🏃‍♀️🏅👩‍🎓 Graduates’ Club….the Next Steps July week 4 👩‍🎓🏅🏃‍♀️

[MissUnderstanding]

Welcome to July’s last Graduates’ Club chat thread, and apologies for the technical hitches that’s meant this is a little late! Last week was all about snails so perhaps my being slow is forgivable 🐌🐌🐌. At least when you’re slow, you get chance to admire the scenery and you might even spot something unexpected…

An extra special welcome to this week’s new graduates  Jamesrunsforlife  Teucer  Violetcream  Wine  ToothPickJafah  Cornw  Pensionella  ClairePC  SillyGilly9  WhaleSongC  Bhavin1120  chris1676 and anyone else I haven’t spotted.

Massive congratulations to you all.

This thread is for anyone who has graduated to share how their runs are going and to get inspiration and encouragement from others. We’d love to hear what sorts of runs you’ve done, what you’ve got planned for the week and we’ll challenge you with a run that might take you out of your comfort zone…

⭐️First and foremost: How’s it going?⭐️

How has your running been this week? What sorts of runs have you been doing? Have you had any triumphs or challenges? What are your plans for next week?

I can’t wait to hear what you’ve been all up to so far and what sort of runs you have on the cards this week. Last week’s challenge was to embrace your inner snail. Lots of fab run reports and I’d definitely recommend trying it if you haven’t yet. You’ll find details on last week’s post which is linked at the bottom.

⭐️ This week’s challenge: find a new starting line!⭐️

I ran almost all of my Couch to 5k on the same route, and I wonder whether some of you might have done the same. A change is as good as a rest (or so they say!) so for this week’s challenge run, find somewhere new! If that’s tricky, why not try starting your usual route at a different point or run it in the other direction. You’ll be surprised by how different that feels. One of the nicest things about establishing a good base level of running fitness (as you’ve done by completing Couch to 5k!) is that it opens up a bigger variety of routes to you. It’s a real treat to try them out. Don’t forget to post a picture!

So for the final time this month, have a fantastic week everyone! Come and say hi!

MissU and the Couch team xxx

Last week’s thread is here:

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

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A bit about consolidation and running as a new Graduate…

As we’re still in our first month, I’ll post this again and at some point it’ll migrate into a pinned post and a summary! You’ll almost certainly have heard people talking about taking some time to “consolidate” after graduation. This isn’t compulsory but it’s a really good idea. When you have increased your running distance or duration over a few weeks, it is good to pause and consolidate for a short period, bedding in all that effort and getting ready for whatever comes next. That just means not continuing to build the distance or setting out to get faster for a little while.

It’s a brilliant time to just enjoy your running. Without having to increase duration week on week, you can take the pressure off and have some fun! You can run somewhere beautiful and new. Forget about pace! Mix up your run times. Go up a hill! While you are consolidating you are also helping to establish the habit of running in your life. It is said to take twelve weeks of changed behaviour to create a new habit, so a three-week consolidation will get you there!

Running as a graduate will look different for everyone which is why we really hope people will share what they’ve been doing. We can pinch ideas and take inspiration from each other. The key thing is to keep it steady and remember you’ve got a whole lifetime of running ahead of you. Keeping to 30 minutes max as a rough rule of thumb is a generally good idea and we’d encourage you to be really sensible about running for longer. It’s widely recommended not to increase the length of any of your runs by more than 10% each week because of the risk of injury. Think about how Couch to 5k gradually builds up. The last thing anyone wants is to spend time on the injury couch just after finishing!

[Annieapple Administrator Graduate]

🍏Sound advice MissU & a super challenge! Love your photo!!!

It is great to find a different route and especially fun if you are on holiday!

I recently in an effort to stay out of the wind decided to run in the back lanes where it’s a lot more sheltered. Found all sorts of interesting plants growing on the walls, a beautiful basket planted up by someone putting a bit of cheer into a dreary spot & an odd seagull taking shelter too. He declined his photograph. Running is always a mini adventure 🤣

Lanes

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate in reply to Annieapple]

Thank you! I was so lucky spotting that fox. I’d just stopped to blow my nose (pesky cold!) and happened to notice him through the hedge.

Totally agree about holiday runs. You know you’ve become a serious runner when you’re packing your kit! Lovely photos for a lovely run ❤️

[WhaleSongC Graduate]

No running for me until next week, and then it will be on the treadmill because the tropics are simply too hot and dusty this time of year! But the week after that I'm on holiday No running plans, but there are plans to do two days of (light) cycling!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate in reply to WhaleSongC]

Oh how exciting for you! Holiday runs can be really fun…it might be worth packing your kit just in case. Light cycling sounds perfect though, and that will definitely keep your legs ticking over. Just enjoy! ❤️

Treadmills are so useful when the weather is tricky. It’s a skill to be able to use them well. Have fun!

[Jamesrunsforlife Graduate]

Totally agree 👍 🥰

[Rabbit561 Graduate]

great advice and I wish I’d been more cautious! I had settled on the plan to get to 5k which you suggested but was also tempted by the idea of Strides. I read up about them and, after an easy 20 minute run with time for recovery, I gave it a go - a faster 30 seconds run. Only did it once and it felt great, really exhilarating. But as the day went on my knee felt stiffer and more painful but no swelling. That was a week ago. It’s eased up a lot and I’m hoping will settle quickly with gentle strengthening exercises. Very frustrating though and a lesson to take it slowly. Short cuts are not always a good idea!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate in reply to Rabbit561]

Oh no! You’re absolute right to rest until it calms down, if it persists, it’s worth seeing someone. Hopefully it’s just a niggle that will settle. Getting stronger is a brilliant thing to do for your running-it’ll improve your everyday runs as well as reduce your injury risk. If you haven’t spotted the strength and flex forum, it’s well worth a browse over there…

healthunlocked.com/strength...

Hope it’s a good week for you ❤️

[Petem56 Graduate]

Hi all, for my change of route, I did a right real change, Tuesday night was my club training night, and my coach Richard cut my training short and sai he's put me in to Wednesday's "furious 5k", just to get me used to running with others, Richard wanted me to complete just one lap, I managed just under 2 laps, could have completed 2 but as the heavens opened up just at that time and it was the closest point to the bar 🍺 common sense prevailed.I need to manage my pace better, first km was about 2 minutes too quick, being pulled along by the group. Having day off today.

connect.garmin.com/modern/a...

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate in reply to Petem56]

Wow-that sounds like such a fun run and a real change! Super impressed. You’ve totally earned that rest day. I love the “furious 5k” name! Have a great rest of week. Have you got some more chilled runs planned?

[Petem56 Graduate in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Just hoping to do a 30 minutes Saturday morning.

[Mum22boys Graduate]

First consolidation run in the morning... I tend to mix my routes up, often not knowing where I'm going until I set off... so it's probably not surprising I have no idea where I'm going in the morning 🤷‍♀️ as predicted I have that post graduation feeling of slight lack of impetus.. I really need to focus on 9 runs of 30 minutes to help build my stamina before I move on to the 60 minute plan...

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate in reply to Mum22boys]

It’s so common to feel like that! I definitely did. Aiming to be running consistently is the best plan to really set that habit from couch to 5k in place. It doesn’t need to be 30 minutes every time-it’s absolutely fine to have some shorter runs too. The main thing is to keep the discipline of going out regularly (whatever that means to you). Mixing up the run times as well as where you’re running could help with that.

I really love your spontaneous route planning! Hope it’s a good one next time ❤️

[Mum22boys Graduate in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thanks MissUnderstanding 😊 consolidation run 1 done! I set off knowing I was heading up the hill... ran over the field, through the woods, past the really nice houses (I love running past nice houses and gardens, love having a little nosey 🤭) and then came down past the uni which is where my local parkrun is so ran a bit of the parkrun route, and then back down hill past some more really nice houses and finished at 31.5 mins which was 4k of running. I leave 2 days between runs, so next one scheduled for Monday morning 👍

[Wine]

Thank you for this post... I gave completed my third consolation run and tomorrow will be s&f part 3.... Today was a bit tougher 30 mins though

[Mum22boys Graduate in reply to Wine]

Keep it up! From past experience the tough runs are the ones that give us most 👏

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate in reply to Mum22boys]

You are so right about this! Some of the runs I remember most fondly were horrible at the time but they show you what you’re made of.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate in reply to Wine]

Some runs just feel tough for no good reason. Sometimes you can figure it’s because you’re tired, under/over fueled, stressed, dehydrated etc but sometime it’s just one of those things. The more you run, the more tough ones you’ll have. It doesn’t mean you’re less of a runner. They make you better. Having made it to the end of a tough run is great ammunition for the next time one comes along. You know you’ve got the mental toughness to make it though. Really well done!

[Wine in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thank you

[ToothPickJafah Graduate]

I did it! I’ve graduated and did my first consolidation run….I ran a different route, without any music or guidance AND I tackled a hill! 👏 I did well and have not been put off hills so that’s a good thing!

I missed my running spot but it felt really good to do something different.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate in reply to ToothPickJafah]

Absolutely fantastic! And you snuck in on the last day of July too. Massive congratulations for all that you’ve achieved this week! ❤️🏅💪🏃‍♀️🎉