Source: soon2befit.tumblr.com via Taylor on Pinterest

On October 2nd, I ran my first 5K in over two years. As that race concluded Couch to 5K for me, I had to look for a new training plan to follow. I know training plans are not everyone’s cup of tea, but for me they are extremely useful. I know that I am making steady progress, I can see where I am going, and I know that I am not overdoing it. I have a goal to work for, and I am more likely to actually go out and run.

I decided to go with Jane Wake’s 10K running plan. It’s a six week program and I started it about a week after the 5K. As of today, I am nearly done with week five, which means I have only about a week before I finish this training plan.

Over the past month, I have been steadily running 3–4 times a week, increasing my mileage and improving my pace week by week. If you have been following my training on DailyMile, you know how well I have been doing and how happy I have been with my progress.

For a short while early in this program, I was considering switching to another one which would have more interval runs. I loved the interval runs of Couch to 5K, and for a couple of weeks, I was struggling with the idea of doing runs without any walking breaks. But, thankfully, I got used to them, looking forward to short 20 minute runs as opportunities to work on my pace, and 35+ minute runs to work on my endurance.

Since that first 5K just seven weeks ago, I have run four more 5Ks, with my longest run just over 6km. I have improved my pace and now usually manage a sub 8 minute pace (per km). On last night’s run, I even managed a pace of 7:17/km, getting me closer and closer to running a 5K in under 35 minutes.

I honestly cannot believe how much my running has improved. A 5K is still not a walk in the park for me, but a month ago I did not expect to be running a full 5K without walking breaks, let alone doing two 5Ks in a week. I was not sure I would be strong enough to make myself go out running in freezing temperatures. It’s been hard, but I have been doing it knowing that the hardest part is getting myself out there and that the temperatures won’t bother me as soon as I am running. I am planning on making the best of the weather while it is not snowing or icy yet.

In a little over a week, I will be done with this program. I have not decided yet whether I will actually attempt to run a 10K. I think most training plans are created for runners who do a 10K in an hour. For me, going from the last run of week five to a 10K might be a bit of a stretch, but I know that either way, it won’t be long before I run my first 10K, and that thought has me all sorts of excited.

It has been just 3 1/2 months since I started running again, and I cannot believe what I have accomplished since then. I have never stuck with running this long ever before. I never got past graduating Couch to 5K ever before. I never managed to run an entire 5K without a single walking break before. I don’t always love running. It is hard, sometimes every step is exhausting, but it is also a challenge. A constant challenge to beat myself, to push myself a little further, to prove to myself that I can do this.