Apologies I haven’t been around here much, I started a new job last week and life has been a bit crazy. I also had my 50th birthday, and I went camping in Cornwall with my family which was amazing. I had coastal runs with both of my sisters, which was the best birthday treat ever. However I have been thinking of you all and hoping that you have managed all of the runs OK, wherever you are in the plan.
So as your runs are getting longer, you may want to think about getting yourself a mantra. I’ve had a few over the years that I use as the feeling takes me! These include:
*Push that body, punish that body :This was from the early days, when every run felt hard.
*I’m strong, I’m powerful, I’m a panther. :This helped on long runs when I got really tired.
*Just keep running, just keep running ( stolen from Nemo) :This one always helps, and I sing along as I run.
*I own my run, it’s for me: This developed on the back of recognising the need to own my space, what I looked like, and how I run, ie, it’s my run, and what other people think, it doesn’t matter.
So have a think. It helps to have something that rhymes, or you can say quietly or loudly, and that you won’t forget.
Here is the post with all of you that are signed up- for accountabili:
Happy 50th and what a fab way to spend it! 🥳 I have just done the 7k run this morning. Surprising myself that the increase in distance has so far been fine, nothing much to report. However the short run/intervals I do find hard but at least I know they are short! I also joined a local running club (to help within motivation through the darker winter months) and I am using that *group run as my weekly 5k. It’s definitely helping to mix things up a bit. *socially distanced run. All in all it’s going very well 🙂
Happy belated Birthday. I am still following the timed magic plan (just finished week three) but I am Jeffing 1 min on 1 min off. I am still recovering from my ankle injury. Jeffing has helped enormously and I have found that my 5k time is only 4minutes slower. Hoping to switch to continuous running again soon. X
It’s going very well, I actually managed to run a very slow 10k with my daughter last week without any recurrence of my ankle pain. Thanks for asking x
Happy Birthday ju-ju- and congratulations too on the new job,
I did 6K yesterday as an extended (not)parkrun and will do my 7K run later today. I'm feeling stronger and feel my fitness coming back little by little.
The saying : *I’m strong, I’m powerful, I’m a panther best suits me. However instead of being a Panther, I'm a panter. A lot of out of breath panting.
Wowzers! You have had a lot going on! Happy Belated Birthday!
Week 1 was a real high for me. It started with a wonderful 5.5k run along the Crouch estuary and a 5k PB by 2:53 😁
. My short run was intervals, which I really enjoyed. And on my Saturday 5k I managed to shave another 37 seconds off my 5k PB.😁
Week 2 brought me right back down to earth. I've not been sleeping that well, and suffering from a general feeling of Meh! after 6 long months of working from home and seeing nothing but the same four walls all the time. After a slow 3k "recovery" run, a truly horrendous 5k, and a 6k that was really hard work I'm hoping for better things in week 3.
It started on Friday with a 7k run. As I am on holiday now for a week, I decided it would be better to do my long run on home turf. But but this meant doing my 7k directly after that awful 6k run when I finished really fatigued. Maybe not the greatest idea?
As it happens it was a nice run. My original plan was to run to a predetermined pace aiming to complete the 7k in 65 minutes, but instead I tried to run to heart rate for the first time. It was a real challenge to stay within Zone 3 and I was often within Zone 4. I must have been largely on the threshold since the stats showed a 50:50 split, and I completed 7.04k in 1:05:58, so pretty much bang on!
I'm hoping to fit in a nice 3.5k and 5k on unfamiliar ground here in North Wales and I'll still be on track
Enjoy your hols Birdlady Hope you're catching up on your sleep 😁. I'm a run or two behind you start week 3 tomorrow, doing distance plan and I too will be on hols on my week 4 so looking forward to lovely scenery in derbyshire . Have a go at the mantra idea suggested by ju-ju ☺️. Good luck 😀
Thank you! Oh will be nice to run somewhere different, good luck on your route and runs Birdlady🤞☺️ Luckily for me where we will be staying there is the tissington trail and high peak trail ( disused railway lines, now cycle paths) so I shouldn't get lost 😕🤞
Well done... it is so hard making the transition to working from home. I think some take to it better than others, My husband has been working from home since lockdown, and he has found that he loves it. In fairness, he isnt a social person, so being tucked away suits him fine!!!! How is it going?
Sounds like you had a lovely birthday ju-ju. Congrats for your 50th! Thanks for starting this magic plan group - it helps spur us on 😁. My first 2 weeks went well. Doing the distance plan this time. My week 3 starts tomorrow am aiming for the long run first, it worked for me when doing the time version so 7k for me tomorrow hopefully 😌. If all runs go well this week my week 4 will be on my holiday in the peak district - can't wait for that!
Happy running everyone with your mantras 👍 They work 😀
Yes lovely thanks, it's our favorite place for hols and all runs went to plan 😀 Back to home runs now - 9k run tomorrow I hope 😬
I'm following everyone's posts. I've done week 1 and 2 ok. Did the short run on WK 3 and got a PB. I did a 10 km walk yesterday on Hadrian's wall and ached so much ! Today should be a run day but it's wet so will wait til tmr. The 7 km will be a challenge. Probably not run that far ever even though I was a sporty child!
That walk inspired me so I'm starting St. Oswalds walk today and I will walk from Holy island to Hadrians Wall, but in stages ( it goes past my house). I've never done it all before. Just have to wait for the tide to go out!
Haha I love the one nicked from Nemo, I'll use that one! I also thank my legs as I go along thanking them for working so hard!. I finished run 3 this morning, meant to be 44 mins but I was following one the Nike guided runs so did the 45 mins. I'm trying hard to not focus on how long I have left when I'm running and try and focus on enjoying the run. This morning I did the prepare for cold weather runs with Coach Bennett which was really interesting and before I knew it, he was counting down 5 to finish! Ive always struggled with getting my pace right at the beginning of a run but I'm learning to take it easy and gently ease into it. I'd still like to be faster, I did 45mins and 6.58km so pretty slow, but I'll get there hopefully.😁🏃♀️
Doing well thank you Ju-Ju- 🙏🏻 Managed a sub 60 minute 10K yesterday (W6R4) thanks to your super Magic 10K Plan! Very happy for my first 10K! I will use the rest of the plan to shave time off my time 🤞🏻
Week 3 of your time plan. Going well, loving it. Thankyou so much for all the time you are putting into it so that we can all enjoy increased fitness too.
Happy 50th !! Just celebrated my own a few weeks back and graduating from C25K was my birthday present to self ! As for me - I did my first 60 min run last Sunday (7.5k) (yey !!) and followed it up on Thursday with a PB 5k. Today i was planning to jump to week 4 of the distance plan but last night I met a friend in what was my first socialising event with another in-the-flesh human being in over 6 months (other than my husband) - long story short, alcohol was consumed and I’m in no condition to run today !!!!
Happy Birthday ju-ju- , your celebrations sound fabulous, and congratulations on the new job too!
Funnily enough there have also been some changes on the job front for me too, and I've also got a round number birthday coming up in a fortnight.
I've just two more runs to do, 4k and 10k, to complete the 10k Magic Plan... except that I broke the rules and did 10k rather than 8k in Week 5. And then, as posted elsewhere, I went off-plan again a week ago, when 9k turned into 12.1k.
So, as far as I'm concerned, the Magic Plan really is magic!
Seriously, what's worked for me is its simplicity. Gradual, structured increases, plus the advice and support from you and the forum.
I never imagined I could run 10k, because I thought that was for only serious runners (tbh, probably young guys) who belonged to a running club and could commit to a complicated, technical training plan. Discovering that it didn't have to be that way was a revelation.
Thanks for adding me to the list - I now feel official. Two weeks and two runs done ✅. Ankles/Achilles always feel very tight after the long run, but am doing yoga on the rest day after so that helps. 🧘♀️ Just the long one to go this week on Tuesday...7km 💪
I, like many others, am amazed at even being on this plan, having expected to drop out of C25K after about 3 weeks! I am really enjoying most of it!
I have completed the first two weeks plus the short run of week 3, with the long week 3 run scheduled for tomorrow morning. (On the time plan - even with 39 minutes last Monday, I haven't yet run 5k!) I think I must be a very feeble runner, and not pushing myself hard enough, as I am extremely slow, in spite of almost all my running being on very flat paths - not a hill in sight. I get warm, but only hot in hot weather, and never out of breath - so I need someone to tell me how to push myself harder.
Unlike almost everybody else, I don't use an apps or music - I run just as I walk, just me and the birds. I did C25K with just the spreadsheet to tell me what to do, and Runkeeper to make sure I did it, and I am doing the same now, just programming the run minutes into Runkeeper.
The bit I enjoy least is intervals. I decided I should do the Runkeeper Introduction to Intervals, which takes 15 minutes, on my short walk days, and I find it a real struggle to run any faster - even when I think I am trying really hard, I find afterwards that it wasn't much faster than my usual snail's pace.
On my 30 minute run on Wednesday, I went looking for all the uphill slopes I could find, and made myself puff a bit (which I don't usually achieve, even though that was the reason for starting to run) so I will continue with that once a week.
In spite of going on about my worries, this is making me stronger and fitter, and I do know I will get to the end and run for an hour!
I didn’t ‘officially’ sign up to the magic plan but I’ve been following it quietly in the background while trying to get used to being back at work, I’ve just completed WK3 (44mins) but now have a sore ankle so I haven’t run today. My ankle has been a bit sore after the last couple of runs but I put it down to being back on my feet all day. I ran nice and slowly but my ankle did not like it one bit. It’s improved after a couple of days + RICE but still hurts when walking and coming down the stairs. I’m going to rest it this week and see how it goes. I really want to complete the Race for Life next weekend.
I think it’s getting there. Thanks for asking 😊. I managed to complete Race for Life but it was really sore afterwards - a bit of self diagnosed tendinitis I think. I haven’t run for 2 weeks now as work has been busy and my ankle has been sore at the end of the day. I think being on my feet all day, wearing proper shoes ( not slipping around in flip flops) and driving distances have all played a part. I’ve been for 2 gentle strolls this weekend and it feels good so I think longer, less gentle strolls are the plan for next week to see how it goes. Gently does it. Hope the new job is going well. There’s nothing like a new job to make you feel like you’re newly qualified again 😏 xx
Happy belated birthday! My neighbour (who is well into her 90s) has convinced me that 50 is the best age so have a grat time!
Running-wise, I did the 7k this morning, trying out a new route which not only turned out to be enjoyable (if a bit hilly) but has the added benefit of being extendable to 8 or 9k. Now I'm nursing a niggly Achilles tendon, so I think heel drops will be in order before my next run on Wednesday.
I completed week 3 with today's 5k run. I seem to be falling into a nice rhythm in the week, doing the short run in a weekday evening, fitting in the longer run during a weekday lunchtime and then doing the 5k at the weekend.
Friday's 7k was pretty hard work (my second run at that distance) but I was still not 100% recovered from my bug and having calf niggles. Today's 5k felt much better on both counts, which showed in a much faster time than I've run since graduating C25k. A minute or so slower than my graduation run PB but that was a bit of a one off extra push on a really flat course, whereas today was much more within my comfort zone despite a few hills, and I don't feel anything like as tired afterwards. So all this building up distance is definitely working to improve my 5k speed as promised!
Looking ahead to next week I do want to have another go at speed intervals on the shorter run now I'm feeling a bit more healthy, so I'm planning to give the Nike Run club guided intervals run a try. And my first 8k, crikey!
Hi ju-ju, happy birthday- what a wonderful way to celebrate & in a fantastic place! 🤗 Many congratulations on your new job too.
I have just finished W3 & am so chuffed to have managed my first 7k. 😄
I may increase by 0.5k a week, rather a whole k because my knees have been grumbling & that’s not normal for me. (I have stepped up knee strengthening too).
I like the mantra idea - I use your previous suggestion of
“I am strong, this is brilliant, I can do this for hours!” - usually when I feel anything but brilliant. 😂😂
Was disappointed to have to walk during 7k attempt😕gave myself a couple extra days rest and set out yesterday to repeat amd managed 8k💪super pleased with that👍👍definitely need a mantra for longer runs😊
Happy Birthday Dear ju-ju- and congrats for getting new job. Happy to know u had good family time and runs.
I'm on week2...due to studies I have to take at least 2 days break between one run and the next one. This is really helping me. I dont see scales moving but my inches are definitely going down and I look better and fitter. All thanks to you to take lot of effort in designing and sharing such a fantastic plan and being there to support running community.
Congratulations on your half century! Long May You Run ....(Neil Young).
I jumped the gun on the current programme by a couple of weeks and have been keeping to the principles of the programme if not the precise detail! I have reined in my tendency to try too much too soon - until today when I set off for a 9K. At the 8K point a strange force began to exert itself which drew me on (a bit like running down hill) and before I knew it I had passed the 10K point. Obviously I'm very disappointed with my lack of will power but delighted to have cracked the 10K - in just under the hour too. The Force was with me! Does anyone really run for 9K?
I shall now revert to the plan, take it steady and prove to myself I can do it again before claiming any badges,
I haven't needed any mantras yet, but I'll file them away for a rainy day.
Dear Ju Ju. I have sent reply to you on earlier group !! I am not techy. I ran 6 k today but slow 52 mins should I stay with distance or do time ?? Also where can I print out the run schedule
Happy birthday to you! I had mine back in April. I have to say I think you get extra spoilt in the current restrictions as people go out of there way to be so kind and generous 😊 I started week 3 of the distance plan yesterday and got the 7km ticked off. Just the easier runs left for the week 🤙🏻 Hope the new job is going well and thank you for organising such a fantastic plan.
Wonfderful, and yes an odd time to have a special birthday..... and well done. The job is good but very draining meeting so many new people ( albeit on screen) and having a large remit. But I like a challenge
Going good JuJu! My week 3 starts tomorrow with a short run. I'm on the time plan and week 2s 39 min run was really comfy, looking forward to 44mins! I had a break in Cornwall last week, at Tintagel, fabulous 😊
I'm doing the timed version Magic Plan and had already started a week ahead of this group.
I've completed Week 4 with 20 minutes flat fartlek Friday, 30 minutes circuit of park Sunday, 50 minutes on scenic route today. Also completed 6 weeks of Strength & Flex. Enjoying the gradual increases and so far still have something left in the tank each time.
Hi hope you had a good birthday. I had my 50th on the 12th sept. Which was fun!! Horseriding after 30yrs!! Never thought I would be fitter now then ever before!! I acheived the 9k on the plan yesterday, I could not believe it as I had never run before starting C25K at the end of march. One knee is abit bigger than the other so will rest an extra day.
Keep having ongoing treats for your birthday, I believe it's meant to last for at least a month,!!
Happy birthday ju-ju- glad you had a wonderful time. And congratulations on your new job.
I am so enjoying the magic plan although I had a week off with a niggly back. But back on track I completed my week 3 30minute run on Saturday and hoping to do my short run today or tomorrow.
Thanks for the advice on mantras. Keep on swimming/running/pedalling has been a family favourite since being caught in an absolute downpour on a family bike ride when the kids were really small! 🌧🚴
Hi ju-ju. Week 5 of Magic Plan timed version completed – 20 minutes flat fartlek Friday, 50 minutes scenic route Sunday, 30 minutes circuit of park today. Also completed 7 weeks of Strength & Flex. Happy running everyone 🏃♀️ 😊
Week 4 long run on Tuesday felt AMAZING afterwards...don't massively enjoy the running, do massively enjoy the rest of the day. Listened to George Michael on desert island discs to distract me...fabulous episode, although my stupid phone cut out for 1 second about every 6 seconds which kind of ruined it but I still couldn't stop listening. Looking forward to next week as it's the same again.
Week 6 on the Bridge and just ran for 60 minutes (8k) in the Cornish wind and rain. I can't believe it! So, so chuffed. I know it's not fast, but there are a lot of hills here! 10k definitely now in sight. Many thanks to everyone for all the fantastic encouragement posted here - it makes such a difference. We are all so strong.
Belated Happy Birthday Ju Ju. Just starting week 5 of the timed plan. I’m finding the longer runs a challenge even though I’m trying to go slowly. Delighted I’ve made the 50 mins. I’m determined to keep at it, having a plan to follow really helps and so does this forum. Thanks everyone.
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