W8 R1 - interesting!

[BargainRzl]

Just back from W8 R1. Having found most of the 25min runs in W6 and W7 quite tough, I was sure to start my first 28min run at a really steady pace. As a result, though, I found it never felt like I was really pushing myself - even when Laura suggested at the halfway point that I might want to consider a faster pace (because I was worried I’d go TOO fast and flake out before the end). Anyway... got to minute 28 and felt like I could go on for ages! So, as an experiment, I kept going until Runkeeper told me I’d done 30min, and still felt fine. I’m not planning on skipping to Week 9 or anything daft like that, but now I KNOW I can do that, I think I’m confident in trying to push the pace a bit more in my remaining 28min runs. Very encouraging!

And my pace wasn’t THAT slow; my fastest pace last week was an average of 6:47min/km, and today was 7:14min/km.

[BargainRzl Graduate]

Oh yes... also my first run in a hi-vi and a head torch...

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Great run... your strength will really build in the rest of the runs. Keep on loving it.

[BargainRzl Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Stretched again to 30min in W8R2 today AND improved my pace significantly. I’ve realised why I’m not ready to stop at 28min - because unlike in W7, Laura doesn’t give a 1min warning. So she tells me to slow down just as I’m expecting her to tell me to go for it for another minute!

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to BargainRzl]

I didn’t know they stopped doing that... I stuck to the time of the runs but didn’t use the app once it was just running.

[BargainRzl Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

It has also occurred to me that if I can sustain today’s pace, and keep up with very slightly stretching the prescribed duration, there is a really good chance I will be able to - safely - do an actual 5k for my graduation run, which would take me approx 35min...

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to BargainRzl]

It stays within the 10% rule, just don’t push speed at the same time. The 30 minutes is the real prize though, 5k is doable any time really. I stayed exactly to the plan, but it would have been something to go a little longer and do the 5k

[BargainRzl Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Yes exactly - today's pace was 6:55min/km, so I wouldn't have to increase pace at all in order to stretch W9 R3 to an actual 5k. Just run an extra minute here and there.