Wow! What a lot of fun and what a learning experience that was! 31 days of running. Wasn't sure my body would let me do it but it has! Apart from 3 days early on I have run at least 5km a day for the past month, and I have smashed my monthly distance by about 28km to 178km for January. So close to 200km but I don't want to get annoyed about missing that goal when I never even set it in the first place! I'll set that goal for next year 😊
It was also so nice to do it together with my fellow VRBs 🤗 We've run through nearly every winter weather condition known and yesterday it even decided to throw it all in one half hour run. It was as if it was going to have one last go at putting us off. But we are made of tougher stuff than that, we have battled through and done this thing! Today's run was done in very calm but chilly weathe, like it had given in. It was an absolute pleasure, even managed a sprint at the end, and even my heart rate behaved itself with hardly a dip into Zone 5 👍
One of the things I have really noticed this last couple of weeks is how my resting heart rate has started to come down. I have become friends with my Garmin once again (we had a severe falling out before Christmas) as it's behaving itself reasonably well. My resting heart rate has come down about 7 bpm and I am sleeping better. Long may that last!
Sooooo....what next? I can't leave it there can I? I don't think I can keep the streak up as I don't know if it would do me any good and also, how could I then do it as a challenge again? Still doing LEJOG but that is a very slow burner. So, I have put into place a 6 week HM training plan, starting tomorrow. Not much rest but I will be reducing the mileage again before it builds up to the Virtual Bath Half on 14th March. Katnap has very kindly offered to take on the Wednesday Joe Wicks workout with the kittens so that my ankles can have a bit of a rest and Tues/Thurs will be non-running days .
So, if you are wondering what challenge to do next whilst we tap our toes waiting for races to come back, I can heartily recommend Running Every Day, no matter how bonkers it sounds 😃
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TailChaser
Graduate10
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Well done TailChaser, I agree with you totally about RED! It does sound a bit bonkers but it’s so worth it🙂👍 We’ve had some fun doing it, but there have been tough times too. Whichever way, we got through it together and we’re better for it😀 I’m following my own HM plan and aiming to do it at the end of March🏃♂️🤞
It was wasn't it? I thought about it last January and didn't think it was for me but after 3 years running I thought this year I really should give it a go and I'm so glad I did. Thank you for being there every step of the way David 👍I can now start putting my HM plan in my Strava titles as well....a 6 week HM plan sounds slightly bonkers too!
Yup, sounds bonkers, but well done you. (That’s more miles in a month than I did last year 😮). If you can do it in Jan, despite the weather, I’m sure you can do another streak, and get to 200km. As you say, a goal for another streak. Maybe one in better weather?
Thanks Baddie 😁 Definitely needs to be better weather but then maybe that is part of its charm?? It would be nice to run parts of 200km around a different town too 🤔
Congratulations on running 178 kilometers as Red January, I am amazed on the number of people on this forum who have ran 100K or more in January, congratulations to you and everyone else on that "ton+"
I was reading the rules for Red January, you can run OR walk if you want to, I added my runs and walks and they came to about 70K, for me 25% runs, 75% walks, some of those walks were with my neighbours dog Holly.
Congratulations. RED is too much for this recent c25k grad, but I’m mightily impressed by those of you that have done it. Especially given the weather this past month.
Thanks Gail, yes I can understand that, I would never have dreamed of doing this a few years back. I started C25k in Jan 2018 and it’s the first time I’ve successfully done RED (I tried in May but my body didn’t want to play). You’ll know when you’re ready, all the best on your journey👍
And I was feeling smug that I at least got out to walk (mostly) or run every day. The weather has been a bit uncooperative this year! But we are all winners for doing something - good luck with the next chsllenge😊
I am really impressed. Is this the first time you have done a RED month.How many months/years of running did you do before attempting this .It sounds like an interesting challenge and I'm thinking that February is a nice short month but I currently only run 3 times a week and have avoided injury so far and would like it to stay that way but can't help thinking a short daily run commitment would be good for my "head space "
I was doing 3 or 4 runs a week before I did RED in March 2020 (that was fun during lockdown 1.0). The guide minimum is 1 mile running (1.61km). Keep your pace slow and really make sure you stretch asap after your runs. Good luck!
Thanks I think I'll give it a go... but with my normal runs 3 days a week and short ones 2k- ish runs on the other days .Sounds like a plan.Thanks to you both, Tailchaser for the inspirational post and Katnap for the advice
Thanks Week7 🙏😊 I graduated in May 2018 and yes, I gave it a go in May last year but it didn’t work out. I had some advice from a physio friend and adjusted my mileage expectations this time. I did too many longer runs last time and this time I slowly increased them. I also tweaked my diet as highly processed wheat doesn’t seem to agree with me. I’ve also done Adriene’s 30 days of yoga alongside which I can heartily recommend either before or after a run. Both the running and yoga are great for your headspace 👍
Katnap gives some excellent advice below and as he says, good luck 👍👏👏
Wow, what an amazing distance you covered TC! And your times are crazy fast too. Huge kudos!👊🏃♀️😀
I was able to get Bath to let me defer my virtual HM to coincide with the HUHM one at the end of March. No way do I want to run 13.1 miles twice in 2 weeks, and I emailed them with a sob story (a true one!) about my training being curtailed by running on wet muddy trails. Are you running Bath and HUHM? I’m sure you could! 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️
Last year Run Every Day dramatically improved my VO2 max (according to Garmin) and that in turn, I believe, helped to push all the continuous achievements I had in 2020. So if anyone else is thinking about doing RED, maybe February would be a choice month to give it a go! 😃
My husband suggested dry Feb. I think not but a RED Feb has an appeal. Let's see how I feel in the morning. I wont be stacking up your mileage though. Good running TC.
🤣. TailChaser removed wheat from the diet and this has resulted in improved health all round! Might even be the missing piece of the puzzle as to why the previous attempt failed...
We've had a 'ahem' wet January so maybe a RED February might work for you Runningroni
Thanks Roni. I think any dry month is a step too far at the moment! RED Feb sounds a good idea, just a mile a day is all you need to do. That’s what I was going to do but I got carried away 😁
So I ran this morning. Just a couple of km. Already planning for tomorrow. Let's see how it goes. I promise if I can get away with just a mile some days I certainly will.
You are such a dynamo, brilliant. Respect for going straight into HM training. I think I’m going to try to get back to sub 30 5k, as this month seems to have made the runs easier, but I haven’t tried to go any faster. Then, who knows, maybe I could finally get to that sub 60 10k by London
Good idea Sandie. It has made it easier hasn’t it? That’s the reason I want to go straight into the HM, grab it before it disappears. You can do sub 30 again, it’s just harder without anyone to race with. Come end of May we can nail that sub 60 together, it’s a nice flat course 💪
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