📣💫I did it!!! 😁🥇10k exactly = 1:16:42. For the whole run of 10.1k, my pace was a totally amazing (for me) 7:38 mins/km. How did that happen? It’s in the range of my faster 5ks. So, so proud as I finished. There was a little celebration dance💃🏼 with air punches and victory arms, albeit with nobody to see me except the birds. And I was glowing as I entered my run on COGH.🌟
It’s been quite a week. After my shin splints and then post-jab pause, I returned to a short gentle 4k run a week ago. During the week I ran two 5ks. The first was a record-breaking new gold🥇37:53; pace 7:33 for the whole 5.08km (although it looks like I mis-entered my COGH data, confusing my run and walk elements!🤷🏼♀️👓)
The second was my new silver 🥈37:58; pace 7:35 for 5.02km. I hadn’t tried to do either. In fact, M and I were trying to slow down especially at the start. Must be the spring energy!
Today, I set out thinking I’d just see how I felt and, if good, maybe try for 7.5 or 8k. Pace ebbed and flowed throughout, but we did succeed in keeping the first stage nice and slow. M left at the 5k mark, a nice step-up for him at 38:58 (from his usual 35:00). I felt good for a longer run so continued on our circuit with the view to gauge (and map) the km markers on a well-known route. Often, once M departs, I change direction or run about willy-nilly just to mix it up. Sticking to the circuit meant repeating, of course, but I know that it is never ‘the same’ and enjoy observing all the the subtle changes of experience. I did feel a bit heavy in the hips at one point, but put my mind to to it (thinking myself strong and light, and upping my cadence) which certainly did the trick. I’ve also been doing some zigzagging this week (thanks for suggesting this @roseabi) and this always seems to give me energy and speed; it’s fun. Sometimes I run along the narrow tracks behind M doing zigzags.
Earlier M and I had seen one of the woodpeckers drumming on a pollarded tree, but this was a day for the crows. They were flying about in a band, cawing loudly. I always like their plaintive sound. Later I ran past a pair stalking about on the grass and pecking the ground. The one brave bird did not budge as I approached, and ended up just two feet away from me. We acknowledged one another, eye to eye. Beautiful to see at such close quarters. A blackbird’s song pulled me along at another moment. The parakeets had been noticeable by their absence (I’d thought this on my other run too) but put in in a well-timed appearance bang on 8.5km. 🦜🦜🦜 Yes, I thought, they’re popped by to cheer me on. It worked. 10k in the bag!!
😁Happy running (or walking, or relaxing), everyone! 🚶♀️🚶🏻🏃🏿♂️🏃🏻♂️🏃🏽♀️🏃🏼♀️🦌
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GailXrunning
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🙌 Thank you. I’m thrilled to bits. And you’re spot-on too. There’s just so much to see, to hear and to smell (sadly no aroma from the mahonias this week). And while I’m not exactly using touch, I’m loving sensing the feel of the tracks. That’s four of the senses. Do you think we can ‘taste’ a run? 🤔
Definitely we can taste our runs, the air we breathe tastes different in woods and trails to running along a road where we taste petrol fumes as cars go by,
Good point. Thankfully I keep away from the latter mostly, although this is inner London... so it’s relative. Smell and taste go together, don’t they? The park keepers have had a mountain of chipped bark delivered this week. It’s gradually going down and spreading across the corner where we turn. That definitely brings a little taste of the woods.🌲🌳🌲
I'm going OK thanks Gail, 7k on a good day, not fixing too much on 10k, but quietly noticing if I'm getting close to it! It's obviously worth it from what you've said🤣x
7k is great (especially when we recall our c25k starting position!!) Just do what feels right. You’ll know when you’re ready to go the extra stretch. You’re really close to 8k, which felt to me like reaching a major milestone in the way other km hadn’t. (Nowster said that’s because it’s almost exactly 5 miles.)
Yes I can see why 8k is a milestone and I'll hold that thought when I'm pushing on.Now, it must be time for you to crack open the fizz - have a contented evening😆
Thank you, AlMorr. And for the reminder; I’ve just popped over to do so. It’s been less than seven months since I started c25k, and I’ve not rushed at any point. It’s amazing what this programme and the community can support. I’m still pinching myself: was that really 10k? Was that really me?😂
That’s amazing! What a great week for you. I did my first 10k on Wednesday, and I totally agree, it’s brilliant what we can achieve. I’m made up for you 👍😀🏅.
Brilliant congratulations 🎊 🎉 🎈 💐Such a good feeling seeing that 10k 😊
And it sounds like you did some great bird spotting, I'm jealous of parakeets though. I think there have been a few sightings near me in Yorkshire, but I think it'll be a while till I spot them.
Wow Wow Wow - what a week for you just amazing and great to try a few little extras on the run to wake up the body as well as enjoying spring waking up all around you and cheering you on too.
Haha! Thanks🙏 I’m having my own special Spring equinox.😁
Fantastic GailX, a great run , a great day, there’s definitely magic in that first 10k and it comes across so well in your post, many congratulations 🥂🌼🤗
Thank you. 🙏 Do I sound over the moon?! Euphoric, more like!! Can’t believe it’s me who’s done it. There’s a strange dislocation between the person typing the news and ‘me’.😂 I’ll get over that.
😁 both sound great places to be ...don’t get over it too quickly, savour that moment ...I felt similar when I ran my first 10k last Year and sad to report I’m well and truly over it, back to the old me, struggling to run 5k 🤣🤣🤗
Will take your advice. No idea what’s in store. Funny how the challenges can slide up and down the scale. 5k is still a very decent distance and any run is one to be proud of.
🙌 I know! Who was in my running shoes today? And I didn’t feel like I was pushing myself, so doubly surprised. Having a bit of a gazelling week. 🦌🦌🦌 Actually, the second 5k felt less so (despite the stats), but I realised later that I’d forgotten to eat my statutory fodder of 3 Brazil nuts before leaving the house.
Hi, I’m doing fine thanks- done a lot of short runs as my daughter is doing a charity month of runs and sometimes wants me to go out with her so staying pretty much at 5k as that’s her limit- got my vaccine next Sat as my son has type 1 diabetes so I get it before my age group as his carer so hopefully don’t feel too rough with that - one more week until half term so will be able to crank up the numbers a bit. Bought myself a new Garmin today so excited to set that up!
You’re getting out there and running. And a new toy! That’ll be fun. Looking forward to your findings. I keep looking at the Garmins. Guess I should just stop prevaricating and take the plunge.
Heh, well done Gail, happy you got to that 10k, and what a fast pace, for the first one 🥵🤪 mine was about 90 mins i think 🤣 but i do remember the feeling, and how good it felt 😊 you deserved that little dance, your 5k's are v.fast too, what have you been eating, or maybe it's the spring in the air! 😊 anyway, i'm sure there will be many more 10k's to come, and you'll be more sensible than i was, when pushing further. 🥳🥳👏👏🥳🥳
Thank you, Peter. 🙌 Still doing my twirling several hours later. 💃🏼(Better watch those knees, though!) No idea where my pace is coming from... maybe the Brazil nuts... maybe the equinox...😂🤣 Great to see that you are back too.
Haha! Thanks. I’ve definitely spotted a trend: a short time out (injury- or weather-induced) leads to improved pace and distance. It’s happened to me a few times.
And I’m so thrilled that I’ve bookmarked my 10k entry for COGH on the What3Words!! I think this is close to the place where they found and identified feathered dinosaurs.
Simply fantastic! 😁👏👏👏You had a blast doing it as well - how wonderful with all those lovely birds
- a close encounter with a crow - such intelligent birds - woodpeckers, blackbirds and parakeets to cheer you onwards.
It sounds like your pause did you the power of good too - where is that pace coming from? Are you sure it was coronavirus vaccine they injected you with and not kryptonite?!🦸🦸🦸
Oooh, well done for your 10K! Loved your write up. The first 10K is definitely to be celebrated. It’s like graduating all over again. Then slowly a realisation dawns “Well, if I can run for 10K.......” and so it begins 👏👏👏🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️👍🥳
Thanks, J. 🙌 I’ve ‘bridged to 10k’ and enjoyed it too.😁 Consolidation will be first. Then we’ll see what’s next. (I daren’t think!!) Not so long ago - like many of us - I couldn’t run for a minute, so there’s a lot to take on board there!
Thank you.🙏 As you can tell, I’m pretty pleased (understatement). It felt good as a distance, and I’m still feeling good today (nothing aches).
Not sure how often a newbie to 10k should try for 10k. Is it like 5k/ 30 mins where we consolidated (with more 5ks)? Or should I now ease off, do shorter distances and then rebuild? Guess someone must know the answer to this. In essence, would I be be ‘too newbie’ to run 10k again this coming weekend...
I carried on with shorter runs in the week and saved my long runs for Saturdays. I did a further 3 x 10Ks. It got easier each time. Then a 12K. After that, my intention was to do 14K, but on the day I felt good and went on for the 10 miles. Just took it really steadily. After that, I dropped back to 10K for a few weeks.
Thank you. 🙏 Hope your path there/ here (?) goes well... which I’m sure it will. I completed c25k in late November, running about 4k. I got to 5k in mid-December. I’ve really taken my time, just enjoying 5k consolidation and then dwelling in some other projects, only stepping up towards the 10k from February... again slowly... and taking some time out for bad weather and then shin splints. Main advice is to enjoy the journey as much as the destination!😁
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10K Week 1 Runs Completed
My First 10K Completed!!
One of “THOSE” runs...
