Excuses, Excuses...

NHS Couch to 5k   Week 5  Run 1+2

This is information from the NHS website.  There are three different workouts for this week. They are as follows:

• Run 1: brisk 5-minute warm-up walk, then 5 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 5 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 5 minutes running.
• Run 2: brisk 5-minute warm-up walk, then 8 minutes running, 5 minutes walking, 8 minutes running.
• Run 3: brisk 5-minute warm-up walk, then 20 minutes running, with no walking.

The first run itself did not present a problem.  It ended up being a bit boring.  When I was halfway up the road I saw a few dogs roaming about on their own.  So I ended up turning around and just going up and down the same patch of road in the evening.

cows at rest, lucky things

It took me nearly two weeks to complete the second run.  A friend is doing the same NHS Couch25k programme as me.  She's the one to blame for getting me to try running.  She mentioned that week 5 had a 20 minute run and that just seemed to put me off. I couldn't wrap my head around going from an 8-minute run in run 2 to 20-minutes non-stop for run 3.  Where's the logic?

So many excuses not to start run 2 for a fortnight; weather was abysmal, it never stopped raining;  long walks with a dog trying to tire him out.  Did not work on him.  I was tempted to run with the dog but he was way too fast for me.  I ended up having a sore lower back and shin splints from going up hill and down dales with him.

Henry the dog

Anyway, the second run. There are only two runs to complete, both 8 minutes, with a five-minute walk in between.  It was pretty painless.  I felt pretty good at the end.  Laura gives you a pep-talk four minutes in and then the last minute.  Onwards to RUN 3....


* 5 minutes Cool Down Music:  Who's gonna shoe your pretty little feet?  -  Richard Hawley;  Fireflies  - Owl City

* random music from my playlist.