Bridge-to-10K: Week 1 Run 2

[IronMatt]

Whew! Just got back from a late night run! Nothing like a busy day to keep you from running into one o'clock in the morning! On the bright side, the roads and pavements were virtually empty of both people and cars! Tonight, East Oxford is M-I-N-E! ;-D

Given that I've already run 5K (or 30+ minutes) quite a few times now, I'm surprised at how challenging I'm finding Week 1 of the Bridge-to-10K plan. It definitely takes some mental pushing to keep going!

This time, I covered 6.63 km in the 40+3 minute run+walk. That's slightly better than Tuesday's 6.55 km stretch... though not much. If I assume a walking pace of 3 mph (about 4.8 km/hour) and subtract the estimated distanced in the three walking minutes off from the total, I get about 6.39 km of running, for an average speed of 9.6 km/hour. That's faster than the 8.6 km/hour that I was at when I finished Couch-to-5K, though not as fast as the 10.5 km/hour that I was running last month to get a couple of 5K times of under 29 minutes.

Clearly, I've got a way to go. I need to raise the total distance by over 50%, raise my speed by 4-5%, and eliminate the walking breaks. Getting all that ticked off is going to take time -- good thing this is only Week 1!

Apologies to all for a boring blog post this time. This entry is mainly to log the stats somewhere for posterity. Though for the other folks who are newly embarking on the Bridge-to-10K, perhaps it will be helpful, too?

Final Week 1 run is scheduled for Saturday! Stay tuned!!

[psarapsych Graduate]

Dedication indeed Matt :-). It sounds rather peaceful running in those conditions. Can you tell me, out of interest, whose version of B210k you are using? Deep respect for what you are doing, Sara

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to psarapsych]

Thanks, Sara! Definitely appreciate the kind words!

It is rather peaceful running late at night. Especially when the temperature is rather warm (for Winter), so I don't have to worry about slippery patches! I mapped out a new route for some variety, and to accommodate the greater distance. Wisely, I chose streets that I [correctly] expected to have good lighting. So, honestly, the nighttime running was quite nice!

Also, to answer your question, I am using the Samantha Murphy podcasts for B210K. I'm not sure who actually designed the plan that she is narrating, but it goes according to this:

Week 1: Four 10 minute runs (Do three times)

Week 2: Three 15 minute runs (Do three times)

Week 3: Three 17 minute runs (Do three times)

Week 4: Three 18 minute runs (Do three times)

Week 5, Run 1: Two 22 minute runs (Do one time)

Week 5, Run 2: Two 25 minute runs (Do one time)

Week 5, Run 3: Two 30 minute runs (Do one time)

Week 6: One 60 minute run (Do three times)

In all cases, the walking break between runs is one minute long. Also, there is the usual five minutes walks to warm up at the beginning and to cool down at the end.

The podcasts are very helpful, and I appreciate the work Samantha put into making them. That said, there are clearly a labour of love from an enthusiastic amateur, rather than the professional production quality of the NHS series. I like Sam... but am missing Laura! ;-D

[psarapsych Graduate in reply to IronMatt]

Matt, sorry for delay - am being a bit of a hermit - Xmas, NY and then my B'day - my new year starts on 9 January so before then I just stay in quiet festive mode!!!

Anyway, thank you thank you :-). Yes, I wondered... I found Sam's version thanks to Carole C uploading it. I also got the coolrunnings app for a variety of programmes. So... now that I'm able to start running again (starting at W4, very gently), I'm setting my sights to B210K and am so motivated to get there.

Gosh... I wonder If I would ever be so disciplined as to go running so late... BUT if it was after a long, hard day at work I can imagine that a run would be just what the brain needs to just let go. Anyway, keep posting... your posts are always interesting - as Delia says... definitely not boring

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to psarapsych]

Glad you found the podcasts! Don't rush yourself -- you will get there!

Meanwhile, I'm glad you like the posts... because I'm about to subject the world to another!

[DeliaItaly Graduate]

Not a boring post at all Matt! As Sara says: RESPECT!

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to DeliaItaly]

Aw, thanks! Glad you liked! *grin*

[psarapsych Graduate in reply to DeliaItaly]

Hi D... a quiet little post ... not counting my chickens BUT... have done 2 runs of W4 and so far so good but not shouting from the rooftops yet!!

As said above am still in holiday mode as birthday coming up so haven't been at the 'puter really.

Hope you're going well dear D, Sara xox

[DeliaItaly Graduate in reply to psarapsych]

Sara!!!!

how great to see you!

So pleased to hear you are back on track! Excellent! To be honest I'm about to stop at 5k -- not sure if I want to push any further but we can talk about this later. 3 30 minutes x week are about all I may well be able to manage!

When's your birthday Capricorn?

[psarapsych Graduate in reply to DeliaItaly]

Yes - 8th January, same as Elvis Presley! What about you?

[DeliaItaly Graduate in reply to psarapsych]

Virgoan -- September!

[DeliaItaly Graduate in reply to psarapsych]

come to think of it 23rd -- the same as Bruce Springsteen!

[Tish1970 Graduate]

Yes RESPECT!! I'm finding your post very interesting too. I am now coming to terms with the fact that when I graduate c25k in a week or so i want to go for b210k, providing I hit the 5k in 30mins personal goal!

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to Tish1970]

Thank you! I'm glad that you liked!

When I finished Couch-to-5K, I knew that I wanted to go on to do the Bridge-to-10K... but I took some time "off" in-between to work on that magic goal you mentioned: 5km in under 30 minutes. During the two months after the C25k, I bought new shoes, participated in some local ParkRuns, and worked with the 5K+ podcasts. By last month, my 5km time was down to 28:36, so I decided that the new year would be a good time to take on a new challenge.

That's me. Other people go straight from C25k into B210k. Whatever works best for you, really! Well done, and keep on running!

[Esprit Graduate]

Totally agree with the others Matt. I want to start Bridge-to-10k as soon as I hit the 5k in 30 minutes mark but that's a long way off. Good luck and definitely keep us posted!

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to Esprit]

Keep at it -- you'll get there! When I ran my first self-timed 5K, it took me 34:23. When I ran my first ParkRun, a few days later, it was even worse -- 34:44! At that point, I thought that it would take forever to get under thirty minutes... but I did it within a few weeks. Getting a proper pair of running shoes helped, as did regular use of the 5K+ podcasts.

Good luck!!

[Rollertoaster Graduate]

You're finding it more challenging than your usual runs? Do you think it's because you are back to intervals or it's psychological because it's longer? Don't tihnk about how you have a way to go. Just like C25K I'm sure you will get there before you even realise it! But you were out at 1am??!!! That is dedication indeed.

I'm looking forward to starting tomorrow!!!

On another note, I'm loving how quiet the traffic is in Oxford this week! In comparison to how permanently congested we usually are, my cycle to and from work each day has been blissful!

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to Rollertoaster]

I think you're right -- the challenge is probably psychological, because I'm running for longer. Physically speaking, the jump from 1x30 to 4x10 should be pretty small, right?

And, yes, I went out running at 1am. It was quite nice, really. As you say, Oxford is so peaceful this week... and even more so in the middle of the night. The weather is warm, so no slippery patches like there were during that recent cold snap, and I chose streets with good lighting so I didn't have to worry about running in the dark.

Best of luck with your first Bridge-to-10K run tomorrow!! I'm looking forward to hearing about your experience with it!

P.S. Do you cycle from Kidlington to Oxford for work each day?? That's impressive all on its own!

[lucylocket10 Graduate]

Running at one in the morning sounds fun! My daughter and I did week 1 run 1 of the B210k yesterday too - although slightly earlier in the evening :o) Lucy

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to lucylocket10]

Running late at night was kinda fun, actually! Especially since the weather is warm, so I didn't have to worry about slippery pavements the way I did a few weeks back when we had that cold snap.

Glad to hear you have started on the Bridge-to-10K, too! There are a lot of us doing that right now. That's excellent -- I really enjoyed the mutual support and interactions here when I was doing Couch-to-5K; it's great to see there are so many people moving on so that we can continue together! Huzzah!

[Pearsey]

That sounds so good Matt! At the risk of repeating what everyone else has said-RESPECT!! So good that you are giving headers too, so we know who it is on the email side.

You have a plan, and that's good. Failing to plan, is planning to fail-so you've taken care of that side.

Look forward to more blogs on your progress.

I'm pleased to say that I walked to the shops today-first time since the injury, and was surprised that I was able to keep up the warm-up pace Laura uses. So, no difference in timing 7 minutes there and 7 minutes back-really pleased to report no pain or "clicking".

Colette

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to Pearsey]

Thanks, Colette!

Also, well done on your walk to the shops! *applauds* Pain-free is excellent! Don't push too hard... but I bet we'll have you running again soon enough! What fantastic news!

P.S. Glad that the headers are helpful. Seemed a good idea to distinguish from the Couch-to-5K runs!

[Pearsey in reply to IronMatt]

Yes, if only we could somehow all use the header you gave it would be so helpful in distinguishing from all the others. I am sure that others, like myself, don't always have the time to trail through every blog on the email. What do you think?

Colette

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to Pearsey]

I agree with you completely, Colette! As nifty as this community is, I really don't have the time to read through all the entries -- or even all the synopses. I also use the "bridge to 10k" tag, but that's less obvious when scanning the daily summary e-mail.

Although a lot of us are now starting the Bridge to 10K, most people here are still doing Couch to 5K. Which makes perfect sense -- this is the Couch to 5K community, after all, and that's originally how we got here. So I try to make some easy distinction between Week 1 Run 2 of B210k and Week 1 Run 2 of C25k. One is forty minutes of running, the other is eight minutes of running. Which is not to compare the efforts involved -- I think I found Week 1 of C25k to be the most difficult of all! -- but different people are going to be interested in the different posts.

Hope you're having an excellent Friday!

[Pearsey in reply to IronMatt]

I agree totally. Yep-a really great Friday Matt. Hope you are too?

I just realised I've been calling you Matt, but you are Matthew. Sorry for that-my son is a Matthew too, but prefers to be called Matt

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to Pearsey]

Wow -- colour me impressed! Usually, I find myself correcting people who call me "Matt" by mistake, as I do go by "Matthew" in real life.

"IronMatt" is a very old handle that I adopted a long time ago, as a tribute to one of my favourite fictional characters, IronMan. When I use it, I don't correct people who call me "Matt", as it is a natural assumption to make from my handle. You may be the first person ever who has self-corrected on-line like that! Well done!

[Pearsey in reply to IronMatt]

Thank you Matthew (I WILL try to remember). Our Matt used to watch IronMan too! His shortening came from Batman though (Mattman) and was gradually shortened to Matt-which has stuck! Unfortunately that's why I unintentionally shortened your name

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to Pearsey]

Hee hee! Cute!

[Jeddahpm Graduate]

Well done! I would be very pleased with your stats am doing a 10k in march to will get straight on to b25k in 2 wks when I graduate well done!

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to Jeddahpm]

Wow -- I'm impressed! Going from C25k straight into B210k! Very nice!

I graduated in mid-October, then took about two months "off" to consolidate at the end of C25k. Didn't stop running, but I did things like work on my speed, buy and break in a pair of proper running shoes, and do a few ParkRuns. The main challenge in that period was getting my 5K time down to less than 30 minutes.

Now, with all that done, it is on to the next challenge: 10K! There are a lot of us making the leap right now -- I am looking forward to reading about your own adventures when you finish the C25K plan!

[Jeddahpm Graduate in reply to IronMatt]

Lol perhaps I'm bonkers and should consolidate first too! Thing is time is limited and I'm not too worried about speed, though I will push myself. I have agreed to do the cardiff half marathon in October so the 10k will be a great confidence boost for me I guess after the 10k I can really hammer the speed intervals......if I haven't collapsed!

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to Jeddahpm]

If you are signed up for a 10K race in March, don't let me stop you from pressing straight on into the Bridge-to-10K. There is no "One True Path" forward, and it doesn't sound like speed needs to be your top concern just yet.

Very impressed that you are already signed up for a half-marathon later this year! Wowza! I would like to get to one eventually, but I'm taking each challenge as it comes. Right now, I need to get to 10K. Then, if I'm not already there, I need to get to 10K in under an hour. We'll see what comes next after that -- maybe a half-marathon, but probably an Olympic Triathlon first (for which the running part is a 10K).

Best of luck!!

[gdeann Graduate]

Well done Matt!! Gayle

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to gdeann]

Aw -- thank you, Gayle!

[SBG356 Graduate]

Wow! 1am- - impressive!! Well done Matthew and it's interesting how you found it challenging.... My thinking was that because you are "allowed" to stop after each ten minutes it should be fine but obviously I am going to find myself rethinking this!

I wanted to start this today but had a restless night so really knackered. Tomorrow is a definite though, tired or not!! Best of luck for tomorrow too. Sue

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to SBG356]

Thanks -- and same for you! I'm looking forward to hearing how your first run with Samantha goes!

Actually, I am particularly curious to see if others find this 4x10 minutes thing to be challenging, or if it is just me. Wouldn't surprise me either way, actually. Good luck!!

[janda Graduate]

Wow Matthew. What a good blog and what progress. This is just the start and can only get better. I know I keep saying it in these blogs but the development of your own capacity is the most important thing. You have to make yourself stronger and able to handle the endurance necessary to get to 10k. And you are doing it! Good luck and keep up the good work. James

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to janda]

Hi James!

Methinks we may have a mutual admiration thing going on... because I've been reading _your_ Bridge-to-10K blogs and really enjoying them. Actually, you're just a few days ahead of me in the plan, so I use your experiences as inspiration as I go.

I'm so glad many of us are starting the B210K now. I feel like we're getting the same level of community support that was so helpful during C25K!

Thanks again, and chat soon!

[janda Graduate in reply to IronMatt]

Cheers!! New blog just posted.

[Vivwestie Graduate]

What is this B210k that you all speak of? Wherefore can I find it?

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to Vivwestie]

*grin* "Wherefore" can you find it? I guess if you want to try the new challenge is a good reason, yes? ("Wherefore" means "Why", not "Where" *wink*)

As for _where_ you can find the plan? Click on this link: tinyurl.com/b6bzz6t

That URL will bring you to an older post on this site; that post, in turn, tells you where you can download the Bridge-to-10K podcasts produced by Samantha Murphy. They aren't the same level of production quality we've learned to expect from the NHS and Laura... but they get the job done. This was clearly a labour of love by an enthusiastic amateur, and I'm grateful that someone took the time to put this together!

Right now, it seems a lot of us grads are using the new year as an opportunity to move on to 10K running. Come join us! The more, the merrier!

[Vivwestie Graduate in reply to IronMatt]

Thanks, Matt. Both for the info about the B210K and for correcting my grammar

I ran a 10k (well half-ran, half-walked it!) in early Dec, but haven't ran since due to illness. Since finishing C25K in October, I did some of the speed/stamina podcasts, but just sort of winged it, really. I think it would be good to get back to something structured after my break away. I'll check it out and look forward to joining you all.

And I shall never use 'wherefore' to ask 'where' again!

[Vivwestie Graduate in reply to Vivwestie]

Oops, or Matt.

Sorry, Matthew.

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to Vivwestie]

*giggle* You are quite welcome! (And I hope my gentle teasing about "where" and "wherefore" did not offend -- it's hard to convey tone online, but I was trying to be silly)

Good on you for your December 10K. Sorry to hear you have been ill, but I'm happy to hear you are on the mend now! It would be great if you could join our growing horde of B210k-ers!

[kazzers Graduate]

Me Me Me !!! Hiya, I graduated on xmas eve ( I still haven't got my badge for some reason and don't like to keep pestering for it I had a rest over xmas and since then have just done one stamina run . I have (madly) signed up for the Oxford Town and Gown run in May, so I'm thinking that maybe I should start the bridge210k ??

[IronMatt Graduate in reply to kazzers]

Congratulations! (And, for what it's worth, I'm looking at your shiny new GRADUATE badge right now!)

There are lots of different paths people take after Couch-to-5K. Some go straight into the Bridge-to-10K. Personally, I recommend taking some time to consolidate your accomplishments -- work on your speed, use the 5K+ podcasts, do a few ParkRuns, that sort of thing. (That's what I did before moving on)

Ultimately, there is no One True Path to go forward -- choose whatever works best for you. If you want to go directly to B210k, go for it! If you choose to wait, you have plenty of time. Bridge-to-10K is only a six week plan. I started on New Year's Day and am planning to finish on February 4th. So you could do other runs at the 5K level for a month and still be ready long before May.

Speaking of which: Sounds like we're local! I'm in Headington (very close to the "Up & Running" shop). Whereabouts are you, neighbour?

[kazzers Graduate]

Well !! Where did that lovely badge come from ??? I am originally from Headington, but moved a bit further out of Oxford 6 yrs ago, so now live in Ickford . I still run in Headington/Cowley sometimes as my mum lives in Morrell Avenue . I just LOVE the Up and Running shop in Headington, and that's where I have bought my trainers and running gear so far I am watching your Bridge to 10k with interest , and hopefully will be 'following in your footsteps' very soon ............Still not sure where that badge came from so suddenly