So here we are again ☺️ A Tuesday Morning 10k… 👋🏼🏃🏻‍♀️🐌🔟

[LottieMW]

So last August, sometime around my Runniversary, I ran 9k on my second time around on the Magic Plan…and then I stopped. I didn’t stop running…I just didn’t fancy a long run 🤷🏻‍♀️

So for a few months I played around with 30-40 minute runs, with the occasional 5k thrown in…then, inspired by others on this forum, I decided to try out the NRC10k Plan, starting on the 19th October.

I’ve followed every run, sometimes adding in a short run if I didn’t fancy the long run that day. I’ve run 2 or 3 days a week, sometimes less if the weather’s been bad, or other stuff has got in the way.

Finally, on Tuesday, I got around to Run #25…I decided to use a combination of the Boating Lake and the 2 River Walks…this gave me several looping circuits, so I could bail out at any time if needed.

To my surprise, this was classified as an “easy pace” run, and CB wasn’t as chatty as usual…leaving me for long periods to mull over his pearls of wisdom. Easy, Easier, Easily…

Now I’m a regular snail…like some others on here 😉…so I was gobsmacked when CB told me to SLOW DOWN somewhere around 9k…I was practically walking! 😂 He was making the point that this wasn’t a race, it was a training run…and most runs are…easy pace…not even a 10k pace!

…and then it was over. My old friends, the niggly right knee, and left hip put in an appearance, and my feet were burning! I walked back to the car and did my stretches…and then went food shopping 😬

So… my longest run since that 9k in August, my 8th 10k…the previous one was 31st July 2021!

Believe it or not, there’s still 3 weeks left on the NRC10K Plan…so I shall carry on as I’m really enjoying the variety of it.

Oh, and Spotify played me 29 tunes…so I’m not going to list them all…but they helped keep me going 🎶

I enjoyed it, I had fun and I smiled 😉🥰🏃🏻‍♀️🐌💕🙌🏼

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

Excellent run for you LottieMW, congratulations 🎊 😊 🏃🏾

[LottieMW Ambassador in reply to AlMorr]

thank you Al 😊

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to LottieMW]

Tomorrow Saturday I won't be going to parkrun, instead I'll run what we call "a short maintenance run" which will be a 3K run 3 times around a 1K pond which sometimes have swans and ducks 🦆 swimming around. 😊

[LottieMW Ambassador in reply to AlMorr]

Our Boating Lake is about that size. When I was doing a regular 2 mile walk, it involved the walk to and from the carpark, and 3 complete loops…

We have a pair of swans, coots, Moorhen, ducks…and loads of Canadian geese that were exceedingly noisy yesterday!

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to LottieMW]

I didn't see any ducks or swans this morning, I occasionally see some men fishing but I don't think that there are many fish, if any in that pond, part of that 1K route is on a board walk, so I was running on it over the water, then a short uphill path through a woodland area, then downhill back to the pond on the left for about 100 metres, then to make up the 1K the route at this bit is tar mack, leaves the pond up to the part I start, 1K done, do a u turn and another 1K, three times.

[LottieMW Ambassador in reply to AlMorr]

We have people fishing too! 😉🐟 Also on a Sunday morning and Wednesday afternoon there is a model boat club…

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10]

How did I miss this? Superb run. I bet you were grinning from ear to ear.

I haven’t done the NRC 10 k plan but I’ve been through a lot of the HM plan which has a lot of overlap. It’s so good. It sounds like it’s worked wonders for both of us. The variety is so great.

I was also surprised at the “easy pace” for the long runs. I was listening to a women’s running podcast the other day and their coach was making the very sensible point that they’re just training runs, time on your feet, chill out mental health runs. They can be your nicest runs! I don’t know why I’ve never thought of it like that before but it really helped. 10k is my favourite distance at the moment. Far enough to really get into but not so far you need to take water!!! Just watch out for Coach B pulling out a few surprises. On my eight miler last week he had me rolling through some pick ups channeling 5k, 10k and mile pace efforts. I was not pleased with him!!! On reflection, it was sort of fun!

Enjoy some serious celebrating! 🏃‍♀️❤️💪

[LottieMW Ambassador in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thank you MissU 😊

I’ve already been caught out by him on some interval runs…he has a habit of sneaking in extra intervals when you think you’re on the last one! 😳🤨

I think Paula Radcliffe says something similar about training runs…I can’t remember now…

I think (at the moment), I prefer the shorter 3K or 30 minute runs…easy to fit in, and a variety of places to go. By the time I’d driven to where I wanted to run, stretched, warm up walked, ran, cooled down, stretched, and driven back…it was well over 2 hours…so I won’t be running weekly 10Ks anytime soon 😂

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Now that sounds like a great run, I love an easy run and you totally nailed it 😉

[LottieMW Ambassador in reply to SueAppleRun]

thank you Sola 😊

I just plodded along, smiling at people…the nature of the route meant I even passed some people twice! One such couple included an ex work colleague…they cheered me on both times! 😂