Time to do some training

Training Diary - Week 1

Soup in Bath

After a fair bit of planning last weekend, setting up Twitter, linking in Facebook, etc I thought it might be beneficial to actually do some training rather than mess about with a computer. After all the whole idea is to get fit & spend time away from the laptop.

With a few reasonable walks under my belt (50k and 24-hour challenges), I thought the transition to a very slow 10-min-mile jog wouldn't be very difficult, and it wasn't.. for the first run.

I soon realised that repetitively pounding 200lbs into your knees, shins and ankles for 2 hours doesn't do them much good. They promptly rebelled by developing signs of shin-splints. Looks like it's going to be a gradual switch from walking to jogging as and when the legs allow.

As far as a training schedule goes, I'm taking the holistic approach. Just playing it by ear & seeing what the body feels like doing once I send it out for exercise.. I do have time & weather limitations (they probably wouldn't like it if I turned up at work an hour late & dripping wet as "I felt like running a bit more"), but otherwise, just see how it goes. 

There's a good piece on ultras by Mouncey that follows the same thought process:
"If it gets you the results you want in the way you want 'em and you can make those results stick over time - then whatever you're doing is a legitimate strategy for you"

So for the stats: Total mileage for the week 131.81 miles in 32.55 hours, average 4.05 mph. 3x 14-mile runs and 8 walks of 5 miles+. You can find the detail on Endo but it's pretty boring. Really, it is. 

Until the next riveting update :-