C25K encouragement continued continued

[redcandlelight]

all welcome

total beginners
re-starters
recent graduates
fell runners

lets keep running

Agree with the others @RomanMum I’m betting your body is capable of doing it and it’s mind over matter now. Could you try and shake things up a bit? Try a different route? Listen to music instead of a podcast? You’ll get there

Agree it's mind over matter. Unless there's something physically holding you back. It could be as silly as your shoes are too tight and start to rub, or you start to feel too hot. Can you pinpoint the thing that's making you stop? Do your legs ache? Do your lungs hurt? Do you get a stitch. I find it helpful to try to tune into what it is that's making me want to stop. Then I can try to solve it.

I have found the first 5 minutes to be the hardest Romanmum. Like everyone says, once you push through that it does become easier somehow. I found the 5/5/5 run the hardest for that reason, I just seem to get in to my groove after 5 minutes.

Thanks everyone for the support

Just done W7R2 and feeling good. A friend recommended a Garmon vivoactive3 to me last night so I might have a look at one on eBay. Do they all track calories? I am not eating my deficit as it’s only my iPhone tracking it and I don’t trust it at all.

Well done everyone who went out today!

I am both very happy and very annoyed having clocked my fastest 5k yet... 30 minutes and 6 seconds!! Hahaha so close...but so far!!!

how very annoying cava and bloody well done

Thanks will see if I can do 7 seconds better tomorrow!
Such a nice day today for anyone heading out where I am, no clouds at all!

I've just been out supposedly to do my 5k race pace but ended up stopping at 4k.
We're away caravanning, forgot my headphones, bit annoying but hey ho. The route I planned for myself turned out to be really bloody hilly and then halfway along was a sign saying 'private drive no access' so turned around. Was planning to go.further on the road to make up for it but I think I'd pushed a bit too hard 😒
I dont feel too disappointed tho my pace has definitely improved, I averaged 5.27/km. I'll try again in a few weeks.
Anyway happy weekend all, lovely and sunny here 😎

Ok, @cavagirl - you got this. You're aiming for 29:30 tomorrow, not sub 30.

Here's how...
Tonight, pasta for tea. No booze! Anything you like with the pasta, but eat lots.
Tomorrow morning, get up 45 mins before your planned run. Nothing to eat, but have two cups of strong coffee. Go to the loo, then out.
Clothing wise, you want a vest and shorts, and take a couple of jelly babies with you. You'll feel more like you're doing a "race" as opposed to leggings and a T shirt. Do a v slow 5 min jog to warm up.

Then the run itself..
Don't go off too fast! You want your first mile to be no faster than 9:30.
Second mile you'll have bedded in a bit, so feel free to speed up a bit. Ditto for the first half of the 3rd mile.

Your last half mile (or last km if you like) is where it counts. Eat your jelly babies now and kick up a gear. Forget breathing, you can breathe at the end Give it everything, all the way to the line!

Then report back. But 29:30 is doable with just those few tweaks, I promise!!

@emilyjeff I hate running without my earphones! Partly because it's boring not having anything to listen to, but mainly because I can't bear listening to my heavy breathing!

Today is the start of Week 8 for me. If only I could find a way to make the first 5 minutes better ...

But it's a lovely day here which always makes it more pleasant.

@fellrunner85 haha DP just suggested pasta for dinner!!
Thank you so much for your tips. I only have my phone so I'll have to judge pacing but I have an idea of how I am doing from where I am on my playlist
Yesterday I did
Km 1 5.41
Km 2 6.06
Km 3 6.15
Km 4 6.10
Km 5 5.55
First mile was 9.28
I'm aware I tend to drop pace in the middle so I think I just need to work a bit harder in that section.
I'll keep you posted!!

Wow everyone is doing so well, keep it up!
We started wk3 today and unbelievably I was able to do it! Ds not so much - he did the 1st 90sec and the 1st 3min but stopped intermittently on the other 2. I think he needs to listen to the app next time, there's so much more encouragement that I think he'll benefit from. Dd is begging me to go out on our skates later, between both my kids I'll be super fit!

I had a good run today.

not very fast, but I made a coupleof loops in the woods and didn't die of running up The.Hill. twice.

6.6km in 42 min (6.22/km pace)
now cooling down in the sun with a big

very good italian well done also for taking your teen with you.
have fun skating with dd!

@BIWI exactly that. I was like oh wow my breathing sounds awful!! I mean I'm sure it's the same as normal it's just I can't usually hear it.
Think I'll have to try some of your tips next time @fell although I'll be eating a light breakfast, no way I could run on an empty stomach. I'll also plan to use a flat route that I know well, and some music!

I always run fasted - but as a long-term low carber I know that I have plenty of fat stores to use as fuel. Far too many fat stores at the moment after lockdown.

Did R1W8 today, and amazingly the first 5 minutes were much easier. I was definitely feeling it the last 3 minutes, but I do think that's partly psychological as well. Anyway, feeling much better about it than I was before the run!

I sometimes run fasted (today for example).
usually do 16:8 and I definitely have enough fat energy stored.

If you're only running short distances, anyone should have enough energy stored tbh.

Yeah I have low blood pressure and can start to feel ill if I don't eat breakfast on a normal day, let alone running. Don't fancy feeling faint while out running alone!

W8 R1 completed here today also. Found it fine, I was actually surprised when Laura told me I had just 5 minutes to go, was expecting her to say 10 minutes or 8 minutes. I reckon I could have ran for another 2 minutes for the 30 already, but I’m sticking to the programme and will do the 28 minute runs this week, it’s got me this far, so I’ll stay on the plan.

I often run on a coffee and a small banana and then have breakfast when I get back. I don't have low blood pressure though and I have plenty of "stored energy" to use up!

I did 5k today, 39 minutes so I'm getting there. There was a glorious moment at about 4.1k where I thought "this is brilliant, I could just keep running forever," but it wore off very very quickly. Trying to persuade DD to do Junior Parkrun tomorrow as it has restarted. I've registered her so we will see...

I like to run on an empty stomach before breakfast. A small strong coffee helps give me a caffeine kick to get me going.

I always wear headphones and listen to music. I can't remember why but I took earphones out for a minute while running recently and was horrified to hear how laboured my breathing was I had no idea I was panting so heavily.

Do any of the experienced runners have tips on landing on forefoot? I try to aim for midfoot rather than heel but I'd love to know how to land on forefoot. I've tried but I just can't do it. I see serious runners zooming along looking like they're just lightly landing on tiptoes. How do they do it?!

The key is speed, @WhereAreWeNow. It's almost impossible to run with good form when you're running slowly but, when you speed up, your foot turnover increases, you naturally land more lightly, and you also naturally land more on your midfoot before pushing off your heel again.

Consciously trying to land on your forefoot usually ends up in injury (stress fractures to the toes being the most common one) so, instead, just wait until you're more experienced as a runner and it'll start coming naturally. In the meantime, try and land more lightly overall - imagine an invisible thread pulling your head up - and think about aiming your heels to kick back towards your bum as you run.

As a test, video yourself - first running slowly, and then absolutely full pelt, hard sprint. In the latter, chances are you will naturally run lighter, quicker, and not on your heels!

Thanks @fellrunner85. Not sure I could face watching myself run on video!

Some great tips on here. Thank you. I’ve done week four but am scared for week five and running for eight minutes.