Yay I did it – 10k this morning!

[Flyingred]

I woke to rather blustery rain, which wasn't what the BBC Weather had promised at all. So I settled with a slice of toast and a mug of black coffee to read the papers, hoping the rain clouds would pass. Sure enough, they did so I donned my kit and set off.

Today I checked that my HRM monitor was registering before finishing my warm up. My goal was to Maff my run, slowing down when my HR rose above 135. I set off and immediately had a kit malfunction – when I put my phone inside my belt pocket, somehow it dialled up voicemail. An unintended stop to sort that out. I discarded the abortive start on my Garmin and started anew.

The sun came out and the conditions were near perfect, although the southerly breeze presented an unwelcome headwind on one leg of the run. I found that I breached my HR target within a few hundred metres and I struggled to find a comfortable pace that gave me my target HR. I think it was about the 9th kilometre before I finally got control without wildly overshooting. To maintain 135 bpm feels like a ridiculously low pace – when I was running at 145 bpm I wasn't breathless, so I settled on this as a more realistic target.

I've been reading a few running books lately and a recurring lesson is mental toughness so I decided around 7 k in that I would keep going for 10 k today. I told myself that by keeping my run aerobic all the way I would have the reserves and could smash it.

For some reason, my Garmin stopped vibrating on the kilometre mark so I changed the display from HR back to distance/time/pace so that I could see how far I had to go. At 9.45 km I decided 'to hell with your HR, just go for it' so I ran a sustainable yet briskish pace to finish in 1:05:52.

I'm planning to keep up running the distances in the B210K programme, to get the miles in my legs and to build aerobic capacity. But I'm also really tempted by barefoot running, which will require work on my technique and initially cutting back on the distances. But first I'm going to consolidate.

Cliche alert!: I can't believe that back in June I was on the couch, watching the world cup on TV (drinking lager) and something (a side-on view of my paunch in the mirror probably) inspired me to start C25K. I graduated C25K on 12 August and now, just a couple of months later I've done 10k, dropping 8 kg and 2 inches off my waist in the process. If I can do it, anyone can. Happy days!

Thanks to everyone for your inspiring posts. It's so much easier when you're doing it together!

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

Congratulations Flyingred, 10K accomplished and you made it look simple. no emojis on the pc but lots of whistling and clapping going on. Go and collect your shiny badge and keep a place on that podium for me. Whoop whoop!!

[Flyingred Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

Thank you, Dexy. I probably wouldn't know what the emojis meant anyway! There's a place guaranteed on the podium for you anyway when you're fit enough to go again. You're so close you'll up there soon!

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to Flyingred]

Do hope i’ll be back soon Flyingred . Now I’ve got some emojis here you are:

🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🤸‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🎓🎖🎉👏👏👏

[FormulaRun Graduate10]

Hey well done you - congrats on the 10K. I second the cliche - but it’s oh so true. Celebrate in style!! I have to admit that I run at whatever pace feels comfortable- my HR is all over the show according to the feedback when I get home. Depends on how many ups

And downs there were and how up the ups were. Well done gain for reaching 10K 👏👍🏎🏁

[Flyingred Graduate10 in reply to FormulaRun]

Thank you. I've read so many graduation posts and it's not surprising we all share that same sense of achievement plus amazement at how far we've come.

Thinking about HR, I've always judged 'aerobic' by whether I can speak in sentences or not. I suspect the MAF theory is a less accurate guide for over-40s.

[ArthurJG Graduate10 in reply to Flyingred]

Also, if your HRM is wrist worn, it's apparently less accurate under conditions of strenuous exercise, which is exactly what you want to use it for!

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10]

Well done on your 10k! Congratulations! Enjoy your time on the podium and all the very best for your onward running journey,🎓🍾🥂🏅👏🏻😊🎉🏃🏻🏃🏻🏃🏻

[Flyingred Graduate10 in reply to over61andstilltrying]

Thank you for your kind words! I'm loving it on the podium!

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10]

Mega congratulations Flyingred! 🎉🎉🎉 I absolutely love seeing posts from people I ‘grew up’ with on C25K as it inspires me even more to smash 10k. I’m doing my 7k on Monday, so not too long now! 🤞

Well done you. Bet you’re the proudest thing ever, as so you should be! 👏👏👏👏👏

[Flyingred Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Thank you, Cheeky. Well you inspired me with your running when you were on holiday in the summer. That persuaded me to take my kit when I went away and that continuity has kept me disciplined – getting my three runs each week is not negotiable! It's great to see you're back in full swing after your injury and it won't be long before you too smash 10k!

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Flyingred]

Aww thanks! Yes, PF and toe all better! And I’m already looking forward to running in Hungary next summer! I highly recommend running tourism. 👍🏃‍♀️

[Flyingred Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I certainly take my running gear with me when I go away. I'll be running in Stockholm in a few weeks time!

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to Flyingred]

Bet that will be beautiful. 🇸🇪 Hope we’ll get pics! 😀

[Tartancat Graduate10]

Well done Flyingred! Brilliant achievement reaching 10k in just 2 months. I think you are a natural born runner!

[Flyingred Graduate10 in reply to Tartancat]

Thank you for your lovely compliment, Tartancat. If you'd known me in my schooldays you certainly wouldn't have said that! A late (very late) developer maybe!

[Sandraj39 Graduate10]

Well done - it is always great to read these inspiring posts. You have come a long way in a short time and should be super proud!! 😀 Good luck with the next stage of this very special running journey!🙂

[Flyingred Graduate10 in reply to Sandraj39]

Thank you, Sandra. I feel very pleased with my achievement, but we know, don't we, that when we set our minds to something we can accomplish it. Only a fellow runner would appreciate the significance though!

[Sandraj39 Graduate10 in reply to Flyingred]

So very true!🙂

[Hidden]

Congrats flying red. Great time too. Especially after tech failure. Oh do try barefoot running but research it first. I did 9km barefoot on the beach and really enjoyed it. Suffered afterwards though 😉

[Flyingred Graduate10]

Thank you paulanoo. I'm definitely going to give barefoot running a go. I have done a fair bit of research already and I know I'll have to adjust my technique. Fortunately, I'm not a heel-striker and I'm planning on easing my way in gradually.

I think I'll try running intervals once per week first, I saw Ju-Ju's post of a link to 30-20-10 workouts (here: runnersworld.com/training/a... ) which caught my eye because the results were impressive.

[MutleyShuffle Graduate10 in reply to Flyingred]

I have been doing these 30/20/10 intervals and my 5k pace is creeping up - you can get an App for iPhone or Android so you don't need to keep looking at your watch!

[Flyingred Graduate10 in reply to MutleyShuffle]

Thank you for the tip! I should have known – there's an app for everything!

[MatildasPb Graduate10]

Looks like you and me both then.

Well done and many congrats. Cracking pace too!

[Flyingred Graduate10 in reply to MatildasPb]

Thank you. The pace and time were incidental really – I was aiming to keep my HR in a 10 bpm range so that the run was aerobic. There's a lovely line in a Lisa Jackson book about running fast, something like 'why if you enjoy something so much do people want to get it over with as quickly as they can?'. Sums up how I feel about chasing fast times!

[MatildasPb Graduate10 in reply to Flyingred]

Do you know what? She’s dead right.

Well done all the same.

😊

[Agelesslass Graduate10]

Well done to you Flyingred, brilliant progress and achievement

[Flyingred Graduate10 in reply to Agelesslass]

Thank you so much. I've always known that I can be focussed when I put my mind to a goal, but I'm still surprised by what I've accomplished just by following two sets of instructions (C25K and Ju-Ju's plan).

[MutleyShuffle Graduate10]

Well done Flyingred, that's an awesome time for your first 10k! There ain't no stopping you now! 😁👍🏃

[Flyingred Graduate10 in reply to MutleyShuffle]

Thank you, Mutley. Funny you say there's no stopping me because I so want to be out again running today. I know that it's good to rest but I'd love to find a plan where I can run every day. I can't put into words how much I just love being outside running. I'm definitely addicted!

[ArthurJG Graduate10 in reply to Flyingred]

The plan you are looking for is called wait till next spring. The recovery days are there because your body needs them to repair muscle and build more. They are not a feature of this or that plan but a requirement imposed by the way your body works. However, when you have been running for a year (some say six months but that's in very specific circumstances, a year is safer for most of us) then your body can handle running on consecutive days without greatly increased risk of injury. So yes it's frustrating (I'm a recent graduate too so I'm in the same position) but it won't be forever. Obviously you'll always need some rest days, but next year you won't need one after every run.

[Flyingred Graduate10 in reply to ArthurJG]

Thank you, Arthur. That's really helpful!

[Hidden]

Flyingred, What running books are/were you reading? I'm looking for something to read. Thanks

[Flyingred Graduate10]

Loads! My comments in that post were influenced by Lisa Jackson's 'Your Pace or Mine' and Chris McDougall's 'Born to Run' (which I can highly recommend as a source of inspiration). I've bought a few more on diet, barefoot running and increasing mobility/movement.