The May Quest Week 3: Greetings and welcome... - Bridge to 10K

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The May Quest Week 3

nowsterGraduate10•

3 years ago•33 Replies

Greetings and welcome, fellow runners. This is the third week of the May Quest.

Ne’er cast a clout ’til May be out.

Hopefully things continue to go to plan. If you’d like a reminder, here are the previous weeks’ posts:

Week 1: healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...

Week 2: healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...

You can no longer reply to the previous weeks’ posts.

Latecomers are welcome. If you’re just joining us, here’s what it’s 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.

Not as much running for me as I’d planned this week as I ran out of time on Thursday and had both an optician and a dentist appointment on Friday. Yesterday was a parkrun in very nice weather, at which I got bitten on the leg twice by insects.

The last time that happened (August Bank Holiday weekend last year on a 10 mile run) I needed antibiotics! After putting up this post this I’m planning to go out and do another Half Marathon distance to start the day.

How’s it been going for you? Has what you planned been achievable, did you plan to do too much, or have things happened which have forced you to regroup?

Tell us all in a reply to this post.

Happy running!

nowster and the Bridge to 10K Team

Written by

nowster

Graduate10

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33 Replies

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Me_timeGraduate103 years ago

I hope the insect bites don't turn into infections needing antibiotics this time.My quest, which I joined late, is unfortunately gone on hold even before I could start.

I will get back to it as soon as I can.

MummycavAdministratorGraduate103 years ago

Hi nowster …I’m very late in my request to become one of your questers this month!! I’ve been struggling to find my mojo & juggle my time lately so my running has taken a back seat…so here I am, raring to go…I want to get back to running 3 times a week…that’s my happy place..so hopefully, next week, I will have good news 🏃🏼‍♀️✔️

nowsterGraduate10• in reply toMummycav3 years ago

I know what you mean about juggling times. That's what happened to me on Thursday.

Best of luck in getting back into a routine.

BluebirdrunnerGraduate103 years ago

Hi nowster and fellow Questers,

yes, I hope those bites settle and don't require antibiotics nowster.🤞Enjoy your run, it's raining hard here.

I'm keeping to my goals and ran again yesterday. Same route as last week, and am pleased to report I'm trending faster. That feels good!

Still turning up for daily YWA yoga practice...but not done any HIIT with Joe Wicks (I think this may be a non-starter after all) been on a few longish walks, and looking after a heavy one year old not yet walking take a lot of energy too💙

Good luck with your quests🌷xxx

CBDBGraduate103 years ago

Have fun on your HM! And lovely pic again!

No new quests, just keeping on keeping on:

Running: continue in my Zombie, Run C25k journey (complete by June). I’ve just finished week 6. Getting there slowly, with having planned minimum of 2 runs/week.

S&F: I might just not quite finish the 30-day James Dunne challenge this month, as I’ll stretch the last stage (mostly running drills) over several weeks, as I’ll only do the drills on my runs from above.

Rowing: continue rowing minimum of 5 times per week doing the 10k plan (complete by June)

Nordic Walking: since last quest, my poles arrived and I’ve done two walks! Onwards and upwards.

nowsterGraduate10• in reply toCBDB3 years ago

The photo is of one of the entrances to one of the woods which I do walks in. Twenty years ago it was mown grass with no defined path.

And maintaining your current activities is a great quest.

GailXrunning3 years ago

🦟 I do hope your body doesn’t rebel against the insect saliva and that you are strong for your HM, nowster . And I hope all fellow May Questers are doing well.🙌

After my 10k last Sunday, and with a work-week-from-hell to contend with, I’m really pleased to report that I’ve squeezed in 3 runs: 4k, 4.25k and 5k. There’s an added complication: the final stage of JD’s 30-day Challenge (also part of my Quest) is based on running drills. One can be done in the kitchen as warmup. The others require getting out on a run… so two of my May Quests have converged. Combining one of the drills into my 10k last week probably wasn’t such a bright idea, so I’ve since kept things modest distance-wise; the drills make the runs into workouts that are more intense than one realises. Finding a pace that is both do-able across the stated intervals and fast enough to work with the drill-form isn’t straightforward. This is especially true of the third drill, which was introduced, and which requires us to lift our feet and knees a bit more than we’d normally do: sounds easy, doesn’t it? Oh, no! One effort was way too fast and I could not sustain the interval; the next compensated by being too slow (think running-as-dressage 🐴); today’s run found a better balance but by breaking down one of the intervals (now extended to 5 mins) into smaller segments (probably meaning I was again too fast). Not that I’m too concerned; the positive effects are showing and I’m learning. And I’m running! 🏃‍♀️💃🏼🙌 I’m still doing my ankle strengthening exercises.

Orchard path

nowsterGraduate10• in reply toGailXrunning3 years ago

It's all a learning experience!

And the bites didn't stop me running this morning. I was a little slower than previously but I ran it more easily, with a lower peak heart rate.

The problem I have with insect bites is that they often get infected, and that infection tracks under the skin. The worst were some red spider mite bites I got in both June 2020 and 2021. My own fault for doing weed clearing in shorts. I'll only now do that sort of thing in long trousers and wellies.

GoogleMeGraduate103 years ago

Week 3? Yikes! None of my menu options ticked off. I did get a short run in which I guess is an investment in doing the longer one! It's been a tough old week.

SueAppleRunGraduate1060minGraduate3 years ago

I’ve started so let’s hope I can continue with a 10k plan so that’s my quest for this week

FreecloudGraduate103 years ago

I did two runs during the week, a 10k on Wednesday and an easy on the heart 30k yesterday. I intended to get 3 runs in but I went at last Sunday's 10k quite heavy and fast, with very little running the week before and I was aching for a few days after. I didn't learn because I did the exact same on the Wednesday so legs were sore for Friday's run.. Ah, I could have if I wanted to but end of week tiredness won over.. I only intended on doing a 5k easy run yesterday and an easy hm today but I went out early yesterday and didn't plan to anything apart from the grocery shop with herself, so carried on turning at random roads eventually finishing with the 30k. I'll do 2 10k or 15k easy runs next week hopefully before the hm on Saturday. However, the weather doesn't look too promising 😭😭. Edit, just adding the photo of the little lamb that came over to say hello when I was running. She made it back into the field afterwards.

Baby lamb

nowsterGraduate10• in reply toFreecloud3 years ago

30km is the next distance I have my sights on. The HM yesterday was because that was all I had time for. (I feel really weird just saying that!)

Well done!

FreecloudGraduate10• in reply tonowster3 years ago

Isn't it great to say that a time constraint was the only thing stopping you from a 30k run?! Personally, its been just about a year since I started to do the jog run thing and then starting c25k. I swore that I would have no interest in doing the longer runs after I graduated, but now I'd prefer a 10k run over a 5k.

nowsterGraduate10• in reply toFreecloud3 years ago

That was me exactly! Except that I started properly in June 2020.

I currently have the hint of a suspicion that I may eventually do marathon distances and beyond, but I have no desire at all to take part in a formal race.

Birdlady64Graduate103 years ago

Virtual Vitality 10,000 done ✅I'd like to keep it up with one longer run a week, probably at the weekend. An 8k today set the scene nicely

Strength& core work - Hmm.... I'm still hindered by the shoulder I injured when I tripped on a run in the woods almost 2 months ago now. I feel a trip to the physio in the offing

But it might have to wait until next month if plans for the next 3 weeks or so come to fruition 🤞

OldflossAdministratorGraduate10• in reply toBirdlady643 years ago

Well done you..hope that shoulder sorts!

Birdlady64Graduate10• in reply toOldfloss3 years ago

Thanks Floss. Me too!

FionamagsGraduate103 years ago

Ouch - hope those bites clear up OK. Good luck with with your HM - its amazing to think that we were both on C25K around the same time and now your doing that distance - just because you can! I've not been on the forum much lately and missed posting last week. Have not fulfilled my quest to do the JD Challenge and run 3 times a week. But....at least I've run once a week. I did 9k this week, which is the distance I'm running at the end of the month in a Team relay during the Edinburgh Marathon. I'm also getting faster and my last run saw me ahead of the Sweeper van for every kilometre!

So there are positives - but I really, really need to get into a more regular running habit.

nowsterGraduate10• in reply toFionamags3 years ago

Bites flared up and became painful yesterday evening, and I've missed out on getting a GP appointment today. If it gets much worse, the out-of-hours service may get a ring.

Would that be a street sweeper van? 🤣

Best of luck for your relay stage in a fortnight.

BluebirdrunnerGraduate10• in reply tonowster3 years ago

Oh....Nowster..outchy🤞x

FionamagsGraduate10• in reply tonowster3 years ago

Sounds like you are headed for another dose of antibiotics.... Street sweeper? Might well be by the end of it 🤣🤣🤣

nowsterGraduate10• in reply toFionamags3 years ago

I could possibly outrun an old style milk float. 🤣

River_runnerGraduate103 years ago

Thanks nowster, great to hear everyone's questing progress.I got 2 blood blisters on my 10K the other week so I just did 2 runs last week to give my feet a bit of a rest. They coped well with a bit over 5K on Friday (not actually sure how far it was, Strava map was way off the mark!) and 3.5 on Sunday. Hoping to keep 3 runs going from this week, did 3K this morning.

Longer term plans still a bit vague. Running wise I'm considering a 10K trail run race in the autumn so seeing if I can keep going/extend a bit from 10K.

I really need more yoga in my life and not sure how to fit that in. Considering doing YwA MOVE again.

I've got a sore ankle muscle which might be overuse, possibly cycling especially up hills standing up is not enough of a rest on top of the running and I need to rethink that (key part of my strength training is cycling up a very steep hill on my way to work!)

So a bit of a mixed bag but still moving in the right direction.

nowsterGraduate10• in reply toRiver_runner3 years ago

As someone who has had ankle sprains in the past, I'm always extra cautious when I feel things in that area are "off".

Best of luck!

River_runnerGraduate10• in reply tonowster3 years ago

Hmmm that is a useful cautionary note, thank you

OldflossAdministratorGraduate10• in reply toRiver_runner3 years ago

Mostly the right direction..sounds good to me!

YesletsgoAdministratorGraduate103 years ago

Hi nowster , hope the insect bites are feeling better by now.As for my Quest, I'm managing 3 times a week pretty regularly by now.

The beetroot eating is going well too. I'm getting used to the, er, colourful effects by now but it can still be a bit disconcerting. On the other hand I think my energy levels are better and while I'm not getting faster I'm feeling much livelier at the end of my runs.

I'm not doing very well on the one yoga/core per week. I've been quite busy, I wonder if constant boat cleaning counts as a workout?

I'm on track for 60 km this month, I'm up to 32.84 km today (17th) so more than half way there.

If I could only do that elusive 10k that would really help. I've got so used to doing 5km that I've built up a bit of a mental barrier to the longer distances. I tell myself that it's too warm, if only it was chilly I'd feel better running etc. I need to give myself a proper talking to, prepare myself mentally and physically and just go for it. If I only manage 8 or 9 km so what, at least I'll have got closer

OldflossAdministratorGraduate10• in reply toYesletsgo3 years ago

Great stuff.. all sounding positive, especially the colourful episodes Ha ha..That 10K will come... just relax and let it

OldflossAdministratorGraduate103 years ago

Hope the bites are sorted now... I ended up at Porthmadog hospital a few years back after an infected horsefly bite... was turning into cellulitis!Still running, no pressure... hoping to build on the 10K but no hurry... taking it gently still.

Not getting as many runs in as I would like but... that is just due to life right now

Loads of strength and stamina work going on though...

Happy Questing everyone!

nowsterGraduate10• in reply toOldfloss3 years ago

I now have antibiotics for it as of this afternoon. Yesterday my leg was really tight and painful. A colleague was in hospital for many months due to cellulitis.

I also have a reserve prescription in case it happens again. (This is the fourth such incident in three years.)

OldflossAdministratorGraduate10• in reply tonowster3 years ago

Glad it is sorted.

Kharina3 years ago

I'd like to join the Quest (very late I know!) I have been gradually building up my time on one long run each week over this month, aiming to build up to 60 minutes, though might be just into June when I achieve this. I plan to run 55 minutes this weekend (did 50 last weekend with the odd bit of walking just to clamber over fallen logs!) on a quite hilly route so hoping I'm ready for 55 minutes. Would like to do 10k but currently think I won't make that distance in 60 minutes so the 60 minutes is my goal for now, then keep building up the time till I hit 10k.

nowsterGraduate10• in reply toKharina3 years ago

That sounds very sensible, and is exactly what many here have done.

I hit 60 minutes on an 8km run on a slightly twisted knee.