NRC 10k Plan: 25 Minute Run (week 2)

[MissUnderstanding]

It feels like it’s been ages since I posted one of these. The weather blew me off course! I got a bit spooked by a door flying out of the back of a truck and nearly hitting me while I was driving home a few days ago that I decided not to chance any trees coming down on me. Late afternoon today, the wind seemed to have dropped and it wasn’t raining. Time for a run.

I was in such a grump about some work stuff that I thought it would be good for me. I hardly ever come back from a run still in a bad mood. Today was a rare exception! None of this was related to the run commentary. Coach B stayed with me the whole time which was good-he’s abandoned me during a few runs recently. It just felt like a total slog. I think I got my eating wrong because five minutes in I was absolutely starving and I couldn’t shake it.

So anyway, what was the run about? It was advertised as a 25 minute easy run. Coach B spilt it up into five minute chunks, each with a diffent focus. That worked really nicely. He talked about the run as being a meeting between the run and the runner. That’s basically thinking about how you’re feeling and what you’re supposed to be doing. If the run’s a relaxed one, you need to meet it where it is and run easy. No arguing!

Despite all that great advice, my run felt like an argument with myself all the way round. Too fast. Too slow. Push harder. Stop pushing. Why are you even thinking about pace? Too hot. Now too cold. Usually I settle into a rhythm but it wouldn’t come today. Ten minutes in, you’re asked to think about how you want to end the run and to take steps to get to that point. I was aiming for “calm” but everything I did seemed to annoy me.

I think this would have been a really good run if I’d been in a better mood. Ah well! I still ran for twenty five minutes and I’ve got a very satisfying tick. Once I’d been in the shower and eaten something, I found my good mood!

If you’ve done this run, how did you find it?

[misswobble Graduate10]

You were hangry 😁

Runs off 😁🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to misswobble]

Yes!!! You are so right,…you can come back from wherever you ran off to! 😂😂😂

I’m usually much better these days at judging what to eat and when before running. Today I really wished I’d had a gel with me (and I hate them!). It was an early lunch and a weirdly timed run. Next time it’s peanut butter on toast before I go and not when I come back!!

[misswobble Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

The feeling of running out of fuel, as the legs turn to jelly, is ‘orrible.

Never again 😬

[Mum22boys Graduate10]

It sounds like an interesting run, will you do it again and see if you can find the right feel and rhythm?? Oh, and not surprised you were spooked by the flying door!!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Mum22boys]

Thank you! That flying door was awful-it didn’t hit anyone hit a lot of cars swerved and I was tense for the whole rest of the journey home. Bring on spring!! I like a twenty five minute run so I think I will try this one again. I’ve rerun quite a few of the NRC guided runs and often enjoy them more the second time. I’m sure this one will be the same!!

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10]

I did that run the other week. When I started it was a real hard slog, heavy legs, no enthusiasm. Then there was a question about 'how do you want to feel at the end of the run?' My favourite end of run feeling is 'energised' so once I realised that I knew what I had to do - go a bit slower and not just push myself. Then the question about the word for the run - for me it was 'smooth'. Weirdly it all sort of came together then. That Coach B is a genius!

Like misswobble says, you were hangry. Here, have some 🍫🍕🍰 and pat yourself on the back for a run well run

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

That “what’s your word?” was such a good question! I think you’re totally right…the “hanger” really affected the run. Even though I wasn’t calm by the end of the run, I feel calm now because I went earlier! So delayed thanks to Coach B and thanks to you for the lovely encouragement!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

So glad you found your good mood. No I haven't done that run but I have had runs like that

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

It makes me feel so much better to know we all have days like that. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this run when you fancy a guided one again. It’s a nice balance of chat and thinking time. I loved the five minute segments-that really worked for me!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to MissUnderstanding]

It does sound one I'd enjoy 😁

[Gwenllian1 Graduate10]

I did this one last week and I did enjoy it. It took me a couple of questions to get into it but I liked the idea of having a word for his I wanted to finish. I chose energised and that helped me not to run too hard!

[misswobble Graduate10]

he loves his dictionary does Coach B, so he’s never short of things to say😁