W7R3 - hijacked by ๐ŸŒง๐ŸŒง๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒˆ: [Oh dear (warning... - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

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W7R3 - hijacked by ๐ŸŒง๐ŸŒง๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒˆ

GailXrunning profile image
GailXrunningGraduate
โ€ข12 Replies

[Oh dear (warning), this post got a bit out of hand:]

Run 2 (on Friday) was good. After the chat with littlelizzie, I tried going back to no music ... although not sure listening to husband complaining about the offside rule counts as โ€˜nakedโ€™ by imc50โ€™s standard. At least it meant we could monitor our breathing.

For Run 3, I spent the weekend obsessively watching the ever-changing met office forecast, looking for the drier windows. What started as a plan for Tuesday became Monday. After all those efforts the 10% chance of rain was waiting to pounce on us โ˜”๏ธ ... blustery, horizontal rain, just from the end of warm-up walk. + ๐ŸŒˆ So weโ€™re now initiated to running in the rain. A milestone reached.

Mr doesnโ€™t like it much (canโ€™t see well through ๐Ÿ‘“). I tried to laugh at the weather and at myself and at my hopelesss visibility (same reason). Like lol. A lot. That seemed to help, but it was probably as well that most folks had left the park and gone home. Still, with the conditions and the heavier ground, I confess I found this one the tougher runs to complete. But complete it I/ we did. That makes me feel strong๐Ÿ’ช

Still trying out the music-free experience, and listened to (most of) a mindful running podcast. I imagined this might be a nice compromise with the full-on sound-naked mode. And that Iโ€™d learn some stuff to apply for myself on future runs. Itโ€™s obv geared to more experienced types and to longer runs (but, I realised, not that much longer than my 25 mins + 5 + 5..., which will soon be more!!) Anyway, I only got to (trying to) be mindful about some parts of my body. Guess the other parts must wait until I graduate (and then some). I really warmed to the chap who was talking me through, but think I was being more mindful of his footfall and breathing than my own (which was absolutely cool, though - and, for me, much preferable and more meditative than the beats on music pacesetters). Looking ahead into the mid distance (the mindful โ€˜headโ€™ section) rather focused my attention too much on Mr speedy, who was now a good 150m ahead, which prompted a long reflection on my line-up of gremlins and - the breakthrough ๐Ÿ’ญ - a useful rethink of Mr as a very useful point-marker.

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GailXrunning profile image
GailXrunning
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12 Replies
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Buddhagal profile image
BuddhagalGraduate

Love the post ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜. Despite, what seemed a tough un you pushed through...way to go. Yep we're fighting with quite a few weather challenges at the mom..so even more congrats on completing your run. Well done.๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ™‹

GailXrunning profile image
GailXrunningGraduate in reply to Buddhagal

Thatโ€™s so nice, Buddhagal; thank you. Each run, new lessons. Looking forward to news of your next one. Go for it (but slowly)... ๐Ÿ˜Š

Buddhagal profile image
BuddhagalGraduate in reply to GailXrunning

Cheers...and YES....slowly..for my next run.๐Ÿ˜๐ŸŒ๐ŸŒ๐ŸŒ

Elfe5 profile image
Elfe5Graduate

Very well done on completing W7. ๐Ÿ˜„

It sounds like a running cap to keep the raindrops off your glasses might be helpful- also a breathable, waterproof, light running jacket so you donโ€™t have to look for weather windows over the winter. ๐Ÿ˜„

Sounds like you are both doing really well, I will start hunting for the podium polish! ๐Ÿ˜„

PS I love the offside rule comments โ€“ reminds me of the time that Mr E explained all about scoring for cricket to take his mind off a traffic jam!๐Ÿ˜‚

GailXrunning profile image
GailXrunningGraduate in reply to Elfe5

Thank you, Elfe5. We do indeed have the water-resistant running jackets at the ready, but it was a warm day and it was supposed to be dry (statistically speaking). We were taken completely by surprise. That was, I think, a good thing, because it forced the issue... and now weโ€™ve run in a proper downpour. It was do we go home and wait (and get soaked) or go ahead (and get soaked): a no brainier. Plus I was in my โ€˜cโ€™mon, weโ€™re experimentingโ€™ mood. I call that storm Serendipity.

My jacket was a very special treat for reaching end of W5 and to prepare for the coming weeks. Mr G has had one in the cupboard, unused, since the 90s. I think he already has a ๐Ÿงข in the same stash. He keeps saying he was a runner in 1992. My recollection is that he went out twice in total. His running shoes came from the same deep storage, although I treated him to a new pair recently. โ€˜Must look after your jointsโ€™, I said. On his birthday.

LittleMissie profile image
LittleMissie

Well done! I think I need music to help get me through it ๐Ÿƒ๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ

GailXrunning profile image
GailXrunningGraduate in reply to LittleMissie

Thanks. Ha ha! I think we can do what we each need to help us... and we sometimes really need the help. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Iโ€™d started with nothing but Laura (and sometimes Mr G chelping on about the latest controversies on the pitch.. a conversation Iโ€™m very happy to have, just not all of the time). So I tried Pacesetter from bbc when I reached the 20-min run - admittedly an odd choice for one my age. All part of the learning curve, I thought: new rap and new dance tunes. Interesting, but I started to feel a bit stressed by the beat/ pace... or by the weird gap between that and my own steps and breaths. Iโ€™m guess Iโ€™m not yet ready to have my pace set. ๐Ÿ˜‰ ๐Ÿ˜‚

acountrycabbage profile image
acountrycabbageGraduate

Well done Gail for persevering despite the rain and it being a tough one. You felt strong and so you should ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿผ I sometimes find the rain to be empowering - itโ€™s just me against the elements ๐Ÿคจโฌ…๏ธ #gameface

Have you heard of Accuweather? Itโ€™s a weather app that gives you a supposed min by min weather report for 2 hrs ahead. Iโ€™ve had 1 miss but otherwise have found it to be scarily accurate!

One step closer to graduation! โœ… Roll on W8! ๐Ÿ˜Ž

GailXrunning profile image
GailXrunningGraduate in reply to acountrycabbage

Thanks for the suggestions and support. Iโ€™m checking out that app. Iโ€™m especially taken by the view of rain as empowering. I can see the โ€˜refreshingโ€™ angle on a warmer day, but โ€˜empoweringโ€™ opens a whole new avenue. Who know, I might even end up using the app to actively seek out downpours!!

๐Ÿค”๐Ÿ˜‚ ๐ŸŒง๐Ÿ’จ๐ŸŒง ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ’ช

acountrycabbage profile image
acountrycabbageGraduate in reply to GailXrunning

Ha ha, Iโ€™m not quite there either but definitely donโ€™t mind being caught out once Iโ€™m warmed up. As long as thereโ€™s not a gale blowing at the same time thereโ€™s little chance of feeling cold at least โ˜บ๏ธ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ

MoliJ profile image
MoliJGraduate

Well done Gail, not long now until you complete C25k, oh and my name is Gail too ๐Ÿ˜€

GailXrunning profile image
GailXrunningGraduate

๐Ÿ˜€ I know it (in my head) - but still need to โ€˜own itโ€™ (a common problem, I sense, for many of us in these stages). Good to be reminded to do so even if weโ€™re still gawping at the evidence, shaking our heads and muttering OMG. And so great to have input from those on the other side!

I think G was a choice (although never super common) for parents in late 50s and early 60s. Whenever I meet another G, we almost always belong to the same generation.

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