Having got myself a training programme, but still not entirely committed to the cause or believing I could actually do this, I have been following it after a fashion (never be a slave to your plan, listen to your body, that's what they say… My body says "ouch"!). Most days a week, either round the block or over onto the common, or even the treadmill in the gym to vary the conditions underfoot; starting with 20 minutes and building up gradually. Unfortunately I think I overdid things and built up too quickly, and after a couple of weeks I developed really sore shins, which continued to plague me so last week I decided to scale back from my original plan and downloaded a different Beginners' training schedule. This one seems easier to follow; where my previous plan suggested "Jog for 10 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 10 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 15 mins, run for 5 mins, jog for 20 mins" as my schedule for this Friday (how on earth are you supposed to remember all that when all you can concentrate on is just putting one foot in front of the other?!), my new one says "35 mins steady" and has more days off. Much more my level! (And it also has a rest day on Christmas Day; my previous plan would have had me doing an hour and 45 minutes running - as if!!)
I also invested in some full length running tights to keep my shins warmer, and over the last week they have felt much less stressed, which is good. The foot is also holding up, and while I am out running it doesn't hurt at all - in fact it is at its most comfortable while I'm running. When I get home and stop though, it stiffens up despite all the stretching and still hurts like mad when I stand up, though I can usually walk it into submission after a few minutes. I don't know if it's going to cause me serious problems down the line when I get into really long runs but for now it's manageable.
I know my overall fitness level is improving all the time, I no longer feel awful after 5 minutes and I can happily trot along for 45 minutes without having to walk. My recovery time is also much better. Where previously I'd be beetroot red and still out of breath and sweaty for hours after a run, now it's barely half an hour! I am concerned about my pace still, I do seem to have only one speed and at this rate it's going to take me well over five hours to complete - from here that seems an impossible task.
So, am I now convinced? Virtually! I am into week 6 of 24, and have managed a "long" run of 5.5 miles in an hour, so I am physically working towards it, even while my mind still lags a bit behind. I know if I don't do it I will regret it forever (hubby still thinks if I do do it I will regret it as he is frightened I will cause myself irreparable damage somehow - something that frightens me too I have to admit). I have begun to tell more people, all of whom seem very excited for me and think it's brilliant, and soon I will have reached a critical mass of people who know, so I'll not be able to back out. This blog is also part of the process, as is offering to run for Pancreatic Cancer UK which I have done this morning. I seem to have backed myself into a corner don't I? I need to embrace this and GO FOR IT!! (Small voice in head still saying "NOOOOO!")
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