I should've got this done yesterday, but struggled to find the motivation (yet again!). I wish that wasn't the case - I'm always so happy when I've finished a run, but to get out there I seem to need a massive kick up the rear or I'll find any excuse I can think of not to go. Once again, my sons gave me the encouragement required, and off I went.
So W9R1 is in the bag. If you'd told me two months ago I'd be able to run for 30 minutes I wouldn't have believed you. I don't think I've ever run for that long, even at school. So it feels great to manage it. I had my struggles, wanting to slow down or stop altogether a couple of times, but as I've said before I'm a stubborn old thing and I wouldn't allow myself to give up.
It felt great when I heard Laura's voice tell me there was just one minute left. I was very grateful for the encouragement at 25 minutes when she said something about keeping going and pushing through the pain - it was as if she knew exactly how I was feeling at that point, and it was just enough to get me over the finishing line. Thanks, Laura!
I'm still on track to graduate at the weekend. Just need to decide whether to have a two day break as usual, or try a one day gap if I'm feeling good and get it done a bit sooner. I'm impatient to graduate now!
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Scipio
Graduate
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Three runs in week 9 seems unnecessary....after all you've achieved your aim. Stick with it and you will begin to enjoy the longer runs. My w9r2 was wonderful but my grad run was a real slog, but worth it to finish the whole course. I am now settling into regular 5k runs with one longer extending run each week. The 5ks get easier and more enjoyable each time. Good luck! Nearly there.
I know, it does seem a bit daft to do another two runs when doing just one run in W9 means I've achieved the 30 minute aim - but I'd feel I was cheating if I didn't do all three runs. Glad to hear it gets easier, I'm looking forward to that! Thanks for the support.
I think if there was only one 30 min run to graduate though, we might not be quite sure whether we'd really done it - or whether we'd ever do it again! Doing it three times is a very canny part of the plan, I think. Especially if one of them (or all of them!) is a bit tough. By run 3, you really know you're there.
Totally agree with you greenlegs. I think it's designed to keep us building up our stamina, and as you say, to cover us if we have a tough one (or three!). I'm going to make sure I do the last two runs anyway.
I can't wait for you to finish & put your plan into action. The one where you go back through but jogging to the walking bits & jogging a bit faster through the running bits. I've just realised how slow I am & I'm feeling a bit of a fraud.
Do not feel a fraud for being slow! Otherwise I have to feel a fraud too. Running is running is running. If you want to speed up, fine, but you don't have to rush it.
Thank you so much. I don't feel so bad. Truth is, I don't think I'll complete the run if I speed up. Then again I didn't think I could run which leaves me thinking perhaps I should try. My strategy at the moment is to speed up towards the end, if I can, as there's not much further to go.
If you're a fraud, so am I! I'm doing the same as you - trying to speed up towards the end if I can (but I usually can't!). I think the main idea is you go at a speed that allows you to complete the run, and if that speed is slow it really doesn't matter. It's all about building up fitness & stamina, and we can work on speed later.
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Running is running is running. If you want to speed up, fine, but you don't have to rush it. 
W9R1
W9R1. Horrid 😖
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