February Quest - 3rd Week on the Quest - Bridge to 10K

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February Quest - 3rd Week on the Quest

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator
40 Replies

Hello Everyone,

3rd week of February and it is a lot milder out there, blue sky here and looking a lot more like Spring is in the air. Birds are busy building their nests and Daffodils are starting to shoot up out of the ground. New life, and new hope.

I am so sorry everyone. I have been crazy busy with work recently and have not been hanging out on the Forum as much. Last week I failed to reply to your messages. But I promise I will keep up to date this week.

My quest for February is to get out there, get out that door at least 3 times per week. I want to continue to work on my 5K pace and get back to being able to do 1 x 10K per week. I also want to shed some of the extra little bit of weight which has crept on me over the last few months. I need to get rid of about 10 lbs to 12 lbs. So starting today I'm watching my intake of the right food.

I know many of you will have taken part in the Quest before, but for those who are newly arrived on the Bridge Forum, the next bit is just for you....!

What is the Quest?

The aim of the Quest is to help you find a focus or goal that you would like to achieve by the end of the Quest period.

This Quest will run all the way through February.

You can join at any point during that time.

Some popular goals are:

• To run three times a week

• To slowly increase distance - maybe you are following ju-ju-'s Magic Plan?

• To add Stretch and Strength exercises to your weekly routine

• To improve pace

• To try out some new running routes

It's completely up to you - set yourself an achievable goal and have fun with it!

NEED SOME INSPIRATION?

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

If you want to join the Quest, all you have to do is comment below with something like:

I would like to join the Quest or My goal this month...

Every week in February, I will put up a new post and we can all chat about how we are doing, share tips, and motivate each other.

I'm looking forward to hearing all about your goals for this week...let me know how you're all doing.

Good luck everyone...and happy, happy running

damienair & the Bridge to 10k team

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damienair profile image
damienair
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40 Replies
damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator

I'm losing weight, getting out for walks but running has been poor. I have no excuse now that it is so much milder than last week. So I'll be out there this evening after work to run 5K. I promise.

Damien

nowster profile image
nowsterGraduate10 in reply todamienair

We'll hold you to that. 😉

RunWillie profile image
RunWillieGraduate10

Hi damienair and fellow questers,

Good to hear Spring is in the air for my UK VRB’s. Yay!

All well with my quest of 100km. 73.7km done 11 days left.

Having a cut back week this week so running less distance but still getting out there.

Happy running everyone ❤️🏃‍♀️

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply toRunWillie

Wow. Fantastic, great running and you deserve a cut back break this week. Happy running and well done again.

Hi Damien.I have had to press reset on my goals for this month after a really unproductive first few weeks.

My aim for the rest of the month is just to simply get out and run two or three times a week, nothing more.

If I achieve that, then I will have succeeded in spending less time in my slippers and sitting on the sofa, and that's got to be a win.

Good luck with your goals 😊

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply to

Well you and me are in the very same boat. I too am just looking to get out and get a little more active. My Quest has not started off great. I did very little last week and ended up working until after 9 last night. I'm going to enjoy my run later. Good luck.

Damien

in reply todamienair

Good luck with your run. I got out this morning after posting on the forum that I was in the doldrums. I received encouraging comments from fellow runners which helped me realise I'm not alone in feeling a dip in motivation. It pushed me out the door to do a short and very wet 2.5k, but it was a run none-the-less. Enjoy your run later.

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply to

Well done. I'm struggling too. But I have decided that I don't care anymore. Until parkrun, 5K, 6K and 10K road races return I'm just going to bimble along. Enjoy when I do run and forget about pace etc.

nowster profile image
nowsterGraduate10

I seem to be avoiding injury so far. (Touch MDF.)

This last week I repeated my 10km success (with a few bumps and bruises) on Saturday. I really enjoyed being out running.

My plan for this week is to run every other day and walk at least 20 minutes on the non-run days.

I'm going to try to go a little further on my Sunday run. I have an 11km route already plotted out.

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply tonowster

Very well done on your recent 10K's. Great effort and happy running and walking.

cheekychipmunks profile image
cheekychipmunksGraduate10

Hi everyone. 😀

Still running, still loving it and still on track with my Quest of training for my 2 upcoming March HMs as well as dog walking en route to JOG (only 88 miles to go!) and LA (on Route 66). I’m also keeping up my daily yoga of course, so all in all everything’s as good as it can be in these strange times. 😀

And spring appears to be here this week. 👏👏😀

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply tocheekychipmunks

Well done Cheeky. You are flying. Really well done on all your training and best wishes for the HM's in March.

Week7 profile image
Week7Graduate10

Hi Damienair & fellow questers,

I'm still on track for RED February.

My legs were a bit tired towards the end of last week so I've slowed down and that seems to have done the trick. I love the fact that I don't have to think "shall I run today or tomorrow". I just have to go- my head is really appreciating this-my legs will let you know in MARCH!

So far so good.

Good luck to all for the rest of the week,

Run safe!

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply toWeek7

Very well done. It is not easy, best of luck for the rest of the month.

Week7 profile image
Week7Graduate10 in reply todamienair

Thanks. Hope you're having a less stressful week.

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10

Hello damienair and all. I've only managed 2 runs a week this month, due to the weather and a bit less get up and go. But I think that is fairly common at the moment. But i have succeeded in getting UpTheStanley out of the door when he didn't really feel like it. We ran in the rain on Monday, which was definitely preferable to minus wind chill temperatures. Just as the temperature has risen, my new icebreaker merino base layer has arrived and been christened. I now need to do another long run when the forecast is good.

Keep going everyone, even if it's just a jog around the block.

🏃‍♂️🏃🏃‍♀️😀

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply toDexy5

Well done Dexy. Yes my Mojo is struggling. At this stage I've decided I am just going to tip away. I am not going to care about pace anymore. I'm sick of running on my own and have zero interest in Virtual events. I just want the real thing to come back. But until then I will run just to get out of the house and hold onto some base level of fitness.

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10 in reply todamienair

Just going with the slow sounds like a good idea Damien. There’s so much else going on in your life. Beating yourself up about pace and distance will not help.

Are you able to run along with one of your parkrun buddies in Ireland? We can still run with one other here which does help .

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply toDexy5

It was running with one of my parkrun buddies which got me to slow down. :-) At the start of lockdown I was comfortably running 5K in 27 minutes. A 30 minute 5K was a light jog. Now I'd struggle to run 5K in 33 minutes. Anyway I don't care anymore. Realistically we are looking at another year of it here in Ireland I think. Numbers are just not coming down. Lockdown has been extended into May. So I am just going to bimble along.

dijep profile image
dijepGraduate10

Hi Damien, I know you are not alone with finding the balance of working from home a difficult act to achieve, my son seems to be working far more in the evening and even weekends. So no need to apologise.Yay it's felt like Spring for the last two days, thinner coats, no hats or gloves, lots of snowdrops are out and a few crocus showing some colour 😊 🌷

I've been getting my 2 runs a week done working through my adapted 10k plan for the Runderwear Festival of Running at Easter. Still keeping up with the yoga and now added a Pilates session that was shared as part of Festival of Running. I'm still trying the press ups but not really getting any better.

Hope you were allowed some pancakes yesterday 😋

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply todijep

Fantastic, very well done. You are certainly keeping active. Yes I got my Pancakes on Tuesday. But it was late. I got an emergency work call on Tuesday at lunchtime and had to drop everything and get on the road for a 8 hour round trip. It was after 9 when I got home and my 11 year old Son made me 2 pancakes. 😀 They went down well.

dijep profile image
dijepGraduate10 in reply todamienair

That's lovely I bet the pancakes tasted even better having been made by your son 👍😊

Bluebirdrunner profile image
BluebirdrunnerGraduate10

Hi Damien and fellow Questers, I am back on track with the Strength and Conditioning 3x a week, and have been getting to my mat again each day for Yoga with Adriene.

I managed to go out for a run last weekend of around 33 mins, and have it in my head to go out tomorrow afternoon for another🤞thank you Hidden for the push!🤗 ( I read your post this morning )

Still aiming to fit in a 5k before the end of the month, but must admit to picking good weather for run days...😏

Good luck everyone with your Quests, lets keep trying!

😊xxx

in reply toBluebirdrunner

Enjoy your run tomorrow 😊🤗

Bluebirdrunner profile image
BluebirdrunnerGraduate10 in reply to

Thank you 🤞xxx

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply toBluebirdrunner

Well done. Imagine I have never tried Yoga or Pilates even though I am married to a Pilates instructor. 😀

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10 in reply todamienair

I’m surprised she hadn’t had the whole family doing it Damienair 🤣

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10 in reply todamienair

I’m surprised she hadn’t had the whole family doing it Damienair 🤣

colinla profile image
colinlaGraduate10

Hi Damien, I guess my main quest is to regularly start running 3 times per week again. Since start of December only I've only been running the 2 weekend days. Thereafter I want to push on and run 10 miles.

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply tocolinla

That is a good manageable quest. Do a longer run at the weekend and you'll get there. It is a great goal to aim for.

Birdlady64 profile image
Birdlady64Graduate10

Hi Damien

I feel your pain. It's hard getting that work-life balance right - especially if you are working from home. It's hard to disengage and switch off sometimes, but you need to be kinder to yourself. Well done on the continued weight loss!

As for me, the weather really scuppered my plans to work back up to and get comfy with longer distances this month. I seem to have lost all momentum. I managed (just about) a 5k run on Monday which was my first for 9 days. I'm hoping to get out again this week- but I seem to have developed a niggle in my left glute.

I've been managing to walk (gingerly across the ice and snow) on non-run days and recording those for my LEJOG 9. I'm now approaching Tiverton.

I'm doing slightly better with the Yoga - I've been using Adriene's Fundamentals and have attempted (rather poorly) the Yoga For Complete Beginners workout. She still manages to lose me though somewhere around warrior pose. Progress of sorts I guess.

dijep profile image
dijepGraduate10 in reply toBirdlady64

I know how you feel getting lost with Adriene's instructions , it always happened to me in positions were it was impossible to look at the screen😂 I often paused rewound and watched then tried again. I love the way she says "take your time" then rushes on ! Thankfully it does get easier after a while.

Birdlady64 profile image
Birdlady64Graduate10 in reply todijep

Yes! She does do exactly that! Its a pain though when you are on all fours to get up pause/rewind the laptop and then get back in position again. I guess I have to persevere.

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply toBirdlady64

Well done with the Yoga. I hope your niggle sorts itself out soon. Now that it is getting milder it should be easier to coax ourselves out the door. Looking forward to a 5K bimble run myself this evening.

Birdlady64 profile image
Birdlady64Graduate10 in reply todamienair

Good luck with your bimble! 😁

GoogleMe profile image
GoogleMeGraduate10

I've missed a day of my 'do something every day'... but that's all. Would like more of it to be running but I've had some fine local walks, still managing to find the odd new path I've not been down before. The yoga has dropped right off - somehow seems to demand too much of me right now. However, our bathroom scales broke and the new ones weigh heavier which is a great incentive to get out and be active, and walking from the house (steep hill) requires cardio.

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply toGoogleMe

Yeah I need to move more. Walking is fantastic exercise and I burn just as many calories on a fast walk 5K as I do on a 5K run. It is nice to get out in the fresh air too so as to clear the head. Best of luck on your quest.

Smile23 profile image
Smile23Graduate10

Hi all. Hope February is being kind

Aimed to get back running but the hip/thigh has only allowed me a 25min tester run.

So far so good.

Will run a slow 5k on Sunday

I have been strength training 3 times a week

Overall not bad but could do better

On a different-note. We have a new baby in the family a Valentine’s Day boy named in honour of my dad who we lost a year ago on 24th.

Heres to new beginning

Stay well xxx

damienair profile image
damienairAdministrator in reply toSmile23

Enjoy your run on Sunday and take it nice and easy. Well done with the strength training. And huge congratulations on the new family addition. That's wonderful. My baby brother and his wife had a little boy 5 weeks ago. My baby brother has a baby of his own now.

LottieMW profile image
LottieMWAmbassador

it’s hard when we lose our mojo ☹️

Hopefully Spring is on the way and we will find it easier to get out there...

I managed to avoid ice and rain, and get out three times this week...5km and 9km to finish W6 of The Plan, then started W7 with 4km today ☺️ Managed so far to walk on my non run days, but not been up my allotment this week 😫🌱🤨

Indoors: kept up with daily yoga, although not always to plan 🙄😬...but missed a day or two of Tai Chi and meditation.

Hope work calms down for you 🤞🏼

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