100k in May - Thank you OldNed

[mrqwest]

So at the end of April, I read & commented on a post (couchto5k.healthunlocked.co... by OldNed where he asked if he thought 100k was do-able in a month for him.

Truly inspired by the thought if hitting 100km in a month, I set myself a challenge (albeit a lower one) of hitting 75km in May with the intention of building that up by 5-10k a month so I can hit 100km in August.

The month got off to a slow start with me not actually doing my first run until the 5th. By the middle of the month (15th) I had got up to 31km. Not enough half way yet, ouch! So I stepped up my game.

Fortunately for me, the stars aligned somehow and allowed me to fit a nice long run in on a Friday before work so I done a 10k before work and then again on the Sunday bringing me up to 51k in the month. That was better, I now had a chance to hit my 75km target. So the following Monday, I'm sat at work procrastinating looking at my calendar planning my runs and I realise that the following weekend is a bank holiday weekend (wooo!) so knocked a few runs out in the week bringing me up to 63k.

I'm 12k away from my goal and plenty of time to do it. And then my mind starts whirring away... A bank holiday weekend means more long runs, and maybe, *just* maybe if I skip a few rest days, I could actually hit 100km... and there, the seed was set.

The bank holiday runs where big for me (caution to the wind and ignored the 10% rule - idiot!), Saturday was 14km and Monday was 17k. This brought me up to 94km. I'm one run away and I still had 4 days to do it.

And then my kneees, my pesky annoying kneees! The long runs had really stretched them to their limit. I could hardly walk the Tuesday. Wednesday felt better. Thursday they were good and Friday... the 31st of May, the last day of the month...

It was now or never. I went out gingerly not wanting to aggravate the knees... I needed to 6km and I know a nice route thats 6.5km. I took it real gentle, and I done it. Got home, logged my run on Garmin and it told me my total running for May was 100.5km, I am absolutely over the moon with that.

So OldNed, thank you for posting last month, thank you for planting the first seed of a challenge and also mentioning the 100km thing, competitiveness is a hard beast to tame. If it wasn't for you, May would have been another 50km month.

[SBG356 Graduate]

Absolutely fantastic Mr Q!! I loved reading this! It's amazing what we can push ourselves to do isn't it?

I too was inspired by OldNed and like you am going to aim for a total of kms this month and gradually increase it to get to 100k. I'm not sure what to start at though...50, 60, 75? I'm out tomorrow for a 10k so will maybe gauge it from that.

Thanks for inspiring me too and yes that beast is hard to tame indeed!

Sue

[Hidden]

I was worried when I read "idiot" in your blog, we all do it occasionally, pushing it, glad you got away with it...smashed your original target.

[OldNed Graduate]

Well, didn't you do well! I'm glad I was able to provide the seed for the challenge. The competitive beast is indeed hard to tame but, ironically, I don't think of myself as in the least bit competitive - I just wanna do well !!!

[mrqwest Graduate in reply to OldNed]

You're certainly doing well! Here's to June being equally as fun