Week 7 run 1 - survived horrible run

[sizexm]

Now I know why I gave up at this point last year, this run was my worst ever. It didn't help that Runkeeper lost my settings and did not tell me my time and distance every 5 minutes as it was supposed to (I found Laura rather too un-talkative in this run) and my music just stopped. Well, at least I managed the whole 25 minutes, completing 3,1 km. Now I am trying to convince myself that this is not a completely pathetic distance. I don't have the ambition to achieve 5k in 30 minutes at the end of this programme, but would like to survive a 4km fun run on May 8th. Any encouragement?

Thanks in advance!

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

You'll do the fun run easy - and who cares if you sneak a little walk break, plenty of others will.

It is hard, but you are completing the runs. Speed will come later as you get stronger. This isn't a race and you don't want to push so hard that you get injured.

You're doing just great!

[sizexm Graduate in reply to Ullyrunner]

Thank you so much! You are right about the fun run, of course. Plenty of people will walk part of it or even the whole distance, it would just be so nice to be able to run it all. I do hope the next run will be a bit easier though!

[Coddfish Graduate]

Some encouragement. Your distance and time sound fine to me. I am about 5 weeks on from graduation and haven't run 5k yet nor do I ever expect to do it in 30 mins. I think it's fine to set goals that suit your age / body / stride length etc. I graduated on about 3.5k, I can now run that distance in around 27 minutes, each run is mostly another small step up on either distance or pace. I am fitter than I have been at any point in the 26 years since my first child arrived and am happier too.

[sizexm Graduate]

Thanks, so I have found a peer. (My son was 25 a few weeks ago). Yes 3,5k will probably be my distance if - no, when I complete the programme. Congratulations for doing that in 27 minutes now, well done!

[Buffy007 Graduate]

You'll feel fabulous for the rest of your life - and how's that figure - Wow - or do you want to return to all those wobbles! I'm 56 with 24 yr old son so know exactly how you feel. 'Useitorloseit' at our age. Don't give up on the past 7 weeks. I'm sure we can all count on one hand the amount of people who do 5k by the end of wk 9 - and those are probably mad keen or in their 20s. You've done brilliantly. Keep going.

[sizexm Graduate in reply to Buffy007]

Haha, thank you! I like "mad keen or in their 20s"!

[Hidden]

hello there,

I abandoned Laura pretty much at the end of week 6, my smartphone seemed to get confused if I had the app running and music. I invested in a tomtom runner watch and now just use my phone for playing music. If you have given up drinking a lot among other things to get in shape then why not treat yourself to an activity watch and just your phone for music?

[sizexm Graduate in reply to Hidden]

That might be a solution, thanks!

[Irishprincess Graduate]

As others have said, very few people achieve 5K in 30 minutes at the end of the programme so don't worry about it. It can be a goal when you graduate! You'll definitely manage 4K in May as every run you do now is building stamina and endurance so keep steady and take it slowly. And about the distance? How many people do you know who can run 3.1Kms? Exactly.

[sizexm Graduate in reply to Irishprincess]

Unfortunately, I actually know quite a few, and also several people who started running and could do 15-20 minutes right from the start. But it is no good comparing oneself to others all the time, I really should have learned that by now.

[tal31 Graduate]

You're doing really well. As the others have said, don't get hung up on running 5k in 30 mins. I graduated in December 2013 and I'm still no where near running that fast. The point is I am still running 3 times a week and I still love it x

[sizexm Graduate in reply to tal31]

That really is some encouragement, thanks and well done!