The observant of you may have noticed the lack of updates this week. You must be wondering if I’ve given up on the running or if I’ve just forgotten to write the updates. Sadly it is the former. I became unwell last Sunday and I am only just beginning to feel better. The doctor isn’t sure what made me unwell but it might have been due to over doing it with the running. I still get some pain/discomfort when exerting myself or take a deep breath. So I’ve been trying to take it gentle with some slow walks in the park. But there will be no running for me for a long while.

I’m really disappointed that I had to stop running. I was just starting to get into it. Given that I may not be able to run again for a while, I’m not overly sure what to do to try to continue getting back in shape. I may give yoga a go again but I need to check whether I can be upside down without pain/discomfort. Another option maybe to go back to weight training. Or maybe just go back to daily walks for a while. Hopefully in a few more weeks I can try to start C25K again but take it slower, maybe do each week twice and see how it goes…

The trouble is that not knowing what made me ill means I don’t know what might trigger it again. And it was definitely not something I want to go through again!

I did it!! Actually completed week 5 including the super scary run 3 which involved 20 mins continuous running. Today’s run was tough. I think it was mostly mental as it’s the longest I’ve run in one go in a very long time! It was also a little physical. Shins were fine which is good, although they are a little sore now. It was the ankles that ached today but it does seem to be getting easier. My recover after is getting better too which is good.

Overall this week was a struggle. I think the isolation of lockdown is finally getting to me. I’m struggling with motivation with work and my eating has been a little more sporadic than I am aiming. I’ve missed a few walks this week too as I’ve been super tired and hugely unmotivated. But I am sticking to the runs which is good and I am proud of myself for doing that. Progress not perfection, right?

I now have 4 days off work (yay for the long weekend!!). I think I need to take some time to have another look at what, or who, I want to be when I grow up. It is becoming clearer that although I do sometimes enjoy parts of my job, it is not something I’m passionate about. Now that I spend so much time working alone I’m beginning to see that being passionate about what I do is important to me. Unfortunately I’m not sure what, or even if, there is anything I’m passionate about. I’m hoping that searching for a passion will help me find some level of motivation. Failing that I’m gonna clean some more and start packing.

Today’s run was the half way point!!! Yay!!! All very exciting 😄

It was hot and sunny today. I tried to wait as late as possible for my run but eventually got bored of waiting and braved the heat. Today’s run was 8 mins run, 5 mins walk, 8 mins run. I was a little worried about getting worn out quickly due to the heat so today’s run was slow and steady. It seemed to work well. The last few minutes of the last run was a bit of a struggle but I made it. Shins seem to be holding up ok now I’ve started icing again. I wonder when I can stop.

I made the slight mistake earlier of looking at what Friday’s run will entail. It’s the first truly scary one. No walking breaks, just 20 straight minutes of running! Hopefully it will be a bit cooler out by then.

I’ve been a little sidetracked over the last few weeks by measuring my weight. I know it’s not good for me to rely on the numbers of the scale. Especially as I seem to have plateaued after a 7 pound loss. It kinda tainted the excitement of completing half the program. So I am going to stop weighing myself again. Thankfully I’m moving house soon so I’m going to pack the scales now to remove temptation 😊

I’ve added more protein to my meals this week. I’m hoping that will help with the tiredness.

🥑🌱👁 – no growth yet. But there is a crack forming along the top and down the sides. I’m taking it as a good sign 🤞🏻

I can’t quite believe it’s week 5 already!! It’s been going by so quickly. Week 5 of C25K is a different one. Rather than repeating the same run three times a week as with previous weeks, this week has 3 different runs. I think I must be getting brave or at least more comfy with running as I didn’t look up the schedule before today’s run.

Today consisted of three 5-min runs separated by 3 mins walking. The old legs felt a bit tired during the first run but I found my rhythm by the second one. It’s a lot busier out on the streets now so I had to slow down a few times to avoid getting too close to people. But other than that it seemed to go well. Although I’m still getting a dull ache in my shins when I run. I had stopped icing my legs but will start again this week just in case. I hope I don’t end up with shin splints. I’ve had them before and I had to stop running for 5 weeks!

On the fitness front things are still improving. I am recovering faster in the walking sections. Plus my resting heart rate is down again. Getting very close to the blue section on my fitbit cardio fitness 😊 that said I am super tired now!! Not sure if it’s the running or if lockdown is starting to get to me.

🥑🌱👁 – still nothing. Apparently could take 8 weeks to sprout though so will keep watching.

And just like that I’ve finished week 4 of C25K! It’s been a tough week running wise. Today’s run was better than Wednesday but my legs felt tired. I think it is my legs getting tired rather than running out of puff (as my grandpa would say). Might try to add more stretches to rest days. Or actually get the foam roller out this weekend. I have been threatening my legs for a while with it but keep putting it off. Or look at what I’m eating – perhaps I need to re-jig my macros (or at least record my macros so I can see where I’m at).

Good news continues on the fitness front in that my resting heart rate is still going down. I’m averaging about 2bpm drop ever 3 days. I’m not sure how much of this is the exercise and how much is the less stressful life of working from home. But it seems to be good for me.

This weekend I think I will concentrate on stretches, strength training and psyching myself up for week 5! I’ve not looked yet what the runs are like for next week. Let’s hope it’s not too radial an upshift.

It’s been an odd week so far. I had an impromptu trip into the office yesterday afternoon. It’s been about 8 weeks since I was in jolly old London and it was weird being back. Being in the office was actual fine as most people are still working from home. And it was nice to actual speak to people in person! But the commute was quite stressful, not because it was busy but just because I was anxious about it. Still I survived! Glad I won’t have to do that again for a while!

Today I spent most of my day messing around with a Raspberry Pi (all the techie fun!) but because I don’t have a spare monitor at home I had to hook it up to the TV. Due to short cables it meant that I was sitting on the floor most of the day. Tbh I am far too old and unfit to sit on the floor for more than 10 mins. So after around 5 hours I have a rather sore back now. I know – more yoga needed! I did do a beginner’s session of Yoga with Adriene on Sunday. Not quite what I expected, might try one of her other videos next time.

I was looking forward to today’s run as was a good excuse to stop sitting on the floor and get outside. It didn’t really come together for me though today. It was good to be out and moving but I just couldn’t get my rhythm/breathing right today. I felt like I was a little short of breath, especially on the last 5 min run. Hopefully it was just cause I was running faster today. Good to have another run under by belt though and that even though it wasn’t great I still did my best and finished the session. Here’s hoping Friday’s run is better 🙂

p.s. Avocado watch – still nothing…

Here we are at the start of week 4 of C25K. According to the training lady, this week we are getting serious. And she wasn’t kidding! Today was 2 rounds of the following: 3min run, 90s walk, 5min run, 2.5min walk. This is a lot more continuous running than the previous week. Big step up!

I had trouble sleeping last night so I was tired. Plus it was a strangely busy morning and I missed breakfast. I was worried that this would effect my run but strangely enough it all went well for the most part. My legs took a while to warm up, but then it was rather chilly out today. The 5min sections were hard going but I feel like I got into a good rhythm. Perhaps a little slower today than the end of last week but making sure I pace myself.

Good news is my resting heart rate is down again, yay! And my cardio fitness level on my fitbit has gone up – very nearly in the blue ‘average’ section, double yay!

Time for an early night though I think 🙂

On a completely different note: Avocado watch – it’s gone crispy on top now but still no growth

This week seems to have flown by. Well aside from the work-related portions of the week that dragged a little/lot. Today was the 75th anniversary of VE Day and a Bank Holiday. There may have been cake for lunch today…

Today was also the final run of the week 3 of C25K! It was quite jolly warm out and I was worried this would make me tire more quickly. But today’s run was actually fun. The second 3min running block was hard work but I am running faster and feeling better with each run. The old legs seemed good today, no muscle cramps or tightness. Even my shins were good. Hopefully that means they are getting used to the impact of running and I can stop thinking about that and concentrate on breathing and avoiding all the bugs! 😀

I also finally told people I’m running again. Not sure why I was keeping it to myself. I think I was worried I wouldn’t keep it going and they would be disappointed in me. Now though I feel like I have slotted my runs into my (new) normal weekly routine. Even today with no work I still went for my run at the same time. Didn’t even think about skipping it. This is good progress for me, yay!

Gonna start adding in some strength training now. Slowly at first and then see how it goes. So tomorrow I plan to do the upper body workout from 21 Day Fix. I like that one and it’s not too intense on the legs. Then Sunday I’m gonna try and do some yoga / apps and stretching. At least that’s the plan…

Today was C25K week 3 run 2, which overall is run 8. It’s a 9 week program though so 27 runs total. Just 19 runs left till I complete it!!

That may not sound like something to celebrate but I believe it’s important to celebrate the little things, especially when trying to change your habits.

Today’s run was good. The sunshine helped I think. I was running strong and happy and faster, although that may just be in my head. My muscles were happier today, although I’m still getting some tightness in my right leg when I run hills (by hills I mean anything with a slight incline).

My shins also appear to be holding together although the left one is a little sore still. I am icing it and trying not to jump around on it too much outside of the runs. Hopefully it gets stronger soon and I can stop thinking about it.

One thing I really need to work on though is a better playlist! I usually just play the music on my phone on shuffle. But today was a weird mix of rubbish I’d forgotten I had including the less catchy songs from Monty Python Sings (generally love them but not the best to run to). I keep my phone in my running belt so it’s not that easy to get to to change the track when running. At least not for me.

Still music aside I feel like things are getting better. Quite looking forward to my run on Friday 😄

In other news:

• Avocado plant watch 🥑🌱 – still nothing happening

Off we go for week 3 of C25K!  I was a little nervous about this week as it’s a big jump in continuous running time. This week involves alternating running sessions of 90 seconds (like last week) and 3 mins with a shorter rest between the two.

Happily though almost everything seemed to go well. I was tired at the end of the second 3 min run but I wasn’t totally shattered. I’m trying to work on my breathing, pacing and gliding (so as not to bounce too much) too. Gives me something else to think about other than just putting one foot in front of the other.

The only issue was the old muscles again. The muscles around my right ankle got really tight during the first 3 min run session and didn’t relax until about 10 mins after I completed the whole run. My left shin is also a little sore. Not sure if it’s the muscles in my leg or if it’s shin splints. Hopefully it’s just my muscles getting used to impact again (fingers crossed).

The other good news of the week is that, according to my fitbit, my resting heart rate is down and my cardio fitness is up. I am now in the Fair to Average zone of cardio fitness, yay 🙂