Technique

It's coming up to 1 month since I earnestly began my attempt at getting into shape. I ran a decent 5K at 7:05 pace today. I woke up at 5:45 a.m and sat up in bed, marvelling at how soft the bed felt and how I could just take it easy this morning, wake up an hour later, commune with my tea and newspaper and head to work refreshed and relaxed. Then I stopped listening to that voice in my head, got out and ran.

I felt really good today. My endurance and oxygen intake is already improving. I felt quite strong as I finished the 5K. If I compare it to 3 weeks ago, I was finishing 5K bent over and exhausted. Today, I finished comfortably and without any pain. I've always maintained that my fitness level should be such that I should be able to up and run a 5K at a 6:00 pace or in 30 minutes. I'm still not there yet but I feel it and will be very soon.

That said,  I'm consciously not focusing on speed but on form and technique. For someone who prided himself on technique on the cricket field, I'm astounded I missed this part completely when I took to running. Three separate people I have read recently speak to the lack of technique among most runners. I went to cricket coaching, tae kwan do classes, took swimming lessons, paid a bomb for golf lessons, took Billiards lessons, enrolled in athletic and endurance training classes and yet not for a day have I met with an expert on running or attended a barefoot running workshop. I'm trying to remedy that now by self-learning and being conscious in practice. Just like golf, if you focus on every part of your technique and trust in that technique thereafter, the results are oh so sweet. So yes...technique and form.

I just finished Scott Jurek's book and I've also radically altered my diet. Much of it is similar to my South Beach days but I'm paying more attention to nutrition now and less so to weight loss. I'll write soon about food.