And if anyone needs it, here’s a quick reminder as to what its all about
★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.
The Quest takes one calendar month. You can join at any point during that time.
Some popular goals are:
★ To run three times a week
★ To slowly increase distance
★ To train for a specific race
★ To add Stretch and Strength exercises to your weekly routine
This is a personal challenge, so it's completely up to you! If you want to join, all you have to do is COMMENT BELOW with something like:
I would like to join the Quest, or, count me in! I want to ..............
Every week I will put up a new post and we can all chat about how we are doing.
so how has it been going ?
are you still on track, or racing ahead or maybe you have decided to change your goals or had a few hiccups ?
just reply to the post and let us know !
My own Quest for the month was, to get over recent niggles with more stretching and strength exercises to enable me to run more frequently again (Work permitting) and hopefully stay off the injury couch and start increasing the distance again.
it all started off so well, and the fist 2 and a half weeks went to plan with my yoga and a couple of runs a week.
then a not very pleasant run with tech issues and a stomach ache which caused me to cut the run short to a 3K, but at least still a run.
I have also had problems with my sinuses which has resulted in a relentless headache for almost a week now but thankfully it now seems to be clearing up so i hope i can get back on track this week sometime !
So there we are.
I hope your week has been better ?
Happy running, Ian.
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Instructor57
Graduate10
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I sympathise with your sinus problem, Ian. There was a period of several years when I was regularly plagued by them. Doctors couldn’t suggest anything, then, miraculously, it went away of its own accord. Maybe that’s hope for you, I hope so. 🙂
Well, I’m gradually closing in on the end of the Garmin plan. Two weeks left to go after this.
It’s getting tougher and I’m expecting the unproductive run any day yet being pleasantly surprised by the “good jobs”. It’s encouraged me to sprint now, though it calls it “strides”. These are truly exhilarating bursts over 200metres (I was a sprint runner at school, many many moons past; it’s great to feel it again).
I’m even more confident I’ll do another training plan afterwards, I’ve been really impressed with its structure and it’s not only improved my performance, I believe, but kept me motivated and deeply interested in all aspects of running now.
Thanks , yes I have had this on and off for many many years, the only thing I had suggested (Many years ago) was surgery 😐It's the constant headaches that wear me down and of course I don't feel like pounding the pavements will help !
Ah well 😐
Anyway !
Great progress with your plan 😁👍
Sounds like it's going really well !
And great that your already thinking of doing another 😁
It's certainly true that if you put the work in the results will come !
Slightly less distance last week compared with the previous week. I did a "too fast" short run on Wednesday which led to some warning messages from my left hamstring muscle, and I listened to my body and my forum buddies, and had extra rest days.
It didn't stop me doing a second Half Marathon distance this Sunday (second in as many weeks). It was a much hillier route. It was hard but the only muscles to really complain were my glutes. I don't think I've worked them properly before. At least I know now that I'm using them!
My plan is to finish the month doing much the same. Maybe doing a slightly longer long run on Sunday.
As to sinuses...
I had one that was like a lobster pot: gunk got in but couldn't drain out. I did have a re-bore on that one, but do occasionally suffer with them even still. Sometimes I get a grumbling infection in them which leads to "post nasal drip".
One thing that can help is sinus irrigation with warm saline to flush out the nasties. You can get kits for it (eg. NeilMed Sinus Rinse).
Sorry to hear of your troubles. Hopefully behind you now. 👍
My goal this month is 44 km @ my steady pace, each week.
This past week it has gone smoothly - 44 km @ avg pace 5:37 min / km.
Had a couple of days reaction to the pfizer booster jab, but it didn't affect my running.
My steady pace has ticked up fractionally, I think due to some cooler temperatures, and this morning Mr Garmin rewarded me with a V02 Max of 50, having been stuck on 49 for the past four weeks. So happy with "progress"!
Interesting! Garmin had me peak at 51 in the July heatwave when I was doing short quick runs in high humidity. Then I dipped gradually down to 45 when I did my first HM distance in mid September. I'm back up at 48 now. I have no idea what it's up to.
Err ... dunno ... tbh I thought Mr Garmin was being a bit stingy with me. In April 2020 I was the same weight as I am now, and my best times were 27:28 (5K) and 58:01 (10K) and he had my Vo2 Max @ 52.
In the past month as part of my daily 6.25K I ran 27:21 5K on 4-Nov, and 27:25 today. So, yeah I thought he was being stingy with me! 😁
I changed my zones (and dropped the max a little) during the summer to use a different system of bands, so that might have done it.
My current bands are:
Zone 1: 122-136, Zone 2: 136-149, Zone 3: 149-163, Zone 4: 163-176, Zone 5: 176-190(Max).
This seems to be right for me. I ran my hilly HM yesterday mostly in Zone 3 (76%), the hard bits in Zone 4 (11%) and the easy bits in Zone 2 (7%). Average for the run was 155bpm.
Thanks , I was hoping it was behind me also but not to be ! Ahh well .Good to see your keeping on track and yes, I had a slight Pfizer booster reaction but thankfully nothing much .
I was doing so well but life has intervened. It's one thing running on your own in open countryside where you've got to know every turning, quite another to be in a foreign country with a not very strong grasp of the language and running along paths that all look the same.
I don't really feel confident running alone here, objectively it's perfectly safe but if I fell over and had to call 999 well, firstly I'm not sure what the Russian for 999 is and secondly if I was in pain I'm not sure that they'd understand me or I'd understand them. So I've decided I have to have someone with me. Unfortunately my husband has had some dental work done and been told not to run so this is a setback. Plus I picked up a bit of a cold, nothing much just a very runny nose but I preferred to rest until it cleared up.
Plus the weather has been grim.
All of which meant I only did two runs not three last week. We did just over 5k on Friday which if you add in the warm up and cool down walks we covered 7.14 km. Most of it was through forest so I can sort of tick the 7km run through the forest off (even if it's a bit of a cheat). I'm going to try and work out how hubby can walk behind me for 7km but if I don't manage it, well there's always next month.
Oh dear , yes life has a habit of getting in the way dosen't it .I understand what you mean about running in a foreign country and people not understanding you if you need help .
And also if you now have a cold .
I've been thrown of track a bit also now so not sure how much I will get done .
Very quick check in from me, everything still going to plan, continuing to do my 4x per week. The 10K is starting to feel good - no longer dreading the thought of it as my 'big run', and starting to feel like there's more to give at the end, but that's something for 2022 - as for now it'll be continuing on with the same until the end of the year.
Sorry to hear that you are feeling under the weather Ian. I hope your sinuses and headaches clear up soon. Could it be a delayed reaction to your covid booster jab? I felt a bit rotten after mine.So my quests have more or less gone according to plan this past week:
- ALMOST - ran twice this week and not 3 times but both were longer distances
- YES - slowly increased distance using Ju Ju's magic distance plan
-YES - volunteered at one parkrun
- NO - didn't cross train at all this week!
- YES - ran at my first 10k race on Sunday - The Wendover Woods Autumn Festival of Running (stunning forest btw)- managed to complete it in around 74 minutes despite having to walk some of it as it was really hilly terrain - much more difficult than I was expecting but most people I saw ahead of me were walking alot of the inclines
Hi, I didn't get much reaction to the booster , the 2nd jab was worse for me but the sinus issues I have had on and off since teenage years (many years ago !😁)Oh, as you say , sounds like your pretty much going to plan 😁👍
Well done !
Wish I could say the same but I guess there is always next month 😁👍
I'm sorry to hear that you've had sinus issues since childhood. Hopefully they won't last much longer. You can only do what your body allows. Fingers crossed next month you will be able to get back to your quests. Thanks so much for co-ordinating this month's even though you've been feeling poorly 🤗
Another lovely photo to accompany your post.Sinus headaches are horrible, I used to get them fairly regularly along with the throat infections. Thankfully not any more 🤞I do hope yours has eased off and you manage to get back out again.
My week has not really gone to plan either.
Doing the HU10k on the 14th left me back with sciatic nerve niggles up and down my right leg. So having not been sensible in doing the run I have been sensible and not run since then. Each morning I've been assessing it when I've walked the dog and today I was niggle free 👍😀
But I've kept up with my Pilates and done additional exercises prescribed by the physio I saw with this problem back in the spring.
I'm probably going to do a short run tomorrow and see how it goes.
Hi Instructor57 …sorry to hear you have sinus problems accompanied by headaches…I have something going on with my ears, nose & throat…I start sneezing & can’t stop, them my throat starts & then my ears start inching inside..it’s been happening on and off for a couple of years, I coincides sometimes with when I’m tired..it’s a bit like hay fever because I can take an anti-histamine & it goes 🤪…no idea really?!! On a more positive note, I’ve started w2 tonight & I felt really strong so ended up running the cool down …it’s just lovely outside..dark & crisp with a 3 inch deep covering of leaves on the pavement…I love Autumn 😍
Hi Mummycav , yes unfortunately the headaches are relentless but actually this morning I have woken up and it's not too bad so fingers crossed 🤞Oh that sounds strange with your e.n.t ?
But good the anti- histamine works !🤔
Glad to hear your back on the 2nd week and feeling positive .
Yes, it’s very strange..sometimes I start to sneeze when I’m tired or anxious about something…like when I did my part 3, I got myself in a right state & sneezed for about 4 hours…now, don’t get me wrong, I love a good sneeze but it gets ridiculous 🤣🤣
I feel for you, headaches and sinuses are horrid. I’ve got the Final Countdown song in my head now, by Europe I believe?! My aim is to keep plodding along 3 times a week. Oh, and new routes. I need new routes! Where’s me map 🗺.
I'm late again and completely missed week 3 😁 not great but I think I chose the wrong month! I did the hu 10k and had a lovely run but struggled time wise the following week so didn't run or do strength stuff, then woke up with sciatica the following weekend 🤦♀️ I have not run since and have only cautiously tried a yoga session. I've had inspections sprung on me from both jobs (so cruel just before Christmas!) so let's just say I'm struggling to fit any me time in but could really do with some run freedom!! I'm going to take it easy until my back feels better. I hope your sinuses improve asap, I hope you drink plenty of water because that helps sinuses doesn't it.... even though you already feel like you are drowning in fluids!
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JULY QUEST WEEK 4: Sunny Delight: we survived the heatwave! ☀️ 🏃♀️ ☀️ 🏃♀️ ☀️ 
WEEK THREE OF THE QUEST ALREADY? How did that happen? 🏃♀️🏃♂️🏃♀️🏃♂️