Tactics...

[Kimmiijay]

Hey, W5R3 is here and I am wondering how to do it. I am on the treadmill, I have picked out the radio drama of choice...now just got to work out how fast to take it.

Last time I seem to remember just taking it really slow, maybe 7.5 km/h? This time I am running faster than I was (just did today at 9km/hr for the two 8 minute runs), but also don't want to get over cocky and not be able to finish it.

How much did you knock your speed down to manage it? Should I just start out on my traditional 9km/hr and slow down if I need? Should I start on the nigh on walking 7.5km/hr and trust myself to knock it up? Do I just take it as an exercise in keeping moving and feel no shame at 7.5? Do I push myself to keep it running.

Or should I just do it outside where I won't know what speed it was until afterwards?

It all feels a bit like having to place a large bet...I want tables and graphs goshdarnit.

[Rignold]

Do it outside at the speed your body wants to go at. Quite apart from all the benefits of being outside, setting arbitrary speed to run to seems a very sketchy proposition to me.

[Coddfish Graduate]

I can't advise what speed is right for you, but you are looking for something where you feel relatively comfortable and can keep your breathing stable and unlaboured. You should be able to hold a conversation, but you probably wouldn't be able to sing. My preference would be starting slower and building up while you still feel ok, rather than the other way round. It may take you a while to 'settle' into the run, I always feel better after the first 5-10 minutes than I do at the start, eventually everything clicks into place and it becomes effortless. As a 58 year old 5 foot 4inch woman with short legs I would be delighted if I could exceed 7.5kph on a regular basis. It doesn't matter how fast or slow, you run, there's no shame in it, the objective is building up elapsed time.

If you are in a position to run outside, you may find it easier to get your pace right - if nothing else, it will just happen without you worrying about it. There are a lot of other advantages from running outside too, although it can be harder on your joints. I do appreciate not every run can take place outside - my work takes me to places where I could never run outside - heat/humidity in SE Asia, heat/safety in India, American hotels located in freeway central, etc etc. I really dislike it when I have to run on a hotel treadmill and spend the whole trip fantasising about my nice seafront running options back home.

Good luck in completing the run.

[misswobble Graduate in reply to Coddfish]

Outside every time. I dont get the treadmill thing. it baffles me😊

[rmnsuk Graduate]

If it help I did it at 5.5 mph. Speed can come later. But running outside is probably better. 20 minutes is about as much as I can take on the treadmill.