Speed Podcast attempt - Epic Fail !

[Jools2020]

So maybe I’m just not ready for this podcast yet!

I began to fail as soon as the warm up walk started 😬 As I moved I to the 165 spm running phase, I failed at that as well! I thought to myself, I still have a chance! It could all come good with the slower ‘jog’ at 150 spm! Nope. Couldn’t do that, either 😂

I just couldn’t keep up with the fast pace of this podcast! Not any of it! Well, possibly for a few strides here and there. I was a bit disheartened as I turned to go home after less than 10 minutes out of the house. But then I thought I might as well go for a short run, seeing as I’m out here anyway, with my running clothes on 😀 🏃‍♀️ I walked until I had got my breath back and set off on a 3 km run. That made me feel a bit better!

Back home now, drinking coffee. Decided to have another go at the podcast in a couple of months! 😬

Strava’s playing up so here are my stats:

3.02 km 7.23/km 22.21 mins

[Roxdog Graduate]

Not a fail, an experiment!

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to Roxdog]

I like that 😂

[Roxdog Graduate in reply to Jools2020]

Maybe just do a short run with faster intervals at whatever pace your 'faster' is? It's quite fun

[nowster Graduate in reply to Roxdog]

Maybe use Week 1's timings to do fast run/slow run instead of run and walk?

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to nowster]

Hadn’t thought of that, good idea, nowster 🙂

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to Roxdog]

Yes, great suggestion, thanks 🙂

[Fionamags Graduate]

I don't know why you're disheartened, that was a much faster pace than I've ever managed. So that means that you can definitely do the Speed podcast as I've done it loads of times! Maybe you need to shorten your stride? If your steps are too big it will be murder.

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to Fionamags]

I did try shortening my stride, although my stride length isn’t particularly long. On paper I should be able to do it. Looking at all the stats, I can do the strides per minute needed, but obviously not in the regimented way needed for the podcast. I’ll give it another go in a few weeks 🙂

[Instructor57 Graduate]

I think that deserves praise for turning it into a run that you enjoyed instead of going back home !

Well done Jools 👍👏👏👏

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to Instructor57]

Thanks Ian 😀 As soon as I got my breath back and started to run, I thought ‘That’s more like it!’

[nowster Graduate]

Any run is a good run, even if it didn't go quite to plan. 😉

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to nowster]

True! And I easily did 3K at a pace I wouldn’t even have dreamed I’d be able to do a few short weeks ago 🙂

[MontyMooDog Graduate]

Hmmm. Unlucky there as the other day you had an average cadence of 170 so not sure what's going on if you cannot maintain 165 for a burst and then drop back to 150 ?? That doesn't make sense unless you have increased your stride length significantly albeit maybe subconsciously??🤔 Nevertheless well done for giving it a go and at least you did your 3K run👍😀

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to MontyMooDog]

Partly psychological maybe. Yes, I think my stride length has increased slightly. I’ll give it another go in a few weeks! 😀

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to Jools2020]

MontyMooDog I’ve been going over my stats for the last few weeks. My stride length has definitely increased on the runs where I’m pushing myself. On my 2K run last week, where I managed a pace of 6’ 33”, my stride length was 86 cm. Other runs where I wasn’t pushing as hard, it’s around 82/83 cm. when I shared that data with you, it was 77cm. On my long, slow runs, it’s quite a bit shorter, which I suppose is logical. Just interesting that you should mention this as one reason I had problems with the speed podcast!

[MontyMooDog Graduate]

I did say it may take a couple of attempts to get it right....😂

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to MontyMooDog]

Ha! Yes, you did!

[MontyMooDog Graduate in reply to Jools2020]

Still think it's mainly in your head😁 "I began to fail as soon as the warm up walk started...."☹️

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to MontyMooDog]

You could be right - but I did try to ignore my shortcomings on the warm up walk, as per your previous comment that it wasn’t essential; I figured I’d just do the best I could - and I did, then moved on.

[MontyMooDog Graduate in reply to Jools2020]

Yes. You did the right thing👍

[ThisGirlNowRuns Graduate]

Haven't attempted any of those podcasts yet (though they are downloaded and waiting!. They seem bit too scary! Well done for turning it into a run

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to ThisGirlNowRuns]

Thanks. I think I might have nightmares with Laura counting 1-2-3-4 😂

[DexD Graduate]

I tried the speed podcast once and hated it - so frenetic and the awful music added to the frenzy - wondered if I had inadvertently speeded up the podcast! The whole thing was just too jangly for my ears and legs. And Laura, so calm and encouraging, suddenly sounded absolutely manic! But helpful to read your post Jools2020 - inspires me to try the speed podcast again, now that I've finally managed a couple of 5ks in 33/34 mins.

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to DexD]

Go for it! Laura sounded to me like she WAS on speed 😂. Funny to think my post inspired you to try again. I will give it another go when my 5K pace is as fast as yours, but I’m not focussed on that right now. At the moment I’m focussed on long, slow runs to build my stamina and it’s working much better than my constant attempts to increase pace.

[DexD Graduate]

It's taken me weeks of consolidation runs to get to 5k - and sometimes, the time is closer to 37 mins than 33. I've been reading your posts and others about the longer, slower runs but just don't feel I have the stamina for much more that 40 mins running. Maybe that's a mind-set thing - as well as being a bit embarrassed about running even slower than my usual slow pace!

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to DexD]

My first 5K was 44 minutes. I haven’t bettered that, yet (nor tried to). The slow runs are at an ‘easy conversational pace’. You might be surprised. For me, that’s somewhere between a pace of 9’ and 10‘. I use my watch to keep in heart rate zone 3, but you don’t really need to, it’s just really slow! At the end of my first one, which was an hour, I was surprised that I wasn’t even out of breath. I just stopped because the hour was up! It was a revelation! I think I ran somewhere between 5 and 6K. I love my slow runs now.

I figure if anyone sees me running that slowly, they will think I’m training for a marathon!

[DexD Graduate]

Thanks Jools2020 - I'm going to give this a go. Would love to see if I can cut some of the dread I feel before a run and replace it with anticipation!

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to DexD]

Yes, give it a go! I’d be interested to hear how you get on.

[Frizzbomb67 Graduate]

Oh dear. It is quite quick in parts. I felt like Usain Bolt 😂 and a minute at a time was quite enough! At least now you know what to expect so it was good research 👍🏻. I liked the idea of using the C25K week 1 instead. At least you can use your own music instead of the inane beat on the podcast. Food for thought 🤔

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to Frizzbomb67]

Yes, it was good research and I may try it again in a few weeks. Next week for my speed work, I’ll try Week 1, I think that will work well 😀

[Tinytears60 Graduate]

In no way, shape or form have you F***ed ( I can’t even bring myself to type the word!) 🙈🤣

You’re doing fab ... just look how far you’ve come!

You stayed out and did a run 👏👏👏 I would say if anything you excelled...

well done for being creative and turning it into something else 👍💕

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to Tinytears60]

Thank you, Jane; I just love your positive spin 💕🥰😘.

I hope your back/hip is improving. Look after yourself ❤️

[Tinytears60 Graduate in reply to Jools2020]

Getting there ... still stretching and walking and behaving myself and will try a run when the time feels right 🙈🤣 👍

[nowster Graduate in reply to Tinytears60]

Not another one on the IC? Maybe we should keep a list of who's out of action at the moment. 😀🤕

[Tinytears60 Graduate in reply to nowster]

Just trying to be sensible Mister.... the urge to run is phenomenal! I took a week out... well its actually 10 days now .. i really have the running 'itch'

[nowster Graduate in reply to Tinytears60]

Same here. The itch wants me out there but the leg ain't letting me.

[Tinytears60 Graduate in reply to nowster]

Be sensible please 🙏🏻 But I know it’s hard 🙈🤣

[nowster Graduate in reply to Tinytears60]

I am. I went out on Bank Holiday Monday morning. It felt "OK" at the time, but I really really shouldn't have run on the injury.

I have now decided that I will not run again until: two days have passed with no twinges and then I've been able to walk at least a mile on it with no twinges.

And if the wander round the supermarket this evening becomes painful, I'm booking a physio appointment.

[Tinytears60 Graduate in reply to nowster]

I’m resting up but if required will book physio too 👍

[Birdlady64 Graduate]

Never use the F word!

I can't believe that threw you like that though!!

But you made the best of a bad situation and ended up with a good run 👏👏👏

I think nowsters idea is a good one - I've seen other posts about that so I might try it for next week's short run which I think is meant to be 3k.

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to Birdlady64]

Thanks! I’m going to try nowster’s idea next week!