Playing Away from Home

C25K Week 8 Day 1, Weather - Bright (eventually) and Cool, 10.5 degrees C, Wind NNW 1mph Time 5.20am.

There's only one major flaw with C25K. In fact, that statement is unfair; it's really only a minor flaw and it's not really C25K's fault. It's just that, when you're a heavy person like me who's trying desperately to get fit and lose weight, you're never quite sure that you're doing enough on C25K to get you fit/ burn fat. You seem to spend alot of time on your rest days wondering whether it's acceptable not to be doing something physical. Of course the simple riposte to this assertion is that you can do something physical as long as it isn't running; you can swim, cycle, walk - pretty much anything you like - as long as you don't run.

That solution, for me, has always been the biggest part of the problem. You see, I didn't start C25K exclusively to lose weight and get fit; I started it to try and turn back the clock a little, to my teenage days when I was a pretty good runner. But, I guess most importantly, that I always loved to run, and I want to experience that love again. It's not quite nostalgia for a first romance, but it's close. My focus on running, then, has always discouraged me from doing any other activity on my rest days because I was scared of injuring myself or being too tired on my running days to make progress.

Until this weekend...

In my garage I have an almost new and very swanky Proform cross-trainer machine. I bought it several months before starting C25K and didn't have a chance to use it (he kids himself) because I was too heavy for the safety limit of 252lbs (yes, I know, next time I buy an expensive piece of fitness equipment I'll check that before I buy it!). It sounds like a lame excuse - and it is - but the one time I tried to use it, it almost collapsed under the weight of me. Anyway, I'm now well under the weight limit so, in a fit of apparent madness, I decided to go out and use it on Saturday. I noticed two surprising facts: firstly, I was able to really go for it without elevating my heart rate over 160, and secondly, I absolutely loved it. I felt as if I'd worked just as hard as on my running days, but with no impact, within target heart rate, and with an upper body work-out to boot. I loved it so much that I went out and did another 45 minutes yesterday.

And this is where the worry comes in. I managed to convince myself, before bedtime, that I had broken some kind of cardinal rule; I had cheated on my beloved running, and, cruel mistress that she is, she was really going to make me pay for my philandering today. I was somewhat bemused, then, when I awoke this morning (before the alarm) feeling fine and strong and raring to go. I did my usual warm-up and set off at my usual (too fast) pace. I was bounding along quite happily when I became aware of some very mischievous thoughts creeping into my mind. What if, I thought, I don't worry about my heart rate and just try and keep this pace up a little longer? Madness, surely, utter madness - but maintain the pace I did, and without too much effort. What if, I thought, instead of being scared of my nemesis hill, I decide to attack it and maintain my pace; I started to scare myself at this point - but I did attack it and I did keep up my pace.

I reached my time-check point and had a glance at Garmin who told me that I'd been running for 21 minutes. Wow! I thought, that's pretty fast for me, and then I remembered that I was running for 28 minutes today and not 25.

Some of you may recall a recent post in which I discussed the finer points of the psychology of running, or, at least, the psychology of my running. In that post I discussed the "just get on and do it and complain later" technique, which involves, well, just getting on and doing it. So I did, and I kept up my pace all the way to the end of the 28 minutes. I did 2.61 miles at about 10.44 minutes per mile, and my heart rate never got over 179 (on the hill, go figure). To say that I am pleased with this is something of an understatement. I felt strong all the way round and I just went for it.

So, dear readers, let this be a lesson to you. My performance has improved and I owe it all to cross training, recovery, losing weight and not worrying about what Garmin says in the slightest - or a combination of all four.

But I'm definitely having a rest-day tomorrow.

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