week 4 and my legs are already feeling how running is like

[stifterin]

Well after my first ever post about not taking rest days, *mistake *to even mention it, here I am again. This is like a log of my own experience, not a motivation letter to others or so:

WEEK 1: I didn't take rest days for w1. So I ran three consecutive days of 1 min run-1 min walk x 8. Boring as heavens, but I am very convinced that I can never run for longer periods of time, so I did it with a feeling of accomplishment at the end. Yes, mixed feelings here.

WEEK 2: Again I didn't take rest days. Plus, continued to work out (resistance training plus yoga). I am quite stressed nowadays, and tiring my body helps a lot to deal with it. (This was against every sane suggestion I got here, so definitely not an advice). So as I was tired, 90 sec running seemed/felt like a lot harder but only for the second and third times, then I was again very happy/bored/happy with the rest of the session.

WEEK 3: And I went even further by not taking a day off between W2 and 3. I thought I wouldn't run those 3 mins multiple times, but realised how easy it was. This time not bored, just happy. I did it twice. For the last session of W3, it was a cold Edinburgh night when I was trying to go home from my office, had a heavy backpack but I said, ok, I will try to run and see how much I can run before I regret this decision. 15 minutes, non-stop, a bit hill up, a bit slope down, 2.5 km.

MY LEGS FELT IT, more, my knees felt it.

I was veeery tired, but extremely happy. Really really happy.

Then I took two days off. Didn't even try to run 60 secs. I took the advice finally, because I thought yes, this is what they are trying to say.

Today was my first run of WEEK 4. I am over-working at work and my work-outs are getting also heavier. So I ran happily with no complaints about the music or the long walks - which are thankfully getting shorter-, and now I know I am gonna take tomorrow as a rest day.

I am going to leave Edinburgh in mid-May, and my only aim is to graduate before I leave, by running in the Holyrood Park three times a week. I feel like I can do it, and even this feeling is enough to make me smile. I cannot imagine how actually running 5k will feel like?! I heard some people cry??? This can be me =D

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

So... maybe now, you know why rest days are so very important. Even our most experienced Graduates, on here and Bridge to 10K too, are aware of this

So easy to really injure ourselves...and the knees are usually the first to go...and so many other exercises to do on rest days too, as you know.

Maybe, just maybe... you might try easing up a tad... sometimes, tiring strenuous exercise may be non-productive... and not a stress relief.; literally just exhaustion...?

Maybe do your runs in the park... week by week, with your rest days, but slow down and see what is there...

The idea is three 30 minute runs... not 5K ( the name of the programme is a bit of anomaly. C230minutes, isn't as catchy)!...many Graduates, never reach 5K.. many don't wish too...

So, carry on, but be a bit kinder to yourself and you may find that suddenly you are where you want to be...

"Fast enough to get there, slow enough to see "

[stifterin in reply to Oldfloss]

Yessss, definitely, now I know why rest days are important and I know if/when/how much I need them. =) Don't get me wrong, I didn't hurt my knees or something. But now, unlike the previous sessions, I feel like they are tired and need time off.

It sounds like I want to get it done quickly, and yes I do at times, but at the same time what I want more is that I want to do it right. Not feeling like I need to take days off in the first weeks vs. feeling like I need to take more than one day off... Consistency is not my cup of tea, and it is ok, I guess. =) Just like even though I complain to myself about the music or this or that, I am also loving every bit of this program and proud of myself to have decided to do it. <3