I seem to be determined to push myself out of my comfort zone this year so far! I've mentioned the "Spitfire Challenge -100k in 100 days" I'm signed up to for the RAF100 celebrations I think - that challenge is being run by the RAF Museum and I've already committed to the idea of running the distance for that one. It should be relatively achievable for me, looking at the mileage I've run so far this year, so long as I can continue running my standard sort of distances and at my current sort of frequency.
I've also now entered a second "RAF 100" related challenge - another virtual one, meaning that you cover your chosen distance within the timescale and then submit your evidence to receive your medal. This one is a little different though as rather than setting you a target to aim for, this asks you to set your own challenge. Harder in some ways as it comes down to striking a balance between something that is a challenge, but still should, with a push, be achievable. It was further complicated for me by me wanting to do something around the "100" years of the anniversary, but not wanting to make it so tough that I stood a chance of injuring myself and mucking up my chances of completing both.
In the end I have settled on making that second challenge a combined walking/running distance - and the target I have set myself is 100 kilometres total distance covered in a 7-day period. 100 Kilometres = 62.137 miles - and the furthest I've ever managed to cover in a single week in the past is 53 miles, so make no mistake, this IS a proper challenge! I'll be counting all my time on my feet walking or running throughout the week, and will be using my FitBit to count distance covered - as much as possible I will track walking by using the Fitbit > Phone GPS connection to try to keep it accurate - however, where I forget, or choose not to for any reason, it will actually make my task harder as my Fitbit currently underestimates the distance I cover when I walk if it's not tracking via GPS! Running during that week will be tracked by Strava or my running watch and all running will also be counting towards the Spitfire Challenge. I've very deliberately said "a 7 day period" too as this gives me some flexibility with fitting in one long walk that MrEH and I have planned which if we can complete it would give me around 15 miles on its own.
I said I wanted to challenge myself this year and so far I really feel that I am. It feels exciting to be doing new things, and to be doing things I never imagined I would be able to - At the weekend I clocked up my fastest mile running so far, running it in a pace of 8.47 minutes and knocking a hefty 16 seconds off my previous best time over that distance! That's not fast by the standards of serious runners (A friend routinely runs 5k distances in well under 20 minutes!) but for me it felt like a massive achievement. At the point at which, about half a mile in, it got tough, rather than giving up as I might have done previously I reminded myself what I wanted to do and dug in a bit deeper. I'm trying hard to, rather than making excuses about what I can't do, to work at the things I can.
Aims for April now then are to complete the walk/run challenge, and to get as many miles in the bank for the Spitfire challenge as I can. I'd also like to start to increase my running distance a little - with a possible thought of aiming towards a 10k distance run towards the Autumn. I'm intending to get to some more parkruns, and want to do at least one more organised chip timed 5k - possibly back at the QE Olympic Park, possibly around another (and rather older) London Park - so watch this space for news on those.
My running/walking for the two challenges will, in the light of recent events, be done in memory of Corporal Jon Bayliss of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team The Red Arrows. Jon sadly lost his life in an incident at RAF Valley last week, an incident which also left Red 3 from the team - Flt. Lt. David Stark - in hospital. I'm currently trying to work out whether I can do any fundraising around the two challenges and will update further on that when I've established what is doable - the entry fees for both already involve charitable donations however so I'm unsure of what more I am allowed to do.
Robyn.
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