises, had a productive loo visit, drank some water, and headed outside into the gloom.
I completed my warm-up walk, checked my laces were not too tight, selected some trance music, and started to run. I spent most of the first five minutes of the run forcing myself to slow down. As I wanted to give myself the best chance of running for 25 minutes I decided to run around the reasonably flat for Four Oaks Streetly Tennis Club loop. My route selection worked, and I found running for 25 minutes a lot easier than I was expecting and I reached the end of my Sunday morning run feeling strong.
I spent a couple of minutes stretching, completed my cool-down walk, and then headed home. I got home, made myself a cup of tea, and massaged my calf muscles. As this weekly update is already far too long I won’t describe the rest of what was an incredibly mundane Sunday.
So, that’s Week 6 of the Couch to 5k successfully completed. I just hope that my left knee and calf muscles continue to cope with the training. Without making it sound like completing my Couch to 5k training sessions is the most important thing in my life, I also hope that the snow that has been forecast doesn’t make an appearance in Four Oaks.
Week 7 looks challenging but should be achievable if I run at a sensible pace I can maintain. I finally get to say ‘goodbye’ to interval runs as in the final three weeks of the Couch to 5k, all of the training sessions are continuous runs without recovery intervals. So, that’s no more walking and getting my breath back. Like last time, I think my main concerns are how my knees will respond to running for 25 minutes three times in 7 days and getting my pacing spot on.
Training totals:
Niggleometer:
Have you put up your Christmas decorations yet? I must admit with all the doom and gloom in the news at the moment I’m thinking about putting my decorations up at the weekend.
Do you have a favourite volunteering role at parkrun? I must admit I don’t really enjoy token sorting as all the numbers start to look the same after a while.
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