Right, so I’m currently doing post-grad runs of 30 minutes or 4k on a longer run day, and all’s well. I’m still just snailing along, but my km splits have been gradually improving.
So why today did I feel really good on my 30 minute run this morning - could have gone on, but it was a ‘30 minute day’ - only to find I’d covered marginally less distance than one of my W9 runs almost 2 weeks ago?
Hopefully that’s normal, but does it mean I’m not pushing myself enough? Or am I being an idiot (it’s ok, tell me if I am) and paying too much attention to stats at this fledgling stage of my new found running addiction?
I’ve found out I’m competitive with myself, clearly. Rant over - tell me off, please! I can take it ......... 😅
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cheekychipmunks
Graduate
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Each run needs some kind of objective, which might be as loose as “go and enjoy this run”. If your objective wasn’t “go fast/far” then don’t worry about how fast/far you went.
What you are experiencing is why I switched from time-based to distance-based runs. Two 30 mins and a 30 mins + 10% a week until I hit 5k then switched to two 4K runs and a 5k until the 5k was comfortable.
It meant I knew I had to do 4K or 5k and made me push a little to get there each time, so my speed slowly increased.
Most important thing, though, is to be enjoying it. There are no rules saying you must go faster/further. But if you don’t enjoy it you’ll stop!
Ahh, the voice of reason. Thanks Jay. I definitely love running and there’s no way I’ll stop (unless the IC claims me), so perhaps I’ll stick with getting my 4k consolidated, regardless of time, then get cracking on 5k.
Maybe I’ll switch off the lady whose voice tells me my split times, and just have her tell me how far I’ve gone instead. I never realised how competitive I’d become! 😀
Thanks though. I know you’ve been through it, so I value your advice! 👍🏻👍🏻🐌🐌😀😀
It’s all about taking control of it and choosing what you want. There is no harm in pushing yourself to go faster...provided you are happy with that and can cope with the runs that aren’t faster!
Mix it up. Sometimes have her and push. Sometimes chill and dawdle. You are driving your bus x
I am. You’re right! I can go faster I’m sure, as I could have run on this morning. I’m going to not fixate on time for the next few runs though, just distance. Darned apps with all their helpful stats!! 🏃♀️😅
After graduation is a funny old time ... no more Laura or voice telling you what to do and when ..
You can do what ever you want running wise..in reality the only person you are running against is you and there is nothing wrong with wanting to be better of faster or run further ..
Enjoy your new found freedom try different things with your runs find what you like and works for you
Thanks Rob! I guess what surprised me was how competitive I’d become and I found myself analysing MapMyRun and comparing each run. I need to remember that a) I can run for 30 minutes, b) I can run 4K (not in 30 minutes!) and c), on June 10th this year I hadn’t even ‘got off the couch’!
Not all runs are the same, sometimes you relax and feel great and go slower, sometimes it’s difficult and you have to drive yourself on to the end and go faster! If your splits are falling on average, you’re heading in the right direction.
Guys out there running 5 & 6 times a week relax and do slow recovery runs about half of the time... they build endurance and get the legs ready for when they want to push.
My technique seems to be to save the 5k ‘race’ pace for the park run, and then another 2 runs in the week where the vague aim is to increase distance. I was trying to stick to a plan, but because I can’t read the tiny stats on my Fitbit charge 2 or polar a300 it’s anyone’s guess how much distance gets covered before my legs tell me they would ‘really like a bit of a rest now please’. That’s how I did a 9k yesterday when the plan was to only run 7k 😜🏃♂️
Oh I like that technique! I’m not going to enter a Parkrun/attempt 5k until I’ve achieved 4k within 30 minutes, but I could pick one run per week to pick up the pace a bit and be blissfully ignorant on the other two. 🏃♀️😀🏃♀️
It's your run and nobody else’s. You're a proper runner now, and you can mix things up however you like - fast, slow, long, short, anything you fancy. Best of all though is to let your body dictate what happens - we all have little highs and lows when it comes to energy levels. And it sounds like that’s exactly what you did 😀👍 You're a better runner now than before you did that run 🏃♀️💪
Post graduation we all spend a bit of time wondering what to do next, we lose the structure that C25K gives us so we have to decide what we want to do, run for fun, increase distance, improve times etc. Of course, there's no reason you can't do all three! It's up to you
Definitely Berksrover, I guess I’m stuck in no man’s land, but now I’m being encouraged by you guys, it’s making me realise it really does NOT matter how fast/far I run as long as I’m enjoying myself - which I am! 😀😀
I’ll trundle along with my 4k, then 5k eventually, and not be so reliant on the stats! 🏃♀️🏃♀️😀😀👍🏻👍🏻
It's normal. We are not machines, a lot of physical and psychological factors in the mix on any given day
I did my first ten k a few weeks before I intended - just felt good one morning and gave it a go. Same with ten miler - for no identifiable reason and really not prepared for it, it just felt "doable" and it was.
A lot of us flounder post-5k graduation. We've gone from a lot of uncertainty to knowing the score, having the excitement of reaching "quicker" goals each week to smaller increments, being able to share and identify with other beginners to feeling almost solitary etc.
Took me about two or three months to settle into things and decide to just aim at ten k without "rushing" it. The Bridge forum kept me involved and encouraged and you might like it also
A run is a run is a run still Worst run I ever had - turned out I was doing it with a dislocated hip - was still bloody marvelous because it was a run, not "arse on the sofa yet again"
Brilliant, John. Again, another reality check! I only graduated on August 10th - not sure what I expected of myself really. 😅
I truly enjoy running and sometimes I wish I could on consecutive days (I don’t!), so yes, you’re right, today was a fabulous run for me, just not a PB. 🏃♀️🏃♀️
Just a thought that i'll put out there; if you want to go faster over 4km you would probably find that increasing your distance rather than trying to increase your pace is the answer... if you do one "long run" per week (e.g. run for 33 mins instead of thirty, then 36 etc and keep upping it) and keep the others to thirty mins, you'll find that soon enough, you're covering more distance in those 30mins... as others have said, Hope over to the bridge to 10k forum and see what all the chat is about... 😀 happy running!!
Thanks Sweatyfaced, very valid points. I’ll do that. So I guess I’ll try to ignore how fast/far the 30 minute runs are. Maybe not even use MapMyRun on those so I’m not tempted to compete with myself. I’ll concentrate on the longer run for that. 😀
Thanks for your advice, it’s very much appreciated. 👍🏻😀🏃♀️
I ignore my stats most of the time; I've been running purely to heartbeat in the heat. So 30mins with my heart above 156 twice a week and 1hr with my heart above 150 once. I look at pace/ distance afterwards but don't track as I go along. I know roughly how long most of my regular routes are anyway so for me it's about feeling good, enjoying my music and the views and enjoying being in my space!!
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Week 6 run 3 - was it a fail?? 
I thought this was supposed to get easier?
The paradox of running
Tough going 
