W7R2 - hopefully this was is not my first failed run!

I set off tonight knowing that 25mins is doable & within my range since I have done it twice before already & after my last outing I decided to try and do an extended warmup walk, 3mins of music then started the podcast.

Then into my new route - (having decided from now on that I am done with running in the shadows of tall warehouses) so I dropped down onto the canal towpath and set off - deliberately keeping holding the pace back.

It's a lovely stretch - nicely tarmaced towpath with wide flat grass verges & goes out for about 10k until the next town - so should provide be a 20k loop!!!! - so this was always going to be my target to get running next to the canal.

Since I now know that it is usual and okay for me to adjust and re-adjust my pace and style during the first few mins so I wasn't too worried about the aches and pains - they are just something I need to get used to when I set off. And sure enough when I get to the 5 mins time check things had eased and settled down.

I began to wonder where the half way turn around point would be & neatly this was right next to a lock gate so a nice little landmark for next time. Then its back from where I came, so I roughly know where I could expect to finish.

But then it must have been around 20 mins or so & this was the first time I really felt my heart rate & it really felt achy - not painful, but noticeably difficult.

I'm afraid that I gave in at that point, and fell back to walking pace for about 2 mins - I just needed to recover for a few minutes - plus I wanted to make sure that nothing was too serious (first time this has happened) anyway as soon as I was round my next bend and heading back into town I picked it back up and was running.

"Finish Strong" said Laura - first up I swore at her - then I swore at myself - and finally out came my inner child - just how fast can I really go in the last 1 minute.

Turns out that I can do 3:45 mins/km .... whoda thought!?!?

Happy Running!!

[Crismatlotta Graduate]

Well done you! Blimey that's fast! I seem to be hitting the 6.22 mins/km on my runs which I'm pretty pleased with.

Good on you for starting up again after your little break, i wouldn't class it as a failed run, just a cautious one!

I found week 7 tough, as Laura says the 25mins without breaks can feel a little relentless, and I'm a little scared for week 8. I'm going to try and be positive though, my determination to get through the runs has been surprising me!

Here's to your next run!

[Hidden in reply to Crismatlotta]

there was no way that I could cope with anything longer than a minute at that pace though .... 6.22 you should be delighted.

I even thought does this mean I should go back to W6 & intervals again - but then I do think it's just practice - and as Laura says - you need to get some KM under your belt.

anyway - good luck too & I look forward to seeing you graduate soon too.

[bikergirl Graduate]

Wow you must of belted it for the last minute. Must try that. Let the inner child free. Lol. Your doing some great times. Im so jealous. Its tough doing a new route isn't it. I spent a lot of my last run hoping I'd worked out the right turning point. Well done you.