Week 3 down - bring on week 4

[Rollertoaster]

Well this morning I nailed w3r3! Really chuffed with myself, partly as I thought it would be slow as I had to persuade my body it was a good idea to drag myself out of bed and into my running outfit and that I would feel better afterwards!

But as week 3, r1and 2 were more successful for me than the first two runs of previous weeks, I decided to really push myself on this run and try and get some speed under my belt! So I went along the canal where I knew people would be to give me extra impetus to keep the pace up (you can imagine the scenarios; people sitting alongside towpath at canal pub having lunch watching you puffing along, people standing aside on the towpath to make way for you a LONG time in advance, so you have no choice but to speed up to avoid the potential embarassment of them waiting all day for you to come past!). I didn't slow on the runs and really felt like I had acomplished something! Will go back to pacing myself more sensibly though for week 4, r1 as 5 mins straight still seems daunting and really want to get through it without stopping!

[epld]

Haha that was funny, but well done Rollertoaster! You're doing really well! I start week 3 on Monday and hope I can do it without any repeats I'm sure you'll do great on Week 4!

[Rollertoaster Graduate in reply to epld]

Thank you! Week 4 run 1 did feel like a step up and I had a really slow start, but I made it through, yay!

[arablue]

"..you have no choice but to speed up to avoid the potential embarassment of them waiting all day for you to come past!"

How I know that feeling! Jogging on past as if it doesn't hurt and you could keep going all day. ha ha! I have just finished W3R3, although I feel I must be the slowest runner in the world. I hesitate to really call myself a runner as my jogging is so slow. But I find that a shorter stride and quicker pace means I can avoid shin splints, so I can keep going longer.

Last week I even ran while some other runners ran past, (fighting the urge to hide in a hedge or admire the scenery), and nodded hello. And even better they didn't look at me as if wondering what on earth I was doing.

Thanks for your post, it gives me strength to keep going knowing other folk are in similar situations.

[Rollertoaster Graduate in reply to arablue]

Ha! yes, the levels of acting I display doing a run... yes I'm perfectly comfortable doing this, it's no bother at all, etc! Though tbh, I think my red face and distressed look must give it away. Also I always wonder if I am breathing really loudly when people look over as I have the podcast on quite loud to "get in the zone" and dont really seem that aware of how I am breathing!

Just completed W4 r1 today and it did feel a step up, but I got through it yay! Once my legs got used to the initial shock they actually carried me through to the finish!

[arablue]

Hi Rollerstoaster. I completed W4 r1 today too. It was tough. I did the first 3 mins ok, then the 5 was manageable, then next 3 ok, but the last 5 my route took me to the uphill bit I usually do on my cool down. I had the last 4 mins running uphill, so slowly I was hardly moving. I'm sure a snail overtook me at some point - I couldn't tell, it was too fast! But, I didn't stop until Laura told me to!

Must plan better and not finish on the uphill next time!

[Rollertoaster Graduate in reply to arablue]

ha, yes I think carrying on even if you feel like you are going so slowly you are going backwards is better than stopping! Well done! It was a hard run!