A sunny 4K ☀️

[Jools2020]

Oh, I was still a bit tired this morning after my epic HM on Saturday. My bed was so cosy. The ‘give it a miss’ gremlin 😈 was saying ‘you don’t have to go this morning. Make a cuppa and bring it back to bed. Go tomorrow. Or even go on Thursday and just run twice this week’.

I checked the forecast and it was going to be a beautiful morning, so that decided me. I love winter running in the sunshine! I don’t mind if it’s chilly, I soon warm up on a run. I don running tights, long sleeved top and windproof jacket. Sun visor and sports glasses. I’m off on my warm up walk.

Today I fancied music so I start a playlist. Pink Floyd. ELO and Queen. I start running. As I start, I spook a heron who was sitting on the riverbank waiting patiently for his breakfast to swim by. He flies over to the other side of the river. A cormorant runs along the water to take off.

I finish my first km and decide I’m going to run for 4K. I know this will take me about 30 minutes and that’s what I feel like doing. I’ll try for negative splits. I like doing this for shorter distances, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do it this morning as my legs are tired and I might be flagging when I should be speeding up!

I cross a road and I’m back in the centre of the village. There is another runner not far ahead and he’s running quite slowly. I know him and we have exchanged pleasantries about running; he is an older runner, too. I think that I don’t want to have to overtake him, as it will mean running out into the road. But it turns out not to be a problem as I can’t catch up with him! What I took to be slow running was deceptive.

I’m doing the third kilometre now and yes, I’m tiring already, but the air quality is excellent, so I push harder. I’m out of the village now and headed towards the infamous Deadend Track. A glance at my watch shows I’m doing OK. I start the 4th km and realise this is definitely hard work, perhaps the whole thing was a bad idea! Now I’m on the track and fortunately most of the mud has gone. I’m pulling out the stops but there’s not much there and I know I’m slowing down. I force myself to try and speed up again for the last 200m. Why do my short runs have to feel like a race 😂. 4th kilometre done and I carry on home. That was hard work! 😀 I check my VO2 Max and my watch loves me again. My fitness age is 29 😂 yeah, right!

Splits:

7:47, 7:37, 7:02, 6:40

[JoePhoto Graduate10]

👍...29? On that basis your Dad's doing well!🤭😆

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to JoePhoto]

😂😂😂

[GailXrunning]

Well I’m glad you responded to the sunny invitation and defeated those voices. Nothing like a bright winter’s day!

These watches, though, with their reports of declining fitness age... I’m yet to experience that (both watch and life time travel).

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to GailXrunning]

Thanks, Gail. My watch doesn’t mention declining fitness age! Sometimes it has me in my thirties, but today I’m 29. (I’m actually 66). 😊

[GailXrunning in reply to Jools2020]

🤣That was some very bad word choice by me! Declining number = improving ‘age’. 😂

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to GailXrunning]

I get it now 😂

[Frizzbomb67 Graduate10]

Wow! Well done on your HM at the weekend. Sorry I missed that post. Well done for getting out there again. I’d have slept for a week after that! No wonder your legs were tired. I do love a wintery sunshiny kinda day tho 😊.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Frizzbomb67]

Thanks, Frizzbomb! I didn’t realise I’d feel tired for this long 😀

Can’t beat running in the winter sunshine! 👍

[Beatlesforever Graduate10]

Fab, those are pretty impressive splits, especially a couple of days after a HM! Well done you 👏👏👏 it has been such a wonderful morning for a run, I really enjoyed mine too 😊

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Beatlesforever]

Thanks, BF 😊

[MccHa Graduate10]

👍👍👍

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to MccHa]

Thank you MccHa 😀

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

It’s those hard runs that you are pleased about when over 😀vo2max you are 29? not listening to that music 😂 maybe you grew up with your parents listening to it Sounds good run though

Oh my garmin hates me I’m 60 and desperately trying to get it back down again

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Haha, yes, quite 😂. If you want to improve your fitness age on Garmin, do some interval work or go on a short, fast run!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

I will do that, i was down to 49 by the end of the summer 😀

[RunWillie Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

I haven’t done any speed work for months and I’m still 20 according to my Garmin. That vo2 max is baffling 😂

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to RunWillie]

I really would like to know how it is calculated!

[Charlies1 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Hi Jools, Well done on your run. Garmin use Firstbeat to calculate VO2 & you can find a paper by Firstbeat here: assets.firstbeat.com/firstb...

It is quite interesting. In theory, they can predict VO2 quite accurately by measuring speed & heart rate (~5% error if your maximum heart rate is correct) & they even try to predict your approximate race pace based on VO2! However, I suspect that the real world (garmin) results aren't that accurate. I'm certainly hoping that mine aren't that accurate!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Charlies1]

Well that looks like interesting bed time reading, thank you! My maximum heart rate is a bit of guesswork, using previous runs as a guide. The default was incorrect as it showed I was exceeding my MHR on every run.

[Birdlady64 Graduate10]

I'm impressed you manged that so soon after your HM at the weekend. Well done!It was a lovely day for a run today though. I went out at lunchtime - it is my Speed Challenge day after all - and the sunshine was lovely. Less said about my speed today the better though...

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

Thanks, Diane, I was pleased with the run and last kilometre workout! ☺️ My legs really didn’t want to work, though. I didn’t expect to still be affected by the HM but I clearly was.

I’ll await your run report for your speed challenge!

[Littleoyellow Graduate10]

6:40 on the last K, give me those "tired " legs any day 👍😁

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Littleoyellow]

Haha, thanks 😊. It was a real effort, though!

[Littleoyellow Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Keep on running Jools- you're one determined lady 🏃‍♀️👏👏👏

[Roxdog Graduate10]

That's quite a speedy run after your epic HM so recently! I'm full of admiration!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Roxdog]

Thanks, Roxdog 😊. It was such a lovely morning I couldn’t resist!

[Rush123]

Excuse me I signed up for health unlocked but would like to start the beginner 5 k where the coach times your first run snd tells you when to walk and when to run. How do I sign up for that?

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Rush123]

Hi Rush123, you need to download the One You Couch to 5K app from the App Store. That will give you everything you need to get going 😊

Don’t forget to post in the Couch to 5K forum about how you’re getting on. Good luck! 👍

[9weeks2Run Graduate10]

Well done Julia for not listening to the “Give it a miss Gremlin” especially after your amazing HM, very impressive 👏👏👏. What great negative splits, wow that final 1km is fantastic especially with tired legs, you did fantastic ⭐️⭐️⭐️ loving that fitness age!!!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to 9weeks2Run]

I’m loving that fitness age, too 😂

Thanks, Rebecca. Negative splits are sooooo satisfying 👍 After that run, I realised that I was still tired, so listened to my body and decided to miss today’s run. I’ll probably run on Saturday. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🥰

[9weeks2Run Graduate10]

lol 😆, they have got it spot on!!!

That is good Julia that you had a rest day and listened to your body. I have felt tired the last few days and have not run a HM!!

[Peter44 Graduate10]

Blimey, congratulations on your HM 👏👏👏, not surprised you were still a bit tired, funny really, as i felt a bit like that, after doing my first 10k, on wed, went out today, and did a 30 min, 3.86k, although actualy increased the pace, average 7.51/km, which is fast for me! 🤣Interesting that you didnt follow any of the plans, to get to your 10k/10 miles, and HM, i'm a bit undecided at the moment, just enjoying doing a bit extra, when it's feeling good! ☺

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

Thanks! And well done for your first 10K. I think that 10K is like a doorway to longer distances, if you want it to be! You start off doing a bit more, like you say, when it feels right. Suddenly you realise that 10 miles. is achievable! And so on. That’s how it happened for me. I’m not that fast over shorter runs, but my pace is improving with my stamina.

[Peter44 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Still impressed with your half marathon, 5 months after graduating c25k, giving me ideas! 🤔 one of my daughters ran in the london landmarks, half marathon, which would be something to aim for! 🤔

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

Definitely! I ran my first 10 miles on 3 October. So it took me just over 2 months from then, running 2 more 10 milers (and 10Ks in between) to get more comfortable with that distance. Didn’t care about pace, but naturally got a little faster. On Saturday, my intention was to run for 18K and see if I had the stamina to carry on - and found that I did, even speeding up to 7:09 to finish strong, surprised myself with that last km! It’s all doable. I usually do my long runs just once a week.

[Peter44 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

I did most of c25k, running mon/wed/fri, evenings, after work, so quite used to it being dark, once graduated, started swapping fri, for sat, daylight runs, which helped with the longer distances, but i'm of work now, till jan 4, so will make the most, of having more time, to run in the day. We're in tier 3 here, so cant do much else, at the moment! 🤣

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

Don’t forget to take your rest days! I might not be able to run tomorrow! Gutted. I have a skip coming and I’ve got to wait in for it. Very disappointed. Probably run on Sunday instead.

We’re in Tier2 in Norfolk, but cases are rising rapidly. I think the whole country will be in Tier 3 soon enough. Surely we’re heading for another lockdown.

[Peter44 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Yes, probably after xmas, we'll all be in lockdown, wales and n.ireland already anounced it. Good job we can still run, always have at least one rest day, between runs.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

I think I’ll be cooking Christmas dinner for one 😢 My younger son wants me to go and stay with them for a few days and I really want to, but I just don’t think the virus knows about the amnesty. At least if I stay here I’ll be able to run Christmas morning!

[Peter44 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

My son cooks the xmas dinner here, only time, all year he does! So hope to be running too!Shame you cant be with your son, my job, will be to keep the peace here! 🤣