W7R1 on 5th attempt! route, pace, music

[optimisticoxford]

I've been trying for a couple of weeks to get through W7R1 and constantly not finishing it. I got very demoralised and before today hadn't run for 10 days. A friend persuaded me to get back out there though... and I managed it!

Route: The first four attempts I went to nice parks around town, thinking a change of scenery would be good for getting through this tricky run. Problem was each meant doing two laps of the same place, and once I'd done it once I just seemed to lose hope. Today I ran in a straight line along the canal until the halfway point, knowing that from there when I turned back I was going to have to do the distance, so I may as well run it!

Pace: because the first four were in parks, there were a lot of other runners and tourists. I'm pretty sure I was running faster out of embarrassment. Also I was using a run mapper, which is useful, but was updating me on my splits, which I think was making me try and run faster rather than longer.

Music: by wonderful chance, this came on as I was in the last couple of minutes of the 25! youtube.com/watch?v=_Lf0cCC...(Not working as expected?)

So pleased I've *finally* cracked it!

[Lizzyb11066]

I stopped the split announcements on my Runkeeper app

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

Hooray - your determination has paid off! Well done.

[Pushing60 Graduate]

Well done you. I loathed week 7, so glad to see the back of it.

[poppypug Graduate]

Well done you ! Persistance always pays, you never gave up and now you've done it .

Good on ya ! xxx

[PippiRuns]

You did it, and look how much you learned about yourself - route, pace and music! Great. And goodbye w7r1!!

[Hidden]

Really impressed you got back out so often to try again. Congratulations. Reading posts like this makes me thing my twinging knee is a minor set back and I will do the full programme eventually, but may be at my pace. Thank you x

[Indizulu Graduate]

Fantastic - you showed real grit getting out there and doing it!! Bravo - onwards and upwards! 👍👍👍

[Talulah1984 Graduate]

Big kudos to anyone who will keep at it after not completing a run, good for you and another run closer to graduation 🤗