ONE HOUR!!!

[Gthants]

I did the school drop off this morning and intended to run from one place, in a set direction, for 20, 30, 40, or 50 minutes, depending on how I felt when I started.

On the spur of the moment I parked elsewhere, giving me a steep downhill beginning to the run, knowing that the end to my probable 20 minutes would be painful.

I started my audiobook and set off.

I took one short walk in the lead up to the return hill finish, but ran the whole hill very slowly indeed.

I ran for fractionally over an hour (though the NRC app naturally said 59:58 🤣 - this is the same app that said my Park Run wasn't 5k ...).

So I have hit my target of one hour's running! It's just over a year after since I started C25K and I can't quite believe I've gone from not being able to jog for 100 metres before I began to being able to run (slowly) for this amount of time.

I guess the new target is to be able to do this again (and again, and again) until it feels as "comfortable" (I use the term loosely) as 5k.

And then move on to trying to run for 10k.

Happy running folks!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10]

Absolutely fantastic news!!! Congratulations! You can claim a badge from  Mummycav here…

healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...

You will also be first place on that thread too!

Seriously well done-that’s a brilliant achievement 🏃‍♀️👩‍🎓🥇🏃

PS: I love that tactic of setting of for a run of a variety of possible durations. That’s my best way to do a long run without driving myself crazy with gremlins!! Nice one!

[Gthants 60minGraduate in reply to MissUnderstanding]

That "conning yourself" (but in a nice way) is something I really like. When I haven't wanted to put too much pressure on myself, it's easier just to say I'm going to run. When I finish, I HAVE run, so it's one ticked off and I'm a degree fitter and stronger - that's a really good thing. In the past I've managed (say) a 38 minute run that "should" have been 40. As you say, it's that whole gremlin aspect covering not just the first ten minutes of running, but the "should/would/must" of it too. This takes that nonsense out of the equation.

Running = good. Simple as. 🤷‍♂️

[PeggySusi]

That’s absolutely brilliant.. well done! So good to read that you have recovered that level of fitness and stamina after long covid.. and it will help to reassure those who are still struggling that it can be done, I hope. And you even incorporated a hill..💪🏽🏃🏽‍♂️👏☺️

[Gthants 60minGraduate in reply to PeggySusi]

Absolutely! After three years of frequently feeling like hell and never being myself, it feels extraordinary to have some stamina back. At my age I thought this had gone. I do still have days when I can't do much, but they are increasingly rare. And right now I'm working and planning what I'll be cooking for the family later; a year ago my early stage C25K runs were my "energy spoons" for the day!

[Sax64 Graduate10]

👏That is absolutely fabulous. Well done on such a huge achievement after all you've been through. An inspiration to everyone 🏅

[Gthants 60minGraduate in reply to Sax64]

Thank you so much!

[Sandraj39 Graduate10]

Well done Gthants - your hard work has paid off! It’s so good when our fitness returns and it sounds like you have kept the faith through the hard times.🙂

[Gthants 60minGraduate in reply to Sandraj39]

Thank you!

[CBDB Graduate10]

woohooo!!! Huge congratulations!!! That’s awesome!

And doesn’t the 10k now look quite achievable?

Awesome!

[Gthants 60minGraduate in reply to CBDB]

I somehow equated 10k with 1 hour; no idea why as 30 minutes didn't come close to 5k! At the moment my legs seem to feel an hour was quite a long time and I reckon an hour twenty would be 10k for me; so a while away yet. But it has to be a target, doesn't it?

[Jools2020 Graduate10]

Huge well done from me! 👏👏👏👍

[Gthants 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

Thanks - slow running!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Gthants]

My favourite - as you know! 😊

And 1 hour is a huge milestone! For me it was the point where i realised that all things are possible and I started planning a half marathon.

[Gthants 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

😬😱 (But what is interesting is that last week I ran 58 minutes and was shattered by day's end and still sore the next day. Yesterday I did curtail some things I had planned, but felt okay, slept well last night, and [almost] feel like running again this morning!)

[NorwegianWood]

I stand in awe of your ability. I know it's all about the programme and the commitment, and I'm impressed!

[Gthants 60minGraduate in reply to NorwegianWood]

Thank you, that's so kind. I didn't believe C25K was possible and I didn't think the plan to get to an hour of running would work, but I followed both, repeated runs as necessary, rested on extra days and ... both plans work!

[NorwegianWood in reply to Gthants]

I'm on my own journey of trying to improve my 5k time by following a programme on the app, '5K Pacer'. It mixes the type of running over 8 weeks with 3 days of running each week. It looks pretty convincing as it gets runners to run up to 50 mins and running harder for longer each day. It's too much for me at the moment, but I assume I'll get there.

[Gthants 60minGraduate in reply to NorwegianWood]

I thought the same about C25K. And I thought the same about the plan to get to 1 hour of running. I didn't follow the latter religiously, some runs were 2-4 minutes longer or shorter than they were "supposed" to be, but I adapted it to suit me and to fit how I felt on the day. I like the freedom of going for a run, but not knowing exactly how long I will run for.

And just as running for 30 minutes seemed like a ludicrous fantasy even half way through C25K, then running for longer still seems out of reach. But a minute or two added on to every long run, or every other long run is quite enough to get you there. I went up 4 minutes in one week - from 48-52 minutes - and because my body was conditioned to a slightly longer time anyway, it was fine.

You'll get there!

[GTFC Graduate10]

Love this. The power of running with determination, consistency, discipline and motivation.

[Gthants 60minGraduate in reply to GTFC]

❤️

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10]

Feels good doesn't it... Well done to you!