Week 5 - the big one!

[Little-runner]

20 minutes in one go. I'm not going to lie, that was hard.

I think it was partly to do with the fact that we had a team building day playing rounders yesterday, so not quite a rest day. It was windy and running into wind was something I'd not experienced before. I think I ate some dodgy food yesterday so my tummy was a bit iffy. Do these all sound like excuses?? Mmmm, I think they could be.

So I was pretty nervous going into this one...wondering whether I'd get through it or not. Of course I did get though it and the first 10 minutes were fine, then my legs started to feel tired, and then up the hill through the park (which is my nemesis, and a bit of a mental barrier for me), my breathing became much more laboured. I slowed the pace and just plodded (or dragged myself) up there waiting for the time to be up, trying to turn my grimace into a smile when passing the other folk out for a walk.

When the time was up, my legs were like jelly, and walking was a bit wibbly wobbly for a little while. But after a couple of mintutes (and once I was at the top of the hill), I reckon I could have run some more. Eeek...that was a surprise.

My goal of 5k in under 30 minutes seems a pretty long way off at the moment. But every run I am smashing my Strava PB's, and being a statistics driven kind of gal this really motivates me.

I'm tempted to find a route that is flatter, but part of me doesn't want to avoid hills. I don't want them to become an issue during my runs. I tend to pump my arms a bit more and try not to let me breathing get too gaspy...it was hard today though. Maybe I should make the uphill the start of the run on fresher legs??

I did pass a lady runner a couple of times on my loop going the opposite way. She was probably in her 50s, and was going at some pace. She was definitely an inspiration to me and I hope to be running at her speed, and most definitely at her age.

Looking forward to the next one as always....may this running obsession continue!

[Jay66UK Graduate]

Excellent run, great report.

My feelings about hills are well known. But you are probably wise to keep them as part of your route and, yes, try to bring it nearer the start if you HAVE to do hills 😱🤣

Enjoy the next one.

[Little-runner Graduate in reply to Jay66UK]

Thanks Jay, I'll come up with a different route for the next long one to get the hill over with at the start.

The reason I'm doing this is to improve my hill walking fitness (I love climbing mountains and am even considering trail running for the future), so I know I should definitely do them, they're just sooooo hard! 😩

[Jay66UK Graduate in reply to Little-runner]

Ah. You’d be very welcome at the Lyme Park Parkrun then. They all seem to be hairy-arsed fell runners.

[Goforitmama Graduate]

Well done on your 20 minute run, it feels kinda monumental doesn't it?!!

Yeah, I try to run the uphill on fresh legs too. Trying to run uphill on knackered legs just does not work. Your right though, it's such a head game thing.

keep going, keep posting! You are doing great!

[southlundon Graduate]

I can’t miss out the hills either but instead of cursing them and wishing I lived near a nice flat park, I now see them as something to conquer and feel pretty smug that I’m getting hills in and increasing my stamina every time! When are you doing w6r1? ☺️

[Little-runner Graduate in reply to southlundon]

Yup...hills are definitely something to embrace and a good measure to see improvement.

I did 6/1 yesterday...will post an update at lunch. It was awesome 😎

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate]

Well done. That's your milestone run done! 👏🥉😁

If you can leave the hills in it helps longterm but it is nice to have a flatter route to fall back on too. I have a huge hill in my normal 5k route but I do the worst very early on literally in the first 3 mins.

Onwards towards the finish now! Keep it up, you're doing great 👍😁

[Little-runner Graduate]

Thanks GoGo_JoJo...I'm definitely going to embrace the hills and it's not actually possible for me to do a route completely flat from my house. So I guess that could be a good thing so I don't avoid them and I also I think it's also a good measure of improvement. Hopefully I'll learn to love them rather than gasping for breath up them. 👍