Mixed feelings on W3R3

[Dazeydog]

So today I headed off to potter round Holkham Park in the sunshine in the wake of all the other Park Runners. I thought I'd do the W3R3 podcast and then decide whether to complete the course doing maybe the W2 intervals.

I think running in company definitely makes me go a bit faster than I should, do others think that? The first 90 seconds of running was tough, the old legs didn't fancy it much, and then the first 3 minute run coincided with an incline! ( whoever said Norfolk is flat was certainly not a runner or a cyclist! ) I couldn't quite make it to the end. Boy, does that dishearten one, especially with Laura cheerfully encouraging you to stick it out till the end. As before, the second three was better.

So here I am half way round..go forward or back? I decided to go on and repeat the W3 podcast. The 90 seconds went well, the first three minutes coincided with another hill, ( it is a single lap course so what goes up and down on one side goes down and up on the other!) so I postponed it till I got to the top of the hill. So a bit of adaption I'm afraid.

And yes, I did complete the course, I even ran down the last hill and through the finish for my first registered result. Wow! That made up for the disappointment.

And the PB? Well, I'm not telling you that, it wouldn't be personal then would it? However, I'm delighted with it and don't think I'll be beating it for a while..

I think I'm going to do W3R3 one more time , without any adaptions, before I try week 4, those three minutes are LOOOONNNNGGGG!

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Ok... good job getting down to parkrun, I hope the support was its usual high level. You have a PB to smash one day, that’s good, it’s a goal.

Adapting a carefully devised, risk of injury reducing, tried and tested plan wasn’t a great idea. Parkrun are happy to see people walk it, and they’re very happy to see us do C25K there and walk the rest. Many other runners will have taken walk breaks, parkrun loves them too. What none of us or them want is to see a runner injure themselves because they pushed too much. Stick to the plan and you’ll be less likely to be injured and come out of this plan a better runner. Good runners have the discipline to follow a plan to get to their goals... those who can’t tend to be out injured a lot more.

Running in company needs that discipline too... we can only be grateful that Sir Mo wasn’t running today, or a lot of runners may have gone too fast! So, for some running in company is a bad thing, for others it provides the support they need. I run alone or with my daughter at her pace.

I’d certainly repeat as you didn’t fully complete it... there’s no shame in that.

[Buddy34 Graduate]

Hi dazeydog like you I've just finished week 3 yesterday and they 3 minutes seem very long but I couldn't believe i had done it and was do chuffed with my self. I think doing it gradually really pays off 😅😅😅

[Dexy5 Graduate]

I echo Unfitnomore’s warning. By all means do your c25k programme at parkrun , but only add walking to make the distance and stick to your own pace.

I’m glad you enjoyed it and hope you will do many more. It looks a great venue .