NRC 10k Plan: Week 5 Run 1 - quick or what?

[Yesletsgo]

After Monday's 8k I took an extra rest day yesterday as the run had left me very achy. I did a Nike Training Club gentle workout, '10-minute Yoga: Lower Body Restorative Sequence'. It was lovely, so relaxing and managed to ease a load of achy hip muscles I'd never been aware of before.

With the extra break I was ready to go this morning. The paths have dried out a lot and are firm underfoot. Coach Bennett was in my ears (Today's 30 Minute run) and my husband was with me. We set off fairly gently but he soon pulled ahead as I'd told him I wanted to run a slightly different route to him to ensure I ran for 30 minutes.

The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing. I listened to Coach B's questions and dutifully answered them. I'd almost decided against the guided run but didn't want him to think I was ignoring him. A Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Kitchen Disco playlist was on and it matched my mood to a T. Before I knew it the voice in my ear said I'd run a km. This confused me, I run this route all the time and the first km is a little further on. Oh well, nothing I can do, it'll all come out in the wash, NRC kms always seem to be longer than Garmin kms round here, so this was a bit odd.

I carried on and as the kms passed the times seemed way over optimistic. At the end of the 30 minutes I'd covered just over 4km. I carried on running to the place where I usually stop (I was in a hurry to get my breakfast so didn't feel like walking) - 4.69kmin 33.24 minutes. Bother, if I'd carried on for another 300m I'd have had a 5k PB. Oh well.

When I got home I checked my splits. NRC said 7'26", 7'05", 6'58", 6'57" and 7'17" for the last 0.69m. Garmin has splits between 8'37" and 8'04" (Garmin includes my warm up/cooldown walks so they aren't directly comparable and I'm ignoring the slowest one). The Garmin figures feel much more likely but it's really encouraging to see all those times under 8'/km when I really wasn't pushing too hard, maybe the mythical 6/10 effort. I'd be more than happy with the Garmin figures.

Also, NRC gave me a badge for smashing my Mile PB - 11.11 but on the downside my VO2 has dropped a few points and I'm 4 years older than I was on Monday😂

IF the NRC numbers are anywhere near accurate it goes to show how much difference the state of the terrain where we run makes a difference, and to point out yet again how little information our pace gives in isolation.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10]

Love that photo! You must be absolutely thrilled with those stats. It’s great not to be defined by your pace and run your runs your way, but it’s also a wonderful boost when you’ve had a quick run. This point in following a training plan is such a nice one-you really see all the hard work making a difference.

I’d always go with the better set of figures at the accurate ones if that’s any help!! Garmins are fickle friends. Stick your in a drawer as punishment if it continues to be rude to you!

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thanks MissUnderstanding , my personal photographer aka Mr Y managed to take some pics today where I actually looked like I might be running 😂😂😂

I agree with you about preferring the NRC figures. I don't normally post numbers as I know how discouraging it can be when someone is saying 'I was so slow' when they are way faster than I can even aspire to. I was just really, really surprised at how quick the app seems to think I was going! I'm quite gobsmacked at the idea I could run even one km in less than 7 minutes, let alone two back to back, I'm sure it's a mistake.

I will send Mr Garmin to the naughty corner for telling me I'm old and slow when today I was a gazelle!!!!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10]

Fabulous run fabulous photo and fabulous stats...

Oddly, I had weird discrepancies with Garmin and CB the other day ! Telling me that I had run 1K, when like you, I know, on the route I run that was a tad early... how odd?

It is so good that you had such an excellent run and seeing how things are progressing, it does give you more confidence in the plan you have chosen!

Well done you !

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Thanks Oldfloss , good to know I'm not the only one with the glitches. NRC consistently records shorter distances than I expect eg the local Parkrun course always registers as 4.89 km or similar, so to hear that I'd covered a km so quickly was a surprise.

I've been looking closer at the figures, comparing the Garmin and NRC. I deducted 800m from the distance (roughly the length of my warmup/cooldown combined) and 10 minutes off the time. This would give me a pace of 7:59/km which I'm more than happy with (and feels a bit more likely)

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

Mine today... went mad and I could not get my guided run to save!!!

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Usually there's a map with the results but yesterday there wasn't. I feel cheated!

[Folkylass Graduate10]

Well done Yesletsgo. Super picture too. I used to have a garmin and I had discrepancies too. However I just use my Strava on my iPhone but even that can be weird sometimes.

Keep Running ! Keep Smiling! 🏃‍♀️👍🥰x

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Folkylass]

Thanks Folkylass . I realised a long time ago that the Garmin and NRC aren't the same but today there was such a big difference...

I was pretty sure that NRC was miles out but it gave me a boost, you know like when a small child asks if you're 30 rather than 100 years old? 😂

[Folkylass Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

😂😂😂x