Get me! Just back from a 5 mile "tempo" run!

[Deryn61]

As part of my post grad challenge (train for a 10k in mid June), I had to do my first "tempo" run today. That involved 1 mile at my "easy" pace (I am very slow short fat and old so this is 14.40 miles) then 3 miles at 13.05 pace, then another easy mile to recover.

I had run 5.3 miles on Sun at my easy pace or faster, and mostly up a slope so knew I could run the distance.

I hadnt imagined how hard it was going to be running (trying to run) for THREE miles at the faster pace tho. With hindsight I really really should have gone back to the "comfort" of the canal path and done this on the flat!

The first mile was fine (apart from having freezing cold hands - a mid May mid morning and I got freezing cold hands!) but then upping the pace as I went up the (gentle but endless) slope was sickening! I gave myself a little break by turning round and coming down the slope whilst I recovered a bit but that felt like cheating! I almost stopped after 1.5 miles telling myself I could go to the canal path and start again but that also felt like failure lol!

I plodded on. I went beetroot in the face (took me back to when I started the programme and used to get beetroot in the face after a few mins!) It seemed ENDLESS. I decided it would be a good tactic to count up to 50 as I went up the slope and then turn round and run down for up to 20 or less if I felt I could turn round sooner.

My dog got very confused. I was back and fore like . . . . a very short fat 50-something trying to run too fast!

The last quarter mile was the toughest stretch of running I have ever done - and that was at my slower recovery pace!

There we are. It is done now. What doesnt kill us makes us stronger, eh?

Next week . . . intervals!

[CaroleC Graduate]

Well done, on what you managed to do today. Any change from the usual warm up, run, cool down I find incredibly hard. I've been through all the tempo/intervals/fartlek/long run/hill runs with the 10K and Bupa ten miles and other training. I'm also short, "cuddly" and nearly 52. I can do two paces, one is my usual 9.5 -10ish effort (for anything under 10K), the other is a teeny bit faster. Currently there is no pace at all thanks to a nearly two week old knee injury!!

When I'm running I can just about manage tempo runs, intervals I have never quite mastered. I start off well but usually end up doing the wrong ratio of fast to slow, so knacker myself out too quickly, and have to go back to my usual pace to finish. Sometimes I'll start off doing what I call proper tempo, with timed intervals, lose it completely about fifteen minutes in and end up doing Fartlek and running alternate lamp posts. I think my only advice with the intervals, from my experience, is not to go too fast in the fast bits!!

Good luck!

CaroleC

[Anonymous36 Graduate]

crikey! I'm not 40 yet and just reading that left me breathless!

I'm amazed at what everyone has achieved since completing the programme. Keep it up, you're are a big part of my inspiration!

[Gridlet Graduate]

This is proper running speak! Get you indeed! Well done! Hope I can get as good! Amazing!