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!

Had crap "run" this morning tried going straight from school drop off which meant 2k uphill and it flipping killed me just couldn't get in the zone. Still managed 5k but it took me nearly 40mins lots walking! My DH has horrid cold so I'm wondering if I'm coming down with that too as feel sluggish.

empresses the technique tweaks I tried were pump the arms holding them at right angle with slight fist but not clenched as shoulder should be relaxed. Hold head up looking 3-5m ahead so airway is open getting max oxygen in. When I'm tired I drop my head looking 1m ahead which then slumps the upper body and then less air getting in. Then I focused on lifting up my feet abit when they behind you on the pick up. It feels natural when I'm in the zone running on the flat but alas today wasn't one of those days. I only tweaked one thing in each run until it felt ok. Maybe try running a few seconds faster on a 0.5k split? Then slow again? I'm certainly no expert just trying out things to see what works for me.

Thanks Biking. Hope you don't get the cold.

How are you feeling, Biking? Hope the lurgy didn't get you.

Well, I started my hill/sprint training. I did 1km to warm up (there's a really cold wind tonight) then 10x100m uphill sprints, with 1km back. So 4km in total.

Not been on for a while as have spent the last week or so feeling a bit rubbish and so have cut back on workouts a bit. Thinking about doing some hill stuff tomorrow (my running routes avoid steep hills so I think going up and down a hill multiple times 20 minutes is probably good for me). I'm not really sure what to do though. Shall I do a short run up a hill, go down and then start and repeat for say ten minutes then finish off with normal run (having never done much on hills before) or should I pick a longer hill and go up and down that say two or four times then do a normal run? I'm not sure the best thing to do. Or maybe just a run involving a big hill?

In good news I now have a flipbelt which is fab and some new trainers which are making me very springy of foot.

Fingers crossed kanye the lurge is at bay I managed a quickie 5k tonight after a long days travelling with work went out with out expectations but felt good despite strong headwind for 2k. Hoping I can do 6k+ on Fri eve or Sat early morn.

Sorry I don't know anything about hills restie every time I try gradient my hips and ankle groan so I'm sticking to flat for now whilst I build my fitness, and lose some weight

5K this morning in 36 mins, with a 6:14 split at the start. Personal best so the speed training must be helping .

Biking, I see exactly what you mean about the analysis being addictive and the voice updates spurring you on! I'm looking at my splits and wondering whether I'd have a faster overall time if I stuck to a consistent speed, but then I also read an article about it being better to save the speed for the end. Anyway, plenty of time to experiment!

Reastie, I have no hill experience either but the 100m sprints seem to be working for me so far. New trainers are wonderful things! My other recent discovery is Hilly two-skin socks for preventing blisters.

Empress so you just try to sprint up the hill and then run down and repeat? I did a bit of a hilly run yesterday and the hills are just so so hard! I know of a very steep hill that's maybe 100m long near where I live so I think I might use that for training. Hoping for a quick run this morning before the physio but unsure as to whether to do hill sprints or a solid pace longer length.

I'm sprinting (or at least running as fast as I can!) 100m up the hill, walking down & repeating & seeing how many I can do in 10 minutes.

Once that gets easy, I'll make the distance longer. The path up the hill has lampposts every 50m which is useful for measuring.

Well done empress I'm normally pretty consistent in my pace allowing for 0.5k warm up but I try to sprint the last 0.5k to see if I have anything in the tank which gives me a nice buzz at the end.

Just did a good 6k was cold windy n bitter but after the usual sludgie bit at the 2-3k mark I got in the zone and for the first time felt I could of gone further but I'd run out of good road route. I even did the hill near our house to avoid doubling back past our front door was pleased with pace as I did a different urban route with a few stop/start road crossings but that was a lot less windy than the usual seafront route! We did not get any snow much to my daughters disappointment and mine.

Dd keeps asking me when the snow is coming too, Biking!

I didn't get out last night, so i dragged my ass out into the very cold wind. I shouldn't have.. My calf popped . I was just getting comfortable and at exactly 2km I felt it go. So I had a very cold hobble back.

Ouch kanye hope it gets better quickly with rest.
I got chilled by the wind tonight and had to have a bath when I returned and feel more "achy" not sure if that's why. My DH said he hurts more after a "cold" run.

Ran a nice Parkrun this morning in 31 mins in a hard frost and it was sooo cold. My thigh muscles were really feeling it.
Took me 3k to get to a decent temperature and then by 4k I was sweating.

I'm so excited, ive finally done my first 10k this morning :) took me an hour and boy do my knees feel it now but it's actually did it, hurray

Kanye how is the knee now?

reastie that's great achievement and a fast time! Hope the knees are ok tom.

I decided not to run today but had good swim instead ploughing up and down it felt good to stretch out my legs without pounding them. Hoping I can fit a run in after work tom if DH and I can work around each other

Dragged myself out pleased I did my first 6.5k in 44mins was happy about that. I'm finding my puff is fine but my poor hip gets sore so I'm gonna have to be really careful increasing distance as my joints are starting to feel it more.

Well done Biking . it's hard having to worry about your joints too. My pelvis and specifically right hip are problematic for me and it can be difficult balancing the need to exercise to keep it strong with the possible damage from impact.

And speaking of my ridiculous body... I spent the weekend pummelling my sore calf and walking as much as possible to ease it out and was feeling good this evening so went for a run. I decided to reverse the 6k circuit I was doing on Friday, and at exactly the same gate, and 4km round the loop, my calf popped again . It's not terribly sore but I don't want to risk proper damage so I'm going to have to do a couple of more rest days and then try a 3-4 km loop later in the week.

And BTW, Reastie, well done on the 1hour 10k! That's my aim for the end of the year!

Can I ask some advice those running longer distances do you still run 3x a week or do less runs but go further or a mix of short & long runs in the week. I'd like to keep running 3x a week but I don't think my joints can take 3x of longer than 5k distances. I so want to work towards a 10K though.

Congratulations Reastie!!!!!

Kanye

Biking, I'm working that one out atm. I did 7K this morning (52 mins without stopping, averaged 7.26 min per k, felt fantastic after) and I'm tempted to do go back to doing that 3x a week but I don't want a repeat of my knee problem. I think I'm going to go for one run on hard surface during the week, one in a park at the weekend, and in between I've got the gym workouts which include interval training on the treadmill. Could you make one of your sessions 10 minutes of either interval training (1 lamppost fast, 1 lamppost slow) or hill sprints?

Timing, I know what you mean about the sweating! I'm running in capri pants that go just below my knees at the moment, I get too hot in anything else!

Thank you for the congrats, I'm so proud of myself. In rubbish news I saw a specialist yesterday about an arm injury (which is why I started running because I can't do a lot of regular stuff I do because of injury and the same specialist I saw yesterday said I should start running instead and recommended couch to 5k) and proudly told him I had done my first 10k and I'd been running like he suggested and he essentially said he never recommended running and there's a big difference between 5 and 10k and implied I shouldn't have gone so far. I did the 5k thing and needed a new challenge and had no idea running wasn't good as he suggested running in the first place as the way to go through my injury. I started off doing it through necessity but now I actually enjoy it I feel like I shouldn't be doing it. I'm so confused about what I should be doing .

Kanye rest it! Sounds nasty and would be a pita if you didn't rest and it started happening all the time.

Biking do I count as a longer distance person? If so I tend to do usually two runs a week. Generally one is shorter and one longer. I just gradually built it up and didn't do the programmes where you walk/run. I'd like to do three runs a week and that's the aim once I get my workout schedule sorted once things have calmed down later this month (assuming I'm not told that running is now off the cards because of my injury too). But I don't just do running, as a general pattern I do 2x runs, a step aerobics class, a yoga type workout, 30 minutes of slow swimming (as my recovery. I'm not a great swimmer), a 30 minute core workout and a workout DVD which I switch depending on my mood every week.

Thanks for your replies I'm nervous about getting injured but I'm SO enjoying running. I do swim once week and tap dancing and used to cycle more but fell out of love with my bike last year. The swimming and cycling would be less impactful on my joints but I did want to increase my distance running as we are going skiing in mid March and it's helping build my stamina. I think I may just have to drop to 2xruns a week if I keep going past the 5k mark as my hip flexor is too weak.

If you're running further twice a week you'll still be increasing it though, Biking. 2x7k per week (and you're so close!) is more than 3x4k per week but sounds like it might be easier on you.

Good point empress I was aiming for 7k at the wend and if I did that twice a week with a swimming session in between that would work well and I think be better for my hip.

I'm being brave today as have unusual day off work and going to go out on the bike winter cycle legs have been dragged from my bottom draw and it's lovely bright sunny day not too much wind about 5c ere so perfect. We are lucky having beau off road flattish cycle path so I'm going to get my cycling confidence back on that today, and resist the urge to go for that 7k run

Sounds like a plan!