🍏New Graduates Chat Week 3 January 2024🍏Ramping up fitness, time and distance

[Annieapple]

👋 Welcome & congratulations to any new graduates joining in the chat this week. You will still be celebrating that wondrous moment of completing Week 9 Run 3. 🏆🎊

🤔 Quick Reminder: What is Consolidation?

It’s recommended that when we finish C25K we keep up the routine of running 30mins 3x a week for a few weeks. It strengthens both your body and your mind without any pressure to do more. A time of adjustment to think about what’s next and to fix the habit of getting out there and running. 🏃‍♂️ 🏃‍♀️

In Week 1: we talked about the all importance of where to get your shiny new badges and consolidation. Read all about it here.

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

In Week 2: Running terminology explained: Catch up here.

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

TODAY is Week 3: We are going to chat about increasing distance and time & how to ramp up our fitness level.

I wonder how many of you are faithfully supporting your runs by doing a dynamic warm up before going out the door or onto the treadmill? What about cool down stretches when you get home before making that cuppa! These two things are the very basics and must be part of our run routine. An excellent time to imbed this firmly into our schedule is during consolidation.

Here is a link if you need to know more

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

What do you do on your rest days?

Once you have completed C25k you may start thinking about increasing distance, or running a bit faster in or after the consolidation period. However before even considering that you need to be in perfect running form to prevent injury & to get the most enjoyment about taking your running further.

🍏To do this you need to achieve a strong central core…that is stomach, lower back, glutes & hips. There are so many ways you can do this but Pilates, yoga and strength & flex are the most popular. If you are a total beginner in this area check out the NHS App

healthunlocked.com/strength...

🍏 You may already be swimming, working out at the gym, cycling, rowing, walking, steps, dancing etc. These all contribute to the overall fitness of a runner. Have some fun choosing something new and different that fits in with your lifestyle, time and money. There are many free online classes. For a wealth of ideas explore the Strength & Flex Forum

healthunlocked.com/strength...

🍏Thoughts about increasing time and distance

Once you are doing strength work regularly, and are running regularly three times a week for 30 mins you may want to increase distance or time. There is no need to do this if you are comfortable and happy as you are .. I never thought about running further or faster after my first graduation. I was far more interested in enjoying my runs and seeking out new routes and engaging with hills. But there did come a time when I wanted to do more. We are all different!! You are in control! There are excellent training apps out there such as the free Nike Run Club. Download this one on to your phone. You will get excellent coaching on the guided runs that will help you do this safely. You could also take a peek at excellent advice offered by the legend IannodaTruffe

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

💥Enough from me! Please join in the chat by commenting below. We love hearing your ideas, looking at your questions seeing you helpfully interacting with each other and letting us know what you would like to see on these chats!

🛎️ 💥 Next Week in Chat: Further options to explore and support our running.

[Annieapple Graduate]

LottieMW Heathermgal Oldfloss red_faced_runner Isabellamc Run12 Lizzie_NewStart NotTheGirlURLooking4 Rustyhoumous Wavey16 Hivebee Grenada993

[Annieapple Graduate]

Fluff_ RapiditoRun BoxSet rumpole24 Stillthepotato Leolae Vickster007 Stumper22 Wavy-chick28 Beistol Roadrun

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Thank you for this... such a useful post... all of us, no matter whether we have graduated for the first time or for the , umpteenth time of re graduating needed this!

We do need to try to work on our core strength . I know that I have not been able to run as much as I would have wished since re-graduation, but the regular exercises used to support my running body played their part. This morning I ran for...nearly thirty minutes... and really felt it was very comfortable...even though I chose to run uphill!

Looking after our running body pays absolute dividends... and helps keep us injury free !

[Annieapple Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

🍏Floss you are an amazing example to us all in the Strength & Flex and I am still learning much from your posts. I could have dedicated this chat to you!!

Delighted you got your run in and uphill too!! Hubby and I had a wonderful beach walk in bright sunshine & now it’s snowing!Thanks for popping in. Much appreciated! Xx

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Annieapple]

Snowing!!! Wonderful! I'm hoping we have it as forecast, Tuesday!Thank you and I'm glad you got a walk in too!

[Naturesweapon Graduate]

Thank you for all this good advice! I am going to be busy clicking on links! Like three months ago I started with the Tiberan Rites as recommended in either this forum or the strength and flex forum (could it beOldfloss who was posting about it...?) Anyway! These Tibetan Rites are amazing for flexibility and strength. But I was wondering do they also work for core strength? I am up to 11 reps now and I have found a yoga instructor in my local area that knows about Tibetan Rites (!!!) so she is going to help me with this (just to make sure I am doing them correctly and safely before adding more reps). I might ask her what other things we do for core strength.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Naturesweapon]

Yeayyyy ! How good to see you here...

I am here too, after re graduating on December 17th! those Tibetan rites are great and so tweakable too... I do groups of 7 every morning...before I get up! For my hands, arms and knees!!!

So good that you have someone guiding you too! Loads of ideas for core strength on the S and F forum too...including some that you may not realise that you are doing, in your ordinary, household tasks! Do keep us all posted please!

[Naturesweapon Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

Congratulations on your re-graduation! You did it all again! 🏆💐 well done! And super good luck with the consolidation phase!Thank you for introducing me to the Tibetan Rites, what an incredible way to start your day! I do them in the morning too except on my two office days when I need to wake up at silly o'clock to commute. Those two days I only walk to/from station at both ends and then stand if I am lucky enough to get a standing desk!

Happy running 👟👟👟

[Annieapple Graduate in reply to Naturesweapon]

🍏welcome to chat! Lovely to see you here! What a great question!! I also do the Tibetan rites because they are quick and easy .. they have many benefits which you find on Google …for me personally it’s an easy way to add flexibility & strength. A trainer is an excellent idea to ensure correct positioning.

Leg raises, Ankle touches, Planks, Kegel exercises and yoga are all widely recommended all over the web including the NHS for strengthening core!

Have fun exploring our Strength and Flex Forum! As  Oldfloss says please keep in touch!

[Annieapple Graduate]

Bucks_Runner IRunning Raffa67

[Lizzie_NewStart Graduate]

Thanks for the information, very interesting reading.

We have increased our run time from 30 to just under 35 mins. This was more to do with the route we run rather than an intentional plan to increase the time. We basically increased the run time over a few runs so that we have just got the 5 minute walk at either end of the route.

If we want to increase the distance, it is going to mean doubling back on ourselves as the next road loop is quite a lot further. For some reason, I feel running in a loop is more of an achievement than running along a road, then turning round and running back.

As we really like living on the edge, we started to run our route backwards (in reverse, not literally running backwards) and found it much harder to start with. The normal way has a gradual slope downwards, then a shorter steeper slope upwards just before the end. Running in reverse, the longer more gradual slope seemed to be much harder than the short steep slope we were used to. We have got used to it now but had anyone asked me before, I would have sworn the steeper hill would have been more difficult.

[Annieapple Graduate]

🍏What wonderful feedback. Great idea to do the route backwards and tackle the steep slope! Slopes & hills are great for strengthening legs & lungs! I couldn’t agree more about running in loops rather than there and back! One of the most fun things to do in consolidation & thereafter is finding a new route..

Well done on increasing the run time slowly. Thanks so much for your lovely idea & let us into your future adventures as you go along! 👏🙌🤗