Bonkers for a Bank Holiday Quest week 5 - Feel... - Couch to 5K

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Bonkers for a Bank Holiday Quest week 5 - Feel free to join.

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate
53 Replies

Welcome to week 5 of the Bonkers for a Bank Holiday Quest.

Hello and welcome to the next week of our little Quest.

Nearly at the end of this little quest. I hope you are all doing ok. I know we have some illness but if your on the hydration station you are very much appreciated, especially In the hot weather we have been having.

I find myself watching more sport now than I used to to. I would never watch athletics or anything like that but this week I was sat transfixed in a doctors surgery last Monday as we waited for my husbands appointment watching the German triathlon series. They are so fast. I have found that I really like to watch other people run. I like to get any insight into how it's done. I know I'll never run like them but I can aspire to try.

I have just realised my bonkers for a bank holiday quest is for the Scottish Bank Holiday. So it's for all of you living in Scotland. The next quest will start on the 5th August and run for six weeks. During this time I will be doing my triathlon. I can't believe that it is coming up so soon now.

Happy running to all.

What the quest is:-

The quest takes six weeks. You can join any time within that six weeks.

The main aim of the quest is to help you find a focus or goal that you would like to achieve by the end of the Quest period.

I ask that you will be a graduate or about to graduate to join the quest. The main reason I ask this is that while you are doing the program your plan is very structured so I wouldn't want the quest to interfere with that.

Most popular goals are:-

To run three times a week

To slowly increase distance

To train for a specific race

To add In Stretch and strength exercises

As you can see they are personal to yourself and it's totally your own choice.

Every week I will pin a new post where all the members of the quest can talk about how things are going.

So if you wanted to join all you have to do is put

I would like to join the quest, or count me in and then I would like to. ..............

Your name will then be added to the top post and every week your name will be in the quest until the end.

At the end, only for those that would like to, we each put out longest run of the quest and it is then marked on a virtual run we are doing from John O Groats to Lands End.

Then it all starts again for another six week Quest.

Questors

Realfoodieclub

E174

Lizziebeth57

Spoonierunning

Misswobble

Grannyjudes

Notbad

Tanyag_163

Ajwyld

Fitfor60

Anadesur

Ancientmum

Folkieboater

Mossy1

Carolecal

Lanesra

Dottiemay

Anniemurph

Googleme

Waletta

Christian1

Pigivi

Rosemarypatricia

Frannyfran

Net68

I_will

Poppypug

Take care

Rfc x

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Realfoodieclub profile image
Realfoodieclub
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53 Replies
Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate

Another manic week this week. It feels like as my training has stepped up so has my life. Out of the blue additional days are being added into my work schedule and I am desperately trying to fit in the training session. I am being ultra sensible though. This week my husband was very ill and I only had two hours sleep one night and a 10 hour work shift the next day. I cancelled a training session as I believe I would of injured myself. I am working on the principal it's better to get to race day slow and steady than not be able to race through injury. Who would of thought learning to run would of taught me patience. My Mum and Dad tried to teach me that one for years.

lizziebeth57 profile image
lizziebeth57Graduate in reply to Realfoodieclub

Sounds like you have had a hard week RfC, I hope your husband is feeling better and that you are able to get some time to look after yourself too. I think you are right about getting to the race slow and steady. Take Care x

GoogleMe profile image
GoogleMeGraduate in reply to Realfoodieclub

It is frustrating when life gets in the way - but ultimately life is (or should be?) what we do it for. I hope you can keep the balance and achieve your goal. We really appreciate that you still find time to run our precious Quests!

tanyag_163 profile image
tanyag_163Graduate in reply to Realfoodieclub

So sorry to hear it's been a difficult week. You are so right to take it easy - rushing things and trying to fit everything in only leads to hurting yourself as I've seen in my experience. Hope all will be ok for you at home and at work.

Fitfor60 profile image
Fitfor60Graduate in reply to Realfoodieclub

Sorry husband been poorly - Hope he's on mend now. Apart from worry for you it's rubbish when you get no sleep as knocks you sideways for ages . But sounds like you have taken sensible approach to your running to avoid injury.

My week similar to last

Running - really enjoying but not thinking too much on trying to improve speed or distance Sort of nicely plodding along

Food - ok ish Not managing to lose weight but not putting on

Signing up for a 10 k - well let's just not go there as still faffing about in finding ' suitable' race .Me thinks the lady is just looking for excuses.

Happy running everyone

lizziebeth57 profile image
lizziebeth57Graduate in reply to Fitfor60

10 k sounds exciting Rona. Good for you.

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to Fitfor60

Thank you, he's on the mend now. Sometimes is good to to run and have fun. Sign up for your race when and if it feels right. I always think it. More important to having fun.

Anniemurph profile image
AnniemurphGraduate in reply to Realfoodieclub

I hope your husband is okay now, rfc, and I agree about cancelling your training session if you would have injured yourself. Slow and steady will get you there!

lizziebeth57 profile image
lizziebeth57Graduate

Hey RfC, thanks for dedicating the quest to us up here :)

I have had a great week in some respects, I have finally managed to run 5k again, first time since the mothers day run at end of March. My speed was 35 mins and 15 seconds, not as good as before but I am pretty happy with that. I have lapsed a bit with my exercises though, foam rollering only happened twice this week and the specific stretches for my IT band only once :(

Must do better this coming week. Starting this morning...

Very much looking forward to parkrun on Saturday where I will be running with at least 4 other HU runners. What fun. Anyone else fancy a wee trip up to Edinburgh? The more the merrier. Hope everyone is well and have a good week.

Fitfor60 profile image
Fitfor60Graduate in reply to lizziebeth57

I have fingers crossed for bit of a breeze on sat Beth as it looks like it's going to be hot. Really looking forward to it and getting good old blather with everyone

lizziebeth57 profile image
lizziebeth57Graduate in reply to Fitfor60

Deb is up for a coffee afterwards :) I am with you of hoping for a breeze. It's boiling again today!

Anniemurph profile image
AnniemurphGraduate in reply to lizziebeth57

Well done for getting back up to 5k again, lizziebeth - that's great :) Hope the Parkrun was fun too.

lizziebeth57 profile image
lizziebeth57Graduate in reply to Anniemurph

Thanks, did it again this morning but it was a struggle in the heat. Parkrun is this coming Saturday, and like Rona says (above) I am really hoping for a breeze!

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to lizziebeth57

No problem and thanks for the kind wishes. Congrats on your 5k. It must of felt good. I hope you all enjoy the park run. I might do my second one this week.

spoonierunning profile image
spoonierunningGraduate

Well last week I managed all three runs and a swim, bike ride didn't happen :( and I wasn't well yesterday so my planned first yoga class didn't happen.

This week I am going to complete the discombobulated as well as hopfully fitting in a parkrun back in my native Essex.

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to spoonierunning

Sounds like your fitting a lot in. Hope the discombobulated is going well. Good luck with the park run.

I_will profile image
I_willGraduate

I managed a new PB last week for my 5k, and I also ran further than I have before with a 6k. I want to reach 10k but for the next few weeks I'll set myself to get to 8k as I don't want to rush it. Time doesn't matter.....yet!

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to I_will

Your right to take it slow and steady our bodies need to adjust to longer distances. Well done on the pb.

dottiemay profile image
dottiemayGraduate

Well, I managed the 10k in a reasonable time which was my original target and have started to feel more comfortable and able to rebuild my distance and increase my speed again. On Tuesday, I did a a sub30/5K as well as a fairly comfortable 8K in 49:46 on Friday .

I've been mixing up the runs a bit - slow running, some speed work and run/walk, to help with my stamina and energy levels. Taking it steadily though in this heat - I don't have any events coming up so I don't need to worry about it, just enjoy it!

I sincerely hope everything is much better for you now RfC - you have had a pretty tough time by the sound of it.

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to dottiemay

We are on the mend thank you. great to hear that your out there enjoying your runs. Just as it should be. I am looking forward to some. Fun runs after the race.

GoogleMe profile image
GoogleMeGraduate

I've almost forgotten what my goals were at the start this time - other than to get on my bike which I haven't done yet but am hoping to do later today. Somewhere along the line I set myself 25kms run in July as although I'd worked up in distances I'd rather slipped up in getting out as often as I'd like. And as the end of the month approaches I've stepped up work on that one and I'm half way there.

And of course there's Dozzer's Discombobulated Triathlon. I am crossing my fingers I can achieve that today - my swim was particularly suitable in all the wrong ways.

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to GoogleMe

Thank you. I love doing the quest,it's my peace and quiet time. Sounds like your doing well. The discombobulated has been a good driver for mixing things up a bit. Hope it's going ok.

tanyag_163 profile image
tanyag_163Graduate

My (long!) week on IV is over. Yesterday was the first day with out antibiotics. I want to start training again but I have some lingering effects of the IV antibiotics and illness, so am just going to build up slowly this week by walking, and then aiming to maybe go out for a run at the weekend/normal routine next week. Best of luck to all you running in this heat. I salute you.

Fitfor60 profile image
Fitfor60Graduate in reply to tanyag_163

Glad you done with the antibiotics tanyag I know I always feel yuk whenever I need to take them . Pleased you plan to go slowly as your body has been through a lot .You take care

tanyag_163 profile image
tanyag_163Graduate in reply to Fitfor60

Thank you, I will.

Anniemurph profile image
AnniemurphGraduate in reply to tanyag_163

Glad you're off the IV now, tanyag - hope you're starting to feel better.

tanyag_163 profile image
tanyag_163Graduate in reply to Anniemurph

Thank you - definitely feel more myself :-)

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to tanyag_163

Thank you things seem to of calmed down now. Glad your off the Bench and I have seen on other posts you seem to be on the mend. Remember you will still need lots of TLC. Be nice to yourself. Take care.

notbad profile image
notbadGraduate

All best wishes to Questers/Discombobulated and the Edinburgh Parkrun c25kers. :-)

Quiet-ish week for me, only one run which was the 5k chip timed on Friday with some of my running group - it was at the local Pride event and the medal is the most beautiful rainbow coloured thing. The run itself I found surprisingly hard, combination of humid summer evening, tired from having run my best on the 10k 5 days earlier, not pre-fuelling adequately, and lots of VERY fast club runners (prize money for grabs) making me feel like I was crawling. Oh and it was a flat course which I has assumed would be easier but it was also very open psychologically didn't like seeing the whole course as I knew how far I had to go.... What a whinge, I know. ;-) Some runs are just harder than others - onwards and upwards!

Fitfor60 profile image
Fitfor60Graduate in reply to notbad

Your 10 k will have taken a lot out of you Notbad - both mentally and physically so any running this week would have been harder - let alone running in the heat and all these very fast runners . Don't be too hard on yourself .Medal sound fab by the way.

You were great support to me at Whitley Bay park run pushing me at the end to get my best time for ages so maybe this sat morning about 10 00 sh you could send me encouraging thoughts so I don't end up too far behind the other c25kers who are meeting at edinburgh .

notbad profile image
notbadGraduate in reply to Fitfor60

Thanks Fitfor60, you're right it took a lot more out of me than I realised - I had a good session with my running group last night which restored my mojo. We were running on the waggonways in Monkseaton if you know it, if you haven't already then do have a run or walk with the family there sometime.

Positive vibes will be heading your way at 10-ish (I had forgotten your Parkrun starts a half hour later so thanks for reminder), have a great time! :-)

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to notbad

I never thought about it that way but your right. I don't like to see to far in front of me, it makes my legs want to stop. My brain is quite a fickle thing. Sounds like your really doing well. Like the sound of the medal.

notbad profile image
notbadGraduate in reply to Realfoodieclub

My brain is definitely my own worst enemy at times, I've also found I don't really enjoy track running for that whole 'look how far it is to go' reason, but some thrive on the focus. I like a nice leafy path with lots of curves, preferably a trickling stream to distract me. :-)

frannyfran profile image
frannyfranGraduate

Hi,

First of all, hope your husband gets better soon, your work schedule eases and you can get back to your training.

I had trouble motivating myself to run last week after finishing the Dozzer's Discombobulated Triathlon. And although I went out, I struggled with 3k on both runs.

Pace ? Heat ? Tiredness ? I don't know.

So I thought a new startegy was needed if I was to run 6k before the end of next week.

I decided to return to my early training ground, which started with a fairly long (1k) downhill and see how it went. Hoping to run 5k today and try 6k next Monday.

So 6.40am today, we (me and the dog) set off. Brisk walk to the end of the village for warm up, set the stop watch and off we go. Nice and slow, kept concentrating on going slow. Temperature already warm but the road is shaded.

At 2k we turn into the forest. By that time I am well into my stride. keep reminding myself to go slow and easy. Forest track finishes at 4k and we're still running.... so we turn around. At around 4.7k a little running on the spot so the dog can have a quick dip and a drink in the stream.

Little after 5k my husband arrive to pick us up. I signal I am ok and I carry on whilst dog stay with hubby. And yes, I ran all the way back to the road, and therefore finished my 6k! Hurrah..... End of quest! And I had not planned to run it today!!!

Not my fastest run, in fact proably my slowest run at 43.59, but hey, I can now run 6k!

And I did not need to count to 100......

lizziebeth57 profile image
lizziebeth57Graduate in reply to frannyfran

well done frannyfran, you must be delighted with that :)

frannyfran profile image
frannyfranGraduate in reply to lizziebeth57

I'm over the moon... trouble is gremlins in my head are saying I should try to get to 10k before winter sets in...... I only signed up to run 5k!!!!

Anniemurph profile image
AnniemurphGraduate in reply to frannyfran

Woohoo! 6K :)

frannyfran profile image
frannyfranGraduate in reply to Anniemurph

Still feeling like that today...

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to frannyfran

Thank you. Wow 6k thats great well done. Sounds like you were just mentally in the right place. That's great. Speed dosent matter when your increasing distance it's about training your body for longer endurance times. And you nailed that one.

frannyfran profile image
frannyfranGraduate in reply to Realfoodieclub

Thank you

christian1 profile image
christian1Graduate

Oh no, I thought I had till the end of August to reach my goals. 4th Aug is only 2 weeks away. In fact that is the day we will be at the zoo with the grandchildren. No running that day - well, only chasing them I would guess.

I'm pleased to have done my 3 runs this week. I eased off on the distance as I thought I was pushing it a bit when I have only been doing 2 runs a week for so long.

Can't wait to hear how you have fared in the Triathlon Rfc. I'm sure you will be great. Hope hubby is better too.

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to christian1

Thank you. I will keep you all informed, especially as the nerves start to set in. Your right to listen to your body. Don't worry about the quest there is always the next one, sounds like your doing well.

misswobble profile image
misswobbleGraduate

Sorry to hear things are a bit traumatic for you at the moment RFC. I hope your husband will soon be better and you can have some stress removed from your shoulders and start your running again

I am running 3 times a week, and went a long hike with friends yesterday. Going dog walking tomorrow and have a 3 k interval run scheduled for today. I have to get out in the garden today as it's getting away from me. Running about this morning for my sister who has been bitten by an insect and it's gone wrong!!!! I took her to the hospital and am just waiting for a phone call to collect her. The traffic was horrendous and I couldn't find anywhere to park so came home to wait. Now treading water til she phones me. Best laid plans ey!

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to misswobble

Thank you. I know the feeling hope your sister is ok. I have had to take myself In Hand and catch up on housework this week. I am still turning a blind eye to the garden. I keep telling myself it's nature it's looked after itself for years without me. Hehe. Not enough hours. Hope your running has gone well.

Anniemurph profile image
AnniemurphGraduate

I'm pleased to report that I've been out three times, and one of those was a 4k run :) The other two were shorter because it has just been so blinking hot and humid, even early, and it was all just too much. So I feel I am starting to pick up the running again and hope very much that I am back on track. There - I've said it. Hope I haven't jinxed myself now! :O

Happy running to all those that can and a swift recovery to all those on the injury bench.

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to Anniemurph

The weather has been difficult. Some days I could of prayed for a thunder storm to break it, but we only got lightening. Sounds to me like your getting back on track. I am sure you won't jinx it.

ajwyld profile image
ajwyldGraduate

Back after a week off running - have just been for my first run in a week and really enjoyed it !

I had a week off because I was in London doing a 5 day summer school followed by a long weekend with hubby. Although I took my running kit, I didn't run due to the heat. However I did do a lot of walking so hopefully that balanced the fantastic summer school food ! I also succumbed to the lure of a new sports bra in the asics half price sale yesterday AND most importantly took advantage of being in the UK to download the BBC radio iPlayer, which makes the business of downloading and listening to podcasts nice and easy.

Happy running

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to ajwyld

Sometimes they say its really good just to take a week off. I did before I started the last lot of training and I think it really helped. Sounds like you got some lovely goodies while you were away as well. Happy running.

Carolecal profile image
Carolecal

Hope your husband is starting to feel better now Rfc.

I was away last week , staying with my Mum for her 80 th birthday.I made the decision to not pack any of my running stuff and try to give my sore hip a proper rest.

I managed 3 runs the week before ,but during and after each one it felt really achey.

Planning to run tomorrow morning and keeping my fingers x'd that my week's break has paid off.

Not keen on this sluggish and lethargic feeling which I know is due to lack of running.( plus holiday over -indulgence :) ).

I don't want this break to slide into something more permanent ...always a potential danger with me as I'm one of those people who can slip back so easily into bad habits :(

Anyway...I've told you all I'm running tomorrow...well anyone who' s reading this anyway !.... so now I must stick to it and get my a** e in gear !

Happy running everyone x

ajwyld profile image
ajwyldGraduate in reply to Carolecal

Go for it Carol. I was so glad I want for my run yesterday. And chuffed to find I could still do it after a week long layoff.

Realfoodieclub profile image
RealfoodieclubGraduate in reply to Carolecal

Thank you. I think we are getting there. I am a great advocate of the week off. Sounds like it might of helped. Hope the sore throat didn't get any worse. Planes are terrible for bugs. I always have an antibacterial lozenge as soon as I get on a plane. I just got sick of starting a holiday with a cold. Happy running.

Carolecal profile image
Carolecal

Thankyou aj :) I went out this morning and did 5.5 K....slow and with two walking breaks of about a minute, but apart from a bit of a grumble early on in the run,my hip has not given me any problems.

I counted it up and it was a 9-day break altogether.I nearly talked myself out of it as a really sore throat developed late last night and was no better this morning....I blame the airport/ plane on Monday,I always seem to pick up some germ or other...thankfully I'm not a frequent flyer and despite this I am actually a healthy person !

Net68 profile image
Net68Graduate

6km first run done! Only 2 more to go! :) feeling good x

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