August is a go! week5 - feel free to join

[Realfoodieclub]

Welcome to Week 5

(6 July -16 August)

Week 5. Confession time. I have just come home and had a really party weekend. Running moderates my life in so many ways. I can't wait to get back to it, my old habits are coming up again. I have my physio appointment on Wednesday and hopefully I can run again soon. I know I am weak but I need my running so much. I don't know what it is about going out for a run but it just makes make want to be healthy. It is ridiculous that without it my good habits go out the window. I know I am sharing a lot but I honestly do not think I am the only, running is so good in so many ways. Happy running to everyone.

What the quest is:-

The quest takes six weeks. You can join any time within that six weeks.

The main aim of the quest is to help you find a focus or goal that you would like to achieve by the end of the Quest period.

I ask that you will be a graduate or about to graduate to join the quest. The main reason I ask this is that while you are doing the program your plan is very structured so I wouldn't want the quest to interfere with that.

Most popular goals are:-

To run three times a week

To slowly increase distance

To train for a specific race

To add In Stretch and strength exercises

As you can see they are personal to yourself and it's totally your own choice.

Every week I will pin a new post where all the members of the quest can talk about how things are going.

So if you wanted to join all you have to do is put

I would like to join the quest, or count me in and then I would like to. ..............

Your name will then be added to the top post and every week your name will be in the quest until the end.

At the end, only for those that would like to, we each put out longest run of the quest and it is then marked on a virtual run we are doing from John O Groats to Lands End.

Then it all starts again for another six week Quest.

Realfoodieclub

Folkieboater

Frannyfran

The_tea_fairy

Dagshar

Poppypug

Rmnsuk

Misswobble (IC)

Curlygurly

Ruth-canal-runner

Googleme

Irishprincess

Pigivi

Jelly_b

Chrissy-b123

Usain_balti

Fitfor60

Catch

Wristy

Anniemurph

Lizziebeth57

Samsonandrew

Coddfish

Carolecal

Christian1

Tanyag

Mossy

Daisy run

Dottiemay

[GoogleMe Graduate]

I am delighted to report that I actually did what I set out to do this week towards my Quest - in fact I snuck in another swim yesterday to add to one earlier in the week and a couple of runs.

I am hopeful about this week too as my son starts a Summer job 3 days a week and needs a lift in the morning because the buses won't get him there early enough and it's a fair old walk at that hour in the morning and an iffy cycle. So I thought I might get into a nice rhythm of dropping him and then going for a run or a swim.

And I am hoping to run on the moors now it is August and the dog can go off lead again. I have the waist belt lead but I tend to just go there for walks during the nesting season.

Bit of a disaster zone in terms of eating - nice eating but far too much. We had a lovely evening picnic to watch the sun go down and the first family barbecue for three years yesterday and I always end up eating a lot more on these occasions. So I am glad to have a bit of balance with more exercise.

[Wristy Graduate]

14k yesterday in 94 minutes - happy with the distance and time but my right knee is all swollen now after I was stung by a wasp after 5k. Ouch! Hope I am ok to run again tomorrow!

[jelly_b Graduate]

My total distance last week dropped from the week before, 15km to 7km. Which for a difference, doesn't leave me feeling disappointed. Why? Because my 9 yo daughter is finally wondering about mom's running malarky and decided she wants to run as well *yay* Yesterday was w2r2 for us..

I'm happy that she runs with me but a bit worried about my own running. I was finally running 5k in 48min before. But now if I want to continue running with her then I need to run at least 5 days a week. 3 days of running with my daugther (and an interval training on onenof those days), 1day of 5k, and another for longer distance since I am trying to increase at 10%each week.

Hmmmph...

2 rest days should be fine *crossing fingers*

Happy runnig everyone!

[frannyfran Graduate in reply to jelly_b]

you won't loose any fitness if you run with your daughter, and eventually you both will run 5k!

Great to hear she wants to join in. A fantastic habit to give her.

Happy running...

[lizziebeth57 Graduate in reply to jelly_b]

How lovely to run with your daughter. Well worth repeating the programme I'm sure!

I repeated the programme with my husband when he started but for the first three weeks I still went out on my own for one run a week. This was in addition to the three with him. I was absolutely fine with this and I took it very easy on this solo run. Once we got to end of week 5 I just picked up the programme with him again and dropped my solo run. See how you feel though, we are all different.

[dagshar Graduate]

I know what you mean about moderating life. I now feel I can have some wine at weekends or a chocolate bar without having to feel too guilty about the negative side effects, and on the other hand running is an incentive not to eat too much junk etc so our bodies stay in shape and well enough to cope with what we are asking off them.

I started this at the end of February (by the way no one seems to have noticed, or at least not pointed out, that i miscounted when I called the 27.7. a half year anniversary - it was only 5 months! ) and I am hoping that doing all this running and some cycling over the spring and summer months will really make it become a habit by the time autumn and winter arrives, so I am less likely to give up when it's cold and dark.

Last week I did a 5.5k run in the woods (shortly after cycling back 6.5k uphill from work, which all felt a bit much together), then a 10k on Thursday, speed podcast on Saturday (which for me worked out as 2.7k excluding the warm up and cool down walks) and 7.2k yesterday. I cycled to work 3 times last week and went for a one hour walk in the country park where I have an event this Thursday. This still really "frightens" me....last year there were only a handful of people who took longer than 39 minutes (slowest about 47). Now I can do a flat 5k in anything between 31 - 34 minutes, but allowing extra time for the hills and some walking, I think I'll be right there at the end ....So I think I will do another speed podcast today and maybe the stamina one tomorrow, then have a rest day before the race.

[Pigivi]

I decided to have an easy week after last week news - and I'm delighted with it.

I run only twice, and did my usual dog walking

It was art festival week here, and have been busy with catching up on plays, exhibitions (the only down of living out in the sticks ) and friends.

[Daisyrun Graduate]

Please can I join. I would like to run 3 times a week and include a 5km run.

[dottiemay Graduate]

I think I'll join in this one rfc. It would have been my brother's 62nd birthday today. He died last October after succumbing to many years of deteriorating mental and physical health, and spending all day every day for two weeks at his bedside and having little time to even think about anything else began the slippery slope to my loss of enthusiasm and subsequent loss of fitness.

I'm now back running and today seems like the perfect day to publicly set myself some targets! My aim is to get back to banging out regular 8ks and to try and repeat my only and very unexpected 10 miler...and even exceed it, who knows...?!

[Carolecal in reply to dottiemay]

Thought I hadn't seen you around here for a while...these last months must have been tough for you.

Great that you are back running now ...good to see you back .

I'm sure you will be smashing those 8K's again soon...Good Luck 😊

[lizziebeth57 Graduate in reply to dottiemay]

Anniversaries and birthdays are hard aren't they? Glad to hear you are getting back out there though and I am pretty sure you will be reporting back on an 8k very soon, and as for another 10 miles? When the conditions are right you'll get there (or further!).

[Carolecal]

Just two runs last week ,3.3K with the Speed podcast ( with a little extra run tacked on at the end to get me home ) and Stamina podcast where I covered 4.8K in total and was completely knacked by the end .

I think I expected my fitness to return faster than this ...I am constantly surprised by how shattered I feel during and after a run...though I still think a lot of this is connected with the heat.

I've decided that I will not run if this heat keeps up,may try to get a few early morning bike rides in instead.

Woke up this morning with a sore throat and zero energy,so we'll just have to see what this week brings .

Weight has stayed the same for a few weeks now ,so have decided this week I will forgo any bottles of ice cold beer or glasses of chilled white and see if I can kick start the losses again...a kilo off by this time next week would be nice .

Happy running all 😊 x

[Coddfish Graduate]

I am pleased to say my knee has largely recovered from my fall. I can't kneel on it, but I don't need to do that to run, and I now have a full range of movement back. So I did a short (20 minute) run on it at the weekend, which was ok, and will be back to normal Wednesday intervals / Saturday Parkrun running days this week. Got in 3 "swim fit" programmes last week, 2 with an instructor and 1 on my own, 2 involving 50 lengths across various strokes, and 1 focused on technique. The slow, slow weight loss continues (I am not dieting, just increasing energy output) and have now lost a stone since I started measuring (to be fair, most of it was in the first 3-4 months).

[catch Graduate]

Hi there rfc. This week has not gone as well for my quest. I did not manage to cycle or swim at all, and my planned 10k had a large amount of walking in it. I'm not too disappointed though as I was working overtime on friday and saturday nights and did not get home til 3am either night and so was not really expecting to be that good on sunday morning. Still pleased to have done 9.7k in 1:11 and now have something to aim for. I am going to get up to 10k this week and will also go for a bike ride, I have planned out a new longer route to try! I will also take my swimming things to work and try to go on wednesday lunchtime. No excuses this week!

[Fitfor60 Graduate]

What a difference a week makes! Much happier with this week . At jog scotland running group had chat with leader who ran beside me and encouraged / pushed me. Felt much more positive. Had great long slow run on Sat . Really enjoyed runs this week. Thanks for last weeks advice RFC.

[Anniemurph Graduate]

A couple of short interval runs to test out my hip/glute/hamstring, but it's still sore when I run. I'm back at the chiropractor on Thursday so I'll see what she can suggest.

[lizziebeth57 Graduate]

Only got out twice last week. First was the same jogscotland run as Rona aka Fitfor60, luckily the leader ran with her so I was left to my own devices. Still pushed myself but had to have a few wee walk breaks while running up the last very long hill. Second run was on Sunday with a few of the jogscoltand gang. We have a lovely run, about 7k but at my pace... what a treat. It's good to push yourself but I really enjoy the runs that are at my comfortable pace of about 12 minute miles.

I hurt my knee kneeling to do do some clearing out at home (not a thing I do often I may add) so having to give yoga a miss as I can't kneel or bend it right up. Much better than it was though so hoping to go back out for a trial run tomorrow . We'll see though.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

It's a little bit cooler here now, so I'm hoping to increase my distance. I ran 5K yesterday and 9K today - I'll have a couple of days off now! I'd like to get back to the 20+ Ks I was running before the heatwave struck!