Sporadic running to marathon training......

I ran the Fleet 10k on 22.10.17 and although it wasn’t a PB, I saw this as a start in terms of getting my training back on track. My intention from 23.10.17 had been to return to a ‘proper’ training routine, both in terms of running and gym work. My running for much of 2017 is probably most accurately summed up as ‘sporadic’ and I was acutely aware that this needed to change.

With this in mind, I had made a plan of what my new ‘training regime’ would look like; it started Monday 23rd October with an early morning gym session. I did make it to the gym but nowhere near as early as planned… Tuesday, my intention had been to go to the gym after clinic on my way home - I did go but my intentions were scuppered in the changing room - every girl’s gym nightmare – I’d forgotten to put a sports bra in my gym bag. This saw me leaving the gym within 5 minutes of arriving feeling more than a little embarrassed about my short stay. I had told myself in the changing room that I would just go for a run when I got home, but an early night won once I got through the front door. The plan for Wednesday had been either a gym session or a running session but it soon materialised that I hadn’t thought this through – I didn’t have time for either. This new training regime wasn’t going well!

I had decided as soon as I found out I had a place in London 2018 that I only wanted to run 3 times a week and to have at least 3 strength training days within my training plan. I recognised that the latter was missing from my training in 2012 and I’m hoping that this strategy will help me on the injury front.

On Wednesday, while having my regular sports massage (my massage therapist happens to be a seasoned marathon runner), I learnt that my made up training plan actually resembled the Furman FIRST training plan (something until that moment I wasn’t aware existed). I’ve checked out the plan and have found that I can use it to add some of the structure I was missing to my interval runs and tempo runs.

Thursday and Friday were long days at work and I felt washed out (my winter sore throat has arrived) so no gym and no running on either day. I realised that meant that by the end of Friday, I had done 1 whole gym session and no running sessions… not the week I’d anticipated!

As Saturday morning dawned, I made the decision to get a run in before clinic – 6.5 miles later and I was feeling better about my week in terms of exercise – okay, so my right hip flexor and left calf probably were less happy for it but we can’t all be winners all of the time.

After revisiting my training plan, I realised that I need to be realistic and flexible with the days that I train due to my other commitments and although I have an overall plan of mileage, the days I train may change on a weekly basis. This, along with the structure to the sessions I have gained from the Furman plan, means that this week has got off to a much better start. Monday I was at the gym by 6.30am to do a HIIT class followed by a legs workout and this morning, before doing a core circuit, I finally attempted to make friends with the treadmill (as I’m hoping to do my weekly interval sessions on here) and completed my first interval training session – it was only 16 mins in total 6 x 1min at 8.12 mins/mile followed by 1.30mins at 10 mins/mile, but it was a start – I stayed on the treadmill for a whole 21 mins (including the 5 minute warm-up) which might actually be a treadmill PB!