All Downhill From Here

This week my Learn to Run class ran one minute at a time, interspersed with 4 minute walk breaks. This program has a very, very gradual build, which I think is best for helping the body to solidly recover from each run’s challenge. We repeated our sets 8 times, for a total of 40 minutes. Thursday I led the class in a short stretching routine after the run.

Monday night I didn’t do any speed work after class. I was still recovering from the previous day’s snowshoeing. I did do an extra 5 minute run with someone from the 10k group who needed one more set and needed company. That was nice; just what I needed, too. Thursday I ran 5 of the same 3 minute hills I’d done the previous Thursday. Three minutes up, 2 minutes down, for 25 total hilly minutes.

We had a couple more new students show up Thursday, which is great at this early stage in the course. One of the “new students” is an old friend of mine, a running role model for me, who’s had a couple of set-backs in her running career and is hoping to re-start again. I hope this gentle program is just what she needs.

Re-starting is something runners do a lot. Sometimes I refer to myself and some other running buddies I know as “chronic beginners”. There are months when every time I lace up my shoes it feels like I’m starting over. I am comforted, though, by the fact that the more often I begin, the easier it is to continue.

I need to remember that with my bike training; to start it more often. So far I managed twice on the bike last week and didn’t get back on it this week. Tomorrow, I will get on the bike first thing in the morning, yessirree.

Today, however, I’m heading out to race the Weaselhead 8k XC. Yippee!