Many of us spent a lot of the first lockdown out walking and exercising with family. The weather was good, the evenings were long and motivation was high. A huge number of you contributed to our very successful Strava Challenge.
This time we have a new challenge for you.
January is a time for a fresh start and some new resolutions.
How about turning those walks into a run? We are setting a Couch to 5k Challenge for all in our school community. We will hold a virtual 5k event during the February midterm.
Attached you will see plans from The Irish Heart Foundation and Runners World. There are many other plans available online. Find a plan that suits you. Most plans only require 3 short sessions a week. Pick one that will allow you to complete a 5k walk/jog/run by the February midterm.
The aim of this challenge is to give us all something to work towards during this lockdown. Put those activity trackers you got for Christmas to work or download some recording apps like Strava, Map My Run etc. on your new phone. There are also many Couch to 5k apps that you might find useful.
If you are new to running, this is an event for you. You can walk it if you wish.
If you already run, use these few weeks to try and beat your personal record for 5k.
The most important thing is to make a start. You are only competing against yourself. The evenings are still dark, so make sure you are well lit up when you are out.
We will post more items in the coming weeks. Keep the February midterm as your target to complete the event.
Stay safe and best of luck.
Check out these websites for some more advice
https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/5km/a760067/six-week-beginner-5k-schedule/
https://irishheart.ie/?get_file=18194_Couch-to-5K-Jogging-Plan.pdf
https://www.aig.ie/our-blog/running-for-beginners
