February Quest Week 2: a long way to the top?🎶🎵🎶🎵

[Yesletsgo]

It’s the second week of February and so far so good. No named storms, just the usual weather for this time of year. Judging by the posts on this forum a lot of us are getting back to some sort of a running routine, hopefully not too much of a highway to hell.

The slightly longer days and some beautiful sunny mornings have tempted us to the chilly outdoors and maybe even acted as an incentive to get out and run faster, either to warm up or to get home for a cuppa a bit more quickly.

My Quest has been going pretty well. I only need to do a 15 minute run to complete Week 3 of the Group 10k/60 minute challenge. I wonder if it would be cheating to just go straight to the longer runs of Week 4?

(for anyone who is late coming to the Challenge here are the links for the first week and this week

healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...

healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...

Mixed success on doing workouts with the Nike Training Club app. I managed a 'Bodyweight Burn' workout the other day and it half crippled me for the next few days. Logic says this means I need to work on the muscle groups it so painfully highlighted but feelings tell me to take it easy, I’m too decrepit for this stuff. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Maybe my next workout will be called something like ‘Gentle Flow’

So how about you? Are you thunderstruck or is it all a touch too much?

Let us know what you’ve been up to, you can even sing it if you like

For any newbies, here’s an introduction to 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 👋….we want to know what you're aiming for!

Happy Questing everyone

Yesletsgo

(AC/DC at Wembley last year, those guys have energy for all of us!)

[GoogleMe Graduate10]

You do not want me to sing my progress, trust me 😀

Given my looser approach to goal setting for February, I think I can say things are going OK... it's all about getting *some* in... yoga's been decent (no formal classes but 5 of my own personal practice), pelvic floor exercises every day bar one, I'm in my running togs so might get out for a little run today... and sadly one of my Bengals has upped the decluttering priority with some inappropriate urination 😬 Getting some grammes off this week has morphed more into one of those 'eat lots of different plants' things

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to GoogleMe]

Cats are wonderful, soothing, calming, empathetic...or maybe just in our dreams, eh? Sounds like your little hooligan has its own agenda for getting you busy (I understand Bengals are in a class of their own) 🐱‍👤

When you have a stretchy goal it means you can add tick boxes as you go along which is most satisfying. The 'eat lots of plants' approach seems to have lots of benefits for your health and wellbeing, and who knows, a few grammes going missing might be one of them

PS you can always sing like there's noone listening, I promise I won't 😂

[Floradora2]

this week has been a good one. I managed a run on Sunday and one on Tuesday, both of about 7-8km and then a 13km walk on Wednesday with our walking group. Pilates yesterday and hoping for a run this morning. Find it so much harder to go out if it’s cold and grey. Still haven’t tried the yoga class online which I was going to do - maybe tomorrow.

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Floradora2]

You've done really well with the running this week. Did you get out this morning? The weather was really offputting where I live. So much easier to feel bright and sparky when the sun is shining.

If you run today that's your 3 runs this week. It doesn't have to be a long one - the Nike Running Club has a 2 minute run which on an 'I don't want to run' day can really feel like an achievement

You're achieving your Pilates related Quest goal too, fantastic. The online yoga is waiting for you...

[Floradora2 in reply to Yesletsgo]

I did get out this morning and did 5.6km. It was pretty miserable, grey and cold but I’m pleased I did it. Will try a yoga class tomorrow I think.

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Floradora2]

Well done, getting out of the door can be the most challenging step

[CBDB Graduate10]

Hello hello hello!!! Questers, here I go.

I think I’m doing ok, here is what I said I’d do:

“So for Feb my goals are:

1) Continue on my Runner’s World 6-week 5k plan (but leaving 2-3 days recovery between runs)

2) Continue on my Half Marathon rowing plan, which is a long one of 13 weeks! (I’m on week 3 day 3)

3) Do my mid-foot strengthening stretches. I’ve put together a Plantar Fasciitis Prevention 4-Week Plan that I’ll start any day now!”

And how I have I fared?

1) ✅ this morning completed week 2!

2) ✅ Yesterday completed week 3 (of 13 weeks)

3) ✅yup doing mid foot strengthening when and where I can! Thanks to this questing, I’m sure! 😀👍🏽👏🕺🏼💃🏽

A good week for me!

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to CBDB]

Glad to hear that the Quest is helping you, you're absolutely on a roll this month.

Great that you've completed Week 2 running and Week 3 rowing, so satisfying when you can tick a whole week off your list, and you've got two of them

Foot strengthening is such a good idea. We tend to take our feet for granted until something goes wrong and then we realise how intricate and amazing they are.

Here's to your happy feet carrying you through the rest of the Quest

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

So true. Happy feet 👣🦶makes happy runners!

[Bluebirdrunner Graduate10]

Hi Yesletsgo,

Well I went.... twice! So that's running ticked off on this weeks quest. Two more 30 min full runs done. I can feel my stamina improving which is great.

Yoga practice done every day of Feb, apart from one, when I just ran out of time. Enjoyed a full day rugby watching instead.

Walking too, a very muddy towpath was negotiated on a 8k walk. Plus walks into town and back have me at 17k recorded on Strava.

I remembered to do some extra physio moves once (clams, squats and heel raises). Must try harder to fit these in to keep strong.

I saw daffodils on today's run, and its definately lighter in the evenings. Just need it to warm up and brighten up a tad more.

Happy questing all

🏃‍♀️🧘‍♀️🚶‍♀️💪🌷xxx

.

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Bluebirdrunner]

Well done with the running, two decent runs is what you wanted and now you've done it

You're doing well with the Yoga too, every day is a bonus, and I'm sure you were breathing when you watched the rugby 😂 so that counts too in my book, plus of course the extra moves, it all helps.

If you've already walked 17k and it's not even the middle of the month you are well on course to cover the 50k for the challenge.

All in all a great week's Questing