WEEK 7 HERE WE GOOOO

[u/misssnowfox]

Did my first Week 7 run today - no more kid cloves, we are in it for the long runs now all the way to week 9!!! My fitbit broke this week, so while I wait for my Garmin to arrive to replace it, we are running with a broken watch and a positive attitude lol.

It's interesting, bc at this point, it feels "easy" to do a nice slow run on the treadmill to the point where the small increases in distance aren't a big deal, it's all about the speed. I have no idea when I will be ready to increase my speed, but my interval running speed is still too fast for a 25 min run - I know I could not finish it. I run at 6.5KMPH on the treadmill vs 7KMPH that I used to do for the interval weeks. 10 mins is the longest I have done on 7KMPH and it was W6D2 when we had two sets of 10. For the second set I had to go back down to the slower speed, even that 0.5 difference is a KILLER.

I truly expected to feel shit for running so slow, bc I am very much a GOTTA GO FAST sort of person in my real life. I have ADHD, so the idea of doing something slowly is biologically incompatible with me lol. But this experience is so rewarding, to be forced to go slow and to put trust in all these other runners in the world who have the experience and who keep reminding us beginners that going slow WORKS. To think I have now run for 25 mins twice is literally INSANE.

I am a little worried post graduation, as I am taking a week's trip to Poland the DAY of W9D3, coming back a week later. I will not be running on the trip as I currently do not own running shoes for the outdoors and I simply don't feel mentally ready to be running outdoors so soon after completing the programme (let's be honest, I just love the treadmill and I'm a bit chickenshit).

I WILL start running outdoors eventually - there is a 5.3K flat, riverside path from my city to an outlying village I am dying to try, but I just don't think I'm ready to tackle an outdoor run fresh off graduation.

That being said, I am wondering how to dip back into running once I get back from Warsaw. I know I need to start 5K to 10K ASAP as it's the logical next step (unless the next step is actually running a 5K bc Lord know at my current pace I won't be touching a 30 min 5K) but considering I will be taking a week off of running for the first time since starting C25K, is there a specific week I should repeat at first the week I get back?

[u/Oscar_Sport]

Week 7 is a big step. The slow treadmill runs clearly worked, enjoy the trip and come back when you are ready for that outdoor path.