First Post Grad run - choices, choices!! - Couch to 5K

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First Post Grad run - choices, choices!!

F1ipperation profile image
F1ipperationGraduate
โ€ข12 Replies

Did first post grad ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ today after reading lots of advice on the first couple of weeks consolidating. I decided to use a popular podcast based around โ€œbeats per minuteโ€, aiming to increase pace, with Strava running in the background. The opening walk was fine but I couldnโ€™t step in time to the first 150 bmp - the problem being it didnโ€™t suit my natural running rhythm. I tried hard for several minutes and tried lengthening my stride to keep to the beat. All of a sudden I felt a niggle in a knee, so I decided to abandon the podcast and just aim at 5K using Strava as my guide.

The niggle subsided after about 5 mins and I finished the run in 32 mins, which I will now repeat for the next few runs.

Thought Iโ€™d share the experience as there is so much choice after graduation. Iโ€™m sure the podcast will work for others but it wasnโ€™t for me.

Very enjoyable run in the end, though and feeling great ๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ Keep running ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘Œ

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F1ipperation profile image
F1ipperation
Graduate
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12 Replies
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Ripcurlrana71 profile image
Ripcurlrana71

Took me a little while to get into the 1,2,3,4 strides too. Felt like a baby giraffe taking its first steps! ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

F1ipperation profile image
F1ipperationGraduate in reply to Ripcurlrana71

Love it - did you finish the podcast?

Ripcurlrana71 profile image
Ripcurlrana71 in reply to F1ipperation

Yes I did. The speed intervals were challenging but good โ€˜funโ€™. My knee was sore after so havenโ€™t repeated it again! ๐Ÿ˜Š

F1ipperation profile image
F1ipperationGraduate in reply to Ripcurlrana71

Interesting .....๐Ÿ˜‰looks like you are doing amazingly ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿคธโ€โ™€๏ธ

Ripcurlrana71 profile image
Ripcurlrana71 in reply to F1ipperation

Thanks. Yeah - put a โœ… next to that podcast and moved onto 10K! ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜ฌ๐Ÿ˜Š

Thatโ€™s really helpful- iโ€™m due to graduate soon - 2 more runs & not sure what to do next. I think iโ€™d be the same with that - i like to run to my own beat!

PS - iโ€™m glad your knee held out!

F1ipperation profile image
F1ipperationGraduate in reply to

Thanks- yes itโ€™s fine- I think itโ€™s very important to listen to what your body is telling you ๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ‘Œ

DeeRunning profile image
DeeRunningGraduate

That is such a lovely photo F1ipperation . So nice to see your smiling face :)

Thanks for sharing your experience. I've got my plan for the next 3 weeks - consolidate 3 x 30 mins a week and try to improve my distance in the 30 mins... then? Not so sure.

Well done on your run and for listening to your body, as you mentioned above it's so important to do that while trying to improve. Happy running to you :)

F1ipperation profile image
F1ipperationGraduate in reply to DeeRunning

Thanks DeeRunning ! For a couple of minutes during the run I thought disaster had struck ๐Ÿ˜ฎ๐Ÿ˜ฎ All OK ๐Ÿ‘Œ though ๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ

My plan now is to repeat the same run for as long as it takes to get down to 30mins (only 2mins to shave off) - could be several weeks - and then gradually increase the distance. The route Iโ€™m doing is the first part of my target route, which is 7.2K total circular (including the warm up and cool down 5mins), which takes in a 400ft hill. Iโ€™m getting about 1/3 of the hill in before I turn back at the moment. If I can get to the target Iโ€™m happy with that 3 times a week ๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿ‘Œ .....unless............! ๐Ÿ˜€ Happy running to you too ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ itโ€™s also always good to see your smiling face ๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜€

Jay66UK profile image
Jay66UKGraduate

Well done. Great to read what everyone else is doing after graduation.

F1ipperation profile image
F1ipperationGraduate in reply to Jay66UK

Thanks Jay !! Yes itโ€™s great to hear what everyone else is doing after ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸŽ“๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐ŸŽ“ youโ€™ll soon be there. The time goes by so quickly ๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜€ Slow and Steady!! ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ

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