Last time I wallowed in half a k of confusion as I extended my usual “out and back” 4k to 5k. Today I was ready for it.
First outing for the new vest and hat. It was only 12 degrees out there but I felt extremely cool.
I was a little sceptical about a “full top” hat but it worked - the mesh is very breathable. The peak is bigger than my usual visor which meant if my head drops at all I can’t see ahead. This made me keep my head up, which I guess is a good thing.
The vest felt like I was topless. It veered between really nice and liberating or feeling self conscious of looking like a fat lump in fancy dress. Gremlins had a field day on this early in the run. Verdict: head up, shoulders back, run. It’s gonna get worn. In cooler weather it would be way too cold, but I’ve got that covered with existing gear.
Those gremlins also had a go about making it to 5k this morning. In the first k they were negotiating an exit clause where they would bail out after one or two outbound to make it a two or four k run. I humoured them and ran on.
Just past 2k my right calf started to niggle and did so for the remainder of the run. I thought it was a gremlin trick but it’s still niggling a bit now. I’ll keep an eye on it.
Reached the turning point without the havering of last 5k. Run back long but uneventful.
Final 2k and my breath was totally calm and gentle. I don’t know if this means I’m not pushing hard enough but it was another run where I felt I could carry on and on. Calf niggle excepting.
Took Sirens Hill to “Come on Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners - whole run powered by the Dad Dancing playlist again.
Check my stats. Last time 44 minutes flat, 8’47”/k. This time (drum roll) 41mins 14secs, 8’14”/k! Every k faster than last time.
Obviously delighted with that time. I know it’s slow compared to many but this is my race with myself and I’m winning 😉
Whatever run you have next, enjoy it x
Written by
Jay66UK
Graduate
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Thanks. The gremlins are real for most people. It’s taken running for me to realise how much they hold me back in life.
I figure the report isn’t honest if they aren’t mentioned when they rear up and hope it helps others know it’s not just them and that it is possible to work through.
I’ve been talking about moving up to 2 5ks a week from later this month. I think it probably ought to start here, provided my calf settles.
I suspect there's a few of us on here who like a Dad Dancing Playlist (nothing wrong with a spot of Dexy's to power up a hill). As Baz says: "The race is long, and in the end it's only with yourself".
They never help clear up afterwards though, do they? And they bring the cheap wine but drink my malt whiskey.
A run wouldn’t be a run without some disruption from them. I smile to myself when they rear up now, which makes me worried I’ve gone mad but that’s just gremlins on the shoulders of gremlins!
Amazing Jay - you are killing it and those pesky gremlins!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👌🏽 So love that you are smashing every run my bud. xx Retail therapy is definetly working for you!! Bravo 🙇🏻♀️. X
It’s great to see I am getting fitter in my times. Having weight to lose and being slow means PBs are frequent which is really motivating. And as they start to dry up I will be extending my distance so I won’t notice!
Great stuff Jay66UK as you say we are all challenging ourselves against ourselves and it’s really gratifying to see those lumps of time being knocked off your PB, keep those gremlins at bay!
I’ve found smiling at them works. I metaphorically roll my eyes, sit back and say to myself “here we go again; what stunts are you going to pull this time”. I now know them for what they are. It’s not always easy but it helps me push through.
I hope yours settle or that you can find peace with them x
Same here. I’m now really aware how much they have dominated me. They say you only regret the things you didn’t do, and I’ve got lots of regrets. But the past is gone and I can only change my future.
Well done Jay - you're doing brilliantly☺ Hope the calf niggle doesn't develop into anything more serious. My thigh niggle has now moved into my knee, so doesn't look like i'll be running any time soon, sadly!
😔 sorry to hear that. My right leg has been a bit grumbly throughout C25K. Nothing bad enough to stop me so far. Hoping that doesn’t change and hoping your thigh/knee issue soon settles. A week off running every now and then is meant to be good for you, isn’t it?
Possibly, but it's now been almost three weeks and i'm really missing it. I think if I had taken a rest when I first noticed it, I wouldn't have been on IC for so long - oh well, live & learn (sometimes!). enjoy the weekend!
This definitely is a race against ourselves and those gremlins. And we are definitely winning it.
Good going Jay!
All the best for your upcoming runs!!
P.S. I’m jealous of your loot 😜 I’ve not gathered enough courage yet to invest in my running gears (except the Fitbit Versa I bought as gift for reaching W9)
Great stuff Jay, that's a fantastic improvement in time! Keep an eye on that calf, as you know I have also suffered from tight calves/achilles issues, if yours is the same, I can't speak highly enough of the heel drop exercise, it's really doing the trick!
Well done for doing 5k Jay, yes it’s your own targets and knowing your own abiblities that counts. This forum includes people of all shapes, sizes, ages and levels of fitness and we are all trying to be the best version of ourselves, whatever that may be. It sounds like your cool kit arrived just as the temperature has dropped a little but I bet you were glad of it by the end of your run.
I’ve never thought of running to my theme tune, if you think it works I’ll transfer C’mon Eileen onto my running playlist too. You might try a few calf strengthening exercises on your rest days to avoid the niggles. I’m on both calf and ankle exercises now!
Can’t vouch for it being a running tune other than Jancanrun putting it on her Dad Dancing playlist on Spotify. It got me up the hill, which is what counts towards the end of a long run.
(Still irritates me that my Apple Watch doesn’t show the 51m gain I have through my run. Shakes fist!)
Your killing these 5ks jay!! And the time keeps dropping & dropping. Well done bud! 👏. How many weeks (ignoring the mountainous park run 😂) after graduating did you start doing 5s? I’m so tempted this morning but this is just my 3rd week
It was my third week. My pattern for the third runs went 33-36-40 mins.
At 40 mins I hadn’t returned to my starting point and felt it was “cheating” not to go all the way. When I reached the starting point I was only 250m from 5k so I “just ran it, Janet!”
Heading that way! I’ve made a decision today that I’m going for one 4k and two 5ks from this week and try to be at three 5ks before the end of the month. It’s only fear of injury stopping me from just going the whole hog now.
There's is nothing wrong with sensible and organised. I did something that was exciting and spontaneous and it almost wrecked my life but that is a story for another time! Don't go changing
Jay your posts are so inspiring (and very amusing), and I can’t wait to log my first 30 minutes to see how far I can run. Not for a few weeks though, I’ve only just completed W4!
Keep on keeping us entertained and enjoy your running!
Wow Jay your comments about the gremlins sound like this is having an impact on recognising other gremlins in your life? One thing I think is totally underestimated at the start of this programme is the mental side of it - pushing through and leaving the gremlins behind is such a big thing. I find myself thinking in every day life ‘well if I can run 25 mins up hills no problem of course I can do xyz’! 😀
Running has made me recognise I’ve gone through life feeling very much “second best” (or worse) and lacking in confidence. My gremlins mislead me into making bad choices, usually to avoid risk of embarrassment or failure.
I think another thing is realising that we are all running our own race. So I’m 5ft8, slightly shorter than average for a bloke. I’m overweight. I’m grey. I’m 52.
All those things have dragged me down, walking around with my shoulders down and my head dropped (both literally and metaphorically at different times).
Now I stand next to anyone and think “I can run 5k, non stop”. I know it’s meaningless in many senses but in others it is so empowering. Someone I respect at work said “I just can’t run”.
Apart from saying “you could, and I know how!”, I felt a sense of strength. I look up to him but also I can do this thing he won’t even try.
My life has changed a lot in 2018. At the time some of it felt pretty bad. Now I realise it’s just a transition to another chapter. Running has been key to that realisation. And I love it!
Reading this has given me goosebumps. I don’t even know you and I’m so happy for you. Keep your head high and keep those legs running!! 🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️
Oh no, not at all. If an individual comment could be pinned for everyone to read and learn about the mental benefits of c25k, then your comment is the one. And don't apologise for being so honest. It is often difficult to be vulnerable, especially on a public forum, but you know as well as anyone on here that this is a lovely bunch of people and everyone is cheering you on just as much as me
I love this post❤! Running has given me my confidence too. Your so right when you say it's empowering! For me I've not only become more confident about my body and what my body can do but it's having a positive impact on all areas of my life. It's good isn't it🎉👍🎉!
Well done, bud, excellent race report! It's so inspiring to see your figures improving week after week. Note to self: do a spreadsheet. Worthy investment, too, of the new kit. Topless, breezy feeling as you run? Combine that with a naked run (no tunes, not a dare!!) for your next - priceless.
Love your posts. Those sneaky gremlins are pesky little critters!
Never mind those negative little free loaders, everyone else knows that you are doing just fine 😀
It's funny how when we extend a run that the new ground feels kinda alien. But then the next time we run the same route it feels more relaxed. Or maybe that's just me.
Agree. I think that’s why we get encouraged to run in new places. For now, my safe route works for me. I understand where I am and what it will take to get back (which I think was the panic I was clearly having last time). I will branch out once I’m confident in my 5ks.
Well done! You are a lot faster than me! Take care with your calf niggle. I've got a knee niggle not from running but from the big slide in a play barn! Think I knocked it! ☺☺
Thanks. I clearly care more what people think than I realise. I was all for trying round and changing during the warm up walk. But it was as cooling as I’d hoped.
Yeah well I think we are all a bit like that. You know yourself though that when you see someone running - you don’t judge - you just think good on ya! Mind you now I also think - I wonder if they’re on the forum?! 😂
Love reading your posts - thanks for sharing - weird how we are all worried about being seen in our running gear - the big worry for me is moving from trousers to shorts! Good for you - enjoy it all!
If the calf is still niggling, have you tried foam rolling after running yet? You can buy the foam rollers pretty cheaply, and I’m sure you can find loads of foam rolling techniques by Googling it. I had painful knees when I first started C25k, and got told to foam roll my ITband (outside of leg) by the sports therapist who treats my back. It worked and I’ve kept it up, now any new niggles (like calves) get rolled out after I’ve finished running, and so far it seems to continue helping.
Hi Jay, thanks for the review of the gear. That cap definitely seems like something I’d find useful. The vest I’m not so sure about but I think I’ll get one and try it out. As you say, it’s gonna get worn whatever once I’ve bought it! 🙂
The stats are great too, as is your determination to get the job done regardless of what the naughty gremlins say 😊
Keep an eye on those calf muscles though. It would be such a shame to get an injury at this stage 😒
You’re absolutely right that we’re all running against ourselves, not everyone else. It’s pointless to compare ourselves to anyone else and the fact that we get through a run is enough of a victory to celebrate 🎉
Go you!! You’re doing sooo well!! Be careful with the calf. I’m still out of the game at the moment. 2 weeks now 😕 I don’t like it!! Feel like I’ll have to go back a few weeks when I can start again. I’d just got to a good point with my breathing too. Take care xx
I’d love to! But it although it’s not as painful, it’s not there yet and I don’t want to be silly and find that it puts me back even further. A physio at work gave me some stretches and said I would know when the time was right. In the meantime I’m just envious of you all. How’s the calf? Xx
Calf is just niggly still. I’ve done some foam rolling and some gentle heel drops and l’ll do more through the weekend. Not planning to run until Monday and can put that off to Tuesday if it feels wrong. It’s been like this before and not got worse so fingers crossed.
Amazing Jay! I feel inspired reading it and also a light bulb moment (I just looked but there isn’t an emoji with a lightbulb over it’s head. Shame!) Gremlins. Mine always told me I couldn’t do it and made me put it off a day then made me churn with anxiety that people would be pointing in disgust and laughing and I wouldn’t get half way and pack up and not get back. Blah blah. Never happened but every single run they tormented me. But it’s the others messing up life. I didn’t see it as such/ realise and now I have - I’m onto them. If i could do this programme (and will have to do it again once the leg is healed) I can deal with the other crap too. Just hadn’t seen it as such till reading your post so thank you x Well done on the 5k jaunts too. It has to be the new kit!
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for your next - priceless.
5k again at last!!!
A Wet 5k but i beat the Gremlins 
5k at last!!!
A parting of the ways for W&S
