Deck the Hall (after a Stepping Stone)

[Razouski]

I decided today, that instead of using the Week 9 Podcast, as I have completed three postgraduate runs, I would move on to Stepping Stone to se if that would help me improve my time. I realised that all would not be right as I set off to the new music for the warm up walk, with Laura shouting the pace 1... 2... 3... 4.... I just didn't seem to be able to get with the pace of the music, and as a singer, I didn't think it was my sense of rhythm that was awry. In fact it was the fact that my usual "brisk walk" is normally faster than the pace of the music, and my feet were struggling to keep back.

Anyway I plodded on around the park thinking that things would improve with the run. The first five minutes again had me struggling to keep with the music, and I had to think hard to keep in time. This continued through the next couple of tracks until I decided that I would either fall over my own feet or need to keep to my own pace.

I decided on the latter course of action and soon settled into a much more comfortable rhythm. I've no idea what pace I run at, but Laura, your Stepping Stones need to keep up with me, not the other way round.

I finished the run in a fairly decent time, but the first couple of km were slower than my usual time. However there was one benefit to the slower pace of running, which was that I was able to make a mental note of some of the beautiful greenery and foliage around the park: look to the left in the hedgerow, some holly with berries that the birds haven't scoffed yet; miss tripping over some large pine cones; ivy with buds on against a tree; variegated ivy draping over a fence. It all looked beautiful and very seasonal.

It didn't take me long, after my cool down and shower to head back out again with secateurs in one hand and large bag in the other. The fruits of my labours have now been festooned around my house giving it a real festive look. My house has definitely been decked with boughs of holly, and I'm now in the Christmas spirit well and truly.

🎄🎶It's the most wonderful time of the year!🎶🎄

[tortoisegirl Graduate]

This is not a problem I suffer from! However if Stepping Stone is a bit slow for you, try Stamina. That ups the pace a bit. I enjoy both, but Stamina is definitely more of a challenge.

I love the foliage! I much prefer a bit of greenery to tinsel.

[Razouski in reply to tortoisegirl]

I shall try Stamina or Speed next week. My next run is on Saturday and I'm hoping to do my 2nd Park Run so I'll probably stick with Week 9 Laura for that.

I've always preferred greenery to tinsel, so I have rather a lot around my house.

[Hidden]

That was interesting post on Stepping stones ! I was planning to try that podcast out over Xmas and new year !

I'll give them a few goes and let everyone know how I get on.

By the way nice decking. At least you got some free Xmas decorations out of it !

I do have trouble with Xmas Spirit. Think Scrooge got it about right . I must find my "Bah Humbug" hat !

[Razouski in reply to Hidden]

Let me know how you get on with Stepping Stone, I'm going to try Stamina or Speed next to see if I get on any better with those.

I'm usually pretty Scroogeish in the run up towards Christmas, as I'm a bit old fashioned and think that Christmas begins at midnight on Christmas Eve. The rest of December is Advent in my book. However, I have about 17 of my inlays coming over on Sunday for a Christmas get-together, so I thought I'd better make the house look a bit festive.

Now I'm in the zone for some Christmas cooking (honeycomb ice cream to go with my chocolate brownies, clementine and cranberry puddings, some blackcurrant topping for the pannacottas I'm making on Saturday and sticky toffee puddings) and my house is smelling delicious, so my Bah Humbugs are taking a back seat for now.

Good luck finding your "Bah Humbug" hat. I hope we shall see a picture of it before too long (maybe going for a run with you in it )

[Hidden in reply to Razouski]

Should be photo from park run doing Saturday hopefully .

I like the odd mince pie but your cooking sounds great

I'll give the podcast a fair couple of goes and will let everyone know how get on. May look at other posts related to it and see how others have fared with them.

[SlowWorm2016 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

We don't celebrate Christmas at all so you can come round to ours, Hidden , and have a Yule-free time

[Maddee_6333 Graduate]

Knowing that I would be graduating soon, I listened to the podcasts and very quickly decided that there was no way I was going to cope with them.

[SlowWorm2016 Graduate]

I had a go with Stepping Stone this morning. I was glad that Laura kept reminding me of the beat to keep me at a steady pace but personally I didn't find it all that great. I think I already run more or less at the tempo she was reminding me of, but there were some useful running tips, like the foot placement tip. I ended up muttering to myself rather a lot and probably looked like some mad old bat trotting round on her own .

[Razouski in reply to SlowWorm2016]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who found it less than helpful.

[simonHumph Graduate]

I've found the Stepping Stone podcast *really* useful but probably because I'm no way as fast as you and was grateful for the pace setting. Keeping religiously to Laura's timings I'm not able to get to 5k in the 30 mins, I usually need to add between 3-5 mins on at the end to get to 5k, my fastest 5k with the podcast in 33 mins. I suspect the pace was just to slow for you - I'm looking forward to that day

[Razouski in reply to simonHumph]

Yes, the pace was a bit too slow. My 5K time is around 28min at the moment. I'm sure you'll get to the 30min before too long.

[Davoda Graduate]

Love the green!

Interesting to read of your experience with the stepping stone - I've read a few comments now of folks not loving it!

[Razouski in reply to Davoda]

Thanks.

I'm sure it would have been useful if I was running 5k in over 30 minutes, but the pace was just all wrong for me.

[Davoda Graduate in reply to Razouski]

Ok! I'm still over 30 mins for 5k, so I'll check it out anyway.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

Some people do find those podcasts too slow, others find them too fast. Me? Ha ha sometimes too slow, sometimes too fast...I'm finding them a stretch at the moment, sometimes they are easy-peasy... weird huh? I keep going back to them, have you tried Speed?

[Razouski in reply to Curlygurly2]

I might try Speed next week (as in the podcast not amphetamines.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to Razouski]

Gotta get your runners high somehow!

[skysue16 Graduate]

Lovely post and beautiful decorations - put's my tinsel and lights to shame!! Yes, I find stepping stones too slow for me as well, although if I start at the bottom of a hill it is just right! I prefer the speed and stamina podcasts. Speed is great if I only have time for a shorter run and I really try and push myself in the quicker sections. Stamina I also like but usually run on through the warm down to increase the distance. Best of luck.

[Razouski in reply to skysue16]

Thanks Skyesue, good idea about running through the warm down to increase the distance.

[Davoda Graduate]

I did the stepping stone this am & it wasn't far from the pace I'd done on Saturday, a teeny bit slower. I'll give it another go on Wed. Not sure I really stuck to the beat though!!!