A feelgood run

[Mitts]

Don't know if it was me or itunes this morning but I was completely unable to get the Speed podcast onto my ipod, and when I tried to download Stamina and then - in desperation - W1 to run jog/run intervals with - it was the same story

So off I went to my W9 30 minutes and 48 seconds playlist, and I decided to do my own version of Speed, with 3 fast sections and 3 slower sections in each (almost 1km) round of my extremely muddy woods.

And you know what - it was much easier than both Speed and Stamina, I felt I was going at a pace that was right for me, and the running parts were definitely no slower than Laura's 165bpm. Im my 30 minutes (and 48 seconds) I did 4.9 (Waaaaah!!!)km which is faster than my usual approx 35 mins for 5k.

Apart from the missing 0.1km I'm feeling pretty good, I'll definitely do that again...

Wish I could stop counting 1-2-3-4 when I'm running though...

[Soozz Graduate]

Sounds good, Mitts! Well done! Know what you mean about 1 - 2 - 3 - 4, it's a kind of mantra!

[Mitts Graduate in reply to Soozz]

Ye - es... there must be more uplifting mantras! Laura has a lot to answer for! But as she got us all this length we won't complain!

How are you getting on with the 5k+ podcasts? Or do you have any other post-grad run tips, I think you're a couple of weeks further in than me?

[Soozz Graduate in reply to Mitts]

I like the 5+ podcasts - they give me a sense of structure, like Laura says in the intro. For a while I was too intimidated to do them, but while challenging, they are doable, and there's plenty of scope for improvement. I'm also gradually tackling some hills, not anything dramatic but just trying gentler ones (there are some shockers round here).

[swanscot Graduate]

Well done, on achieving an increase in speed with your own intervals. I like doing intervals and have used 5K+ Speed podcast three times now, but I don't feel I'm getting any quicker. My problem is I've not found a nice level-ish route for this yet, so I feel my pace is compromised by the ups and downs along the way. I feel if I had a flat route, I'd really go all out on the 60 second fast sections, to the extent that the difference in pace would be noticeable in the trace from the running computer, I can't see this at all in my traces in Runkeeper.

I think I may give some other music intervals a go. My son has some playists from podrunner I'll try just for a bit of variety.

[Mitts Graduate]

Thanks ladies. Last run I did was to my own music and I went on a bit further to include a stiffish hill for the first time - didn't have enough puff for that today, but my 'intervals' round the track, while challenging, were in another way easier because I wasn't trying to adapt to Laura's 1234 all the time.

I like intervals too and if I can get the W1 podcast down I might have a go with that as well.

To think I was worried about not having enough to do after graduating... :/