🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️May Quest Week 4: Quitting the questing? Never!!! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

[MissUnderstanding]

Welcome to the final week of May’s Quest! How’s it been going for you? Have you been flying along or pausing for recovery? I wonder if we’ve got any HU10 finishers? I’m hoping to do mine in the next few days.

I’ve still been suffering with cold. I’ve run three times but shorter and slower than usual. I might have been better resting and getting back to normal faster. Hey ho! We live and learn. I’ve enjoyed some podcasts because I’ve been doing easy runs rather than speed work which needs more concentration. My favourite thought of the week turned up on the Strength Running Podcast about ultra running and strength training. I can’t remember why I picked that one since I’m a long way from running ultras, but I enjoyed it a lot. Near the end, they were talking about the concept of having “earned your workout”, meaning that all your training has put you in the position of taking on your run. That really resonated with me. It’s a total privilege to stand at the start of a 10k run with the expectation of actually finishing it! That’s come from loads of hard work and I’ve absolutely had to earn being in that position. It’s easy to lose sight of that and just be focussed on what’s next. So maybe you lovely Questers can share what your hard work has earned you the right to take on this week!

My main quest goal was to get back on track with strength and that’s happened. My legs didn’t thank me with some killer DOMS but I know it’s worth it for staying pain free on the runs. This week, I’ll be doing the HU10k (possibly run walking) and running three more times. Maybe even a speedy one if I’m feeling like it but that’ll be a bonus rather than a goal. I really need a swim! That might even be in the sea with a holiday next week…

So Questers, what’s your last week on this quest going to look like? I hope whatever you’re up to, it’s a good one!

MissU x

xx

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For any newbies, 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.

You need to be a C25K Graduate before joining the Quest. The reason for this is that pre-graduation your week is very much structured according to the C25K programme, and I wouldn't want the Quest to interfere with that.

Most popular goals are:

★ To run three times a week

★ To slowly increase distance

★ To train for a specific race

★ To add strength and flex 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 would like to...”

Any questions, just ask! Come and say hi!

[Folkylass Graduate10]

Thanks for hosting this months quest again MissUnderstanding. You’ve done a smashing job encouraging us all.

Well last week was for me wasn’t too fruitful apart from walking. Not much running I’m afraid to say.

So after the hullabaloo of the announcement of a general election I have set out my manifesto for the last week of this months quest.

To run at least 30 mins 3 times .

Take in a walk or two.

Look for the positives in all of the above….always.

Happy questing everyone 😂😂x

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Folkylass]

Thank you! I love doing quest-it keeps me on track too! Sometimes we just need a quieter week to catch up with ourselves-it’s not long since your race on that really hot day. Some recovery time is well deserved!

Your manifesto gets my vote!!! Have a great week of questing ❤️

[Folkylass Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Ahh thanks🥰x

[Tessie66 Graduate10]

Thank you for getting me back out, after nearly 2 weeks without running Miss Understanding has persuaded me to get back out. My quest for now is to get back to my times before the illness and back to parkrun this weekend. Your a fantastic host thanks again x

Ducks on my first run back

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Tessie66]

Fantastic news!!! Really glad you’re back out again. Those ducks seem to be enjoying themselves-it’s been very nice weather for them round here!!!

Have a great week of questing and enjoy parkrun. This could be a really nice one to take really easy and enjoy the scenery! Enjoy! ❤️

[Tessie66 Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thank you definitely be taking it steady at parkrun. The ducks were heading down towards the football pitches for some reason

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10]

Hello... thank you for keeping this old snail going.. I really hope you are feeling better and the prospect of a sea swim... wow!!

For me... not a bad week, except for the weird foot twinge, which came, went and then came back...and went! I had got short, very short runs in... but... was a tad worried re the HU10!

BUT, again... I did get out there and I did it. My foot had felt fine, for two days, so I decided to go and to stop if necessary !

I did not need to stop and the run was amazing...especially running ( virtually), with so many other folk! 10K done and in the very time I did my first one, many years ago!

Okay.. job done...

Regular exercise done as usual.

Focus still on core strength.

T'ai Chi at home this week as Mr OF had a blip day...

Eating regime...still getting a tad more weight on which is great! I have ditched the scales, and am focusing more on the feeling of clothes on me! Happily for me, the waistbands are feeling a tad snugger and my legs are filling out too!

Mentally, I am having to up my exercise a tad... overthinking is trying its best to creep in, so the positivity of the runs is really helping, as is the Yoga with Adriene !

On we go to the end of the month !

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Congratulations on a fantastic HU10!! I was so pleased your foot niggle didn’t come to anything. Those things are strange-maybe the jeopardy about whether you’d be able to run made it extra special when you could! Lots of things to celebrate too with your exercise and weight progress. Hooray! Have a fantastic final week of this quest! ❤️

[chrisl72 Graduate10]

Hi missunderstanding, sorry to hear you've been unwell again. Hope you are shaking off the cold now, and good luck on your HU10k this week!

I've been plugging away at the NRC 10k plan, currently in 6 weeks to go. We did our HU10k on Sunday and planning on the 10 miler on Saturday or Sunday. Which day will depend on the weather.

Also enjoying the short NTC workouts that are part of the 10k plan. They don't feel like much when you're doing them, but my glutes certainly reminded me for a couple of days afterwards!

So more of the same to complete the month - at time of writing I have a speed run (today), a 25 minute easy run and the long run to complete.

All the best for your running week!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to chrisl72]

Thank you! I’m much better-still getting tired more quickly than usual but ran 6k yesterday which felt ok. A week or two and I’ll be back to normal!

Great quest month for you with not one but two HU medals! That’s epic 🥇🥇

I totally agree about those NTC shorts-it’s amazing which muscles ache the next day in places you never thought possible!!

Have a great week and enjoy your ten miler

[GoogleMe Graduate10]

Have loved your posts leading our Quests this month and so much to relate to - sometimes it has felt as though I am in a long tunnel but it is a green and verdant one. And I've rather lurched along.

So... all very well feeling generally OK but how does that translate into the numbers, steering the course between SMART goals and spuriousness?

1) Weight goal... not at all to my surprise, although I was surprised at quite how much, after the positive 'goal achieved' of the last report in, it lurched upwards again, but is now settling back, so I remain hopeful. We shall see what the scales say on the 31st and how I have managed with 3 days of being 'sedentary' right in front of a cake stall!

2) Haven't run yet... kept having to put other folks needs first and today, sadly, putting my own needs first (or at least the needs of recovering from my daft heart which came out to play in the middle of the night) means not going out for a run... but again, still time to do my 5K run for the hedgehog medal.

3) Yoga not daily and not completed the programme... but I've done some of each.

4) Active 10 walking badge - every day continues to elude me (as we've discussed, daily targets are hard) but various positives... I've realised that so long as I have my phone with me, I can clock up brisk minutes indoors, and yesterday, turning up to a dementia walk which had been cancelled due to the weather, my Mum and I clocked up some brisk minutes on the Monsal Trail. Best of all, my average for the month so far does come in over the 10 minutes a day.

5) Exploring my local wood which is about to have a planning application go in which would significantly affect my own and others' use of it.... no, the car may have pretty much worn a groove on the road which runs next to it going back and forth in support of both my offspring, but I've not been able to stop and go in yet.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to GoogleMe]

Thank you so much for your kind words! All you lovely Questers have kept me going , especially when I’ve felt a bit sorry for myself!

You’ve got loads to feel proud of and goals you’re determined to achieve-that’s absolutely to be celebrated! What a shame about the dementia walk being cancelled but the Monsal trail is a beautiful place to walk so I’m glad you managed to make the best of it. Getting your average up over ten is a brilliant achievement! Maybe that’s something I’ll pinch for next month-aiming for an average run/walk time per week instead of just the number of runs/walks. Great goal!

Enjoy the rest of the quest and I hope you get your hedgehog!

[Sax64 Graduate10]

Hi, hope you're on the mend now and getting back into your routines. We took advantage of the great weather with a long weekend away in the Derbyshire Dales with our campervan. Our breaks are very active, so there was lots of hiking and biking and even a couple of runs. The hills were brutal though and our 5k run ended up as a 6.5k run and it took me an hour! Had to walk some of it. Anyway it stood me in good stead as I completed my HU10k today and I was really pleased with how comfortable it felt🥳,I have posted a report on Fun Beyond...forum. All in all I feel my fitness levels are really improving again. There's probably a few days exercise rest now with family arriving tomorrow and staying over the weekend. Time to put my grandma hat on for the older grandchildren. Apparently we're off to Warhammer World in Nottingham one of the days.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Sax64]

I know the Derbyshire Dales well and I think I’ve even been to warhammer world with an old uni boyfriend!! That brings back memories… Hope you have fun. Great part of the world-that’s the Derbyshire Dales not Warhammer World!!! Glad you’re having such a great time.

Loved your run report-congratulations on your HU10! 🥇

Have a fantastic rest of the quest!