A few days ago I decided to give myself another challenge.
I am going to run 10km before going back to work on April 1.
In the past week, I have suddenly found this amazing groove where I can run non-stop for close to 40 minutes. I don’t know where it came from but I am loving it. My cardiovascular endurance has improved so much in the past two years, even with the pregnancy. To think I could barely run a minute or two before getting completely winded. Now, the only thing that hurts when I run for 30+ minutes are my legs, not my lungs.
So, when I ran that 5km non-stop last week it gave me the desire to run more, to run longer. I consulted with some of my friends and acquaintances who run and they directed me to a few websites where I could pick up some tips on training for 10 km.
Most of my friends run races and have always asked me to sign up. I just don’t have that desire to run a race. I don’t need that kind of specific endpoint for my running. I have the drive and determination to run because I like the way it makes me feel and I like the changes it makes to my body. I just don’t need to accumulate race medals. What I do need is an outlet to exorcise my demons and my stresses. And that is what running does for me.
So, my official unofficial non-race related 10km training program begins.
Wednesdays I designated as hill training, but today Mother Nature had other plans and dumped about 20 cm (~6 inches) of snow. It’s been snowing for almost 12 hours non-stop. I spent the morning deciding if I was going to run. I decided I had to, because if I can run in snow, I can run in anything.
It wasn’t a long run, only 2 km, but I “ran” straight for 20 minutes. I say, “ran”, because it wasn’t really running, what I was doing. It was more like a knee-high workout. By the end my calves and ankles were screaming in pain and my quadriceps were quivering.
And for most of the run, I couldn’t see my shoes.
I seriously hope this counted for hill training.
I’m kind of envious that your goal is before mine! I guess I can just change up my goal and make a non-race related goal like you did
Want to engage in some friendly competition? I am going to post my training “schedule”. If you can, join me!!! But don’t hurt yourself. This is all for fun.
Sounds like I plan! Let’s do it! Last week I ran 6K in about 35 min. I am planning to run a 10K at the end of May and I was going to start a 10 week training program in the middle of March. If I can get up to 10k before I start that, maybe I can do an “increase your speed” training program instead!
Wow! 6K in 35 min? Was that straight running or intervals? Very impressed! Good job!!!
I did one minute of running at the beginning and one minute at the end. The rest was running speed intervals with my peak speed of 10.5k/h. I think.