week two: the second half was more like work

I finished week one wondering what Monday morning’s 20-minute recovery run-walk would tell me.

It told me I was sore.

I walked the whole session. My back was sore, my feet were sore and my legs were sore. I hated every moment of it, but I was still happy I got it done 🤣

Six days later I finished an 11.3-kilometre walk, which means every planned session for week two happened.

recovering from week one

Tuesday was a complete rest day, and my body definitely needed it. By Wednesday morning my legs were not as sore and the first 25-minute run-walk felt much better than I had imagined it would.

I was moving more freely and even managed a few short jogs along the way.

Friday was another 25 minutes. It felt OK, although my legs were feeling it towards the end. I was slower than Wednesday for what felt like a similar effort.

That has been part of the pattern so far. One session can feel better and the next one can be slower. The important bit is getting up, getting out and doing something rather than doing nothing.

You can follow the full training plan on Runners Gateway, including my session notes and activity links.

the second half was more like work

Sunday’s long session was scheduled for 11 kilometres. I finished with a shade over that at about 11.3.

Like last week, it was very slow and steady. The first half was incredibly pleasant. The second half was more like work.

My lower back complained a little and my feet were sore, but there was nothing out of the ordinary or beyond what I expected. I keep having to remind myself that these early weeks are mostly mechanical. I am building the physical foundation that will let me stay upright and moving forwards for several hours at a time.

That means strengthening the tendons, ligaments, muscles and bones. I understand the logic of the progression. Understanding it does not make the second half of an 11-kilometre walk feel any less like work.

twenty-three weeks of building blocks

The weekday sessions are only 20 or 25 minutes at the moment. Compared with 50 kilometres, they do not look like much. They are still the building blocks.

Right now, my body is not ready to cover 50 kilometres within the event time. If I forced the distance somehow, I would be physically wrecked afterwards. With another 23 weeks to prepare properly, I think 50 kilometres should be doable, even if I walk it.

Two weeks are now done. The training feels as though it is going about how I expected and imagined it would. And it actually feels really good to be working towards that goal again.