Thank you to everyone who responded to my post a few weeks ago wondering whether to sign up to the end to end run. I really wasn't sure but mainly thanks to all the encouraging noises I did sign up. It is very like LEJOG but along the Wales Coast Path, 870 miles and my challenge started on the 24th August so today I am just beginning week three and I thought I would tell you how it's going.
I need to do about 16 miles a week to have any chance of going the distance in a year and today I am on 34.4. The first week went a bit awry and I only got two short runs in and no walks spending most of the week on grandma duties. So last week I did a bit extra to get back on track and I am now pretty much where I should be. I have decided to try to do it by running three times a week, two around 5k and one longer one. The longer one was 9k this week, not all running, but most of it! Then I am walking on my non running days and taking one day off completely. This has nearly doubled my running time as I had got very stuck on only getting out twice a week and has seriously upped my walking too.
I was a bit concerned before I started that I was asking too much of myself to get out there and do all these miles but I am really enjoying it right now (ask me again on a foul day in November!) I know I like walking and I am enjoying the fact that I need to walk as well as run so I need to get up and out while the weather is fine. I like the fact that every walk and every run counts. I know that some people are recording steps but I decided that part of what I wanted from signing up was a challenge to really increase my activity levels and I'd claim runs and walks for my mileage. The other thing I am really appreciating is that it is making me go for longer runs, and has made me relax about doing a bit of walking when I am doing them. Right from the beginning of C25K I had been really obsessive about running all my runs. I think I thought that if I let myself walk I might never run again! Now that I'm counting running and walking towards the big target I have allowed myself to walk a bit in a longer run and it is a real liberation. It might not be much: five minutes up a hill in a run of an hour or more, but somehow it seems to stop the longer runs feeling like a slog and weirdly I am actually getting faster times than I was when it was all running. What is going on there?
And I love the structure of claiming my miles and watching myself inching along the south coast of Wales. I am just past Newport now on the way to Cardiff. I am looking forward to getting further West to the part of Wales I know better and to the wonderful Pembrokeshire coast and further north and all the way home.
So it's good! Thanks for giving me the kick I needed. I am having a ball!
Written by
Gwenllian1
Graduate10
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Sounds like you have been really inspired by this challenge. I’m a great walker, have been for years. Since I retired being able to go out both walking and running through the worst weather winter can throw at you perversely makes winter seem not so bad. Wrap up well with multiple layers, hat and gloves and enjoy a wonderful journey all year round. Happy running 🤗
Yes you are absolutely right. I've always loved walking and my trusty boots and waterproofs will take me out through the winter. The combination of walking and running is really suiting me, probably even more than just running alone!
Oh well done! I can really relate. And the walking interludes is maybe a running hack that we can all consider when a route becomes a slog. Thanks for that!
I might just do the Wales one next year, if they still do it then!
We were all getting a bit fed up when damienair got us going with non-parkruns, then the (not) parkruns came along and gave us a boost. Then Kat332zz told us about LeJog and we all piled in
Glad you’re enjoying it. I’m nearly finished the LEJOG #3. It’s really made me get out way more than I would’ve. I wanted to finish before the bad weather starts, which means I’ve been doing more walking than running, but did a bit of a run today in the middle of my walk! I’ve also lost nearly 8kg in weight, I’m guessing some of that will go back on as I start walking less than 5 hours a day. PS Look up Jeffing, it’s something to do with walking mixed in with running.
That getting out more is exactly what I wanted. Impressive weight loss too! I’d be delighted to lose half a stone but I think I’d probably need to do that through diet. We will see! And thanks for the tip about jeffing. I’ve sort of heard of it without doing any real research. I’ll have a look!
Wonderful thing to do, it's great to have an incentive to get outside when the weather gets colder and wetter. Keep us posted, it's a lovely distraction for those of us on the IC! (I'm a South Wales girl, so you're getting close to my old stomping ground now)
We have a daughter and her family in South Wales and we are north. I’m really looking forward to getting to the bits I know. The gower is the nearest bit I think. Sorry to hear you are still on the IC. Hope you will be back running soon.
What a wonderful challenge you are doing. I'm currently in Devon on LEJOG 4. I did consider the WCP but LEJOG started earlier. I was very tempted to do both challenges together as I would be able to log the miles on both, but I thought that I would be cheating. Hopefully they continue to do both challenges as I will definitely be signing up for the WCP. Pembrokeshire is a fantastic place and there are some great beaches.
I am logging my walks and runs as well. I suppose I should be logging all of my walks as I do a bit of walking at work, but as I work in a hospital I don't want to do that. I am making sure that I am going out for walks daily. Monday is more of a rest day as I have a lot going on on Monday's, but I try to go for a lunchtime walk if I can. I have a personal weekly goal that I aim to achieve and at present I am ahead of schedule.
Like you I started off with the idea of just using runs and walks because, like you, I have granny duties. The children are 11,6 and 2 and school has started for the older ones so my days are quite mixed. However I caved early and I’m logging all the distances I achieve in steps. It does make it less of a challenge as when I look back I’ve acheived the distance (I’m on Lejog4) in the past 2 years. I do admire that your runs have been 100% runs - I’ve lapsed on that recently so need to take a leaf out of your book. Enjoy your trip.
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week3run1 ✅. 3 x 17 mins with 1 min walks. 
How did your parkrun or (not)parkrun go?
