Training update: Three weeks down

I've known for a long time that the way to get better at running is to simply run more miles. There are always other things to help improve aspects of running, like interval training for instance, but these alone won't get you anywhere without teaching your body to run.

In the weeks leading up to my first 10k, I was convinced that I was running a lot and easily covering the distance (even though I had only run that distance twice before). I was sure that the hours of running I'd put in would be more than enough to break the 50 minute barrier, though I did feel as though I had stopped improving as rapidly as when I first began running in earnest.

Looking back at my weekly totals on RunKeeper, I was shocked at how little I have run over the past five months. Prior to beginning my training, the most I had run in one week was 13.9 miles, all the others were less than 10 miles. Out of the full 19 weeks before May 13th I ran in 10, with 5 of those weeks having less than 4 miles covered.

Knowing all this, I can see why my improvement seems to have stalled. I wasn't just avoiding all exercise on those days, but general fitness activities like weight training, squash or circuit training just won't help me get any faster without running.

In the first two weeks of training, I was fairly relaxed about following my schedule and happily went to circuit training instead of doing some of my runs. Beginning my fourth week of eight, I have decided to be much more strict with myself. Except for those weeks where I am away (at work, for example), I will make sure I do the following:

• Run at least four miles every day, unless my schedule calls for intervals
• Run at least ten miles every weekend, working up to a ten mile long run, plus additional four or five miles on the other day.

Eventually, I'll get around to going swimming to cross train but until then, I'm enjoying bouldering on Saturdays. I would love to be able to run for two hours every Saturday or Sunday and feel as good as I did after an hour today and keep my weekly total above a minimum of 30 miles. Hopefully I'll get to that level by the end of the year; the only thing stopping me at the moment is a fear of injuring myself before the race.