SPRING FEVER QUEST ...MAY...Week 2...

[Oldfloss]

Hello and welcome to this month’s Quest.

Here we are at Week 2... how is it all going folks?

Well.... I did think of changing the name of the Quest to Winter Blues, this morning...after torrential rain and hail last evening... this morning dawned with the promise of a glorious day, only to suddenly change to torrential rain and really heavy hail again!!!

But... do we let the weather deter us... no!!!

So please feel free to join in if you have graduated. We will be running these Quests every month, updating weekly, so don’t worry you can join in any time after Graduation, it doesn’t matter when it is even if it is just for the last week.

Also please join if you have graduated and are on the IC, We have found reading and supporting other runners when we are on the IC helps to keep motivation up and helps to still feel part of this community so if you are on the IC put your name down, we will support you all they way back to your first run.

Here is the explanation of what the Quest is.

What the Quest is:-

The Quest last for a calendar month

You can join any time within that time.

The main aim of the Quest is to help you find a focus or goal that you would like to achieve by the end of the Quest period.

We ask that you are a Graduate .

The main reason we ask this is that while you are doing the program your plan is very structured, so we wouldn't want the Quest to interfere with that.

Most popular goals are:-

To run three times a week

To slowly increase distance

To train for a specific race

To add In Stretch and strength exercises

As you can see they are personal to yourself and it's totally your own choice.

Every week I will pin a new post where all the members of the Quest can talk about how things are going.

Our advice to you, is to make your goals achievable, as it is very easy to get discouraged if you aim too high. It is better to aim a little lower and feel great at the end of the Quest and add some more in for the next Quest. Motivation is at its best when you feel a sense of achievement through something you are trying to do.

Please don’t forget that all the forums are here for your benefit. They are set up to help with questions and queries as your progress on your running journey. Feel free to join any or all. You will find different levels of help on each forum, so well worth a look around.

We have the Bridge to 10K - this forum is for runners who need a little bit more technical advice than that, offered on the C25K.

healthunlocked.com/bridgeto10k

We have the Marathon Running and Race support.

Again this is another step up in the type of advice that is offered and it is there if you should ever need it.

healthunlocked.com/marathon...

We have the Strength and Flex forum, which is set up to help you with the NHS stretches and Strength workouts. Squats, lunges and the like are all in these programs.

healthunlocked.com/strength...

We also have the Active 10 which used to be called Walking for Health. It is a great forum for sharing your walks on your days off or if you are on the Injury Couch.

healthunlocked.com/active10

Please feel free to have a look round all the forums but also keep in mind we need your help for new runners, so you can support and encourage them on the C25K forum as they learn to run, so they can come and join us on these Quests once they have graduated.

Happy running to you all... stay safe and stay running

Oldfloss, Realfoodieclub, & Roseabi. X.

[LiisaM Graduate]

Thinking out loud: I have fallen off the wagon and am having difficulty getting back up. My son, who got me to participate in this program, started increasing his distance too much and now has recurrent leg issues with resultant trips to the doctor. My life is complicated as a caregiver, but my son is home from college for the summer. I need him to re-commit to exercising so we can both get back up on the wagon. I'll do that today hopefully, but he's working nights and is going to bed now, I think.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to LiisaM]

It sis so hard and there is so much you are handling right now...maybe just some really gentle runs together..not too far... try and just fit in when you can... we are right here if you need us

[LiisaM Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

His job keeps him on his feet all night so he said he is too tired to exercise. I decided to begin walking again, which I used to do before running, and get comfortable with that before starting running again. Tonight I walked two miles, which is more than I've done for a long time! I started, OF! I think I'll track my progress in my planner--maybe in color to emphasize it!

[LiisaM Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

Oh, I know you are busy; you don't have to reply again. I'm getting it together with the opportunity of responding to your post in that it makes me think. I very nearly gave up running, but I'm still here because you post!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to LiisaM]

Morning! I am not too busy to reply... I went to bed earlier last night

Starting walking again is a great plan and is what I, and many of us do as part of our exercise regime anyway, and when we have had set backs.

It is very hard and your son may start to feel more energetic as time goes on.

Why don't you take a peek at Active 10..our sister walking forum site... there are many folk over there you will know, and it has the motivational support too.

But do stay here as well and post your progress. It is so useful that folk know that we do have issues, but that there are ways we can tackle them and that we are all here supporting each other... I rely on the support of the forums believe me... x

[Lagger Graduate]

I’ve really struggled with the 2 runs I’ve done following graduation and lost my mojo. I was ecstatic when I graduated last week but it’s been downhill from there. I’m either going to do the local Saturday morning Jog Scotland 5k or travel to a Park Run before the end of this month to try and motivate myself to keep going.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Lagger]

It can be hard... the motivation does hide under the running shoes...alongside the mind gremlins... so pick up the shoes.. the gremlins run for cover and the motivation comes back to you...Try some new short routes... and don't put yourself under too much pressure...mix the runs... a short, a 30 minute and a see where you get to longer run?

[Lagger Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

Thanks, sounds like good advice!