Back for Good (or at least until next summer)

[AnnieW55]

I graduated a year ago and ran all through the winter and into July but when the hot weather hit - that was me done. My body simply does not like exercising in the hot weather (safe to say I will never be a Bikram Yoga fiend!). As I get up at 0545 to go to work an early weekday run in the cooler temperatures was never going to happen. I did get the odd run in in September but abandoned almost as many as I started. Then I caught some bug which laid me low for a couple of weeks.

Anyway, enough of the excuses, tonight was going to be my new start and week1 run1 with Laura was on the cards to see how I would do - but when I looked on my i-pod, eeek c25k had disappeared! But Bridge to 10k was there so I thought I'd give the first podcast a go and see how it went. As it was the beginning of the year when I last did this programme I had forgotten how many runs there were and the timings. So run 1, surprisingly accomplished OK, then run 2 and 3 and - amazingly, to me, run 4 - and there were some hills along the way! OK so there were the 3 1xminute walking breaks but I still did all 4 runs! I stopped/started my Garmin for each run segment and managed 5.97km in the 4x10min segments.

Not sure how I'll feel in the morning but this evening I feel great. Next run scheduled for Thursday.

[PamJK Graduate]

Well done and welcome back. I have just started B2 10k too and completed W1R2 last night. Hard goin and appreciating the walking breaks. Strange really as I've been used to running non stop for 35 minutes since graduating last May. Good luck to us both!

[AnnieW55 in reply to PamJK]

Good Luck to us indeed Pam. Intervals are always harder than a straight run, so I suppose 10 minute 'intervals' are always going to be quite a challenge. Last night I ran down my 'monster' hill and was going to run back up it at some point but there were half a dozen children with an adult supervising them doing sprints up and down the hill - no way was I going to attempt getting up that hill with the little people making it look like it was flat!

[PilgrimPip Graduate]

Well done - good for you to stay motivated! Which B2 5K podcasts do you use? I can't seem to find one that I can bear - Laura is a tough act to follow!

[AnnieW55]

Hi PilgrimPip

She is indeed!

I used the free Bluefin software B210k - the link below I hope. 6 weeks doing 3 runs a week. The guy isn't chatty - just says "warm up" "run" and "cooldown" but it worked for me. There is a short intro talk about speed and how to do the programme. I think You can use your own music but I've never bothered as I don't really listen, it's just background to my own thoughts.

JuicyJu uses a podcast/app that has Sexy Steve talking she may give you the URL if she sees this.

blog.bluefinapps.com/about-...

I'm training for a half marathon now but still using the NHS Speed and Stamina podcasts. Even managing to get out for early morning runs in the week!

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

I have also started using the Bluefin C210K podcasts - and I must be running at much the same pace as you because I am also covering 6klms in the total 50 minutes.(including warmup/cooldown walks) . I am deliberately keeping this pace very slow though --by breathing in and out through my nose. Bit hard to do that here right now - because it is winter and quite cold - so I get a bit of a runny nose -- but I will keep on as I want to keep my pace down to a very easy one.

[AnnieW55 in reply to Bazza1234]

I've never got the hang of breathing through my nose when running, or cycling. But at least I get plenty of free extra protein

My original post was made in September 2013, I am a bit faster now and aiming for a time of around 2hrs for my half marathon in September. The weather will be a big factor in that though as I really do suffer if it's hot. For me the colder the day the better but that would be selfish to wish for as there will be a lot going on in Chesterfield on the day with a full marathon other distances and happenings around the town

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

I feel a bit foolish now -- I didn't see that somebody had reopened an old post 9 months old

But one thing very positive about it is to see how much you have obviously advanced since then - starting W1D1 of B210K and NOW, running a half marathon (hoping for 2 hours) GOOD for you!!! At this time I am hoping to run a 14K race in 2 hours We are obviously not running much the same pace these days - 9 months after your post

[AnnieW55 in reply to Bazza1234]

No foolish feelings required. All feedback gratefully received. And it's good to see that you are progressing and looking to race 14k.

All the races that everyone here enters are a testament to how good the programme is and our determination to improve our running and our health - not necessarily in that order

Good Luck with your race. I (and everyone else, I'm sure) look forward to hearing what it was like and how you got on.