Yesterday I had my third run this week and feel pretty darn good. I really am improving my fitness. Although a modest 12.4 miles so far this week, my running – and fitness – is defo improving.
And here’s a screenshot of my run on Strava:
Yesterday the run was over old running ground, kind of sentimental but also very rational. You see I have run from home many times before up to Kensworth, Whipsnade, across the Downs and back into Dunstable quite well. It is certainly a hilly route and something which I relished.
And yet yesterday’s run was just a little bit of that old run, avoiding the steepest hills and lopping off a few miles. Next time I think I’ll park my car closer to home so I have to run further and this will involve Hollicks Hill, perhaps Bedfordshire’s steepest.
I used to enjoy running uphills
That might sound rather torturous and I suppose it was. I would deliberately run up a really steep hill once I was nicely warmed up, say after I’d been running for 20 minutes. Then I would run up a hill and could feel my heart and lungs at maximum capacity, I’d push myself to the absolute limit as my lungs were on the verge of exploding.
This used to help me be really fit, it would help my cardiovascular system to work well and as for the rush of Runner’s High endorphins afterwards, well that was mind-blowing. I did hold the course record for running up Bison Hill for a few years, although few runners attempted this. Nevertheless I felt pretty chuffed at that achievement.
I know my fitness is improving (against the background of my creaky kidneys) and those days of immense fatigue seem to be a thing of the past. Hopefully this will continue. Whether I will exceed my previous fitness levels of a few years ago remains to be seen. On one level you could say I’m a few years older and I’ve had some health issues. On the other hand, let’s see where this goes. Perhaps if there was ever a time to follow a structured training programme, this is it?
Perhaps it’s worth me keeping in mind some of the broader attributes of fitness, aside from being bonkers about running. Balance, strength and being supple are important features of fitness as we age. So too is being sociable, contributing to society and keeping our minds healthy. I have been reading this article on the Silverfit website this article on the Silverfit website. It is a fairly long but user-friendly academic article which points to the way ahead. It is well worth reading through if you can.
Maybe, just maybe, I will completely bounce back to where I was. Wish me luck!
Yes, the Silverfit article is very good, in my opinion and aligns with my own conclusions.
Clearly your running ticks the boxes for Cardio and lower body strengthening (increasing bone density through a weight bearing activity), but do you undertake any upper body strength work? I’d recommend the key composite lifts of bench press, deadlifts and overhead lifts, either with weights or resistance bands. I also do squats for lower body as I don’t run, being the fat boy that I am…