Is Laura's music designed to speed us up??

[Mitts]

Went out for W7R3 today, with a slightly wonky ankle which however felt much better in my running shoes. I started out fully prepared not to finish the 25 mins, but to my surprise I not only lasted the course but ran just a wee bit further than the last 3 runs. The reason def wasn't that me and my ankle were full of the joys - but I did have a brand-new playlist full of songs I've never run to before. So maybe the beat was faster, I dunno.

Which started me thinking - does anyone know if the podcast music is cunningly 'graded' to increase our speed as we jog through the weeks? If so, it might be better to stick to Laura in spite of the music - we'd get to 5K quicker. At the moment I'm nowhere near it, I did about 3.5km in my 25 mins plus one and a bit on the before/after walks. I know I can speed up after finishing the programme, but still - any ideas anyone?

[trooperlooper]

The only reason I ever sped up due to the podcast music, was in the hope that somehow that would make it stop sooner

As soon as I was into the longer single runs, out came my own playlists.

[Mitts Graduate in reply to trooperlooper]

Me too. I just wondered if it would be better in the long run, like taking your medicine to make you better even though it's yukky. Think I'll try a podcast W8 and then an own playlist W8 and see how it feels. If nothing else it'll be something to think about while I'm avoiding the slugs in the woods...

[Rollertoaster Graduate]

I would imagine there is a logic to what music is chosen when and for what reasons. I would be interested to know more about it, but I guess it is all part of the training and designed to help us progress.

[Mitts Graduate in reply to Rollertoaster]

It would be interesting - if we knew more about the why's, we could choose our own playlist music more carefully. My new playlist was designed to distract me from the monotony, it's still too hot here to go anywhere other than round the same old track in the woods that I've done since W2. I didn't think about anything other than nice songs that added up to 25 mins.

Or maybe I was so distracted worrying about my wonky ankle that I was subconsciously trying to get done faster :-)...

[Rollertoaster Graduate]

I said that on a post yesterday, that I run faster as my brain is telling me it will be over quicker that way! But it needs to listen that C25K really doesn't work like that and I need to learn to pace myself!

On pace and music there is a good website: jog.fm where you put in your pace (mins/km) and it picks appropriate songs for you (in terms of beats per minute) to match your pace, or I guess you could choose ones with higher bpm if you want to try and go faster?

[Mitts Graduate in reply to Rollertoaster]

Thaks, I'll have a look at that, sounds great - get faster without realizing!

[GoogleMe Graduate]

When you get to C25K+ the music is definitely designed to help you speed up. It's very different to C25K

[Mitts Graduate in reply to GoogleMe]

That'll be interesting too. I still can't believe I've got this far with my horrible back - my goal was W5R3, and here I am at W8... this is such a great programme and it just shows you have to push yourself sometimes. I'd never have got this far without all the help and encouragement on here.

[sbhoa]

Including the warm up/down walks I'm covering around 4 km for a week 1 session.

[Mitts Graduate in reply to sbhoa]

This is my second go replying to this, don't know where the first one went...

I wish I'd noted my distance in the first weeks but I didn't think to and I can't do it exactly either as I don't have a suitable phone. I'm going to buy a garmin as a graduation present for myself

I jogged 28 minutes yesterday and according to geodistance covered about 4km plus another one and a bit for the warm up/down. I do jog slowly, you'll probably find yourself going more slowly too when you reach the longer jogs, you have to or you don't last the time - as most of us here have found out the hard way!

Sounds like you've started very well anyway, good luck with the rest of the programme!

[sbhoa in reply to Mitts]

Thanks.

Finding the pacing a little tricky as I find that going too slowly is harder on the legs and on the breathing with recovery taking longer too.

Done a little digging for information now leaning forwards a little for the run. I'm taking longer strides than the little baby steps I started with and am learning to slow down the speed my legs move but keep the stride even and relaxed.

Hoping all the science stuff about how your body changes in line with the demands put on it is equally good for a 56 year old as for someone younger.

[Mitts Graduate in reply to sbhoa]

Well, if it's any consolation I'm not more than a year or two younger than you! But recently a lady of 73 finished the programme so if she can do it so can we!

This article helped me the first few weeks when my legs got sore, I've just posted it on runningwild's blog too:

livestrong.com/article/1890...

I still can't believe I've got to W8, the whole experience has been almost surreal, I've never done sport before.

Let us know how you get on!

[pingle Graduate]

The music comes from a company called audiofuel who do music for running/cycling etc with a specific number of beats per minute (bpm). I don't think it gets faster as you go through c25k and there is definitely no law against using your own playlist especially once you leave the intervals behind and don't need Laura to tell you to stop and go! Lots of people do. The C25K+ podcasts to specify a bpm and encourage you to run to the beat to increase speed.

[Mitts Graduate in reply to pingle]

That's interesting, thanks. I listened to the start of Laura's W8 podcast but no way way I going to jog 28 minutes listening to that, I went back to Coldplay etc. I'll give C25K+ a try, or else there's always Rollertoaster's website to choose your own bpm music once I see what the C25K+ is doing.