Rules, Routines and Brick Walls are made for breaking.....

[ForrestGrump]

Firstly another thank you to everyone who blogs and comments - not only on my posts but on all of them. They really do make a difference to keeping me motivated as does writing down my long winded thoughts...

This week has been a strange one. I completed week 3 on Friday and then something strange happened. I have been almost religious in my approach to C25K. I have done what Laura says - run, walk, now drink, now eat banana etc.. The single thing I have focussed on has been about the routine. I have stuck to the run followed by day of rest followed by run sequence from W1R1 to W3R3 and it has worked. I have done this because in the past whenever I have broken the routine I end up giving up. This included healthy eating, giving up beer, exercise plans and even learning musical instruments.

For work reasons (preparing for a speech at big conference this weekend) I have not kept to the routine and I kicked myself about it. Normally this is when I would give up but Mrs Grump had kept going and she just finished W2R2. Having her there made me plan around it and I have completed W4R1 and R2 this week although not to the sequence. I found myself rehearsing my talk (hand gestures and all) so it helped doing the runs. It has led me to change my mindset. If I can't keep to schedule then I tweak the rules. Now I think about completing 3 runs in 7 days with a minimum of 1 rest day... and I feel better about it. Some rules are made for breaking and in doing this it keeps me in the run....

I have also noticed a pattern emerging. Each week obviously moves up a gear but I have found the following:

Run 1 - I know it is harder than last week so I set my mind to toughing it out.

Run 2 - This is the hard one, I feel the burn towards the end and it feels like I am grinding it out seeing this brick wall*- (I dread to think what I look like....)

Run 3 - Right this is a doddle - I have done it twice, I know I can do it and it is about getting your self set for the next step up the following week.

Does anyone else find the same? With regards to brick walls if anyone else sees them like I do then I recommend a you tube video called The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch - its long, but massively inspiring. In it he talks about brick walls - they are not there to stop you, they are there for you to prove how much more you want to achieve by breaking through them and leaving others to hit the wall.....it is this thought that gets me through run 2 every week!

I am now looking forward to Sunday, speech done, awards night done, Ireland v England in the rugby but more importantly week 4 will be done!

FG

[greenlegs Graduate]

Interesting blog! If we can persuade ourselves to do things that we thought impossible (as most of us seem to see significant parts of this programme!), maybe we can change other ways of thinking about other parts of our lives. Realising that maybe I can be a bit more flexible in my thinking than I thought has been a very positive side-effect for me.

Hope your speech goes well and you enjoy the rugby. Well done to Mrs Grump too!

[skf28 Graduate]

Go go Grumps!

You have really summed up my problem - ie if I miss the routine I tend to give up things - I have just blogged about week 6 r 1 - finally got out there after letting things slide a bit and realising that I can adapt things a bit without it all going to pot!

anyway well done and good luck with the speech

[ForrestGrump in reply to skf28]

Thanks - I am glad it isn't just me that struggles with the odd routine break!

[greenlegs Graduate]

I've just finished watching the youtube video you mentioned. Thank you. Lots of inspiration in there.

[ForrestGrump in reply to greenlegs]

Hi Greenlegs, thanks for your comments. Glad you got some inspiration from the last lecture. It is a long one but I found it a really compelling story.

[Fingalo Graduate]

I completely agree about altering the programme to suit. It's the same principle as a bad run is better than no run at all.

Erm...have you any tips about the musical instruments thing? I've a guitar sitting in the corner that I feel guilty about every time it catches my eye.

[ForrestGrump]

I have had a drum kit, guitar and now have a piano waiting for me to play it. What I have found is that all make fantastic units to store things on - particularly hanging coats! I am hoping that C25K will give me the discipline to stick at something - and who knows I might make a musician in the future!