W8 is great (did I really type that?!)

[AvatheGardener]

So, I've been travelling around for the last week. I did my W7R3 in Edinburgh, W8R1 in London and this morning W8R2 in Cheltenham. The Edinburgh run was really tough- I'd travelled to Dundee and back and ran in the evening, which I find harder, and it was hot. I was probably struggling from about 20 seconds in, all the way round. Then I found out why- average of 6:35 /km... crazy!

So for W8 I was pretty nervous after finding every minute so tough- it's 'only' an extra three minutes though, right?! The little voices in my head were beginning to chirp up with 'you're not really doing it right, you can't do this, you're rubbish' and so on and so forth. So W8R1, I decided to go really much slower. Got to 28 minutes and decided to do a minute more, just to 'show them', then walked for a couple of minutes and then it began to drizzle, I felt great, and rewound the podcast and ran for the five minute warm up, then rewound it again to do a five minute warm down. Average of 7:20- still not bad actually, and really good to get that smile back.

W8R2 this morning, somewhere along the way what to any normal person would look like a 'flat' length of pavement rose up to become a 'hill' and the pavement became bumpy, lumpy and awkward... But pushing on past it I made it to a section which was actually flat and indeed possibly slightly downhill, which helped. Got to the five minute warm down and decided to run it, then added five minutes for a warm down walk. Averaged 6:59. Yes, I can't really believe it either. Is MapMyRun actually accurate?!

Still finding it hard to believe a) I'm going running! b) I'm running for around 30 minutes! and c) im managing a pace which won't embarrass me too much when I do finally go to parkrun- don't want to be holding up the back runner ...

Have to say it's still a struggle but it really, really feels great when you complete the task in hand. A tiny little 'yay!' 👏🏽

[JoolieB1 Graduate]

Just did week 8, run 1 - can't say it was my best run but busy weekend that included a Chinese takeaway that I regret and lay in this morning meant I went out later than usual. I have been running without Laura but took her with me today and found it a little distracting. Slogged all the way round, breathing was ok, pace slow 8 min/km but ran for 30 minutes so did it. Hope to enjoy it on Wednesday and outside possibility I will do my first parkrun on Saturday but will see how it goes! Julie

[AvatheGardener Graduate in reply to JoolieB1]

Hey, good for you. I'm amazed you can do it without Laura, I kinda need her encouragement... Then again I find the time after she says 'five minutes left' is hard going! I'm

Sticking with her till I've done the programme in full... Thereafter it will probably be just MapMyRun but she isn't as friendly!

I've also signed up to park run but I'm not sure I'm quite ready yet- im almost saving it for after I graduate do I have something new to keep the momentum going. 😀

[JoolieB1 Graduate in reply to AvatheGardener]

Try it without her! Maybe music would help the loneliness! It was ok with Runkeeper, quite relaxing really. I am registered with parkrun but not sure I would do it, went along as a volunteer last Saturday, they r so encouraging, know they wd b kind to us!! Julie

[Hidden]

Good on you rainshine. You've done a fair bit of travelling by the sounds of it. So close to graduation now!

[AvatheGardener Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Mims 😅 looking forward to my next challenge- 5k and completing a parkrun, will also aim to work on coping with hilly terrain better. Hilly terrain being anything which isn't as flat as a pancake!