Maybe 10k is achievable...

[runningnearbeirut]

Have started a bridge to 10k programme and am enjoying it even though I'm back to intervals. It's interesting though, because when I'd run for half an hour before starting this then after I'd got back to my house I'd often think I should have pushed harder because I felt like I could run again, and I guess this programme is making me run again.

Anyway, since starting this programme I've been running slower than I used to - probably trying to pace myself, plus a slight change of route with more hills and I go VERY slowly up steep bits and not particularly fast on the down stretches unless they are nice and gentle.

Today is one of the 19 (yes 19!!) public holidays in Lebanon, so I could run this morning and I do prefer mornings! I was very pleased to clock up 8.75km in 53 minutes (3x17 minutes of running, with a minute walk between them). Within this, my "best" 5km was less than 29 minutes, and only about 10s slower than my (one and only) parkrun result. So all in all I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself and can think of these positives:

I think I'm getting to grips with this mountain that I live on.

I am starting to see how it will be possible to run for an hour.

I think that I'll be able to get to 10km - if not within an hour straightaway, then not much over and then hopefully get the time down to about an hour.

Looking forward to a relatively level run by the sea on Saturday to see how much easier it is down there!

[runningnearbeirut Graduate]

Anyone got any idea where the N'ICE tag came from???

[hop_along Graduate]

I'm hoping to go for a B210K program (when I recover from my chest infection). Your post gives me some hope...

[Fran6500 Graduate]

Can u post the link to the programme you are following please? There are so many, not sure which will be best. Some seem to start you right at the beginning and I wondered if this was a backward step. Would appreciate your thoughts and experience.

[Mummysaurus Graduate]

Congratulations on your great progress, would you mind sharing what B210k programme you are using?

[runningnearbeirut Graduate]

I looked at lots of different programmes and plumped for this one:

blog.bluefinapps.com/about-...

I don't know why I chose this one, except it looked like it was achievable and seemed to start by assuming you could run for 30 minutes rather than taking a step (or more) backwards.

I copied the outline into a document so I know what to do each week and put it into my Endomondo app as interval training so I can listen to what I want and get beeps to tell me to start walking/running. Not the same as having Laura on hand - "just 5 minutes left, you're doing really well" used to be a real boost in the C25k programme!

[runningnearbeirut Graduate in reply to runningnearbeirut]

I think there are some "Samantha Murphy" podcasts for the same programme, although I've not tried them.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

With your timings I would think that you could make the step to a non stop 10k in your next run. I went from 8.3k one week to 10.24k the following week and a couple of weeks later did 14.5k in a shade over 90 minutes. it really is surprisingly easy and is far more psychological than physical (it was for me anyway). This weekend my target is 10 miles, just a shade over 16k and I hope to get up to an HM distance over the next month. I didn't use a plan, just extended my routes by what seemed achievable and I surprised myself.

Good luck.

[runningnearbeirut Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Oh my, I think I'm a real wimp by comparison with your exploits! I think that would be a massive increase in just a few days. Tell you what, I'll stick with the current plan for my next run (Sat) and then maybe I'll be brave one day next week and just try to keep running and see what happens. It won't be on the flat so it could well be that I "only" manage to keep running for 45 minutes.... but then that would be an achievement in itself wouldn't it?

[Jennyh543]

I think you're doing brilliantly. I'm doing a B210k plan too, in a hilly part of Yorkshire. I can't say I live on a mountain! But still, I find my local terrain is making B210k really really tough.

I bet if you went for 50 mins non-stop running on the flat you could easily do it.

[Narmour Graduate]

Careful with massive increases if you have any kind of joint niggles... my knees were weak before c25k and were almost 100% by the end. I've done a couple of 10k distances in the last couple of weeks and they are screaming at me again. I'm down to one run a week in an effort to stop them getting any worse. Although after last night's 9.25k it'll probably be a while before I am running confidently on them again.