Escape to Exercise Quest week 2 - Feel Free to join.

[Realfoodieclub]

Hi.

Welcome to week 2 of Quest, in London the weather has been quite up and down. I think we are the same again this week, with thunder storms forecast later this week.

The C25K Quest which has been up and running, ( pardon the pun) for a couple of months now, is proving to be very useful...but it would be great to see a few more new C25K Graduates joining in.

This is a great place to think about where you want to move forward to...

It is apparent from many of the posts which we reply to, that folk may feel a little lost after Graduation. It is tempting to move on too quickly after Graduation and quite a few folk feel that they take backward steps or are doing something wrong when things don't progress as they think they should.

This is a terrific place to find the advice you need, read other folks' goals, and to encourage each other as you move on to the next running adventure. Listen to some of the seasoned Graduate too, they are a bit further on in their adventures and may be able to give you more in-depth information

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 the way back to your first recovery run.

Here is the explanation of what the Quest is.

WHAT THE QUEST IS:

The Quest lasts 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 programme 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, ultimately, 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.

OUR OTHER FORUMS

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.

So, please do come and join the Quest...Your Forum Needs You!

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

Oldfloss, Realfoodieclub, & Roseabi. X.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

A little bit more of the same for me this week. I seem to be falling into quite a nice routine. A rotation of

2.5km Walk, gym, 2.5 km walk home

5km run

2km Walk

With a long walk 7km+ at the end of the week.

Have a great week everyone.

Rfc x

[GoogleMe Graduate]

My Fitbit is saying 142 active minutes but there was a walk that for some reason it didn't register so I definitely achieved 150 active minutes (chiefly though talking part in the Walk Moor session). That was all walking - no swimming or running or anything else.

Two yoga sessions

Achieved target weight in 3 days and then put half of it back on over the weekend.

So... bit 'meh' but OK

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to GoogleMe]

Well done on your 150 mins, also well done with your weight loss,I have had two weeks with just adding on not taking anything off, I’d rather do it your way 😀. Rfc x

[2718281 Graduate]

I completed my first consolidation week, two more to go and there holidays in Spain (only running after my niece for a week). So far I have managed to stick to the plan, but we have just started the month

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to 2718281]

You are doing great, I always think a strong start helps to keep you going through the whole month, well done. Rfc x

[Reverie1 Graduate]

Thanks for starting this; I haven't done as well as I'd hoped with my Quests for the last couple of months (due to too many early starts at work, and my inability to face running at other times of day!) ..so I felt disappointed that my fitness level was slipping down and my runs still much shorter and less often than around my graduation back in October.

BUT...July so far has been a real change! - I've had a bit of time off, and I've run every other day for about 10 days now - this morning I managed to do 5k in just under 30 mins which is almost an all-time best! I can feel myself getting fitter again, and the only real struggle was the blasted uphill stretch that comes near the end.

I am determined to try and stick with it, but it's going to be harder with more days at work planned again over the next 2 or 3 weeks. I'm going on holiday at the end of this month and won't be able to run while I'm away - so this is motivation to try and keep things going with 3 runs a week if I can.

The other thing is that I am relocating to a notoriously hilly place in a couple of months time for a new job, which I'm really looking forward to as it's a great city...but I need to try and work on my stamina and keep doing the routes around here that include the dreaded uphill bits, as preparation!

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to Reverie1]

I live in a hilly area and curse it somedays but in reality deep down I know it makes me a stronger fitter runner 😀. Silver linings. Well done for getting back out there again and with a fabulous 5km time too. Have a great holiday. Rfc x

[GoogleMe Graduate in reply to Reverie1]

I find it interesting and telling that the hilliest cities seem to produce some of the best runners.

Bravo on keeping the faith all through fallow-ish times and seizing the opportunities.

[Reverie1 Graduate in reply to GoogleMe]

Thanks GoogleMe : )

Let's hope that moving to the hills makes me a better runner rather than hanging up my running shoes! - I certainly hope I'll have more opportunities to run on a regular basis; it's been hard to get back in the swing of it, but worth it.

[Reverie1 Graduate]

Many thanks Rfc : )

I will try and remember the silver linings when I'm chugging my way painfully up those hills ; )