W8 R3 - need to learn to pace myself

[Khrissy]

The Gods conspired to keep me from doing this on Friday and Saturday so I had to wait until today. So far I've done it all on the hamster wheel apart from one lovely run in Barcelona but the weather was good today and it was daytime so I thought well, why not?

There is nowhere as flat as a treadmill round here so I set off on the 5 minute warm up uphill in the hope that the rest of it would be downhill or on the level or as level as it gets around here. The 5 minute warm up over and still some of the hill to do so off I go and bloody hell, 3 minutes in and my lungs are on fire, the demons are rubbing their hands in glee and I realise that I'm never going to do this. A smashed bus shelter has me picking my way through the glass at walking pace for a few strides (it's a nice semi rural area so this is not a common sight) and I'm thinking that there is no way I can start running again but I'm at the top of the hill now so force myself into running again and slowly get my breath back and carry on.

Miserable now because I've walked for a few strides for the first time ever when I should have been running since I started this programme, I wonder whether I will have to repeat this run in order to graduate properly and then endomondo tells me I've done a mile faster than ever before and the route I've planned based on my treadmill distance proves wholly inadequate as I've had to run past the house and much further than I ever would have dreamt. In fact, including the warm down walk I had to walk past again, the neighbours will think I've lost the plot!

Sooo, I really don't know how to pace myself when I don't have a display in front of me. In only my second run outside I have run further and faster but have struggled because it actually feels slower and then I think I'm regressing. There is still alot for me to learn

[Fingalo Graduate]

I think you're been too hard on yourself Khrissy, I know for a fact that were I to try running on a treadmill, because it would be new to me, I would find it terribly difficult to adjust.

[Poppy2010 Graduate]

Well done for getting out into the real world of hills, weather, broken glass and people,,, and on doing so well with your time

I have only run once on a treadmill ( on Thursday) and found it a very strange experience seeing exactly how fast I was going but not going anywhere really! It took me 10 minutes to realise that I should have put the speed at 10k to do 5k in 30 minutes, doh! Not that I am anywhere near that fast, so a pipe dream!

I am also useless at judging distances, I did do over 5k today, and in my best time, but that was as much by luck as judgement!

I hope you do carry on running in the outdoors - I love seeing people out and about, and birds, dogs, foxes...all the usual suburban wildlife, including teenagers ( none of whom have shouted abuse- YET!)