Tuesday 5K and I Jeffed it 🏃‍♀️🥵👍

[Jools2020]

Up at 6 a.m. and a check of the weather showed that it was clear, but a tad too warm for me. I was overdue for a Gremlin visit - and there he was 😈 telling me it was going to be hard work, and not to go. Quick cuppa in my dressing gown and he was still whispering in my ear. Chitter chat with my brother and time was passing! Come on! If it’s too warm I’ll just slow down! So I donned my new sleeveless running vest and shorts. Now I don’t care about wearing shorts, but I don’t do ‘sleeveless’. My daughter-in-law was with me in the shop and encouraged me to buy it 😊 so this was the day it was getting its first outing!

Out the front door and on my warm up walk. It felt strange wearing the top with the cooler air on my shoulders. I do like the feeling of fresh air on my skin 😊. I selected my 45:30 workout on my watch and started to run. Because I was later than usual, there were a lot of people on my route; walkers with and without dogs and runners, also a fair bit of traffic.

I knew that I had set off too fast. I paid for that in the second half of the run. I had a secret wish to better my 5K Jeffing run of a week ago! (It only became not a secret because I succeeded 😊). So I was a little too enthusiastic. It’s difficult to slow down when you know you’re only running for 45 seconds! I clearly need more practice at this Jeffing malarkey.

I Jeffed round my route feeling like I was slowing down towards the end of my run. The last kilometre is downhill and I certainly pulled out the stops for that with a pace of 6:35. After the run, I sat on the steps and I was most definitely out of breath and sweaty today! A good workout, though and I was pleased with my 5K time of 36:46.

[RunWillie Graduate10]

Well done Jools2020

Love the vest ❤️🏃‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to RunWillie]

Than you! I will wear the vest again, I forgot about it after a few minutes! 😊

[Grannyhugs Graduate10]

What a brilliant 5k, great time. Those gremlins were obviously not trying very hard. Happy running 🤗

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Grannyhugs]

Thanks, Grannyhugs. You’re right, there was just one gremlin and he slid away quite quickly! 😊

[nowster Graduate10]

Please come along with me. You are under a vest. 👮

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

😂😂🤣

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

🙄

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

Great run for you today Jools2020, I like your new sleeveless vest, suits you, makes you look like a real runner 🏃🏾 👍.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

Ooh, thank you, AlMorr - I like that! I shall be wearing it all the time , now 😊

[RacingintheStreet Graduate10]

Excellent , really interesting and what a great time 👌.I can see by the stats what you mean about it being more or less like doing intervals.

Particularly at the end there . The transition from one to another must take practise I imagine

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to RacingintheStreet]

Thanks! At the end, I try and run through some of the walking parts. Today I had trouble doing that as I had been pushing myself a bit too hard earlier in the run. You’re right about it taking practice. I think I’m getting better, but the key is not to stop and start suddenly, but glide from one to the other. Less risk of injury and uses less energy.

[Bontobpat]

You look good in the sleeveless tank top.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Bontobpat]

Thank you! 😌 Can’t believe I was so daring!

[Forest_Run_Beginner Graduate10]

Another great run for you Jools, and what a fab time, the speed of last KM is brilliant, even more so to say you were Jeffing it, just brilliant. I love the vest too, you should definitely embrace it, particularly as the weather seems to be warming up again. 🥵

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Forest_Run_Beginner]

Thanks! It was certainly a warm one this morning. Yes, I’ll be wearing the vest again! 👍😊

[Birdlady64 Graduate10]

Oh a vest is best! I've only recently started running in my vest I got last year - I didn't have the courage to wear it before but I'm past caring what people think. It keeps me much cooler than a T-shirt.

Yours is nicer than mine though - it suits you well.

That's a great 5k time too. Well done!👏 Jeffing certainly has its benefits

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

Thanks, Diane! I bought the vest at M&S, they had a sports section.

I’m going to rein it in a bit on my next Jeffing run. I pushed a bit too hard on that one.

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Well yes. You can push it sometimes but definitely not on every run. Bet you won't be able to resist that speedy final split though...

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

Maybe not! 😂

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Wow great time, jeffing is fun isn’t it, I aim for your times… maybe one day if the wind stops blowing

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

It’s not fun running in the wind! I remember those fen winds when I was running in the fens.

I do like Jeffing and it’s definitely helped me back to running 3 times a week.

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

I’m tempted for tomorrow to try your 45:30 as 30:30 was too soon to change but i enjoyed it

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

The great thing is that we can try different ratios! I might give 30:30 another go.

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

Yes, i’ve decided once a week to jeff and change ratios until i find the perfect fit

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Sounds like a plan! 😊

[Week7 Graduate10]

Your daughter-in-law was right about the vest she is a good influence! I had already noticed it in the photo and thought that you were looking really sporty-then read your post. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has secret wishes to achieve things on a given run which cease to be a secret only if I succeed ☺

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Week7]

She’s definitely a good influence 😊

Haha, no, you’re not the only one! I’m amazed at my ability to even keep it secret from myself 😂

[Maz1103 Graduate10]

I'm doing my 2nd jeffing attempt tomorrow. Can only do 30 minutes because I'm back to work, but it will be interesting to compare with what I can usually do in that time.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Maz1103]

I did 3 or 4 Jeffing attempts before I started to see improvements with my time. The first few tries were quite a bit slower as I played with the ratios. I’m thinking of reducing the running ratio slightly.

[Maz1103 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

I'll go for 45/30 again tomorrow. It's an interesting change !

[alpacagirl 60minGraduate]

Hi, excuse me for being a bit dense - so 45:30 does that mean you run 45seconds walk 30? And what is the workout you use on your watch? Just interested in doing something similar for one of my runs. Thanks😊

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to alpacagirl]

Yes, exactly. 45 seconds running, 30 seconds walking. You glide when transitioning from one to another so it’s not an abrupt change. Have a look at the Facebook page ‘Girls that Jeff’, there’s lots of good info on there.

I set up the workout on the Garmin app, under ‘training’ then save it and sync to my watch. When I start the workout, my watch vibrates to tell me to run or walk. You can also download an interval timer app, which a lot of people use.

[alpacagirl 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

Thanks really helpful😊

[sofaspud]

I’d take your daughter-in-law’s advice any day!! What a stylish running vest! Sounds like a lovely run.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to sofaspud]

Thank you! It was a good run, but perhaps I enjoy my slow runs more. I did put some effort in on this one! I wanted to beat last week’s time.

[Frenc Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Go Jools! It was very mild today, wasn’t it, but well done for kicking gremlin butt 😊💪🏽. Little so and so’s. That’s a cracking last k pace, a great run. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Frenc]

Thanks, Frenc! Yes, it was 12 degrees as I started my run. I think my ideal running temperature is 2 - 5 degrees, but I did it and yes, more than happy with that last km. 😊

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10]

Hello Jools, Apologies, things have been busy here and I missed responding to your Saturday run. Well done on Saturday and today. Interesting that you thought that it was too warm today. I went for a short sleeved top instead of a vest top. (13.9degrees) Strange heart rate trace. First half around a steady 129 then it jumped to 169bpm and stayed there. I really don't believe it! Most odd. Tendon had it's best day today. 😊 Happy injury free running to you 😊🏃🏻‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to over61andstilltrying]

Hi and thank you! Strange for your heart rate to jump to 169 like that! Could have been the heat? Mine went to 158 on this run, in Zone 4 for most of it. I thought it would be higher, perhaps the walk breaks kept it down a bit. Good news about your tendon today 😊

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Hello Jools, I expect that you can see the graph I sent in my reply to Nowster, seriously odd! At just 13 degrees, I don't think temperature was the reason. I shall ensure my wrist is at it cleanest and give my Garmin a gentle clean as well.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to over61andstilltrying]

Sometimes these things happen with no explanation, put it down to a glitch in the matrix!

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

😂

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to over61andstilltrying]

If I run up any inclines, up goes the heart rate, and it hates to come down again.

Having walk breaks does help with that, as Jools2020 says.

Here's a graph of HR from my most recent 2 mile run in the heat of the early afternoon. Every single bump upwards in HR represents a stretch where I went uphill.

Heart rate versus distance in km

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

As you can see from my graph elevation was not the cause! Garmin having an off day perhaps?

Graph showing heart rate and elevation

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to over61andstilltrying]

Could that step up be the point where you suddenly became too hot? That can definitely affect your HR.

[over61andstilltrying Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

I was just pootling along and very comfortable temperature wise. No sudden changes. I notice Garmin gave 8m for elevation gain, whereas for the same run last week it gave 20m.

[LottieMW Ambassador]

Well done Jools!

Liking the new sleeveless vest too 👍😊🙌🏼

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to LottieMW]

Thanks, Lottie! 😊

[Hidden]

Well done and yeah I know the feeling of wanting to go faster because it is only for 45 seconds. That's why I don't Jeff with such short ratings. I don't need to be fast, I need to enjoy my runs. And when using short ratios, I unconsciously run too fast, causing me to dislike the run. And thus the reason why I Jeff with 4min30 / 0min30. It gives me a chance to catch my breath and take a sip of water or blow my nose, but it doesn't 'force' me to run fast.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Interesting! I understand your reasoning. I’ll try different ratios.