A new goal

So, running. Monday I did indeed get out of bed at 6am and hit the pavement. I had worked out a route of about 2km, and figured it'd be a nice wee start. My aim was to try and run the entire way, no walking, no stopping. I put on some bangin' choons, hardened up and out I went. And it was honestly, surprisingly easy. Compared to when I last tried running, it felt effortless. I missed the turnoff I was originally going to take, so kept going and figured that I must have done about 2.5km without stopping (including a final sprint up the steep hill to my house). I was out for just over 20 minutes, and figured that was a good start.

I was pretty damn chuffed to discover when I mapped it on MapMyFitness (great website, worth checking out) that I'd actually done 3.23km non-stop! OK, it may not sound like much to you, but being able to run two miles without stopping and with plenty left in the tank is a huge achievement for me and I had a smug little glow about me for the rest of the day.

I figured that I do quite well with goals, in particular goals that aren't totally ridiculous or too far in the future. I enjoy running, and it'd be great to have something I can work towards and aim for.

So, here's the goal

The Auckland Marathon is on the 30th October. That's 17 weeks away. I can't get ready for a full marathon or (realistically) a half marathon in 17 weeks, but I can get ready for a 10k in that time. The Auckland marathon also offers a Quarter Marathon option, 10.6km. So, I'm going to sign up. I 've had the quaint notion to run a marathon by the time I'm 30, a notion which I've not done a huge amount about until now, but then I've never been as fit or healthy as I am now. So, let's aim for the Quarter Marathon and go from there, yes?

I'm going to spend the first eight weeks training to run 5km in a good time (aiming for under 30 minutes). I'll be using the Running Time's 5k Beginner programme, but starting at week 5 as that seems to be where I am at currently. From there I'll be using their 10k Beginner 2 programme, depending on how things have gone before. As an obsessive note-taker and chart-maker, I've put together this as a way of logging my times, distances and progress. Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm doing weights in the gym, Saturday will be a full rest day (unless there's a bout on).

So yeah, that's the goal. Please do keep an eye on me, faithful reader(s) of this blog, and prod me if it looks like I'm flagging. I CAN do this, it'll be amazing when I cross that finish line, and I'm figuring the more people I tell the less chance I have to duck out of it.