Back to week 1 again

The last time I tried a fartlek approach to running I failed totally. I used the week 1 podcast and tried to run faster for the 60 seconds and then jog slowly for the 90 - but unsurprisingly I just didn't have enough energy to keep going and very quickly wore myself out. There is a reason that I run really slowly and that is that is because it is the only way I have enough stamina to run for any length of time. Once I increase the effort I have to drastically reduce the time!

At last Wednesday's running club meeting we "did intervals" and ran a certain number of lamp-posts then walked back - and even the really fit and fast runners were walking back not jogging - and I realised that it really was ok to walk to recover and then try harder with the periods of running.

So early on Saturday morning I managed a slow 5k along the tracks and fields round my parents' house and then on Sunday I went back out with the week 1 podcast and "ran" the 60 seconds but then walked the 90 second intervals.

I had Endomondo running and with a slow jog after the intervals finished I covered 2 miles (not counting the 5 minutes walking at the beginning and end) and each mile took about 12 minutes 30 which shows I must have been really running for the 60 second intervals as my normal slow jog takes anywhere between 11.30-13 minutes per mile.

Unfortunately Endomondo told me all the information then promptly ate it so I don't have any of the details of how fast I was actually going which is a bit annoying. It just means I get to try it all again!!

Learning that it really is ok to walk in between intervals is quite an eye-opener. I had previously thought that doing week 1 and walking again basically cancelled out all the progression I had made to become a graduate and that I really was "going back to week 1" but I can see now that it is probably the best way to increase my speed. It's also a way I can have the fun of going for two runs at the weekend without exhausting myself - one slow 5k on Saturday and a faster 20 minutes on Sunday - win win!

Losing confidence and finding it again

Friday

I'm about 3 weeks post graduation of the C25K and I have to confess that I am struggling a bit.

I don't know if it is because I am missing the sense of achievement of following and completing the podcasts (I'm certainly not missing the music) or if it is because I managed the 30 minutes in week 9 and then rushed on to 40-45-50 minute runs too soon afterwards, pushing and pushing to run further and for longer.

The last few runs I've been on have ended up with me walking for part of it which is really frustrating as I feel like I have failed somehow and now I have let myself walk it seems increasingly tempting to walk again.

The other thing that is slightly knocking my confidence is going to running club. Everyone there is really lovely and the coaches are great but because I have tended to run with the regulars as my friend goes too I find myself getting a bit anxious that I won't be able to keep up or keep going as long - even though I have plenty of evidence that I can run for 30+ minutes and they're not going that fast anyway. Maybe it's just the case that I don't feel in control of the pace like I do when I'm on my own.



Update - Saturday

I pushed myself to go out for a run this evening when I wasn't really feeling inspired to go. Normally I'm really eager but I could have just left it. But anyway, I'd been to Sports Direct and bought a proper wicking running top so I felt I should give it a test run.

Mr Locket came with me and we went to my old route up and down the farm track because I KNEW I could run this. I'd run it lots of times before so I could do it again. And I was determined not to stop and walk (which has happened in the last 3 runs).

I decided to aim to do 30 minutes and then see if I could push it to 5k but I wasn't putting any pressure on myself to run further and further like I had been in previous runs.

It was a struggle all the way through really but particularly the first half. Mr Locket ran with me for some of it until I sent him off to run at his much faster pace (which meant I could slow down a bit!) and we met up every now and then through the run. He said afterwards that I seemed a lot more relaxed and seemed to be finding it much easier than normal which was encouraging.

Once I'd got past 30 minutes it was fairly easy to keep going to 5k and I did it in about 38 minutes which is about my usual. The farm track was quite rough so it slowed me down a bit compared to running on tarmac but I was pleased to get my first 2 miles in under 12 minutes each.

I wish I could go faster but it isn't going to happen any time soon! I'm just happy that I was able to do my 5k without stopping. Hopefully I'm back on track!

Skipping the rest day

Two days running in a row and boy do my legs ache today!

I never normally have any aches and pains apart from shin pain on the day of my run but after running 3 miles on Saturday and 4 on Sunday my thighs are so stiff and achey!

I clearly need to have that day of rest in between each run although I have to admit that having achey legs is quite a nice reminder of the fact that I've gone out there and run. It's still a novelty and I'm still delighted that I can do it!

4 miles - but I walked a bit again :-(

I broke the rules today and went out running for a second day in a row.

I had texted a friend to see if she wanted to go for a run tomorrow morning but she had a 4-5 mile run planned for this afternoon and asked if I wanted to go along.

It was the first time (other than last week at the running club) that I have actually tried to run "with" someone else.  Normally when I go out with my daughter or husband they just run ahead of me!

My friend and I ran at the same pace and chatted as we went - well to be honest, my friend talked and I struggled!  She suggested we went a bit slower but I still found the breathing difficult and talking hard.

After just over 2 miles I gave up and walked a bit to get my breath back - my legs were fine but my lungs were struggling and I just didn't think I could keep going.  It got a bit easier then towards the end of the run I walked a bit again.  When I checked Endomondo it said I had done 3.95 miles so I pushed myself to run again and speed up for the last bit.

I covered 4.2 miles in about 52 minutes so it was slower than yesterday's run but further and a totally new route with some wet and muddy patches.

I had a good warm down walk home but I was fairly exhausted when I got back and still feel tired now - but I have just been out for a 3 mile walk with some different friends so I've had plenty of exercise today!

My next run will be on Wednesday at the running club and I know it will be an hour of doing interval type running so I don't know when I will next get to go out on a "long" run but I hope I can get back into running without walking.

Odd run

I've just got back from an odd run.

It was odd in the sense that I achieved a personal best time of a mile in 10 minutes 57 seconds which is a minute faster than my previous best and between 1.5-2 minutes faster than my average. And it was uphill for the end of the first mile too. But I found I just couldn't keep going and had to stop several times to walk - which I never normally do.

After a while I paused Endomondo when I was walking and started it again when I tried running again. After 3 miles I stopped and walked the rest of the way home feeling frustrated with myself

I don't know if it was a psychological thing. Because I had walked briefly on the very steep bit, maybe it meant that I hadn't "run" the whole thing which may have made it easier to stop and walk again?

Or it may have just been a physical thing. I hadn't intended to run the first mile faster than normal but it was a different, more public route so I may have been trying to go faster subconsciously - and I may just have tired myself out too soon. And then there was the steep bit that really took it out of me.

I came back thinking I had failed and that it was a "bad" run but my husband argues that I should be celebrating my personal best instead.

I think I'm worried that if I start stopping and walking then I won't be able to make myself keep going and I'll keep "giving up" and then those 9+ weeks of training will be wasted

P.S. I've just checked Endomondo and I actually ran my fastest 3 miles so far - even though I walked some of it and didn't pause Endo every time I walked!

Being brave

Well I did it!

I actually went and joined a running club tonight!

I'd been thinking about it for a couple of weeks and tonight was registration night for the beginner's programme, but I started to get cold feet and wasn't going to go.

Then I saw a post on the C25K forum by someone who had just joined a group and it made me think that I should just do it.

So in a very convoluted fashion I got Dot to message a school friend on facebook to give her mum my phone number and ask her if she would ring me as I knew she'd joined the group last year. Amazingly she rang just half an hour later and it turned out that she was still going along to the same group and was happy to give me a lift.

She said that I wouldn't be running tonight as it would just be registration for newbies but I thought I would go in my running clothes just in case and then I decided to run the mile to her house (I was fairly exhausted when I got there so I was a bit concerned that I shouldn't be joining a running group after all but it was slightly uphill and I never feel great in the first 10-15 minutes of a run)

When I got to the sports centre there were a group of people who had been members of the beginner's group for a while and then there were the new ones like me. I filled in my form and paid my subs and was going to ring my husband to come and pick me up but my friend asked the coach if I could go out with the regulars (I didn't discover until later, but she'd told him I could run 6k! I don't think she'd told him just how slowly I run!!)

So we did some warm ups which were good and then set off for a run round the streets before doing "bank training" up a moderately gentle hill. We probably covered about 2.5 miles but I'm sure I was going quite a bit faster than normal and as I'd already run the mile to my friend's house I didn't feel too bad when I slowed to a walk a couple of times.

I actually really enjoyed it and felt like I kept up most of the time so I'll definitely be going back next week. They weren't scary people at all - there were about 9 and they were all really nice.

Next week it will be back to proper beginner's level but I may be able to stick with the regulars if I can keep up!

Failed at fartlek

I tried to do the fartlek approach for my run yesterday using the week 1 podcast for my intervals but I have to confess that I totally failed.

I'm a really slow runner - it's the only way I know to keep going for 30+ minutes - so trying to run just a little bit faster right from the start was just a disaster. I was instantly out of breath and struggling to "jog" the 90 seconds and even had to walk at times.

In the end I just gave up on trying to run faster and plodded on at my usual slow pace but I was still puffed out and listening to Laura saying things like "slow down to a walk" and "stop running now" (or however she says it) really affected my incentive to keep going! And when she said to stop running at the end I just stopped even though I had only run for 20 minutes and covered 1.67 miles.

I just didn't have the energy to keep going which is frustrating as I have been managing to run for 5k or more for the last 3 runs.

And it was such a beautiful sunny day (at last) and I really wanted to have a good run! It was also the first time that I had gone out on my own. Usually I have Dot or Mr Locket with me to keep me motivated.

Frustrating! Hopefully the weather will be good enough for me to go for another run today - this time I will go back to my usual slow and steady plod - I'm just not ready to try going faster yet.