Yet again we have so much to jam in our Cto5K post and yet again I can’t believe how close we are to the FitBloggin’5k!
First let’s start with this weeks training schedule…
Week 6 – 4/24/2011
- Workout 1
- Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: 1.) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) 2.) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) 3.) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) 4.) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) 5.) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
- Workout 2
- Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: 1.) Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes) 2.) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) 3.) Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
- Workout 3
- Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 25 minutes) with no walking.
Now let’s check in with Mara, she is doing GREAT!
Well, I have got to admit – Week 5 kind of blew my mind. I RAN FOR 20 MINUTES. Without stopping! Without dying! I went as slowly as I needed to, and I was able to sustain it, much to my surprise. I also ran this week in a torrential down pour, so I’m finishing this week feeling pretty tough overall.
(Note: Mara is the writer behind the body-image blog, Medicinal Marzipan, and she is sharing her training with us weekly.)
Finally, we have a great question from Rachel on last week’s post…
I’ve just started the C25K program, and my shins are KILLING me. Any advice? Does it go away as I advance?
Holly’s response…
Shin soreness is very common with runners especially when beginning a new program. There are few things that you can do to prevent and treat shin issues:
- Prepare your calves before each run by performing 3 sets of 10 calf raises from a step or ledge. Then following these sets, spend 2-3 minutes stretching each calf individually.
- Consider the surface that you are running on. Some bodies respond better to different surfaces. If you are running on the street, try the treadmill. If you are running on a track, try the street!
- Be patient and allow your body 2-3 weeks to adjust. Usually muscle soreness will subside as your body gets accustomed to your regular runs.
- Ice! The best method of icing is to put real ice into a Ziploc bag and place directly on the area of soreness. For shins, ice for 8 minutes 1-2 times every day until the soreness is gone. Works miracles! And helped me finish my fastest 1/2 marathon last year!
- Maybe most importantly, you may need new running shoes! If your shoes are older than 5 months- regardless of how frequently you’ve used them- it’s time for new ones. This is usually the most common reason for lower leg issues. Make sure you are running in a running-specific shoe!
Congratulations on your success and please keep me posted!
Holly P
Keep trucking guys! Before you know you we’ll be running together in Baltimore!