Training update

Ok so after running the Great Birmingham Run you'd think that 10k would be easy wouldn't you?

Well, it's not. It's hard.

On Tuesday, with the help of one of the fab leaders at running group I put together a four week training plan for the Kingsbury 10k at the end of this month. On paper it looks easy, after my first week I can confirm it is not!

I have never run a 10k race before. Maybe a bit strange as I have finished 3 half marathons, but I have always stayed away from 10k because of the competitiveness of them. If you complete a 10k, the first question asked is "what time did you do?" If you complete a Half Marathon, you're asked "wow, how was it??" I'm a bit of a slowy and my 1hour 10mins is hardly likely to impress anybody now is it?! So, after working hard through the summer on my pace I decided to get one of those 10k's under my belt.

A couple of weeks ago, I took myself off to my local 5k parkrun, something that I hadn't done since May. I stunned myself to take just short of 3 minutes off my PB and get 33.28. Now, I know that's quite a slow time, and you shouldn't make excuses, but our local parkrun has a RIDICULOUS hill at 1mile! I don't know about anybody else but I usually spend the first mile trying to get into a comfortable pace and work out my breathing, so hitting THAT hill it this point hurts like hell! My 5k PB on a flatter course is now 31.28. Feeling confident with this improvement, I entered this 10k.....grrrrr.

Right so, back to the training!

Tuesday night - 3 mile fast run. It felt fast (for me), but unfortunately at 33 minutes it was not. I was gutted as I felt that I was working really hard. I did however enjoy it, at the time, and thats the main reason we do it isn't it?!

Thursday night - 20 minutes out and back. I found this really tough! we ran from Leamington back to Warwick, towards my house - 1.8miles exactly. I was expecting that with my 11 minute mile pace I wouldn't quite get there, so I felt like I was flying when I ran past my house and had still not heard that whistle. When the whistle went, I realised I had to run back, and faster.....ouch! I got back to Leamington literally with a second to spare.

Friday Morning - Cross train, Spin. Everyone that does spin knows that they are hard work. At 6.30am, it really is something else! So after the class when the instructor told us he had made it harder, I didn't know whether to hug him or hit him! I did neither!

Sunday morning - 6 miler. Really pleased with this run, along the canal, through woodland then round the golf course. Great for a Sunday morning! I ran with running group so we had a nice chatty run, and finished in 67minutes - Happy Loz!

I'm still not sure how this 10k is going to go, let you know when I've got the medal! When this is completed, it's all systems go to get ready for London, I'm nearly crying at the thought!