(Long post warning) Finished the first week of my 10k consolidation plan, so here’s some reflection on how it went:
The running part:
• Order of runs: I had started last Sunday with a 10k as it fit into my rhythm of having run a 10k weekly for the last 4 weeks. For a moment I thought I messed up my plan, but as I allowed myself a ‘stretchy week’, this first week of the plan lasted from Sunday to Sunday inclusively, with my 10k Sunday being last weekend. So we’ll see if the plan can mold itself around my runner’s desires and requirements, but I think it works.
• The long run: I had initially put the NRC 2hour long run coached by Bennett in week 1, and that worked for me as it represents a 10k for me. But I did in the end swap it with an NRC audio coached 10k run, running to that distance rather than running to duration. Other runners running the 2 hours might actually get to 15 - 18km, and that might be breaking the 10% rule. So some slight amendments were needed here, I think.
• The slow run: My Wed 5k running to NRC’s “Running yo your goal” with chats by Puddincombe and Bennett was entertaining, but very similar to a podcast so not sure I feel it adds something of additional value, rather than entertainment.
• The interval run: But today’s interval session with NCC’s Coach Cory in Crank and Cruise was really fun, although I really have to attend to me knees and glutes a bit more.
The Cross Training part:
• Pilates: I managed to do my daily Pilates, except for yesterday, where I just felt quite under the weather. I had a heavy work week, with need for real focus on Thursday and Friday, and I could feel my body just told me to rest the day after. So my planned run moved to Sunday as mentioned above, and I skipped Pilates, returning to it today.
• My YWA dropped completely from Monday onwards, but doing the Pilates daily is probably enough. There were just simply not enough hours in the day, and in weeks with heavy meetings and teaching in the mornings, I have to rely on evening time for workouts. So one feels enough.
Knees and Glutes:
But I realised last week that I needed to crank up some strengthening exercises for both knees and glutes:
• Glutes & dynamic pre-run stretches: Since running 10ks weekly I could feel my glutes getting tighter and needing more time to roll, stretch and recover. I also decided to do more dynamic stretches before running, as until now I had relied on 5-min warmup walk only, but as I am running more km per week now, this couldn’t hurt. Instructor57 recently posted his routine for dynamic workouts, available from runners world at runnersworld.com/health-inj... And I put them in my Tabata Timer app so I can start the music, put my headphones in, and do those warm up moves just outside the house in the courtyard. Today, I did them before my Intervals run, and that felt quite a good warmup and I will add this to my running routine.
• Knees and squats: and for my knees, I realise I also need to do a bit more. The interval runs are great but I have moments when overreaching where my knees let me know sharply that they need some more training. So I decided to simply do some squats the moment I get up, still in the bedroom and with having the bed there to stabilise me if it gets too difficult or painful. I’ll start with 10 slow holding squats and move slowly up. Link I used to inform and remind me of form is from Athlean xx at youtu.be/otzWCWpuW-A
So all in all a pretty ok first week in my 10k consolidation plan. And an added bonus was beautiful scenery in both my virtual long distance runs (Scotland highlands, and English Lakeland), as well as my medal arrived for World Record Attempt for most 10k runners. And that medal is pretty awesome!
Happy running everyone!
P.s. Full details and downloadable plan at healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...
10k graduate completed ju-ju's magic plan...first proper chipped 10k on Sunday YIKES!!!!
Consolidating: 'Beyond C25K ' or NHS 12 week plan? 
Week 1 Magic Plan completed
