Tortoise tries a Tempo Run 🐢(😨)

[Granspeed]

After getting to 10k, I made a great plan about consolidating with a good long run each week. 😊 And then Life and Weather expressed their views rather forcibly. Humph. 😕

So I tried to focus on all the good advice on here about trying new things and keeping fresh and all that ... like we all tell each other when folks feel grumbly. 🤣

Running Daughter has given me Apple Music as an early Christmas present - she is determined to make a Modern Woman of me somehow - so I searched for running playlists with a set tempo and found one just 5 bpm faster than my usual cadence. Right: a (little) challenge. And it was good! I did go to the new beat for 2k! And that, with a further k at my usual pace gave me 3k in the time I had available. And time to stretch & flex a bit after plus a shower and still able to fit into what Life currently wants/needs. A definite win. 😄🐢

So the Tortoise has returned to good cheer and is more philosophical about Life & The Universe - all good news for the folks who have to deal with me. It wasn’t a PB because I have a couple of previous single km where it must have been downhill with the wind behind me. But it felt almost sustainable, which is good news. And it gives me a new way to run during Winter. And apparently there are lots of Apple lists at different bpm. As long as there’s no snow.... 🐢😄👍

Happy Running, all you wonderful runny folk! 💕

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

Well Done Granspeed. its hard to keep momentum going at this time of yeAr, not just because of the weather but Also all The other distractions and pressures related to Christmas (its December so I’m allowed to say that word now. ).

I’ve downloaded a few tracks from Spotify which have a faster beat and it does seem to help.

[Granspeed Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

Ah. I can see you receding into the distance.... 😳😊👍

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to Granspeed]

You’ll catch me up when I play chariots of fire; my slow running music

[Granspeed Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

🤣🤣👍🐢

[Buddy34 Graduate10]

Great running Granspeed, I've done that a few times at parkrun , downloaded music with a faster beat .

It's great to try new things with our running , apart from adding new music all the time I love finding new routes.

Happy running 😊😊

[Beachcomber66 Graduate10]

Glad you managed to banish the grumps Granspeed. Good idea to use music. I run in Trappist silence; pays to keep my ears open for people on mountain bikes approaching from the rear (and for sneaky people who overtake me on the finishing line; they know who the are!!!) 😊

[Granspeed Graduate10 in reply to Beachcomber66]

Yes, I usually run with open ears these days, tho’ I do quite like podcasts for longer runs. But so many people use music that I thought I’d give it a try. Certainly this playlist with its bpm selections was useful for pacing. Don’t know how long I could take the steady beating in the ears, so I think it will be a thing for shorter runs. (And I’m hoping those grumps are really gone!)

[Grannyhugs Graduate10]

Sounds like you had a great trip. Nice to be trying new things. Great present.

[Granspeed Graduate10 in reply to Grannyhugs]

Yes, the RD is a champion present-chooser, especially for run related gifts! 😄

[AliHC Graduate10]

Winning at life! ❤️

[Granspeed Graduate10 in reply to AliHC]

😄👍 Good point!

[Couchpotato2]

That all sounds great 👍🏻 well done on a tempo run 🏃🏻‍♀️

[Granspeed Graduate10 in reply to Couchpotato2]

Slow tempo, but still.... less slow than usual! 😄🐢

[Couchpotato2 in reply to Granspeed]

Haha, reminded me when I was running with a friend and said this must be my tempo run (it felt fast and exhausting) and she said: no it’s too slow. So depressing haha

[Tiggercnk Graduate10]

Really interesting thanks for sharing. How do you know what bpm is what speed tho?

[Granspeed Graduate10 in reply to Tiggercnk]

Bpm is your cadence - how many steps per minute if you run in time to the music. My Garmin tells me what I usually do, but so will apps like RunKeeper. Speed depends on stride length & terrain as well, so that part varies. I just searched for a bpm a little higher than my usual. Making it up as I go along, really! 😄