Pat on the Back Quest week 1 - Feel free to jo... - Couch to 5K

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Pat on the Back Quest week 1 - Feel free to join.

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate
21 Replies

The Pat on the Back Quest.

Week One.

The reason for the name is reading the last few weeks of posts and there seem to be some of us struggling. The whole point of the Quest is to help motivate not to make you feel bad. So if your finding that you've stretched yourself a bit on your aims bring them down for this quest just to help you get back On Your feet. I always think things are easier when you feel you are doing well rather than the other way round. I know you all will be doing something every week and if you don't you have very good reason, you are some of the most motivated people I know. Happy Questing.

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 London to Paris

Realfoodieclub

Ajwyld

Parseraisin

Misswobble

Irishprincess

Rmnsuk

Runswithdogs

Dagshar

Curlygurly2

Coddfish

Sandraj39

Glen53

Anniemurph

Googleme

Ridingstar

anicientmum

Lizziebeth57

Fitfor60

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Realfoodieclub profile image
Realfoodieclub
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21 Replies
Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate

The last few weeks I have been working on speed so this quest I want to work on slowing down. I want to have a trial run at slowing down, so slow that I can do a longer run without a walk break. I am going to try this by heart rate training. I have a 10km on Sunday high I will do the way I Have trained hopefully but I am laid up with a sore throat and sinus the last two days so I am hoping I feel better Then after that I will start my slow runs, fingers crossed I can do them.

ajwyld profile image
ajwyldGraduate

I'm in.

Aims are

to keep to 3 runs a week - this will be a challenge as my normal long run day is Saturday, but the next 3 weekends I'm very busy so will probably need to run Sunday early evening.

To stretch my distance to 14k

To keep enjoying myself !

parseraisin profile image
parseraisinGraduate

Hi, I'd like to join again, pretty please?

I will be submitting a thesis in the next month or so, and my main goal is not to stop running in the frenzied days to come.

I have three other aims:

1. three runs a week (15k), with a split long run on one or two weekends (adding another 3 or 4k on those weeks).

2. Push myself with some easy hills one run a week, and

3. Myrtl, so that I don't end up with hip pain again after the hills!

Thanks for organising this, it is so helpful to have a place to check in once a week!

misswobble profile image
misswobbleGraduate

Thanks for this RFC! It's much appreciated

I'm back! Put me down for 3 runs a week

Training for a 10 k on 13 December. Entered and paid for. Yay! Come on!

Can't quite do the full training distances yet, but doing some of the shorter ones, and should hopefully be fit enough for the 10 k. Not done one since May mind you but I feel as if I have enough stamina. Been doing regular strength workouts, walking and started back with the hiking. All the signs are good!

Irishprincess profile image
IrishprincessGraduate

I love these quests as they keep me focused and motivated so thank you RFC for all your work on organising.

Count me in again as I will be training for a HM. Gulp! The quest will help keep me on track and make sure I don't too much too quickly.

My goals are to keep to my plan of three runs a week and make sure I vary them with hill work, intervals, etc and increase my long run by 1K a week. I also aim to do more cross training to strengthen so I'm going to mix it up this quest and do more gym work but also swimming and cycling. It all must help!

Good luck fellow questers. We will conquer the world!

rmnsuk profile image
rmnsukGraduate

I'm training for a HM. I've got to 18km so far, but seem to have stalled at this distance, and I'm having problems finding out what I need to eat and drink 'in flight'.

My quest therefore is to reach 13.1miles and sort out eating and drinking on the way.

My other target is to keep going at the push up challenge which seems to have flagged...again. At least I can now do 5 now instead of the 1 I could do when I started months ago. At this rate I'll need a zimmer frame before I reach 100.

runswithdogs profile image
runswithdogsGraduate

Sign me up please RFC. My goal will be to run at least 2x per week. With snow on the ground today and a two week vacation to Asia I think that'll be plenty challenging.

dagshar profile image
dagsharGraduate

I have learnt over the past few weeks that it's not always possible to follow the same schedule every week especially now that the weather also gets in the way, so I want to keep things simle and flexible - 3 runs a week hopefully including the odd interval session and a few long weekend runs (15-18km). I know this won't happen every week, e.g. next week my mum is visiting so I probably won't do anything longer than one hour max at a time. I would also like to do my first lunch time run along the canal near the office. ☺

Curlygurly2 profile image
Curlygurly2Graduate

Same sort of stuff for me as usual - some intervals, a long slow run, and I'll see what I fancy on the other days, probably a fastish 5K

Coddfish profile image
CoddfishGraduate

Hello RFC, count me in please.

My objective is the simple one of re-establishing regular running after the last quest's cough-a-thon. If I can just get out a minimum of 12 times during the quest, that will be great. I should also clock up my 100th run during this quest, which will also be great.

Got out yesterday, before the arrival of the storm and did 4K. Wind has been F7/8 all day with a forecast of several days the same, so that's another issue to work with.

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate

I'm in again!

My goal:

To continue running three times a week (2 x 5k plus one longer run)

Work on speed of my 5K

happy running all!🏃🏻🏃🏻

Glen53 profile image
Glen53Graduate

Okay i'm in. I have a hectic couple of weeks with mother in law down, so here is my quest......

Run x 3 PER WEEK (I am missing the structure of Laura and life's a little hectic)

In running club/first steps go from 2 mile group to the 3 mile group. (Monday), pretty tough as do some slopes and I try and keep up (silly me).

DO PARKRUN at least once.

Begin to increase one of my runs to 3 1/2 miles not avoiding any slopes though if on canal 4 miles (nice and flat)

RFC many thanks for the quests

Glen

Anniemurph profile image
AnniemurphGraduate

Awww, that's just what I need, Rfc, thank you! Count me in, please.

Okay, I have one goal - RUN! I need to get out there once a week. It's that simple. If I am inspired and manage more, fantastic, but my goal is one run a week.

I have also signed up to the Push-up challenge, but I am modifying it because I have an upper-body programme already worked out for me that I will use, rather than just doing press-ups. It's the same principle though: build up and do more.

Happy Questing everyone, and a swift recovery to those on the IC.

GoogleMe profile image
GoogleMeGraduate

A bit nerve wracking at the moment with finalising my son's arrangements (thank you so much for the support over this) so the next few weeks remain highly unpredictable.

But I am collecting up some goals

1) Getting back to swimming a kilometre (haven't been able to as I've been taking my son swimming and he wants to get out sooner than I have time to swim that far)

2) Try out a pedometer to see how many steps I am taking.

3) One or both of: have a run with my Dad, get out on my bike (which implies with my husband

4) Just keep running in a way that I enjoy - I did a 5k on Friday in the woods and got properly wet and mucky and loved it.

ridingstar profile image
ridingstarGraduate

I'm in - for this quest I would like to get 2 PBs at Parkrun and make myself go out when the weather is rubbish ! Both of these are possible but putting them on here will make me do it ;) Thank you RFC I am now a regular 10k runner after your last one :) :)

AncientMum profile image
AncientMumGraduate

I'm in again RFC and a massive thank you for organising the quest again.

My aims are simple:

To run an absolute minimum of twice a week, but hopefully 3 times, and to try push my distance on. Twould be good to get to 7.5k over the course of this quest.

Cheers m'dear xx

lizziebeth57 profile image
lizziebeth57Graduate

Please count me in again RFC. Nice quest title too. My goal is to go out 3 times a week but not be disappointed if it's only twice. I know I will try for three and it only goes down to two when other things happen in my life. I also want to get back into going to my jogscotland running group regularly, I get a bit put off because I am pretty much the slowest and in order not to get left behind I have to really really push myself, to the point a lot of the run is really uncomfortable. I am going to experiment with pushing myself but not to the point I am really disliking it. I will also keep up my yoga twice a week.

My best best goal this quest though is to go for a 10k run with my daughter Katie, who is coming home from New York for a week just before Xmas. 💓💓😀She started me on c25k late summer 2013 and came with me for my first 3 runs, I last ran with her when we went out to see her in May so it will be just lovely to go out with her again!

Fitfor60 profile image
Fitfor60Graduate in reply tolizziebeth57

But we do have some good chats at the back Beth. And just remember we are old enough to be some of their mothers so I think we do just fine

lizziebeth57 profile image
lizziebeth57Graduate in reply toFitfor60

Talking to you really helped me not get too fussed about being at the back on Wednesday. Thanks x

Fitfor60 profile image
Fitfor60Graduate

I've been enjoying long slow runs lately with lots of stops for water and jelly babies. So this quest

1)going to try and get back to running 5 k without a stop

2) try and work on speed

I am now running home 2.2 miles after dropping off grandson at school on Mondays so will use that time to work on trying to go bit faster.

Keep safe everyone in this wintery windy weather

Curlygurly2 profile image
Curlygurly2Graduate

I'd like to amend my goals - I'm going to do some long slow runs and just enjoy my running. I've been doing the Scavenger hunt photo challenge on FaceBook, it has made me slow down and look around me, and has made me realise I spend far too much of my running on trying to go faster.....when I'm in France a really only have one route so I concentrate on speed, no need for that here, there is some lovely running in Cambridge, so I'm checking out new places to go. I've found I can go a very long way if I'm not trying to break my own records, and I don't feel so tired after either. Happy runner!

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