Breakthrough: 7k+

[PilgrimPip]

Since graduating about five weeks ago, I've been struggling to make much progress. I've done a couple of 6k runs and one 6.5k but they have felt really difficult, so I have not been feeling optimistic about doing a 10k run at the end of September.

Last week, on the advice of someone here (sorry, I can't remember who), I downloaded Pear and did one of the easy runs, involving running pretty fast for 30 seconds and then walking or jogging for a minute to recover. It's only a 20 minute session so it was manageable even for me! It seemed to jolt something or other.....

So, on Saturday I ran/jogged a nice easy, gentle 5.5k. And today I managed 7.01! I had only intended to do 6.5 but Endomondo deserted me after 5k, so I kept waiting for the 6k alert and, when it didn't come, I kept on running until I got home and discovered that it was actually just over 7k! I'm amazed and relieved as I feel that I might actually be able to manage 10k in a few weeks' time - even if I have to walk the last couple of kilometres.

These small victories that mean so much. I am really enjoying this forum -such a lot of great characters here!

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Just keep nudging those distances up (10% per week is the recommendation) and you will get there easily. Do that on one run per week, at an easy pace and then keep your fartlek or speed for the other runs. It will all come together by the end of September, I am sure.

Keep running, keep smiling.

[PilgrimPip Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you for the wise words of encouragement. I've been struggling with what plan to follow and have really missed the voice of Laura guiding me!

[misswobble Graduate in reply to PilgrimPip]

Have you done the C25k+ podcasts with Laura?

[PilgrimPip Graduate in reply to misswobble]

I have indeed. I thought they were brilliant and wish she would do a 5210k series of podcasts. I found the pacing and guidance and little motivational comments incredibly helpful. I'm sure there are thousands of us who would appreciate her guidance on the next stage!

[AmberC Graduate]

Sounds fantastic, I know what you mean about struggling to find a way forward, there are quite a lot of plans out there, and sometimes it can get a bit difficult trying to choose one to follow. Well done you for finding your groove.

[ju-ju- Graduate]

Well done... It's all about small steps and you get there... You will nail it I'm sure

[PilgrimPip Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

Thanks Juicyju - yes, it does feel as though I might get there now!

[Pugwash Graduate]

I have no right to offer advice (like that's ever stopped me), having only knocked off W2R3 last evening. However, I was once a 10k runner (no, not when the world was in black and white, but not soon after!) and one thing I remember about training is the anxiety I used to feel as each milestone distance loomed. It was defeatist self-talk of course but I didn't know that then, and wouldn't even give it house room now; anything, even if less than target distance or time, is better than nothing.

Here's the thing; once the target had been achieved that anxiety about failure immediately ebbed because it was manifest that I COULD do it (and so would be able to do it again). Your victories are not small ones, they are each a personal best and, isn't it odd that when you lost your pacer (I'm presuming that 'Endomondo' is an app of some kind), in the words of Edmund Hilary, you went on and knocked the b****** off :-). Well done to you!

[PilgrimPip Graduate in reply to Pugwash]

That's a really helpful analysis, Pugwash - thank you for understanding!

[Hidden]

Great stuff - you'll be ready for that 10K without a doubt! And - that's no SMALL victory there.. that's a major personal achievement of which you should be very proud...

Isn't it funny how with all this technology in our phones and fancy watches that sometimes when we forget about them (or they let us down) that some of our best runs result? I have a Garmin that will buzz at me if I slow down or speed up to much, it'll set up a virtual pacer, it'll do interval workouts - the works...

You know how I run with it? Distance and heart rate... that's it... it buzzes every KM and I am training by heart rate only. I know that if I stick to a particular rate that my pace is at a certain level... it doesn't push me too hard and I don't even know my times until I've finished... it's a revelation! It's tuned me so much more into my own body. I "feel" when I'm going to hard and I "feel" when I'm in the right zone now... (yes, I know there's technology involved in measuring all that, but I also know I could go sans-tech and still know when I running a certain pace)... I can then spend hours poring over split times, heart rates and pacing AFTER the run if I want to... I don't need to worry about it WHEN I'm running... and I love it...

Some of my best runs have been sans-tech...

[PilgrimPip Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Yes, indeed. We all spend far too much time with - and rely too much on - tech. I've just finished reading Running with the Kenyans (great read, by the way, for anyone interested in running) and one of the secrets to the Kenyan supremacy in running is to run by feel. 'I felt good so I ran faster/farther. I felt bad so I slowed down/stopped.' There's a great lesson there for us tech aficionados!