Mercury's runner Jane faces challenge

“IT seems light years away, but I'm very keen…”

Mercury-backed runner Jane Jiggens is in training for her great personal challenge - the New Year's Day Wymondham Athletic Club 10k run.

Jane, 49, beat several other would-be runners in our special competition and is now fully kitted out, thanks to Norwich sports store Pilch, and is receiving top advice from Wymondham AC experts.

Jane, who lives in Long Stratton but works in Norwich, has visited Pilch to be assessed on her running style on a special gait analysis machine. Using information from that she has been given the correct running shoes and her kit to get out on the road!

And she has already attended a couple of Wymondham AC club nights and is following a special, personalised training schedule.

“I have already made friends with a couple of ladies at the club and running with other people helps,” she told the Mercury. “It is daunting but I am trying. I got up at 6.30 this morning and ran round the block.”

She described Wymondham AC as “brilliant” and added that she was determined to tackle the New Year's Day event - with a view to getting fit for climbing Kilimanjaro in Africa in 2010.

Jane's running programme:

Monday, November 17 - WAC Club session or 20 minute run; Tuesday, November 18 - Rest day; Wednesday, November 19 - Rest day; Thursday, November 20 - 10 minute brisk walk, 15 minute run, 10 minute brisk walk; Friday, November 21 - Gym cardio session or rest day; Saturday, November 22 - 10 minute brisk walk, 25 minute run, 10 minute brisk walk; Sunday, November 23 - Rest day.

This is Jane's personal programme but it could be adapted or used as a rough guide for runners in a similar situation. Always start with an easy walk to warm up and finish with a brisk walk and slow down towards the end of a training session.

Stretch after each run and don't run two days in a row - and don't be tempted to do more!