Maybe a New Target

[hamit]

This year has not been good for me. Weather and a bad back really has strained my ability to get any training consistence. I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to try for 5k before my 77th Birthday. Today I went out to do 4k. On completion of the 4k I just run a bit further and reached my target. The 5k was slow and hard but it was still 5k ahead of my target date. So do I need a new target, oh yes.😁. Suggestions welcome.

[Annieapple Administrator Graduate]

🍏👏🐣 Easter 5K hamit!! Well done on reaching that target especially after your bad back etc In the short term why not try two shorter runs and one 5k a week to consolidate then perhaps decide whether you want to increase that distance? The free Nike Run Club app have many different times and distances. Our other App Bridge to 10k has a fab plan to get you to 10k very slowly. I will post the link. Explore these ideas and let us know what you think!

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[hamit Graduate in reply to Annieapple]

Well I have been at 10k a few times. Before the Back prob I was considering pushing up to 10 miles this year. I think going back to 10k is more realistic while I am still wondering if the Back will go bad again. Always use Nike Run great app. Thanks for the advice.

[Annieapple Administrator Graduate in reply to hamit]

🍏 Gradual increases to gauge your back is the way to go… don’t do more than one long run & two shorter ones a week to keep that back in check. I am sure you do back strengthening stretches too. Don’t ever neglect them. Next target 10k & then a10 mile target are great aims.. take your time, enjoy the running is far more important. However nice to aim for something!

[RollingPea Graduate]

Congratulations on notching up the 5K before your birthday. 👏 A suggested target would be to do a 5K progression run. If you haven't tried it before, it's really fun and quite difficult to achieve. The idea is to run the next km a little faster than the previous one. The final killer km should be the fastest. It's a challenge! If nothing else, progression runs will help you mix things up a bit as you are consolidating your 5 Ks.

My sympathy for your bad back. Do you find running helps with that? I do, though at first it seemed counter-intuitive. Over the years I have discovered that my bad back often comes on when I am tensed up in reaction to stress. The running and post run gentle stretches help when it's bad, but also help to prevent it recurring. Do you know what triggers your back?

I learned a lot from 2 books; Yoga for Backache Relief by Bharat Thakur and Yoga Self Taught by Andre Van Lysebeth. After reading these books and gingerly trying out exercises over many months, I eventually found excercises that help me when I have back pain. But nowadays I also do exercises to strengthen my core so it will support my back better (and it improves running posture, so I go faster). Running and yoga (and paracetamol when needed) keep me on the road these days. How about you? What are your go-to strategies when the back goes haywire?

[hamit Graduate]

Thanks will look at the books. My strategy is to take it easy and keep moving, which normally sorts it in a couple of weeks but after this episode I will have to think again. Now having reached the 5k yet again I think I am just going to enjoy running again. Have an Excellent Day.