💥 What have you been doing for your "grumpy walks" aka cross training? 😊
★ Thanks to Jay66UK for the "grumpy walks"!
💥 How about the speed work? Are you getting to grips with the paces? I am definitely definitely finding this a challenge, as my paces are different to those I was using during the summer, and the weather has been pretty difficult! I think I'm getting there now, though...
💥 I think some of you must be having some intervals runs coming up soon - I am still only in my second cycle so I'm still on the simple tempo runs. Some of you have already been intervalling - how are you getting on?
★ In the notes to the plan I suggested kicking off with this simple interval workout:
- 10 min warm up (easy pace), 10 x 30s fast w/ 3 minute recoveries, 10 min cool down (easy pace)
If you're having trouble recovering towards the end of the workout it's fine to slow down and walk! During the summer it was so hot I had to do all of my recovering at a walk 😊
★ If you want to make this workout more challenging you could modify it like this, for example:
- 10 min warm up (easy pace), 10 x 1 minute fast with 2 minute recoveries, 10 min cool down (easy pace)
★ But there are plenty of alternatives to try. For example, you may have heard of the 10-20-30 workout - I know ju-ju- is a fan!
★ I had fun during the summer (although I did almost melt!) with various intervals workouts that mixed up the paces, e.g.:
- 60 mins easy, with 10 mins faster within the run
- 15 mins easy, 10 x 2 mins fast with 1-min jog recovery, 15 mins easy
- 15 mins easy, 7 x 1 min fast with 75-sec recoveries, 15 mins easy
- 10 mins easy, 6 x 2 mins fast with 1-min easy recoveries, 3 mins easy,10 mins tempo, 10 mins easy.
★ For some extra intervals work, or if you're having trouble fitting in an intervals day, try adding some STRIDES in the middle, or at the end of your long run, as mountaindreamer has been doing. See this Runners World article:
I had to do a montage at work recently on Frankenstein, and one of the films used was Carry on Screaming. Inspired, I shouted FRRRRRRYING TONIGHT many times at many different people and not once of them knew what I was on about. 😔
So far so good! Three and a half weeks into the plan, almost finished cycle 3. Have done an extra 2k for all my long runs so far (after the inital GPS issue) but will get back to plan in C4. Although I had already run 16.1k before starting the plan, I think it has been useful to step back a little and to consolidate the 16.1k distance - adding in all the other stuff means I have been progressing in other ways rather than simply standing still.
Your speed post is very timely, as this morning was my first intervals run of the plan. Loved it! Managed it! Not ready to step it up just yet I remember Laura mentioning - quite early in the C25K program - that your legs should feel like they are pedalling a bike when running. Well mine don't - not at the speeds I run. But today I was pedalling furiously, pumping along and it felt amazing - a cross between Mo Farah and a cartoon villain trying to get away I would say
Hope everyone is enjoying the plan. Keep up the good work
Not reached the intervals yet - early present for Christmas Eve.
I’ve found the paces I should be running according to the Runners’ World calculator based on my 5k and 10k paces but I’m still struggling to keep down to that for the longer runs. I suspect the trouble will flip as I get further.
Disappointed the weather made me switch my 12k from the weekend but it was the safest choice and I will make this up over Christmas fortnight if I can. The advantage of being on my own most of that time is flexibility.
On the intervals, how fast should we be going in the fast bits? “Just flat out”?
No, it should be more controlled than flat out - about 80-90%. You should feel as though you can complete the intervals, albeit with quite a struggle 😊
Interesting! I thought I was going flat out, but actually managed to complete the full set without particularly fading or feeling I couldn't carry on. Maybe that was only 90%? I've never run like that before, not even at the end of a race. Who knows what might be possible 😮
That's interesting about strides! I often find I end up doing a fast pelt or a short set of intervals at the end of a slow run because I feel I need to get rid of some energy/mix things up/show off to colleagues/prove to myself I still can, and now I have a proper tactical motivation for it 😁
I do a lot of grumpy walks too. I like to consider my commute as crosstraining, it's about five miles of walking/cycling six days a week so although I'm not doing as much running as I'd like just now I'm still keeping active. Keeping moving so I can hop right back on that run train when things settle down! 🚂
Well week 2 all had all the right bits on mainly different days again. I think flexibility for each week is going to be important to me, especially if my neck starts playing up again. I’ve decided not to worry too much about complete rest days, as long as at least one day a week has only a Grumpy Walk! Best to take advantage of good days when I can, and to do Grumpy Walks when I can’t!
I’m enjoying the Strides after my shorter Easy runs, and feel that gives me an intervals option without running Parkruns as anything other than my best shot at tempo / race pace. The idea of gradually speeding up and gradually slowing down with Strides is also good for me, as my old Jog-Run-Sprint repeats used to have my legs nearly catapulting me to the floor when I suddenly tried to switch from an all out Sprint back to a slow jog! 😂😂
I may chuck in some Fartleks on weeks I can’t make Parkrun, as I certainly used to find running slower during the recovery time was much harder than the Stride concept of walking during the recovery. Still not had chance to drive to any real hills for hillwork, but I’ve plenty of time for that before May!
So all good, and still loving seeing what the rest of our posse are up to each day on Strava! 😊❤️❤️
Oops! Forgot to do my cross-training yesterday!! Am I disqualified?! Had it down in my Google diary as cycling or zumba but got so busy with Christmas shopping and decorations I forgot all about it! Lugged a big branch from a fallen silver birch back to the house and spray-painted it white for our alternative Christmas tree - maybe that could count as cross-training at a stretch!
Talking about intervals is very timely for me too - I was going to go to my running club's track night tonight which normally involves 4 x repeats of quite long speed intervals with 90 second recoveries. However I saw on FB earlier that tonight they are doing relay races in teams of four over shorter distances which sounds a bit scarey to me - everyone is so speedy there - so I have chickened out and plan to do some speed work on my own instead.
When I was volunteering at Park Run one time one of the other marshals told me her daughter does "bin runs", which was a new one on me! Essentially it means running along the promenade and when you reach a bin, you speed up, then when you reach the next bin you slow down, and so on. Sounds good to me, the less thinking involved the better as I feel tired today after a rubbish sleep last night. I'm thinking of doing a 2k easy pace, 2k bin run and a 1k easy pace to finish - as well as the usual warm-up cool-down walks. Will let you know how it goes!
The bin runs were great! Very invigorating! Some were quite irregularly spaced which kept me on my toes (so to speak 😁), especially as I'm blind as a bat so never quite sure when the next bin will emerge from the darkness!
I'm getting there..everything going well but the running...weather had been dire and ice has stopped me getting out three times..indoors is not the same....I don't really count the runs.. Strength..cross training okay...plenty of walking...too..
But..I am enjoying it and..its warming up by Thursday!!!
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I remember Laura mentioning - quite early in the C25K program - that your legs should feel like they are pedalling a bike when running. Well mine don't - not at the speeds I run. But today I was pedalling furiously, pumping along and it felt amazing - a cross between Mo Farah and a cartoon villain trying to get away I would say 
