Good afternoon fellow runners! Aussie here with a quick update on my attempt at 10 miles this morning...
Set off a bit later than I wanted this morning, I left the house around 8am this morning (although thankful for the extra hour sleep). I fuelled up on an energy bar, a double espresso and 500ml of water with one of those fancy electrolyte tablets in it... The belt was loaded up with 600ml of the energy drink and a gel... keys safely stowed away in the pocket and we're off for the 5 minute warm up! The sun is up, the air is crisp... today is a good day!
5 minutes up and we're into the run - nice and easy. I've got about 3km to run before I hit Richmond Park (as I have 16.1km to do today) so it's pounding the pavement and a slight uphill into Richmond Park. I feel strong by the 2km mark and I'm pushing my heart rate a bit higher than normal and still feeling good.. my breathing is good and any dull aches and twinges in the legs have settled down...
Now we're into the park proper and it's a clockwise loop again around the Tamsin Trail... The same route I ran last week so I know what to expect... the first 5km click by effortlessly with a slight uphill after Ham Gate to the road which I quickly recover from... onwards from Pembroke Lodge and it's downhill (reverse of the Parkrun) and I feel really good - legs are moving as expected, breathing is okay... I'm one third of the way there!
Breaking this into chunks helps me mentally... I'm still being overtaken by plenty of lovely young things but I figure they must only be doing 5km today... (that's what I tell myself anyway)... I'm loving my music as I make my way around the north eastern edge of the park... and it's about now I meet some of the people I saw back at Kingston Gate... they're doing the loop the other way so we're about half way now (quick nods of acknowledgment - "yep - we're doing the whole loop today aren't we.. we rock!")... Now we're about 8K and it's a slight downhill and then flat to Roehampton Gate... Sun is shining, heart rate is up but I feel good and sense my pace is good (for me anyway)... push on!
About 10K I hit a bit of a wall... I feel a bit tired now... time for a gel, some water and to change the tunes on the playlist... hit the "running to rock" playlist and a blast of 80s metal fixes me right up... singing along to a bit of Poison in the park... that'll show this trail who's boss! On we go... towards my foe... that hill! That killer hill... Amazing what a change of music did... recognising I was flagging a bit and then responding to it was a learning experience... it's a mental thing by now... I'm fit enough to keep going so I trick my mind a bit to convince it I can... then it forgets about being tired... Ha!
A load of people are walking down the killer hill as I hit the bottom of it (some walking group I suppose)... "You're not going to run up that are you?" says one of them... "Of course I am" I say foolishly... damn it - now I need to run up it as they're watching! Okay, speed up the steps, shorten the stride, deep breaths... keep it going! I hit the top, arms in the air, cheer from the group below... awesome!
I'm about 13K into my run now and within minutes have recovered from the hill climb... downhill now towards Kingston Gate (again my fastest km) and then out of the park and onto the pavement again... 15K comes along and I feel a pain in my lower left leg... it's annoying me but it's not too bad... feels like a cramp... I can't stop now.. I've got less than a km to go... right - let's just slow down ever so slightly and push on...
Fortunately the pain goes within the next 500m (I'm convinced it was due to being pounded on concrete pavement after 90 minutes on trail)... and I hit the 16km mark... 100m to go... this was a tough ask... the Garmin buzzed at 16km and I wanted to stop... I REALLY wanted to stop... 100m is not that far is it? It is quite far when you've just run 16 THOUSAND metres...
DONE! Just under 1:44... I kept a higher pace (6:27m/km) and heart rate for the entire distance today which is a testament to the training to date and my increasing fitness. It was still a "comfortable" run... I'm convinced pace comes as you get fitter and by putting in the miles - NOT by pushing every time you head out....
Oh - and just as a bonus, a 10K PB today (1:02)... wow! A couple of splits are under 6 minutes too... I can't believe it when I upload the data... what a great run... over 1200 calories burned too! Have it!
To recover from this I THEN went out with Mrs Aussie for W1R3... my 6 year old girl did it with her and I plodded along with our 4 year old girl..... So, that's Week 1 DONE for Mrs Aussie... onto Week 2 next week... proud of her!
Now time to rest! After chocolate milkshake for protein and pasta for lunch to get the carbs back in..
16100 metres... In only TWENTY FOUR weeks I've gone from W1R1 and struggling with 8 intervals of 1 minute to running almost a half marathon on a Sunday as ONE of my runs of the week...
This week I've done a 6K recovery run on Tuesday, W1R1 with Mrs A on Wednesday, 5K of interval work on Thursday, W1R2 with Mrs A on Friday... rested on Saturday and done 16.1K and W1R3 today... and I've never felt better...
Can't thank you all enough for your support (and to be honest, Sweatshop for sorting out my trainers after my injury) and I can't wait until October and my races... and Feb for that half marathon... I feel I could run one next week (and I now know I could!)...
Have a great Sunday y'all.... Runday was awesome today!
That's very kind of you breezie... thank you... it's been quite a journey the last 6 months and getting the family out now is amazing... my 6 year old loves to run too it seems! Yay!
Hiya Aussie, I loved reading this amazing 16 k plus run of yours! Well done Aussiegetic!
YOU DID IT! Very solidly and fast - you really are running some big distances and small times in these last few weeks and have influenced me to put in those long slow miles per week and get the miles in my legs. I don't try the distances you are doing but just set my own goals - so thank you
You sound confident, healthy and happy - bet you're ecstatic celebrate today!
Massive well done especially reading only 24 weeks ago you started w1r1 - now you've got mrs A onto it (well done to her on w1 done )! So cool!
Thanks Jax... I rewarded myself with a HUGE pizza and a beer tonight... I felt it was worth it!
Hard to believe it was only 24 weeks ago I stepped off the couch... how I wish I'd done it sooner... but the benefits are there to see already! Had a great time today on the run and have been enjoying the post-run glow since...
Well done. busting out a 5.33 in km15 as well!!! Impressive stuff, even if the choice of auditory accompaniment leaves much to be desired. Take some Testament with you next time and you may shave another 10s off per km.
Well done, Aussie! That is a brilliant run; really like your selfies too. Such a fantastic milestone to reach and with the hill too! Hills really do make things interesting, don't they?! Congratulations - great times and a great PB!
The pains at higher KMs are seemingly normal while we're getting used to it. I get similar too and thankfully they're appearing later and later in each run.
Thanks mate... beer and pizza never tasted so good I can tell you...
Good to know I'm not alone in that post 15k pain thing... it went away and I'm fine now... did strike me as odd though... until I remembered just what I'd been doing for the last 1 hour and 45 minutes...
The time as well as the distance is pretty amazing. I remember, as I'm sure do you, running for those twenty-five minutes in W5 of Couch and being astonished at what I could do. Fast forward a few weeks and now look! That's the beauty of this programme and how incredible it is!
You have a lot to answer for though. I now have pizza cravings and it's all your bloody fault!
I remember when those pains kicked-in at 6.5K. Then about 9K. Yesterday it was about 14.5 I think. Like you say, it's normal; our bodies are still adapting to what we're asking of it.
Wow Aussie, just WOW. That was a fab run report describing a fantastic run. Your progress is inspiring and your times are bloomin' marvellous. You do all that hardcore 10mile stuff and then, for your encore, you go out again with MrsAussie and the Aussielettes. Well done m'dear. Impressive stuff indeedy
Thanks EpicMum... the Mrs Aussie and little Vegemites run was a cool down... Loved it... my 6 year old did the whole thing with her Mum... my 4 year old did 5 reps and had to walk with Dad... must say I was happy enough by then to walk..
Wow! You are fab - or completely bonkers! Will this happen to me too in a few weeks? Well done for your own running and for getting the little Aussies running too! xx
in reply to
Bit bonkers I say, but feeling fab.... and - yes - it will happen to you too... I'm sure of it... this is addictive... better than any other high.... the feeling of satisfaction of finishing a run you planned AND doing it better than planned (even if only by 1 second) is amazing...
Woweeeee !! Stupendous run, what distances you are able to put in after only 6 months at this. Awesome and very, very inspiring. So pleased Mrs Aussie and the little Aussies are joining in as well. Keep running and keep posting, love to read your posts
Thanks - I feel it's okay to post here about my exploits... them muggles don't always want to hear about it elsewhere... I like it here, it's where my running folk live...
Brilliant post Aussie. Quite a milestone and fantastic times too. Love the run up the hill and the cheering from the walkers must have felt extra special.
Fantastic achievement Aussie. I reckon we must have been running at the opposite sides of the park this morning. And that's really great about Mrs Aussie doing C25K too.
Try as I might I just couldn't catch you TT! Well done on your 10 miles today... we are completely mad it seems... and THANK YOU for your posts a while back about "toning it down a bit" and slowly increasing distance... it's working a treat...
Brilliant to read about your run experience Aussie, I would love to be a able to get to where you are one day, very inspiring! How do you carry your sounds? I have a real problem with changing between podcasts and music without stopping, I use an armband and my phone. What are your using? Btw, Not sure about Poison, but a bit of metal does no harm! awesome!
Ah - the second person to comment on the music! Haha! I reckon most of us run to tunes we would NEVER admit to...
I run with an armband and use Spotify playlists for my tunes... It's a velcro one and I am able to unhook it, change the tunes over and get it back in place while running... took some practice mind you!
Thanks Ullyrunner... my legs will thank me tomorrow I'm sure!
She's aware of my "virtual cheer squad" alright... she's not the technology inclined type though so I will keep you all up to date with her stellar progress... so proud of her (and I must say of my 6 year old who's decided she wants to run with Mum and Dad)...
Also - you had me worried for a minute... cheeky girl...
Hahaha! Amaze-balls distance... still can't quite believe it myself!
Slowly and steadily increasing distance/duration is the key... AFTER you've graduated... the programme teaches you all the things you need to know... the trick is in knowing it takes time...
It's a great result. I can't believe how far I have come in 8 weeks. From exhaustion at a one minute run to continually running for 30 minutes!! I now want to see what more I can do. !!
Thanks for reply Aussie, I have tried that and been scuppered, guess I just need more practice! Will into using spotify, just using my phones general music player at the mo.
Fantastic post, this is one I will read and re read I know. You rock!!! What an inspiration you are and so supportive to everyone on this site. I am sending you a virtual hug
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Halfway to a half... 
