Week 5, Run 3 Completed!!! But Laura let me down big time!

[karlotta]

So i set off this morning full of optimism, but a bit nervous of the prospect of running for 20mins non-stop. I fired up my iPhone app and a very chipper Laura greeted me and assured me that I could do this and that she'd be there every step of the way letting me know how I was getting on.

So i breezed my way through 5 lovely minutes of warm up and Laura cheerfully informed me it was time to start running. I was at the point on my route where this usually happens and all was good with the world. Off I trotted and I felt a little heavy legged to start with but after my first hill (which occurs about 60secs in) I was doing ok.

I continued on my usual route and I got to where I usually am about 8mins in and I expected to hear from Laura to tell me this was how far I'd done last time but no. 'Ok' I thought, 'perhaps she's holding out for half way - she's such a cheeky tinker!'. But no. Nothing. I don't want to fish my phone out as this is sure to disturb my rhythm. So i keep running. And running. And running. No Laura.

After what seemed like an eternity I decided to slow down to a walk and have a look at my phone. App is running (no I hadn't paused it by mistake!!) and says i've been running for 4 mins. FOUR! Now sadly I didn't take notice of what time I left the house (think I need a watch) but I know it's not 9mins ago. I'm thinking nearer 40.

But all is not lost. I use a fitbit so I fire up that app and it proclaims I've had 42 active minutes and have covered 4.34 miles so far today (I've only been up and down the garden to sort the chickens and dogs a couple of times before heading out)!!!

Once I got home I've fired up the ol' laptop and plotted the route I ran today. I ran for EXACTLY 5K. 5K!!

So Laura. I'm not happy you let me down when I needed you most, but I'm ECSTATIC that I can officially run 5K! And in less than 40mins. Happy Days.

[seenthelight Graduate]

Wow Karlotta, I don't know what went wrong with Laura but you did so well. You must be feeling really great, well done.

[karlotta Graduate in reply to seenthelight]

I do, but a bit knackered! Now I have to decide whether to give Laura another chance or find an alternative app?

[Azores Graduate]

Wow that's impressive; at the end of week 5 too. Well done.

[Miles_Yonder Graduate]

Wow, another W5R3er finishing week five this week; there's loads of us! Well done, you did brilliantly, despite Laura being a very naughty minx indeed and abandoning you mid-run like that. She hid from me too this week; went to find her on my phone and she'd totally vanished. No Laura at all. I think she does it intentionally so we don't relax and get complacent. Just as we're getting relaxed, she vanishes. Naughty Laura! I'd give her another chance. I don't use the app; I just play the MP3 on my phone in the music player and keep track of my progress with Endomondo. Tried the app once and didn't like it at all. That said, even not using the app and Laura managed to vanish like that!

Well done on week five and all the best for week six!

[poppypug Graduate]

Flipping 'eck Karlotta ! That is some going ! A very well done to you x

[Hidden]

Well done, great run even if you did more than intended. At least you know you can do the 5K now and in reasonable time. Good luck with week 6 but remember to treat it with respect. Going back to intervals is no soft option and it has caught people out. Take it very slow and steady and you'll get through okay. Best wishes.

[Hidden]

She did the same to me !! But it did give me more confidence for the rest of the programme because I had already done the longer distance, albeit accidentally. In my case it turned out to be an incompatibility between C25K podcast, my music, and MapMyWalk, only two of which work together but not three. Enjoy week 6.

[karlotta Graduate in reply to Hidden]

This is interesting... Up until now I've been letting the app shuffle among all the music I own, but finding myself running to Rudolph the Red Nosed reindeer made me create a nice custom playlist. Maybe this is the problem...

[karlotta Graduate]

Thanks guys! I actually feel pretty ok after the run. I had my usual energy to walk the dogs on their usual route and even mowed the grass and did some weeding!

[I_will Graduate]

Wow! What an achievement! Saucy old Laura's trick obviously worked!

[tomlertoos Graduate]

RESPECT karlotta! Good on you! Who'd have thought that Laura playing up would result in you rockin' your run!

[Hidden]

I had this in week 5 too!! I have worked out that as I run with a few apps open I need to start them in a certain order and also that if MapMyWalk speaks to me I have to fish out my phone and press play. I could get around this by disabling voice uodates, come to think of it, in MapMyWalk.

By the way, my mum used to call me karlotta if I'd been naughty!!

Charlotte