Back at the start of the year one of my resolutions was to get fit and a facebook friend had mentioned how good he had found the NHS Couch to 5k program to be. This sounded like a good idea, I mean, it was being pushed by the NHS so it would be sensible…wouldn’t it?
Bloody Hell…I don’t know if my couch has been particularly indolent (in fairness, it probably has) but this very nearly killed me. You should bear in mind that up to about 18 months ago I was out 3 days a week walking and running a 5k course (I had got up to running about 3k of the 5). I then got tendonitis in my achilles and had to stop for 3 or 4 months. I got started again but we went into lockdown last March and, for some reason, I stopped doing it again and frankly, did nothing for the rest of the year. The pounds piled on, hence the resolution.
I loaded up the app and, on the 4th January, set off on my Couch to 5k journey. On that first week you are tasked with walking briskly for 5 mins then you do 7 sets of runs lasting 1 minute each with 90 seconds break between each run. I’ll admit, I was confident. I set off and it dawned on me that the first run would be on 1 of only 2 vertical hill sections. I was still moderately confident, in fact I reflected thsi was pretty much what I was doing when I was last running ths course.
I managed three 1 minute runs before it became very clear that if I continued with the running part I’d be dead by the 3km mark. I walked the rest of the way, my back screaming in protest at the assualt it had just been put through and bllod pouring out of the large ex blister, now running sore, that was my ankle. I got home and had a hot bath, had my breakfast and settled down at the computer for work. There were some positives I reflected, my achilles had held up as had my knee and, well, that was it really.
I worked for an hour and a half and decided it was time for a cup of coffee. I tried to get up…my legs were not working, at all. The muscles above the knees (I looked them up the Quadriceps they are called) had completely seized up. I managed to get up, but my legs were all wobbily, good grief I thought, how unfit have I got!! It took about a week for these muscles to stop aching, although I will say, I have continued doing the 5k WALK ever other week day (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and will start that running part again soon.
So, if like me you are in your 50s and haven’t done any exercise for 9 months, get yourself into some sort of shape before starting the Couch to 5K, otherwise you may well suffer like I did! My plan is to do this walk for the rest of January and start the the running part again in February.
All this to introduce today’s phone photograph. Despite having been out first thing in the morning at least 3 times a week since the New Year today was the first morning I saw just the mearest hint of a sunrise. I didn’t have my camera with me so used my phone instead (honestly the quality is pretty poor despite what phone manufacturers will tell you) and that is todays picture 🙂
