B210K Week 3 Run 1 in the bag in style - and I think it may be time to part company with the lovely Samantha...

[Stefliser]

After finishing Week 2 of the B210K on Thursday, and extending the final 15 minute interval by a couple of minutes to make it to 6.5K in 48:30, I was really looking forward to ahving a go at week 3 today.

The weather was perfect - chilly-ish with light rain, so I set off hoping just to manage the three 17 minute intervals without too many problems. And so it went. It was a great run! It was actually easy! At the end of the run, I didn't stop immediately, but carried on for another 3:30 to get the distance up to 7.5K. Mostly just because I could. I could happily have carried on further, but I was aware that I'd already bent the Magic 10% increase rule, so I stopped.

My biggest issue was that when the first 17 minutes were up, and Samantha told me to walk for a minute, I really didn't want to. I didn't feel I needed it, and didn't want to break my rhythm. But, like a good girl, I did slow down for the minute. The same thing happened 17 minutes later.

So now I'm thinking I might have to break away from Samantha's carefully thought out programme and do my own thing. If 3 X 17 minutes is easy, and I really don't feel that I need 2 breaks, then I think I'll try 2 X 25 minutes next time. That's practically the same amount of running, but with just one break.

I'm thinking that while in Laura's programme, which took us all from total running virginity to 30 solid minutes, following the prescribed programme was a must, at this stage it probably matters less if I do my own thing a bit more. I know the rules (10% per week), and I'm now capable of listening to my body and being sensible, so I'm going to 'freestyle' for a bit.

Will still be using Samantha's music, though - it's better than Laura's!!

[gdeann Graduate]

I totally agree! Make a break for it! The week of my Graduation, I could run 30 but not anywhere near a 5k distance. I did an organized run and it took me 40 minutes to complete. It was beneficial in several ways. I came out of my shell and ran in a group if runners, I found I could run an entire 5K and I found I could push myself to keep running an additional 10 minutes. Like you stated, we are no longer running virgins and can listen to our body. We did a 10K program, I found a 6 week program on the net, wrote down the times and we just followed times using our Garmins. Do what works for you, you know by now what your body and mind is capable of. Gayle

[Stefliser Graduate in reply to gdeann]

Thanks, Gayle.

I had a revelation on the way home tonight - one of those that are blindingly obvious once you've thought of them. I'd been worrying that if I just follow the Garmin I might get too much 'in the zone' and not notice when it's time to walk. Then I suddenly realised that if that happens, and I don't notice that it's time to walk, that means I don't need to walk. So there's no problem.

It made me laugh out loud at how obvious it was!

[greenlegs Graduate in reply to Stefliser]

Funny! Sounds good.

I'm much slower, so much so that running 5k takes me 47 minutes - but I do it in one go, as I just pushed on to get to that not-so-magical-but-it-seems-it figure. And on day one of 5x50 I ran just over 6k, which took me over an hour - and again, I just did it in one go. Maybe not all that sensible, but it felt ok, so it probably was!

[Stefliser Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

Well done!! I agree - if it feels OK it probably is. Good philosophy! Also, nice round full kms feel good too!!

I think the time it's critical to be sensible and follow the programme is when we're ploughing through the C25K bit, and our bodies are totally un-used to any of it. But by now we're used to runnign for 30 minutes or so, which is no mean feat in itself. SO we're not really asking our bodies to do anything new as such, just to carry on something they're already happy with for a bit longer.

[caj62 Graduate]

I graduated C25K in November and then dithered about how best to carry on. I decided to do 2 x 5k runs a week with a longer run at the weekend, and on this run I added 10% each week until I got to 10k. I still won't be worrying Mo Farah on the time front, but I did complete a very hilly 10k race last week in an hour and 6 mins. It's ok to strike out on your own. You know how you feel, and having been through the "programme", you know if you are doing too much. Go for it, and good luck!

[Stefliser Graduate in reply to caj62]

Thanks very much for the advice. I also realised last night that if I actually physically needed a break after 17 minutes of running, 1 minute would be nowhere near enough! So off I go tomorrow to see how far I get...

Well done on your 10K time - 1:06 is an amazing one!! I'll be hoping for 1:15 when I do a nice flat course in Oxford next month!

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Totally agree with your proposed plan, Samantha's plan built distance too quickly for me, so I just added 10% per week (and some times more, tut tut). Enjoy your next run