W8R2. Couch to 4.9889664 k

[Pelephant]

Before I went out this morning I mapped my route on gbmapometer.com and just out of interest I looked to see where the 5k point would be. Anyway my running jacket and long sleeved top still hasn't arrived so set off in my short sleeves, slightly shivery. Was amazed at how quickly I warmed up though and ended up grateful that my jacket hadn't come, I would have been too tempted to test it out and would have been too hot in that sun. (Oh hello sun, where did you come from?) Of course this is my flat route and I haven't done it since the horrible horrible weather and you know what flat means - yes giant puddles to leap over (Couch to Long Jump maybe?) Anyway had on the the same album I was listening to on W8R1 so I know that 25 minutes comes at the end of a song, so I might have to keep running right to the end of the next song because it would be silly to stop in the middle of a song. Right? I happen to know from last time that the next song is a long one and takes me to 30 minutes. Then at thirty minutes I realised I was so close to where mapometer told me 5k was, so I ran on to there, looked at my phone and endomondo told me I'd done 3.05 miles. 'But isn't 5k 3.1 miles?' I thought to myself and pushed myself a little bit further. To 3.1 miles according to endomondo. I HAD to stop then. HAD to go down to a walk. When I got home I worked it out and 3.10 miles is actually 4.9889664 k, so I didn't do 5k at all! Gutted. Oh well another week to get it right. Ran for 33.19 though, so really all I've got to do is keep this up! Easier said than done. Feeling it in my legs today.

[gdeann Graduate]

Well done pelephant!!! I am very far away making it to my 5k even with my 28 minutes. YOU ARE DOING GREAT! Can you count the puddle jumping as cross-training? So very happy for you. We do W8R3 later tonight and it looks like it may rain. This will be our first running/rain experience. GOOD LUCK WITH R3!!!

[swanscot Graduate]

Well done, pelephant. It's great to do the longer runs, isn't it? I admit I, too, kept running for 30+ mins in week 8 to hit that 'magic' 5K!

[Fraz73 Graduate]

Well done Pelephant, great job. Yes the 5k is a bit deceiving. My Garmin measures in miles for some reason although I think I can change this - I just need to re-read the instructions again though! I got so close to 5k this morning (including the walks mind you) but when I worked it out I had only done 4.8k. The way my legs felt today there's no way I could have run another second, let alone made it to 5k!! Anyway brilliant stuff again and you will get that 5k. Plus only 4 runs to graduation!!

[swanscot Graduate in reply to Fraz73]

Garmin is an US company so the default setting is imperial, but it's easy to switch it to metric. I don't know how for your model, but I did it with my Garmin Oregon (hiking/geocaching model). The manual should show you.

[RachNJ Graduate]

That's awesome.. ! I'm still so far from my 5k

[Oldgirl Graduate]

Well done Pelephant thats 5K in my eyes, one more step was all it needed then you would have been over 5K it would have read 5.00010!! A very good time too congratulations.

[mattaitch Graduate]

I had to laugh at the "Couch to Long Jump" I've had the same on my last 2 runs, although I've also had some puddles that span the track and had to go right through them.

I know what you mean about missing the 5K, I've forced myself to do 3.12 miles to make sure I had accounted for any GPS errors!

[canuckgirl Graduate]

Congrats Pelephant, I ran my W8R2 this morning. I would definitely consider that you have run 5K (one foot shuffle away).

Four more to go!

[Hidden]

Congratulations on your 5k, I read somewhere that the mapping sites are deliberately a little inaccurate at government request (don't know how true that is) but your phone will be right, as odd girl says only a couple of steps more.

[Chewy]

Phil's right, the satellites are not as accurate as they be could because the manufacturers don't make them that accurate (not can't, don't). The accuracy is about 10 metres there's a great TED talk about it -> ted.com/talks/todd_humphrey...

So I think that you should give yourself the 5k today Pelephant because you were 11 metres out which could reasonably be called GPS inaccuracy.

[pingle Graduate]

Honestly I think it counts! It's only about a couple of steps! I was 0.1k short on my first 5K attempt due to vagueness about converting miles to km so I understand the frustration. Still you are flying. W9 will be no bother!