Slow Down...

I am doing a "Run Your First 5K" program right now with my iFit. As I mentioned I just started really slow jogging at times after being strictly a walker for years and years. I had it stuck in my head that running had to be fast and that was always hell on my knees. Tommy Rivs (trainer for iFit, world class runner, all around inspirational good guy) got me to try just running at my walking pace and it was like a light went on and I finally got it. I COULD do that. 

So for the past 6 months or so I've been slow jogging and walking. Had to stop when I got my arm worked on because the jarring of walking was too much let alone jogging. Then started to slowly build back up. 

I wrote down in January that I wanted to work toward running a 5K. (It wasn't a goal, it was a thing I wanted to do, shush!) and so when I saw this program on the iFit page I thought I'd give it a try. 

Bonus! The places we are training are all in Oregon so I'm on trails that I know. It was filmed during Covid so it's kind of amazing how empty the trails are on one hand, and how funny it still is to see people out on a trail wearing their masks. We were pretty good about masks around here. Kept our infection rates lower which then lead the, let's call them less scientifically minded, people to say "Why do we have to wear masks? Our infection rates aren't even as high as other places!"

But anyway...

Working toward running for a full 5K. 

And it's slow. Like the training program is slow. I'm running (I keep saying running but understand it's a slow jog) at a slower pace and for less time than I was on my own. But I really want to follow the program so I build up instead of burn out. Today while I was figuring out the 30 seconds on at an RPE of 5 with 60 seconds off at an RPE of 2 (TWO!) I was tempted to push it up quite a bit. But reminded myself that I wanted to actually follow the program. 

Then during the cool down portion Knox Robinson (he's the trainer for this program) said that he liked to touch base during cool downs and reinforce what we are doing. Part of what he said was to make sure I wasn't focusing on the speed. That we are always feeling like we should go faster, do more. And then we burn out and can't figure out why. 

Which is EXACTLY what I had been trying to avoid and EXACTLY what I could feel creeping in during today's workout.

Good trainer to know that I would be in that space when it's a pre taped, generic, program made for the masses. 

Or maybe it means we all need to hear that. 

Slow down. Stop thinking you need to go faster and further before you're ready. Keep an even pace. You'll be more likely to get there and not burn out on the way. 

Also, maybe partially related, yesterday was Super Tuesday and 8 months away from election day. 

Keep an even pace. Don't take it all on. Go slow. Don't burn out on the way.