WEEK SIX IS when we assess our progress. Take a moment to think back to your first session and do an honest assessment of how far you’ve come.
Are you progressing as planned? Or have you missed a few days from the plan through illness or injury?
You need to be healthy first and fit second and that means not sacrificing health for fitness.Don’t run when injured and don’t run when you’re not feeling well. If you are starting to feel any niggling pains or discomfort in your legs it might be worth investing in a sports massage as most running related injuries are easily cured.
Don’t be tempted to run through the pain as this can make the problem worse. Don’t test your breaking point and sometimes stopping in time can make all the difference, forget about no pain no gain and instead adopt the train don’t strain mentality.
Simple things become complicated when you expect too much and your goals need to be realistic and reflect your current state of fitness and overall condition. Don’t try to make up for what you may have missed by adding in extra sessions or rejoining the plan where you should be. When making a return or starting again it’s best to take two steps back before trying to go forward again as this will prevent you from doing too much too soon.
Week Six
Monday: Five-minute brisk walk. (15 min run/five min walk, 10 min run). Walk to finish
Tuesday: Off.
Wednesday: Five-min brisk walk. (15-min run/five min walk, 10 min run). Walk to finish
Thursday: Off.
Friday: Off.
Saturday: Five min brisk walk. (15-min run/five min walk, 15 min run). Walk to finish
Sunday: Rest or active recovery. Cycle/swim/brisk walk.
See the full 5k programme here or the 10k here for more advanced runners.
John O’Regan is a renowned adventure runner and the Life Style Sports Run in the Dark’s expert coach. Follow him on Twitter: @johnoregan777. He is available an online Q&A every Monday from 8-9pm on the event’s Facebook Page to answer training related questions.
