I've posted on the C25K community as well, but I feel I can be more explicit here about the hatefulness of today's run
It should have been a good run and instead it was one of the worst runs I've ever experienced. I was well rested, fuelled and hydrated. So what happened? Dunno.
I think partly it's because Carsington just plain scares me. I'd planned a there-and-back-again run starting from the car park and knew roughly where I would end up. What I hadn't appreciated, and misswobble amongst others will back me up here, is that some hills are worse the other way round. When I was at Carsington the other week I ran this section clockwise. Today I started off anti-clockwise so there were some stonkers right at the beginning of my run. 'Never mind,' I thought, 'at least I'll be running down them on my way back.' Another problem with Carsington is that the surface can be quite ratty - it's gravelly shale in places, so on the hilly bits it can be hard work going up and flipping treacherous coming down.
I had mistakenly taken my inner 4-year-old with me today as well. At 3k I was bored. At 4k I was hungry and my knee was niggling. At 5k I stopped because it was the turn around and I needed a wee. I'd taken the shewee with me but it was far too busy with Other People - how very dare they? Fancy wanting to bird watch, dog walk, run, cycle or walk in the sunshine! So that was another annoyance all the way back.
The run back was dreadful. I walked up most of the hills. I plodded on the straight bits. I was almost in tears on one section, in the hot sun, as I was wondering how I was going to manage Chatsworth in three weeks time. I just couldn't work out why I was finding it so hard. In the end I stopped worrying about it and concentrated on running where I could, walking on the difficult bits and just getting back to the car.
My time was an appalling 1.28. Okay, some of that was stopped (the Garmin looks as though I have died several times) and some of it was walking.
Thinking about it, it was mostly mental. Yes, there were physical niggles. But I set off thinking that 10k is a big jump from 8k, and worrying about the hills, and not liking the surface, and setting a longer time for this run 'because you're not as fit as last time' - and I basically scuppered my run in my head before I even started my warm-up walk.
On the whole, I don't like runs where you have to turn around and run back again. I much prefer loops or straight lines. So for my next planned 10k (Sunday), I shall go and do the one where I did my first 10k. It is all downhill and it has a loo halfway down and it ends up at my doorstep, near enough. That's planning for success.
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Anniemurph
Graduate10
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Oh dear Annie, what a crock! So sorry it was a shi*e run for you today. Best laid plans ey! It does make you want to swear and curse doesn't it. I would do so, loudly. Inwardly maybe, so as not to frighten the natives 😊
I was stomping and yelling and having a right tantrum in my head, I can tell you! But yes, it's over and done with. All I need to do now is work out how not to let myself be defeated by Chatsworth before I even park the car
If I bring a note from my mother, may I please be excused from diving, at dawn or any other time? Carsington is full of blue algae, and I'd be proper poorly
Having walked and cycled,( sorry..I wouldn't have got on your way), around Carsington, it is a tricky beast, and that first long slow climb at the beginning going anticlockwise is a real pig of a thing!
So running..I cannot imagine.. do not think I will be even attempting it in a couple of weeks time.
Maybe you talked yourself out of it..but you still completed it!
Thank you, Floss x No one got in my way at all, they were all lovely I think everyone said hello. In fact, a nice thing I forgot to say was that I got a lovely snuffly kiss from a gorgeous Basset hound
I will conquer the wretched place one day, I will! I think it's a goal for towards the end of this summer
Ha! I used to live looking across towards the dam, and I used to watch the white horses on it and judge whether the dogs and I would survive or whether to go the other way
Ah the curse of Carsington! For me, it is the surface (or maybe the surface is more of a problem because of the gradients? I dunno)
My son came off his bike on a particularly unpleasant descent anticlockwise, covered in grazes and spent 10 minutes plus beating the ground with his helmet. A strategy for another time?
Good to get all the shittiness out of the way now though!
Ouch, your poor son! And poor you as well, because I bet there wasn't much you could do about that except wait.
Thinking about it, there's another issue - once you've started, as it were, you pretty much have to finish I think it was badly planned because all the access points are more or less on the same side. You can't bail out halfway round. Which might be a good thing in terms of making you finish, but today I would happily have caught a bus back. My admiration for you has increased no end.
I missed it all... I had gone ahead to try to conquer my own cycling demons having come to grief a few weeks before on the Manifold Trail (that was lack of competence, can't blame the route). I just had a very long wait for his Dad to arrive with him walking the bikes very slowly back.
I agree about how daunting it is and the access issue. Before I started running I wanted to walk the whole thing in sections but it isn't possible. Plus it looks a long way when you think you can see it all, and then it is further.... but it is only 2k further than you ran.
Whatever the Chatsworth event is like, whether it is exhilarating challenging or tough challenging, it will not be like this.
You are so right The next run has to be better than that one And the one after that even better, hopefully! No point looking backwards, other than to work out what the problem might have been and learn from it if possible. Anyway, I'll go A over T if I run looking backwards Thanks for the encouragement
Take the positives from this. you still did the run, you learned a route that you will not want to run again for a bit and you probably had a much harder workout that you anticipated. I would say a good (albeit not the planned for) session. Stick with it Anniemurph!!
Yes, I learned from it, although I am determined to get all the way round the reservoir at some point this summer! The great news is that it has obviously done me some good so I will take that as a positive as well. Thank you for your encouragement
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and it has a loo halfway down 
Week 8: Run 3
Best ever 10K run
First 10k run yesterday!
First 10k Race - Done!
