Crossing the bridge from 5 to 10K

[EmpressOfTheSevenOceans]

For C25K graduates who are taking the next step!

W10R1 this morning, 3x15min runs with minute walks in between. I wasn't at all sure I was going to finish but I did, checked MapMyRun & saw I'd done 6.3K.

Hadn't realised I could run that far!

I like swimming but find it hard to fit in with our jobs and dc. I ran 5k last night and it was ok so hopefully I can work round it- going to use the cross trainer a lot more too.
I don't actually weigh myself but have definitely changed shape. My legs are skinnier but more muscly at the same time. I have to eat quite a bit more when running otherwise I quickly get far too thin and look ill - good excuse to eat lots! I'm going to start a lot more toning exercises to form up the less defined parts too- that'll take a while!

Just finished Parkrun, first run since the 10K and now I wait to find out my time! Felt fine though.

I've dropped a couple of dress sizes but I'm not really toned yet. I've signed up for fitness sessions on Monday mornings at my gym and I'm still planning to start swimming lessons in July, but I think it's all going to take the kind of push starting the 5k took. Remember when running for 20 minutes felt unimaginable?

I know what you mean empress but the sense of satisfaction is fab when you start achieving something (like the 20min run) - I've not been able to do front crawl for 40+ years and to suddenly be able to do (& only in very quiet pool at the mo) a WHOLE lenght of frontcrawl is but it's taken me 4years of keep cracking on at the kicking with a float, forcing myself to put my face in the water, finding and feeling comfortable in a pair of goggles struggling with body image in a swim costume, now I'm really enjoying the freedom from thinking about daily life that swimming gives me. And I'm also luckly that I can fit it in around my DD when she's swim training which really helps good luck on your next challenge

YES Ski. I knew you'd get it. And you're inspiring me for the swimming. I love these threads so much.

...sneaks into "running thread".. have just been swimming and done 4L of front crawl consecutively in amongst my 40L set...as you were back to running. plan to do a long run tom

I'm back after my hols, and did 5k in just over 30 mins yesterday...my PB!

Need to start building distance.

Just did what I thought was a scrapy sick dizzy 10k but when I got home and looked at my split times in Strava I had flipping smashed it my fastest yet and really good consistent faster split times on the last 4K I had added on a 0.5k walk at the start and 0.5k walk at the end so the split times were bit off in my headphones but my sluggish body really needed the warm up/cool down this morn.

Well done pink great 5k

Managed 6km this morning but MUCH slower than my 5km. I think it was because I ran in the morning?

For those that run early, do you eat/drink anything beforehand?

If I run 7-9am I don't eat before but I do hydrate and I have carton of apple juice after 5k if I going out for a 10k so I get a sugar & water kick. Alt if I eat I leave min 2hrs clear or feel bit yucky/get heart burn.
I also had to slow down to go further and now I've added the speed back in abit as my creaky body adjusted to the increase in distance. Some runs are gd some are hard, just listen to your body.

I usually run in the morning and have breakfast (porridge & a banana) about an hour before running.

When I can run, that is. I've inflamed the tendons in my left foot so I've got to rest it until it feels better.

Still. It's annoying now but it would have been an utter catastrophe just before my 10K. And I'm off to petsit for a friend for a week by the sea, which is going to be the perfect time to give it a good rest. It just means cancelling my plans to join in the local seafront Parkrun.

That sucks Empress, hope the r&r does you some good.

I have to leave a clear 2hrs before a run too. Actually, I tend to run best about 9am before breakfast, but after a decent 7 hours of sleep. It's like the stars aligning to get it to work out though

I haven't been able to summon the energy or enthusiasm for a run since a very hard going 5k on Monday. I'm blaming work and the weather, but in reality I'm bloody lazy . I have signed myself and dd (7) up for a fun 5k in about 3 weeks. It's an inflatables course so she's really excited!

Thanks Kanye.

I think it's ok to blame the weather, London's boiling. Inflatables course sounds great!

Hope you mend quickly empress and enjoy your trip to the seaside.

I went out 6.30am this morning for a lovely seafront run was unplanned I just woke up early and DH didn't have to leave till 7.20am so I could squeeze it in before work. Did a speedy 5k and felt great all day, it's was perfect timing as was only 10c when I went out but 25c by time I came home from work. Gosh London must be stiffling I have to go next week, not looking forward to it.
Hope you enjoy the inflatables kanyes my DD has asked if we could do something so I'm going to look at a 5k, the nearest park run is half hr drive away though.

Thanks Ski. It does feel like pretty good timing!

Whereabouts in London are you going? I'm going to be back there from Wednesday.

Sorry to hear about your foot Empress Injury is a pita!

That sounds like a great run ski and inflatables sound ace Kanye

Pink I often don't eat before or have two boiled eggs an hour before say, Parkrun but it's not easy timing it right. I agree with Kanye on that one.

I've been away on hols but back last night and determined to get back on it! Holidays are great thinking time, I always find. It was great but a few too many ciders and ice creams are sitting round my belly again!

Ok, I've been at 5k for weeks. It's driving me mad.

I've done ONE 6k, but that was about a month ago, and I've not felt able to go there again since.

I've tried looking at 5-10k programmes, but tbh they look so complicated I just give up before I even start. I got to 5k by myself, just running for as long as I could and then extending it a bit. But honestly, the last half a k of the 5 is a killer. I just don't feel able to go any further.

Now, all this wouldn't matter too much if I hadn't opened a letter the other day to discover a sponsor form for a 10k I'd forgotten I'd entered I may have had wine.

It's in August. Do I stand a cat in hell's chance of making it to 10k by then? Is this psychological or physical, or what? Do people exist who physically can't run any further than 5k?

Help!

Yes, you can definitely do it! Do you run with your phone? I find the zen labs 5-10k app good. Being told when to walk helps me so I don't have to think about it. Reintroducing walk breaks seems counter intuitive, but I does work as it gives you recovery time to get further. I think I'm going to have to go back to the program to get my distance up too.

Thanks Shortaris.

Mum, Kanye's right. And if it helps, I walked bits on my sponsored 10K. Lots of people did.

Start getting sponsors, it's a huge motivator!

It's funny, I have a psychological block around walking. I feel like I've failed if I stop and walk. Maybe I need to try and get past that?

I have sponsors. I even have a Just Giving page to try and force myself to go a bit further. But up to now, no dice. 5k nearly fecking killed me last night.

Thanks for responses, btw. Forgetting my manners

Does it help if I tell you that it's a recognised training method called Jeffing? (Yes, really!)

I'll read that, Empress, thank you.

I really do need to get over myself with this one, I think. What concerns me is, it doesn't take much for me to discourage me and make me give up. This is the most successful I've ever been with exercise, and I really, really don't want the inner gremlin to wake up and fuck me over again.

There's a lot of psychology to this sport shit, isn't there?!?

God yes! I normally spend the first k thinking about how I can't do this, then get distracted by music or scenery or something and notice a couple of k later that I am doing it.

I found that doing other exercise on non-running days helped strengthen my legs.

It's funny how the first k kills, isn't it? My brain does everything it can to make me stop.

I was thinking last night, I hate the first and last Ks, but the three in the middle are great.