A Minha Vida

Outcome of London 10k Run

I was taken back by the amount of sheer will and determination that all 30,000 (approx.) runners had shown today.  Each person with their own target / goal and purpose.  When the race started I could sense everyone's ambitions and excitement.  Some people just couldn't start running quick enough whilst others weren't really there to do any running.  I can't begin to count how many different charities people were running for.  There were also many Spectators; very motivating.

I managed to run / jog, with the exception of power walking for 1k, in just 1 hour and 20 minutes.  I suppose to those who run as a sport this is pretty crap however, to me this was the exact target I had set for myself prior to today's event.

I found the first 3k to be quite difficult, my initial thoughts were to just quit and go home.  I couldn't believe how unfit I felt, which was disappointing considering I had been training regularly for over 4 months.  However, despite all of this I carried on jogging and once I had passed this initial hurdle I suddenly felt a jolt of energy.  It felt like my lungs and body had synchronised and found a rhythm.  I felt really good both physically and mentally, which gave me enough of a boost to run solidly for 6k. 

The heat was excruciating making the ground very hot; my feet felt like they were on fire.  I was amazed at how many people started collapsing at around the 7k mark; this was worrying.  Besides thinking about people being resuscitated, my thoughts were mainly about eating ice cream, silly I know but other then that I had completely blanked out. 

When I reached the 9k mark I was shocked at how quickly I had got there, I felt great in terms of fitness and stamina.  I also didn't remember passing the 8k mark, again I was in my own world. 

400m mark and then finally, I could see the finish line.  When I crossed it was amazing and I had such an adrenaline rush. The only downside was that I had no one there to share my victory with but I didn't care because I felt on top of the world (hypothetically speaking).

I feel that this experience has opened up new possibilities / challenges for me and now I want to start training to do a half marathon.  Who knows maybe I will be able to do a full marathon but for now I will take it one step at a time.  The main thing today was that 1.) I managed to raise £700, with the help of all of my friends, family and colleagues, for the Terrence Higgins Trust and 2.) I have pushed my limits and succeeded.

P.S.  Check out the photographic evidence.

Evete Van de Saar

© 2006 www.evete.com

10k Running Programme - 14 weeks

Name: Evete Van de Saar

Age: 22

Height: 5’5”

Weight: 52kg

You must not over do it at all for several weeks. Why? You will experience overtraining syndrome; your immune system will suffer greatly.

Programme

In week 1(w/c 27th March 2006), next 7 days go and take a brisk hour’s walk around the park, no more than that.

In week 2 (w/c 3rd April 2006), take a gentle jog 20 minutes every 3 days, 2 times a week. On other days take a brisk hour’s long walk.

In week 3 (w/c 10th April 2006), increase jogging to 20 minutes 3 times a week; nothing fast very gentle. On other days take an easy walk.

In week 4 (w/c 17th April 2006), increase jogging to 30 minutes 3 times a week; nothing fast very gentle. On other days take a nice easy walk; nothing too heavy.

In week 5 (w/c 24th April 2006), increase your jogging time to 40 minutes 3 times a week.

In week 6 (w/c 1st May 2006), increase your jogging to 45 minutes 3 times a week.

In week 7 (w/c 8th May 2006), increase your jogging to an hour 2 times a week; gentle slow jog. Also do a day for 20 minutes interval training.

Definitions & Tips

Interval Training - 30 seconds slow jog, 30 seconds sprint; you will do 10 times in total. This is intense on the system and therefore you will feel this. Make sure this is your last workout of the week.

You must ensure that you eat as much as you can each day; every 3-4 hours even if you take one sort of food for the day; keep having small amounts - your blood sugars will need this. You are exerting the body. Always have a pear 1 hour before exercise, as it is excellent for maintaining blood sugar levels as well as a banana, as this will give you a combination of fast and slow release. After your exercise always make sure you have a Lucozade Sport Isotonic to replenish the electrolytes in your body.

You will also need more sleep, so off to bed as early as possible, and no alcohol this seriously affects the system when training - dehydrates you.

Drink a lot of fresh lemon in water each day – squeeze a whole lemon. The body needs to have more alkaline balance, so you take acidic, as it is converted into an alkaline base in the body. For sure, this creates a much better pH level in the body and combats candida as well as the feeling of fatigue.

Download running_chart.xls

Written by: Nick

British 10k London Run 2006

I'm participating in the British 10k London Run on the 2nd July 2006 for the Terrence Higgins Trust.  Please keep in mind that the last time I ran properly (more than 2k) was 6 years ago with my School's Track and Field PhysEd class.

Why I have chosen THT?

“We live in a society that is constantly advocating change and modernisation yet there is still so much ignorance.  I feel that HIV & AIDS is extremely misunderstood and feared – for the wrong reasons; mainly by people who lack understanding.  Those who have the disease not only live with their inevitable fate but are also sometimes subject to discrimination; this is unfair and wrong.  There are so many people dying each year not only in the UK but worldwide and its about time people took this seriously!  I believe that education & awareness will shed light on the facts, which will in turn help put in place more effective preventative measures.  Therefore, I fully support THT’s mission in raising awareness for HIV & AIDS.”

THT info: http://www.tht.org.uk/

more race info: http://www.thebritish10klondon.co.uk/