Go me! :)

[Dixie]

Thanks for the words of encouragement Timl2k10 and Flyboy. You will be pleased to know that I had a brilliant run this morning! I did my W6R3 (25 mins non stop run) and it went so well!

It didn't start well - I managed to step on my headphones just before I started (which somehow were trailing along the ground why I messed about trying to get the dogs off their leads etc) and so only one ear piece was then working. I don't know about you, but I REALLY need my music for motivation! Anyway - after the warm up walk, I started out running and the first 5 mins was HELL! I honestly thought 'I am never going to do this'. My legs felt so heavy and I almost felt like I had not done any of the running that I have been doing over the last month and a half!! I felt like a beginner! I made a conscious effort then to slow my pace even more (had thought I had started out slow enough but it seems I was still able to slow down some more! )Thankfully, the run from the 5 min mark to 10 mins felt a bit easier. Then, I have no idea why, but suddenly, when Sarah said I was half way through, I realised I was feeling MUCH more comfortable. I was in a steady rythmn, not too out of breath or anything, and I just knew at that point I could make it! In fact I even said out loud after her announcement "I can definitely do this'. The rest of the run ALMOST (dare I say it ) felt easy? I thought to myself 'I reckon I could do the 30 mins today!' (but I didn't). I noticed, during the last 60 seconds, my legs had started to tire just a little, but it really was just a little. So - there we go! So - feeling reasonably confident about next week!

[Toadie]

Yay well done, that's awesome! I'm hopefully going to tackle this one tomorrow, so I'm pretty encouraged by your experience with it. I've been finding for the last few runs that the first five minutes are the worst too, don't know why!

[Dixie]

Thanks Toadie. Very best of luck tomorrow! You can do it!

[Timl2k10]

Good job Dixie! I'm not doing long runs yet (still on Week 4) but I find that there is a really narrow sweet spot as far as pace where everything just kind of clicks and the running feels ok, even good. It's a very slow pace, I constantly struggle with the idea that, right now at over 30 pounds overweight, I have to take it very easy, but like you say it's a steady rhythm. RunKeeper shows on my good runs I'm running barely faster than 4 mph, and on the painful runs about 5mph. I hate to see a running pace of less than a 12 minute mile because my brain tells me "that's not really running", but of course it is. Maybe when I'm at a healthy weight I can enjoy running at what I consider a respectable clip, but for now slow and steady finishes the run.
And now you have an excuse to buy a pair of Apple EarPods.

[Dixie]

Hi Timl2k10 - my pace is no different to yours but I reckon we can all just concentrate on increasing that once we have cracked the 30 mins! I did my W7R1 this morning (a 25 mins non stop). It went fine - it was not quite as easy as it felt on Friday (which was just weird! ) but it felt achievable all along, with the exception of the first 5 mins. Once again (I had the same on Friday) the first 5 mins felt really uncomfortable but at least this time I knew it would pass.

Our pace maybe really slow but someone said to me recently that I shouldn't underestimate just what I was achieving. In response to me moaning that my run wasn't much faster than a very fast walk, he said "you can't underestimate the effort your body is still having to make to lift your self up off the ground compared to when you walk", and I think that is true. I have really achieved something here (considering 1 min was such an effort such a short time ago!).

[Timl2k10]

Thanks Dixie, that is good feedback. The reports I read on these boards really motivate me. So many people sticking it out. It will help me when the going gets tough that many others before me have endured in the end.

[Dixie]

Well, I have done it! 30 mins! Last week, I ran all my W7 runs, 25 mins each time. It was weird because they seemed to get harder rather than easier! The first mile was (and continues to be) the hardest. Then the run feels much more comfortable. However, Run 3, on Friday, I found I had to hang in there for the last 5 mins! I don't know whether I had not eaten or drunk enough the day before (I always run first thing in the morning on an empty stomach as it feels more comfortable) or maybe I was just tired, but I suspect it was a mental thing. I think it was a case of 'I have cracked the 25 mins and there is no longer a challenge'. Anyway - I went out on my W8R1 this morning. As usual the first 5-10 mins felt pretty uncomfortable and then I settled down into a rythm and the rest (apart from the odd minute here and there) was plain sailing! In fact, because I was feeling so comfortable at 25 mins, I decided to ignore the 'stop' from Sarah at 28 mins and just continue on to run for 30 mins. Dead chuffed!

Now, I just need to pick up the pace. I have downloaded RunKeeper and have found I only ran just under 4km in 30 mins, so I have some work to do the 5k in 30 mins!

Unfortunately, I think I am going to be one of these runners that needs a target/challenge to keep going! Hopefully I won't achieve the 5km TOO soon as then I will need to look towards 10k maybe to keep motivated! Who knows, it could be a half marathon after that...................

[Timl2k10]

Congratulations, Dixie!
I can't wait for W6R3 this Friday, marking the end of the walking intervals.
One thing I plan on doing after W9, if I feel up to it are intervals/sprints and so called "fartleks". For intervals, you run at a fast pace for say 2-5 minutes and then a slow pace. The idea I to get your body acclimated to running faster. Sprints are similar, except you go all out for 20-30 seconds, followed by a recovery period to catch your breath (slow jog or brisk walk), rinse and repeat for about 20 minutes, this is both a great way to lose weight and increase your pace.
Finally fartleks are when you simply vary your pace as you see fit, instead of running the same pace for the whole 30 minutes.
No doubt it also helps to have nice places to run and enjoy nature.
For me, though, a lot of my motivation comes from having a lot of weight to lose, and I suppose after that, to keep it off and also to simply be more physically fit and healthy.
I have high tryglycierides and high blood pressure — all probably to do with being overweight and inactive.
P.S. One thing that motivated me back in the day was doing 5k races. Those were always fun.

[Toadie]

Congratulations Dixie! I totally know how you feel about this: 'I have cracked the 25 mins and there is no longer a challenge...' I've basically just taken a week off because I was feeling a bit randomly demotivated, and hating the dark, wet mornings. But this morning my boyfriend FORCED me out of the door and I felt so much better for it, especially as even after a week off I could still do 25 minutes relatively easily. Having done 30 minutes before, I'm going to try it again this weekend. Fingers crossed I'll be where you are!

I've entered a 5k race in January, so hopefully that might provide some motivation...?

[Dixie]

Thanks Timl2k10 and Toadie!

My run yesterday went well - I decided after Monday's 30 mins just to abandon W8 and go into W9, since the difference between running 28 mins and 30 mins did not seem much - and I again completed 30 mins. I guess I don't 'graduate' until I have manged the 5km in the time though??

Timl2k10 - thanks for the ideas on the intervals/sprints and fartleks. I think, once I have finished this week, I will give that a go. I remember my son had to do fartleks every single rugby training session, so I guess they must really help with fitness. How is your wait loss going? I don't have too much of an issue here and I started running more because I wanted to get fit rather than lose weight but I could use a few pounds less so thought that weight loss would be an added bonus? However, I have found that I have not lost anything?? I am not eating less than I used to but I don't think I am eating any more either (although I have to say, running DEFINITELY makes me more hungry!! ). I don't really understand this - supposedly I am burning an extra 400-500 calories a week, now that I am running for longer periods, but nothing has come off! I don't think I have had any shape change either?! Anyway - good luck tomorrow with your run!

Toadie - I understand completely. Sadly, I am not like some of the people that I have come across on here, who LOVE their running and really look forward to it. I SO wish I was! But I am not. Don't get me wrong, I am fine once I am out there running and I always feel great afterwards, however, the bit where I wake up and think 'Oh God, is it a run day? Oh no, it is.......' happens every time!! Where I am luckier than you is in that I have the dogs to motivate me. Because I know that I HAVE to get up, go outside, and walk them whatever I do anyway, I think 'well, I may just as well run'! If I didn't have the dogs I might just well give in to that 'oh, just half hour extra in bed' That 5K race should keep you going though!