A bad runner's journey into bad running, part 3 - pushing for the 10K

[I originally started this post several years ago, but never got around to finishing it at the time. I think this instalment is more than overdue, and I hope to finish a few more over the coming weeks.]

A big change in my running came around October 2015, when my doctor did a routine blood test, and diagnosed fatty liver (like I didn't know that already from the shape of my waistline?). He told me I needed to lose weight. He didn't say how much or over how long, but I needed to lose some, then come back to him for another blood test.

That was the kick I needed. With a lot of support from my wife, I fired up MyFitnessPal, changed my diet, and managed to drop from 90 kg to under 78 kg over the following 6 months. Over the same period I set myself a goal of completing a 10K race, the Bridge to Brisbane. Running a 10K road race was a lot different from the running I had done so far (which was still 99% on the beach), and I was still not up to 5K without stopping, but I felt up to the challenge.

Getting to 10K was still a mental battle for me. When I think back on it now it seems quite strange, but at the time I wanted to stop all the time. I had to distract myself from the effort of running by playing mental tricks, including:

  • observing the environment and doing things like counting how many parrot or raptor species I saw
  • rehearsing entire albums in my head, including reciting all the lyrics and humming all the guitar solos to myself
  • visualising myself doing other fun things, like singing my favourite love song to my wife, or finally standing up properly on a surfboard

In the 12 months leading up to the Bridge to Brisbane, I managed 5K without stopping, did a couple of practice 10K runs, and covered a total of 423 km in training. However, I also managed to pick up my first significant injury, some upper shin pain which was at its worst going down hills. The B2B is a relatively hilly course, and I ended up running up the hills and walking down them. I was still reasonably happy with my result, and raised $400 for my chosen charity, Destiny Rescue.

Once I knew I could do 10K, I started making bigger plans. But first, I needed to overcome the niggling shin injury from my newly-formed habit of running in shoes on hard surfaces. My brother gave me the advice I needed in this particular case, and I've followed it ever since: don't try to slow down on downhill segments - fighting gravity is a waste of energy and it's really hard on your legs. Instead, let gravity naturally speed you up, and only slow down to stay in control. Obviously, I need to take into account my skill level, my shoes, and the terrain, but generally I've found this to be great advice.

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