The Running Project 5k Training Programme: Week 2 Results

A week of firsts: first pre-hab, first walk to run, first ten minute run, first Sunday run.

Sunday Morning Run

Misty Sunday morning thaw after freezing weather. Temperature was about 3 degrees at 10am.

Envious of Saturday walks by the sea and Sunday runs, I was determined to have a weekend outing myself. A feedback comment from @cstrimel pinged onto my last #runningproject post with perfect timing, propelling me out of bed on a gloomy, damp morning.

After two cups of tea, a banana and fifteen minutes pre-hab, I headed out. Other runners were already about, two pacing themselves on the other side of the road. A fast runner in singlet and shorts, a couple, another lone runner swaddled in many layers, two women runners. I wondered if I would get to know them all.

The Route

I turn left at the entrance, walking up the hill to the path just north of the rectangular carp pond, where I turn east and then right across the terrace of Beaumont House, through the woodland borders to the limestone garden, and then down the long drop of the central paths to the meadow, west through the arboretum and north up Holly Walk to the exit.

The Run

This is a beautiful vine-covered walkway running north of the carp pond to the junction with the first north-south path. I wanted to get past it on the run because it is one of the few places with flags rather than asphalt and, with the thawing snow, slippy underfoot. I decided I was going to start running from here and see how far I got before I would have to start walking.

I was running slowly, I found I could easily cover the distance where I had taken my first few running spurts on Friday. I reached the drop by the limestone garden and headed down to the meadow. As I approached the turn westwards, where the gradient started to go uphill, I wondered if I would be able to keep going. I could. I turned into Holly Walk, a steeper gradient, could I go all the way to the exit? I could.

I looked at the time: eleven minutes after I had taken the photograph of the covered walkway. I was breathing heavily, but not excessively, I could have held a conversation if someone had been there to tell how pleased I was with myself. I rested at the gate for a couple of minutes before walking to the shop to get some smoked fish for breakfast. I had to make do with fishcakes, but you can't have everything. Not on the first Sunday, anyway.

Weekly Summary

Day	Run	Pre-hab
Monday	Rest
Tuesday	30 mins Walk	45 mins Squats Alphabets Side-Steps Bridges Clams Dead-Bugs Pointers
Wednesday	Rest - very tired, in bed by 8.30pm, slept until 6.45am
Thursday		45 mins As Above plus modified Plank and Alphabets without the stretchy bands
Friday	40 mins walk to run
Saturday	Rest - very tired, a lovely nap for an hour in the afternoon
Sunday	83 mins, 10 running	15 mins Squats Dead-Bugs Clams