Other exercise: Total approx 117km (-57 from September)
All walking
Days exceeding 5,000 steps*: 21 (-2 from September)
Days exceeding 10,000 steps*: 6 (-5 from August)
Average distance per day: 4.4km (-2.3 from August)
*I aim to do 5,000 steps a day, which is a thing I have tried to do for years so including here because why not
October was a tough one for various reasons including travel, sickness, and just the weather, but although it was my lowest month for distance, it completed the year! And look!
November has been rubbish so far because Stuff, but I’m going to keep noting down my daily steps, and my runs, and use the total at the end of the year to decide what next year’s goal will be, it’s looking like I should up it to at least 2100km. Need to think about what to post here for the next couple of months.
Other exercise: Total approx 174km (+34 from August)
All walking
Days exceeding 5,000 steps*: 23 (-2 from August)
Days exceeding 10,000 steps*: 11 (+2 from August)
Average distance per day: 6.7km (+0.7 from August)
*I aim to do 5,000 steps a day, which is a thing I have tried to do for years so including here because why not
September was much worse for running but much better for walking – we spent a week walking around Porto so I got the most days this year above 10k steps, and the furthest walked in a month, but the lest distance running. I was hoping to get a couple more runs in at the end but I hurt my toe and then had to go to Nottingham for work so it makes it more awkward.
Only 130km to go! I am determined to finish in October, more than 2 months ahead of goal, but the month hasn’t started so welll for various reasons. Ready to ramp it up now. Wish me luck!
*I aim to do 5,000 steps a day, which is a thing I have tried to do for years so including here because why not
August was much better than July! I did my equal top total number of runs (10), and ran my personal best 5km not once but TWICE, knocking 6 seconds off my average pace from my previous best which I ran in May, for a pace of 6mins 24secs per km. I also ran my personal best 1km and 2 miles. So I really can’t complain, even if I seem to have regressed since then to much slower. Fun fact, as of the end of August I have run 5km 50 times this year (67 runs in total). Of all of my 5kms, of my 15/20 of my best and 9/20 of my worst were also this year.
Total: 141km (8.1% of total) (-43 from June) (I forgot to record an extra walk so the image is slightly off!)
Total distance: 1233km (70.5% of total)
Remaining Distance: 517km
Runs: total 35km (-8 from June)
7 x 5km outdoor runs
Other exercise: Total approx 106km (-35 from June)
All walking
Days exceeding 5,000 steps*: 21 (-5 from June)
Days exceeding 10,000 steps*: 3 (-4 from June)
Average distance per day: 4.5km (-1.6 from June)
*I aim to do 5,000 steps a day, which is a thing I have tried to do for years so including here because why not
July was pretty rubbish in terms of exercise! Partly this was because I had food poisoning around when I went to Edinburgh and couldn’t run for over a week and whilst I was sick was not walking much. I’ve already had more days exceeding 10,000 steps in the 8 days we’ve had so far in August!
*I aim to do 5,000 steps a day, which is a thing I have tried to do for years so including here because why not
June 8th 2020 was my first run on Couch to 5K and so this month marked 3 years of running. In total I went for a run 105 times in year 3, so around twice a week. I’d like to get closer to 3 times a week this year. Also in June, I ran my best time for Fartlek 3, managing a pace of 00:06:27 for 3km. Fartlek 3, as a reminder, is 2 minutes running and 1 minute walking. I also might have done my best ever 400m but I think Strava was glitching.
The end of June also marks the halfway point of this challenge, so I am supposed to be 50% of the way through. I’m actually 62.4% of the way through so pretty pleased about that.
July is going to be an interesting one as I have one week in Edinburgh and one week in Nottingham. Hoping to get to the gym in both.
May total: 184km (10.5% of total) (-0.7% from April)
Total distance: 908km (51.9% of total)
Remaining Distance: 842km
Runs: total 30km (-12km from April)
5 x 5km outdoor runs
1 x Treadmill (5km)
Other exercise: Total approx 154km (= to April)
All walking
Days exceeding 5,000 steps*: 24 (+3 from April)
Days exceeding 10,000 steps*: 8 (-2 from April)
Average distance per day: 5.9km (-0.6km from April)
*I aim to do 5,000 steps a day, which is a thing I have tried to do for years so including here because why not
Over halfway! Not quite so good on the running front this month, what with travelling and various other hindrances. Got to walk a lot in beautiful Arizona though! One notable thing from this month is I equaled my personal best pace for 5km of 6 minutes 30 per km. Woo!
April total: 196km (11.2% of total) (+1.3% from March)
Total distance: 725km (41.4% of total)
Remaining Distance: 1,025km
Runs: total 42km (+1km from March)
6 x 5km outdoor runs
1 x Treadmill (5km)
1 x Fartlek 1 (3km)
1 x Fartlek 2 (4km)
Other exercise: Total approx 154km (+21km from March)
All walking
Days exceeding 5,000 steps*: 21 (-4 from March)
Days exceeding 10,000 steps*: 10 (+3 from March)
Average distance per day: 6.5km (+0.9km from March)
*I aim to do 5,000 steps a day, which is a thing I have tried to do for years so including here because why not
A third of the way through!! 8.1% ahead of time which is nearly a month which is lovely. More days than last month not hitting the 5,000 step mark but everything else improved (also did 2 days with more than 20,000 steps). This month I also ran my fiftieth 5km outdoor run, and my 3rd best Fartlek 1 and 2nd best Fartlek 2 times.
February total: 141km (8.1% of total) (-4.2% than January)
Total distance: 355km (20.3% of total)
Remaining Distance: 1,395km
Runs: total 38km (-8km on January)
5 x 5km outdoor runs
2 x Treadmill (1x5km, 1x8km)
Other exercise: Total approx 103km (-66km than January)
Walking 97.3km
Swimming 1.7km
Kayak 4km
Days exceeding 5,000 steps*: 19 (-8 than January)
Days exceeding 10,000 steps*: 3 (-8 than January)
Average distance per day: 5.0km (-1.9km than January)
*I aim to do 5,000 steps a day, which is a thing I have tried to do for years so including here because why not
Not as good as last month – even taking the shorter length of the month into account. Had a few days not feeling great but should have got more days hitting my step count. Still ahead but need to ramp up next month! A few more interesting exercises this month though, as both the swimming and the kayak was on Cheow Lan lake in the Khao Sok National Park in Thailand! All the Jan/Feb treadmills were in Thailand too but did not have as exciting views.
Like many others, I started running during lockdown when we were only really able to leave the house for exercise. I started Couch to 5k on 8th June 2020, but due to my health issues I decided to allow myself do each week 4 times to help myself not overdo it. I completed it in 26 weeks, 3 runs a week. I really recommend the app if you want to get fit, but spoilers, I was in no way doing 5km in the 30 mins advertised by the app, and still have not made that pace ever. I am very slow.
To my great surprise, I kept up the running after the app, aiming for 3 times a week but averaging somewhere over twice a week. I have worked up to a goal of two 5km runs a week plus a third ‘wild card’ fartlek. I alternate these between 1) run for 1 minute walk for 1 minute x 10; 2) run for 3 minutes walk for 2 minutes x 5; 3) run for 2 minutes walk for 1 minute x 6; and 4) run for 5 minutes, walk for 1 minute and continue by reducing the run (4, 3, 2, 1) maintaining the 1 minute walk. A friend recommended these to me, and although I resisted for *so long* I must admit they are quite fun and do seem to help with fitness.
This year I decided to challenge myself more by doing a Conqueror challenge. I kept seeing the Lord of the Rings ones on Facebook and was tempted but the price put me off. Then I saw they did a set-your-own-goal year challenge and I was sold (on New Year’s Eve, shortly before going out). I guessed a goal of 1,750km would push me to more than I normally do – this works out at just under 34km a week. I run approximately 14km a week so I need to add 20km of walks. During lockdown we also started walking a lot more, on days I don’t run I always try to go for a walk around the village, so this seemed vaguely do-able but still a challenge.
Anyway, all of this is to say I plan to record my progress on this blog each month.
January stats
January total: 215km (12.3% of total)
Total distance: 215km (12.3% of total)
Remaining Distance: 1,535km
Runs: total 46km
6 x 5km outdoor runs
1 x Fartlek 1 (3km)
1 x Fartlek 2 (4km)
2 x Treadmill (1x3km, 1x6km)
Other exercise: Total approx 169km
All walking
Days exceeding 5,000 steps*: 27
Days exceeding 10,000 steps*: 11
Average distance per day: 6.9km
*I aim to do 5,000 steps a day, which is a thing I have tried to do for years so including here because why not
I’m really enjoying doing this so far and finding it quite motivating, but it is only February! At the moment I have the app connected to Strava for runs/long walks, but also Apple Health (I delete the duplicate distances) so it captures what I call ‘ambient steps’ (short walks to shops, walks around the house etc through the day). I may remove this connection if I stay far ahead to make it more challenging, as I think Health is basically guessing.
The Inbetween is Mine 