Steps challenge week 4

Day 22: I was planning to go for a run after work today so did the minimum in and around work. Then when I was on the last of my trains home decided to ditch that idea. My legs still haven't recovered from Monday's hill session. I haven't put that much effort in to a session in quite some time so decided to not run and instead this meant I was walking about aimlessly trying to get my steps up till I hit almost 10,000 before heading home.  Then walked around the house a bit ot make it up to 10,007 steps

Day 23: No running again today - just felt I had no energy. The website for the steps challenge has started a nutrition segment where you put in what you are eating each day. I was under the recommended calories for the day. Which means maybe I need to eat more during the day. 13,256 steps.

Day 24: Saving myself for the weekend so all walking. But managed to throw in a walking meeting so managed second highest steps in a day since this started. 15,148 steps.

Day 25:  Today means that I am now quarter of a way through the challenge. And what better way to celebrate than getting a huge course best at Strathclyde parkrun. I really wasn't expecting to be as fast as I did but I started strongly, felt good for the first 2 miles and really hung on in the last mile.  In the second half I passed a number of people too, which was satisfying. I finished in 26.04 which is almost a minute and half faster than any parkrun I have done in the last 2 years.  It must be this step challenge that is making the difference!   But that only took up 5000 steps. So the rest of the steps were made up at my mates bbq and then a walk after dinner. - 10,253 steps.

Day 26: 6 mile plus walk today which racked up the steps. New second highest steps day, knocking Day 24 down to 3rd. 15,971 steps.

Day 27: 2 mile walk at lunch time then 3 mile run after work. For a change an "easy" run felt easier!  11,630 steps.

Day 28: In the office and all walking today.  Felt full of energy too during the day which was good. 13,236 steps.

Here are the stats for week 4:

My average steps for week 4: 12,792
My overall average: 12, 534

My team's average steps overall: 14,694
My team's ranking in our department mini league after week 4: 3rd out of 8 - Same as last week
My team's ranking across all companies competing in GCC after week 4: 5,471 out of 48,444 -  Down by 667 places on last week

Not my best for average steps this week but not my worst either. Only 2 runs this week but at least i have nailed down what I need to be doing/eating to be able to up the running a bit. The runs I did do were just so satisfying and I feel like I have stepped up a level. Now I just need to find the mindset that I can do longer runs.  As I think the only thing that is stopping going longer is my mind!

Next week its beat your PB week where you try and beat your PB over the next four days. So I'll be going for over 18,000 steps on Thursday, if not Saturday.  I should have it in the bag by then but if not there is always Sunday.