Week 2: When Plans Meet Reality (Again)
Following up on Week 1’s beautiful chaos, Week 2 (June 16-22) was supposed to bring more structure. Spoiler alert: it didn’t, but it brought something better - adaptability and some genuine breakthroughs.
Week 2 Target: 18km total (4km + 5km + 9km)
Week 2 Reality: 26km total (3km + 6.5km + 6km + 10.5km)
Verdict: Exceeded target again, but with way better breathing technique
The Runs That Defined Week 2
Monday - The Lunch Sprint Decision Morning alarm failed me again (sleep schedule still in rebellion mode), but life presented an opportunity. Friends wanted to go for lunch 3km away, and in a moment of pure running madness, I decided to run there instead of taking transport.
Result: 17 minutes of the fastest, most unexpected run of the week. Sometimes the best runs aren’t planned - they’re just seized moments when your brain goes “why not?” and your legs agree.
Tuesday - The 6.55km Flow State Finally, a proper planned run that actually happened! 6.55km of pure joy. The breathing technique from that YouTube video was starting to click. This felt like what running is supposed to feel like - rhythmic, controlled, almost meditative.
Wednesday - The Morning That Never Came
Alarm: rings
Me: exists in another dimension
Sleep won this round completely.
Thursday Evening - Dancing in the Rain Couldn’t wake up in the morning (again), but the evening brought rain and an opportunity. 6km in the rain turned out to be one of those magical runs you remember forever. There’s something about running in the rain that makes you feel alive in a completely different way. The breathing was on point, the pace felt natural, and the rain made everything feel cinematic.
Friday & Saturday - Rain Wins More rain, but this time I couldn’t convince myself to embrace it. Sometimes you need to listen to your motivation levels and not force it. Rest days disguised as “I don’t want to run in the rain” days.
Sunday - The Quarter Marathon The big one: 10.5km - exactly a quarter of a marathon. This was my longest run yet and a proper test of everything I’d been developing.
The good: I completed it without stopping. The breathing technique held up for most of the distance.
The reality check: I was definitely slower than my shorter runs. Maintaining pace over longer distances is still a work in progress.
Week 2 Lessons & Developments
Breathing Breakthrough: The technique from that YouTube video is becoming second nature on runs up to 6-7km. Still developing consistency for longer distances.
Sleep vs Running: Still can’t crack the code of either sleeping early or actually waking up to alarms. This is becoming a pattern that needs addressing.
Adaptability Over Rigidity: Week 2 reinforced that flexibility beats perfect scheduling. That spontaneous lunch run was one of my best.
Rain Running: Discovered I actually love running in the rain - there’s something magical about it. But reality check: with only one pair of running shoes, I can’t afford to soak them daily. Need to pick my rain runs strategically.
Distance Reality: 10.5km taught me that aerobic capacity and pace maintenance are different beasts. I can cover the distance, but holding consistent pace is the next challenge.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
- Total distance: 26km (44% over target)
- Longest single run: 10.5km (first double-digit run!)
- Planned vs actual runs: Still chaotic, but somehow more total volume
- Sleep schedule: Consistently inconsistent
Looking Forward to Week 3
Week 3 targets are ambitious: 5km + 6km + 13km. That 13km long run is a significant jump and will be my biggest test yet.
What needs to change: Sleep discipline. Everything else - the breathing, the adaptability, even the love for rain running - is trending positive.
What’s working: The breathing technique, spontaneous decision-making, and building genuine enjoyment for the process.
Follow the chaos on Strava - where every run tells a story, even the messy ones.
Week 2 proved that consistency doesn’t always mean following the exact plan. Sometimes it means showing up in whatever way you can, whenever you can. The 10.5km was proof that the base is building, even if the structure looks nothing like what I originally planned.
Onward to Week 3 and that intimidating 13km long run. Let’s see if I can finally crack this sleep situation. 🏃♂️