W5R3 The first long run

[RunGirlyRun]

What brave new world it must be that has me running for 20 minutes non-stop in it!

Was it hard? It was. Did I do it? Absolutely! Did I enjoy it? I actually think so. A little.

What has me most excited is that it was the first time I could properly track my progress with RunKeeper since there was no walking involved (I did not track the first and last 5 minutes).

8.65 km/h was my pace. I have no idea how that compares - at this point it is just a benchmark for me to measure future non-stop runs against. What makes me really proud is that my pace remained pretty steady throughout with a surprising upswing at the end.

Onto W6 and new challenges now! Happy running to one and all X

[SandieF Graduate]

It’s like some sort of witchcraft isn’t it 😂. The way they manage to get us all running for longer & longer periods 😂. Well done 👍👏

[RunGirlyRun in reply to SandieF]

If you had told me 5 weeks ago I wouldn’t have believed you!! 😂

[SandieF Graduate in reply to RunGirlyRun]

Same here! Great isn’t it! 😂

[Beccy8348E]

Yay!! Super job girly!

[RunGirlyRun in reply to Beccy8348E]

Thanks, Beccy! X

[Jay66UK Graduate]

Well done!

[RunGirlyRun in reply to Jay66UK]

Thanks, Jay!

[Grimreaper]

Awesome and congratulations for running 20 min non stop .

As you rightly said it’s kind of self competing. Your time is perfectly good .

I also did mine 20 min today .. as smoker only 50 days ago (quit 50 days back) .. I did manage to do it as 11.11 min a km (less than 6km /hr) .. which is no doubt a snail pace .. but if someone asks me why are you running so slow .. I will tell them I am practicing how slow one person can run . If u want u can race me .. the one who run faster will lose 😆😆😆

[RunGirlyRun in reply to Grimreaper]

Well done to you, both for your 20 minutes and for quitting!! I know how hard the latter is: I quit myself only 11 months ago. It has been so incredibly worth the difficulties of those first months, though!!!

Haha I will keep that answer in my back pocket as well in case someone asks me why I am running so slow. Its a very good one, thank you!

Good luck with your running too! X

[owmeknees]

Well done on the run. That 20 minutes is such a milestone in the journey. Enjoy week 6.

[RunGirlyRun in reply to owmeknees]

Thank you!! X

[Hidden]

You've broken the back of it now! As soon as I completed that run I knew the course was beat. It's good to track your progress, but don't compare to others. I keep saying you just don't know the factors involved. Weather, hills, age, fitness levels and the list goes on. Wishing you well for next week - you can do this!!

[RunGirlyRun in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, Sutcha! You are very right of course in that comparing to others will only bring me down. I’ve never been particularly competitive with others anyways though I can, admittedly, be very hard when competing against myself 😅 I think the key for me will be in tracking progress without making it a central theme for my running, otherwise I might make myself anxious... Anyways, I’m rambling! Thank you so much for your encouraging comment. These few lines always mean so much to my self-esteem! Looking forward to building stamina and taking future long runs by storm - one slow, steady and level headed step at a time 😝 x

[Hidden]

You're doing amazing. Getting this far shows determination and stamina and yes, looking at veteran runners times is off-putting. I have a good friend who completes Triathalons and his pace is frightening, even for his 7K's but I know he's been in training for a long time and was fit to begin with! Strava is good if you often run the same route as it does compare your segments and you can see which km's were better than last time or any new personal bests.

This morning I'm looking into Zombies, Run. It will add a fun element to mix things up.

[RunGirlyRun in reply to Hidden]

Good tips! Thank you! I see people mentioning Strava a lot on here. I have been using Runkeeper but to get the full benefit you need to subscribe. Is Strava as good as it seems? My worry in changing is that I would have to start from scratch and would not have my 5 weeks of C25K to date logged

I have heard of Zombies, Run but never tried it...keep us posted on how you find it?

[Hidden in reply to RunGirlyRun]

They're all much of a muchness I guess. I'm only on Strava because that's where my friends who run were. I used to like Endo but all apps have problems from time to time and I started getting drop-outs too often when I did long runs, which is the worst!

I don't know how well Runkeeper performs at comparing previous runs. I have it, but haven't tested it. Like you, I have stuck to Strava to see how it went given my friends were there to give me my kudos, lol and it's been good enough so haven't ventured away. Downloaded a few just in case.

[RunGirlyRun in reply to Hidden]

Maybe I will take a leaf out of your book and download a couple more apps to see how they stack up. The free version of Runkeeper isn't great for comparing runs as you have to pay for that feature but maybe I could have it and Strava on at the same time from now on...

[Hidden in reply to RunGirlyRun]

Good plan. I'm not sure if running 2 simultaneously will work add they'll both be vying for GPS signal, but worth a shot. Or wait until you've graduated to keep your logs complete you that point. If you are going to change though, it might be better sooner rather than later as the gap in your record will be smaller. Just thinking out loud here! 👍

[RunGirlyRun in reply to Hidden]

Very true! Hopefully I get out on my run tomorrow (I have a big work deadline but will be trying to stick to my schedule) and can then try running both at the same time. If it doesn't work I will probably stick to Runkeeper as you say. Will post the outcome on here and let you know how it went! X