Couch to 5k

Tried running 5K at 8 kph again today. I increased my pace intervals to 15 minutes instead of 1.5 km, with a 10 minute recovery interval at 7 kph, and that was doable. That gave me a total time of under 39 minutes for the distance, so a PR. And I ran a whole 2 km continuously at 8 kph, which for one thing makes me feel like I realistically say that I can run at that pace. And for another gives me my first actual unarguable 12 minute mile, so yay.

I really hope I can manage to get at least some runs in over the Christmas period, but if I can't, that felt like a satisfying note to end the year on. My attempt to build up my stamina for running 5K at 8 kph so far seems to be going better than the other half of my self-designed training programme, the one where I'm trying to redo C25K with the running intervals at 10 kph. But I expect the latter is probably helping, even if I'm finding it a struggle to get past week 3.

And the gym was nearly empty as all the students have gone home, and I was watching a buzzard wheeling and plunging in the winter sky outside the fitness room windows. Given I can't run outside at this time of year, that felt quite nice.

Finally finally finally, I don't know how long I've been edging towards this and not quite making it, certainly over a year, I actually ran 5km in under 40 minutes yesterday. I am absolutely over the moon about this, I was starting to think I'd never ever hit the "beginner" pace of 8'/km.

Thursday I went for my usual regular run near campus, the second half of which is uphill. It wasn't great, I was struggling for much of it, and just barely scraped 3.5 km in 30 minutes. Then Sunday I very nearly didn't get out at all, it was very tempting to say we were too busy packing for our big housemove on Wednesday. But jack encouraged me, pointing out that an hour's break and some exercise would do us good.

We ran along the west bank of the Cam northwards from Penny Ferry, a route that's pretty much all straight, paved path along the river so probably easier than any of my other regular routes. No traffic, no awkward junctions, most especially no hills. And I set out with the aim to keep up a steady pace, and was getting time checks from Runkeeper telling me I was going faster than I have for a while, but wasn't feeling exhausted or as if I was over-stretching myself. 2 km in under 16 minutes... halfway point under 20 minutes... exceeded my PR with 3.8 km in 30 minutes. And I was able to keep that pace for the last 10 minutes back to the car, meaning I actually finished the whole distance in under 40 minutes, woohoo!

It wasn't perfectly steady, the first km or so was faster than I thought I'm capable of, then I got gradually (but only slightly) slower and slower over the middle section, and I did speed up for the last 500m to make sure to hit that round number target. Still, I was pretty close to the intended 8'/km for most of the run.

I've been promising myself that if I ever managed 40 minutes I would start signing up for parkruns and charity 5K races. And that I'd give myself a present of something better at measuring my scores than my over-sized smartphone. I am thinking probably one of the newer Fitbits, but maybe even a GPS watch.

I think my next goal has got to be 7½' /km, which would mean improving my times to 4 km in 30 minutes and 37.5 minutes 5K. I think I do have more in me, though; Sunday I felt like I was limited more by the strength of my legs than by my lungs and I generally find that improving the muscular power of my legs goes faster than improving my cardiovascular fitness.