2010 Progress Entrant - Ewan Mackenzie

Contents:- -Intro- Report -1- -2- -3- -4- -5- -(Look back 1)- -6- -7- -8- -9- -(Look back 2)- -10- -11- -12- -13- -14- -15- -16- -17- -Final-

Report 5 extra (look back) - Week ending 12/02/10

A look back, the Story so far.....

One month on from my last progress report in the Courier and I have seen some fairly big changes. A month ago I was seriously overweight and lumbering around trying to follow the training programme and push myself a little harder at the same time. After a week or so in the gym I dawned the lycra and took to the pavements, continually trying to increase the distances I was running before taking the walking breaks. I found myself losing weight and definitely getting fitter but at this stage there was little or no enjoyment in the running as it was very difficult. I was also training on my own which is quite boring.

Towards the end of January I felt my first real breakthrough in my quest to become a runner took place. I was in Edinburgh for the weekend and my taskmaster / wife Sandra decided we should run together a couple of times, on both occasions I managed to run for about 3 miles with only 1 walking break. I must confess it was difficult but determination kept me plundering along and after these 2 runs I got a real buzz which helped me push on to the next level.

After my Edinburgh runs I was now really in the zone and couldn't get enough running, and by the end of January I managed to run 30 minutes in Dunnet forest without any walking breaks. I was now feeling fitter and managing to build my times although my pace was and still is very slow. My legs ached all of January and I spent large amounts of time in hot baths trying to soothe them.

The first two weeks in February have gone really well I am running 3 times a week and trying to do a longer run at the weekend along with the taskmaster who quite quietly keeps me moving along and pushes the distances a bit further each time, she asks me regularly during the run how am I feeling and do I want a stop and no matter how bad it is the determination bit in me kicks in with a snarled reply ''no I am fine!''.

Last week I managed to push my distance uninterrupted to 5 miles and this weekend on my long run I managed to go for 6 miles, there were periods in that run which was done on a slightly more undulating course than I am used to that and that was very very tough but I felt well chuffed with my efforts at the end.

I have found the last month not quite life changing but very near it, I am now starting to almost enjoy the running but hopefully if my fitness increases and I continue to lose weight then I should not find it so hard and I hope this will help the enjoyment level to increase. I have managed to stay injury free and I have been pleasantly surprised by the numbers of people who I have met in the last month who have followed my progress and given me encouragement. From here my goals are to continue to plunder the miles and now I have to find a way of increasing my pace and coping with hills when I run so watch this space.