W2 R1 - Newbie Questions Questions and more Questions....

[HelplessSpectator]

So due to 6 weeks holidays and other things I went on my first mid-morning run. As this is only my 2nd week I have no real comparisons to make, but felt this first run went fairly well despite the weather being against me (windy and drizzle by me). When my legs started to ache a little I had a sneaky look in the walk period to see how much more pain Jo Whiley was about to dish out. To my amazement and joy I only had one run left!!! The smile on my face was clear for someone on the moon to see!!

My first question is... did this run go better because I'm getting fitter already? Or was it due to me doing a morning run rather than evening? Is there a right time to run or is it just down to individual preferences?

Another question I have is as I'm listening to Jo telling me how great I'm doing I have music playing as well, is it again personal preference to listen to music or does it help in some sort of mind tricking way?

Alas another question!! As I'm running and already feel like running could be a new obsession and passion, I would like to track my run times and distance. I know maybe at this early stage it's not that important but wondered if anyone could recommend a good app that they use and why they feel it is good?

Thanks all in advance

Come back Friday to find out how W2 R2 goes!!!

[WhiteJog Graduate]

I always find that morning runs tend to go better, whenever possible now on run days, I just wake up and go.

[iain-strachan Graduate]

I've run all times of the day and can't say one is any better than the other. I think, however, that you DO get fitter as the course progresses, and you learn to pace yourself (I think Michael Johnson mentions this in the Wk 3 podcast). You also find that the time to recover your breath in the walking sections gets shorter - again something Jo or Michael mentioned in one of the podcasts. When I got to W5R2 where there are two 8 minute runs separated by 5 minutes walking I found I was ready to go again after only about half the 5 minute recovery period (though I did do it according to the book).

Music is a good motivator, because it gives a feeling of movement all the time. The later Couch to 5K+ podcasts have specific music chosen at different beat rates per minute (ranging from 150bpm to 165bpm) and you have to run in time with the music. I can't say I've tried these yet! I used my own music throughout C25K, but ran without headpones or music on my first parkrun. I can't say it made a huge difference to the time - but you have the sight of 300 other people running to keep you motivated.

For running apps I use Strava, which uses your phone's GPS. It uploads your results to a web site, where you can see a graph of speed against distance. It's quite instructive to see this graph on the early runs because you can see clearly from the graph where you were running and where you were walking.

But the most important thing is ENJOY THE RUN. And if the run itself is a struggle, enjoy the feeling of achievement when you've completed it.

Good luck on the next run.

[Hidden in reply to iain-strachan]

I agree with Iain on this - time of day is trial and error I do mornings otherwise I find a whole host of urgent unimportant jobs that needing doing...

for music I chose my own and listen to Mr Smooth Michael Johnson. Music is such a personal thing, some folks use book podcasts instead. For me the one thing I would say is sometimes choosing more upbeat stuff gets you running a bit too fast, so playlists can be tricky.

Try jog.fm for downloadable playlists synched to your timing.

I use the free map my run app in the background, and that does stuff similar to Strava. But sometimes things do get a bit confused when I have Mr Smooth, iTunes, and Map My Run all going at the same time, sometimes the music stops for whatever reason.

But Iain is right, don't get fixated on the monitoring app, as it can encourage you to think you must go faster and further, and at these early stages in your programme, faster most definitely isn't better. Slow and steady builds your stamina, your speedy Gonzales tendencies can come out later on. Good luck and well done for re-engaging after a break.

[Sandraj39 Graduate]

Well done for starting the programme - yes, you will feel the fitness benefits quite quickly in these early weeks and as others have said, recovery gets quicker too.Good advice also about not getting hung up on stats though, at this stage. There will be longer runs later in the programme where you may need to drop your pace in order to complete the run, so beware of monitoring speed at this time. If however, you can't resist, another app that I have used is Runkeeper (free). Will give you all the stats you need and map out your runs as well. I think the most important thing at this stage is just to get in to a regular routine of running and take things nice and steady. Good luck🙂

[HelplessSpectator]

Thanks all for the replies. I think that pace was maybe a factor in today's 'better' run. Because I knew I was having to run longer I think I must have shaved a fraction of the pace off subconsciously!

[AndyD Graduate]

Every time I have a "good" run (well better than average) I always wonder why and perhaps this is what keeps us going...

Was it good because of...

My pace, time of the day, the temperature, the humidity, the route, my nutrition, my hydration, which shoes I wore, how much I've run this week, how much I slept last night...

Think you get the drift 😀

Now if only i could work out the magic formula...

Oh and if anyone else works out the magic, let me know 😁

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Wow! You remind me of my daughter when she was young.. lots of questions

Early mornings I think are the best.. I love 'em!

You run when you want to, and to fit your lifestyle!

You do get stronger with every run... but, it is early days...

The music.. your choice...

Try really hard not to get hung up on distance time and speed... I just use my Garmin now..but had nothing during C25K..

But, basically, this is your journey and as along as you follow the programme and take your rest days and mainly, keep it slow and steady... you will be fine!