Wk9r1... Tough on the tarmac

[Misstrolly]

So, after a 3 day break, one because of the hail and rain weather and one because I had a lunch and a dinner to prep and make, I ventured out this morning almost chomping at the bit to get out! (Laura has created a running monster!)

It's a beautiful sunny day here but crucially for me, very cool. I started off on my old stomping ground around the woods. As usual, the first 5-10 minutes were fairly hard going and I had to slow down in moments as some of the paths were really muddy but at least dodging them made it more interesting. I did a 2km circuit of those then a downhill slope onto a flat field where I did my first wks1-4 training on. Running the whole length of that field at a good pace really brought a smile to my face as I recalled my earlier baby steps on that same ground!!

After around 20 minutes I got onto tarmac and I was going quite well although not feeling that real runners high that I had felt previously on other runs. It was then that I really started to struggle. It could be my imagination, it could be down to the fact I'd only eaten two small bananas for breakfast and my tummy was rumbling before I went out, or the fact I'd had too many days rest in between runs and has lost momentum, but I am fairly sure of the correlation between getting tired and the concrete I was now running on. Map my run told me I had done 3km at 20 or so minutes and I was just past a marker where I knew it was a solid km to the next marker so I really tried to summon every enthusiasm to get to there (ironically, it's a pub and I never normally need encouragement to get to one of those!) I really tried hard in those ten minutes but my legs were like lead at the end and I couldn't wait or Laura to say "slow down you've done it"

Does anyone else find it harder on Tarmac? I guess because I did most of my c25k on grass/trail I'm not used to it. The 10k I'm training for is all Tarmac so I guess I've got to get used to it, although I feel my future post race will be trail runs, I'm sure my joints will thanks me for it in the long term!

End result: 4.36km in the 30 mins. I so want to nail that 5k in 30 minutes!!!

[TJFlute]

I really think you will achieve this very soon!

I love trail running and probably prefer it to tarmac. The difficulty is changing between the two and I have a run which starts out on tarmac for 20 minutes and then moves to trail for 20 minutes. I find that I really struggle just as I change to the trail= so I think it's the change of surface that just triggers something in the brain that makes you feel that you're struggling.

Only two runs left until you graduate

[Greg_M Graduate]

Have you run in company? You are so close and when running alone that I bet you would find a couple of minutes come off that in a race if you are in to it?

Parkrun is an oft repeated suggestion but it does give you that extra inspiration being in with others, your time is easy good enough to be mid pack if you have one near you.

[Misstrolly Graduate]

Thanks guys for your advice and support. Greg, I have run alone up until now..I've always been rather self conscious and one of the reasons I have taken to it so well is the knowledge I only have myself as an audience while I build up my confidence and stamina. However, I do hope to run with others once the threshold of 5k has been comfortably broken.

[Greg_M Graduate in reply to Misstrolly]

I know what you mean, it is more a case of do what I say not what I do I hope you understand

I ran almost the whole c25k in the hours of darkness!

If you can do 4.36 you can definitely do 5! No question.