W8R3 - The vindictive autopilot πŸ‘¨β€βœˆοΈ - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

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W8R3 - The vindictive autopilot πŸ‘¨β€βœˆοΈ

sHAYM4N profile image
sHAYM4NGraduate
β€’12 Replies

I've been running the same route for the entire program, decided today I would run it in reverse as a bit of a change. Fairly flat routes are tricky to find locally without doing park circuits so thought it would be the safest option.

I really didn't enjoy it πŸ˜– Mentally & physically it was a real challenge today. The first section of the run was the bit I've tacked on recently for the added distance and it felt like I was heading out of the way for no point, but once it was done I reversed that thinking and just thought oh well that parts out of the way.

5 minutes in and I noticed my lace had come loose πŸ‘Ÿ Damn! I've been really good so far remembering the double knots, but the loop had come undone was just long enough to cause a trip. Had to stop for 2 seconds and tucked it in, but was short enough that if I finished would still call it a pass.

After a nice but very short downhill by the barbers it felt a long slog uphill to the top of dog πŸ’© alley. It didn't really cause many problems but the sun was blaring in my face and it just felt annoying. I had the choice here to replicate my route down the alley and down the long nice downhill section to the roundabout or carry on a little uphill for a steeper shorter downhill to loop back round. Decided on the latter to change it up a bit and in hindsight it was another mistake...

The quick steep downhill here wasn't long enough to really recharge the batteries and also too sudden to really enjoy adding any pace to it. I was soon at the roundabout with another long slog back up to the park πŸ˜’.

Just before the park it crossed my mind what it would feel like to stop now, I imagined it but I felt even if I had wanted to my legs wouldn't have let me - they were on autopilot and there was no stopping! Really strange feeling as I didn't feel in control, almost like I was on a treadmill! 😁

Again the park was a strange one, the tarmac road > carpark > steps was over way too quickly and felt a lot shorter, yet the opposite side that I always enjoy running down seemed to take forever. It was so hard slogging it through sections where I normally felt pretty fresh, and it had felt like I had spent 20+ minutes so far pretty much at an incline. Anyway I had reached the top of the park now and knew I could still finish it was going to be all downhill now to the finishing line and managed to get a bit of pace back into it as a reward.

The only real section of the run that enjoyed! πŸ˜‚

Even the finishing point had left me with a hill to climb on my recovery walk, ah well all good for the stamina I guess!

Still glad I tried it though today, and more importantly that I got through it - it would have been much more of a painful attempt next week I feel, I'm now heading into week 9 which is beyond what I thought I would manage, and many thanks to all those who have given tips & support on the journey so far.

Will be back to my usual route next week, but may just try a circuit run at a local park on Monday that is pretty flat. The idea has bored me before but my girlfriend may just be tempted in to joining me for once. She's been part of a local running group for a few years, that cater for all levels, but doesn't go as often as she would like.

She's turned down the opportunity to join me so far, as she's admitted she's been a bit worried that she wouldn't be able to keep up now, but with circuits I guess this wouldn't matter quite as much anyway. Would also be nice to run with our pup again but will see 🐢

Have a great weekend all, and enjoy your runs! 😊

strava.com/activities/19409...

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sHAYM4N profile image
sHAYM4N
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12 Replies
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UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate

Great job.

The event director at one of my local parkruns was telling us he’d run the course from finish to start and had the same mental and physical challenge that you describe. I guess we get used to a route and your subconscious isn’t picking up the waypoints in the same way.

Enjoy your next run.

Now-runner_NeedsAttn profile image
Now-runner_NeedsAttnGraduateβ€’ in reply toUnfitNoMore

I've had the opposite experience - I've always run round Ascot racecourse anticlockwise as that gets the steepest rise out of the way first. I've just started going clockwise, that means a longer, gentler rise up the other side but I get to run down the steeper rise to the finish :)

Jumping the bloody hurdles is hard work either way though... ;)

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduateβ€’ in reply toNow-runner_NeedsAttn

πŸ˜‚

Badminton horseless trials may be right up your street

sHAYM4N profile image
sHAYM4NGraduateβ€’ in reply toNow-runner_NeedsAttn

Now that does sound like hard work! πŸ˜‚ Yeah strange because last time I tried C25K I reversed my route and didn't have the same problem, though it was a much more linear route back then, so may have something to do with it. In fact I preferred the reverse and ended up switching then because it was similar to what you're doing long gradual uphill to the halfway point and downhill pretty much all the way back! Interested to see what circuits will be like now!

sHAYM4N profile image
sHAYM4NGraduateβ€’ in reply toUnfitNoMore

Hah yeah was really weird, wasn't really expecting it to turn out like that, but a new learning experience I guess! Even if I get bored with my normal route for the next few runs, will keep thinking about running in Mexico 😊

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduateβ€’ in reply tosHAYM4N

That may help me too... I’m not going to Mexico... but I can imagine I’m running in 70 degrees while I’m out in the cold πŸ˜‚

sHAYM4N profile image
sHAYM4NGraduateβ€’ in reply toUnfitNoMore

Hah I'll try not to get too excited, last few times we've been to the Caribbean at this time had quite a few crazy downpour days. Maybe running in wellies yet! πŸ˜‚

Katnap profile image
KatnapGraduate

Well done sHAYMAN. On the final stretch now!

Talking of dogs droppings, someone allowed their beloved pet leave a pile of it right outside my front gate. I only found it in the way you don't want to.

Only just made it into work on time after cleaning it up, and my shoe, and scraping ice off the car.

😈😬😬😬😈

sHAYM4N profile image
sHAYM4NGraduateβ€’ in reply toKatnap

Thanks Katnap! Ugh yeah we have a lot of it around here, though crazy thing is people often bag it up and just leave the bag lying somewhere in a hedge or shoved into a wall, which imo is even worse. We always pick our pups mess up, and think 90% of others do but always a lazy inconsiderate few that like to keep you playing hopscotch! πŸ˜’

Keep missing your posts btw, will have to turn notifications on - how's it been going?

Katnap profile image
KatnapGraduateβ€’ in reply tosHAYM4N

Yeah. Good!

I've been spending more time answering others' posts as I'm not struggling with the running.

Slow and steady wins the day! 😁

Mrs Katnap and kittens are joining me for some parkrun tourism tomorrow and then the graduation run will be at our local parkrun.

Happy running πŸƒπŸŽ†

IgaT profile image
IgaTGraduate

Well done on finishing it despite the struggle. And congratulations on finishing week 8. Only 3 run left!!!

Jazzyjeff11 profile image
Jazzyjeff11Graduate

Aw man, sorry to hear that it was such tough going! I guess we all have days like that. I felt a little the same yesterday, also contemplating for over a kilometre what it would feel like to stop. But these days, it seems my body just keeps going even if my brain if being an arsehole. I guess that's a good thing, right? Hoping that your next run is enjoyable. We are so close now 😊

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