Broken through 4 miles!

[musicman]

Hi everyone. I've been a bit stuck at 5K since graduating. Been happy with times as I've managed to get just under the 29minute barruer(28mins 58!) but been finding it hard to motivate myself to push on the distance. However your blogs have inspired me to do something about it.(Thank you CaroleC) so this morning -nice and sunny and inspired also by the stunning Ryder cup victory-I decided I had to stop doing my circular 5K route (as an extra loop is 2.5 K) and plot a route (runfinder) like when I started C25K that was out and back- so I had to get home. I decided to take it steady to make sure I got through it. Result 4.13 miles at 43 minutes 45 secs. No great time but glad to to have finally made inroads into distance .Thanks to all those regular bloggers who make you think just go and do it.

[CaroleC Graduate]

Hi musicman, thanks for the credit, but you did all the work! Taking it steady is definitely the way to go when building up endurance...and on we go and we get it done. I love the feeling I get when I know I've pushed myself to go the extra distance (literally!)

Running is, as you well know, as much a mental thing as a physical one. "I think I can, I KNOW I can" works well for me when I am feeling short on motivation. You should see me prevaricate before a long run or a hard interval session. Nobody can waste so much time lacing their shoes up or filling a water bottle as I can.

Careful on how you add on the miles; no more than 10-15% added total mileage each week. I am now up to 21 miles total for last week, so will be aiming for just over 23 next week split between my three session with a 12 miler on Sunday! (Ha, watch me prevaricate before that one!!!)

Well done on your good 5k time, sub 29mins is great.

CaroleC

[musicman Graduate in reply to CaroleC]

Thanks for all the tips. I will be careful about adding on distance but thanks for the reminder. I downloaded a 10K plan a few weeks ago but doubling distance seemed a long way off.I think now I might seriously look at following it. Good luck with the 12 miles on Sunday.By the way I have never gone out with water yet. Usually have a good drink beforehand and on return. Is there, do you lnow, a distance or time when water intake en route becomes adviseable?

[CaroleC Graduate in reply to musicman]

It depends on the weather, the distance and also personal preference musicman.

If it's warmer than I prefer to run in, I'll take water with me no matter what distance I am running, just for security if nothing else, and if I don't drink it during the run, I'll glug it while I'm cooling down or stretching. If it's colder and I'm just doing a 5k'er I'll just do as you do and make sure I've had a good drink a bit beforehand (don't want it all sloshing around in my stomach!). There are sports belts and other accessories for carrying water/fluids if you don't want to carry a bottle in your hand.

If I am planning to run longer than 30-40 minutes I will take water even if it's cooler, and I would recommend that you do. Apparently the gut slows down while doing vigorous exercise so will not process fluids as quickly and rehydration takes longer if drinking on the run. I drank a fair bit yesterday morning, AND took out a large bottle of water for my eleven mile long run yesterday, the temp was 15c and I just knew I'd be struggling by the time I got home. What I didn't drink got chucked over my head to cool me down. I had to glug two pints of water as soon as I got in the door, I was so dry. OH used to run half marathons and has a proper backpack waterbladder somewhere which I am going to have to dig out and make use of sometime very soon!

CaroleC

[musicman Graduate in reply to CaroleC]

Really helpful advice caroleC.Thanks for taking the time

Musicman

[Oldgirl Graduate]

Well done musicman thats a great 5K time, very impressive. I broke the 8K barrier by confusing my brain which then let my body do what I wanted it to do. I took 2 favourite routes and linked them into a figure of 8. It worked so well that I had run 8.6Km before my body really had time to start protesting in ernest. The following week I did my first ever 10K, slowly but never the less it was job done. Good luck its a mind over matter situation and speed doesn't matter

[musicman Graduate]

Thanks oldgirl. 10K here i come...slowly.Good idea about linking routes.