Just been out on my regular Monday 10k outing. I just didn’t enjoy any of it. Wanted to quit after 100m 😳 but I kept going. I made several errors:
Before I went out it was very misty and overcast. Decided I could wear black, didn’t need a vest on to keep cool, didn’t need a visor. As soon as I went out the sun came out 🌞 Also, I ran midday instead of late evening 🌞 Then I thought I’d do 5 laps of a 2k block near my house. Boring as and the repetition seemed to make it worse.
I just don’t seem to enjoy running as it never gets easier because I naturally up my pace and therefore it always hurts!
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Tasha99
Graduate10
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Sounds like you need a change of scenery. Find a pretty new route. The rest is easily corrected. Keep at it!
Log those lessons, tweak for the next run, don’t give up, focus on your achievements. And well done it’s so flipping hot out there, I find it so hard to run at all when it’s like this!!
I thought I couldn’t slow it down then I took my 8 year old out and had to slow down. We did 2K and then I carried on. It made me slower and those times I’ve done that I’ve run the furthest and enjoyed it so much more. I’m learning to love slow running ☺️
I found once I took away my audio cues and just listened to my body, I started finding the joy again. It is hard to run slow but if I find i’m struggling, I tell myself to slow the pace and usually I can find my rhythm. When I look at my pace after, i’ve always started out too fast and thus found it hard. I also really need some good distractions. Nice scenery makes a world of difference. I prefer an out and back route over laps. It’s a mental thing for me.
i’m following a plan right now designed to increase your 10k pace. It builds up to the longest run being 16k and there are different types of speed workouts weekly. In order to get faster, I believe you need to build endurance but you can’t do that if you’re running all out all the time. You’ll plateau and then get frustrated or worse, injured. The plan is for a sub 60 minute 10k and the pace for the long runs is around 7 min/k. It takes a lot of self awareness to slow down and I haven’t met the slow targets yet (i’m on week 3 of 16 so have been running about 30-45 seconds/km too fast) except yesterday when I was physically and mentally beat and played out by the sun and wind but guess what? It felt amazing to run closer to the slower target and I ran an extra km at the end with ease because there was still gas in the tank.
Good luck with that! I’m only running 10k to increase my 5k pace. Really want to go sub 30 but still 2 minutes (and 1 second) off. I’d have to do that before even contemplating a sub 60 10k. I only started running with c25k in February so I guess it’s just a case of building my strength still.
There you go. By building up your 10k, your 5k will get faster. Definitely fit in some speed work though, but keep those runs shorter. They don’t have to be 5k runs. They can be a 3k quicker tempo run or tack some fast 20 second intervals on to the end of a run with 2 minute recovery runs between each interval (strides). It’ll help. My strides workout have been 3 miles with 3 x 20 second intervals tacked on but I see I’ve got a 4 mile one coming up and a 3 mile one with an extra interval tacked on. Keeping it fresh 😁
Thanks. I’ve joined a club so on a Wednesday they mix it up. I need a running friend I think 😂
I think some runs are just like that. i also think some runs you need to adopt a wait and see attitude, go out thinking 'I might do 10k today, but if I don't, I shall see what run it turns into, and it's ok if I don't reach the goal.' I've watched your progress and you push yourself. That's admirable, and you are pretty fast. 10k in the time shown is pretty good for a new runner. You can afford to relax sometimes and not always be watching pace and time. Don't lose that joy in running feeling, which doesn't just come with achievement but with getting out there and connecting with your surroundings. You will be fine xx
Time of day makes a HUGE difference to me. In the c25k days it meant the difference between being able to run and having to give up and come home. Now i make myself go out at different times of day, but some times I'm definitely sluggish and more out of breath.
I naturally flag just after lunchtime. When did I go? 12:30 🙄 I’ll have to stick to evenings. Apart from at the ParkRun, I never get a chance to know if mornings suit me 😂 Maybe in the summer holidays.
Afternoons are awful for me. I just want to go to sleep. It’s a real effort to run. Early morning is good, evening after a short night. Evenings are ok.
Plenty experienced runners have posted recently pick a route and run outward for 5k and inward to get home.
I personally think in mountaineering terms if I go up I have to get back, and unless injured, under my own steam.
Just now appreciating the joy of trying to pace,and not hastle/stress about targets ,etc, good to be in tune with your footfall and breathing by listening intermittently to both,🤔
As said ,your enjoyment is your first priority and any rewards will surely follow.
None of this is easy, pacing, priorities,etc. If it was easy,we would all just do it.🤔
Defo not a time limit! I did post a screenshot of my MapMyFitness overview but not sure if that was compulsory. I think the admins trust the participants. What’s the point in lying?
Because of family commitments and away weekend, to keep my 20k minimum per week doing 10K easy run Tuesday and 10K hard run Thursday instead of 3 runs.
Nice thought to have graduate10, just in case I do not make it home from the park one day.Sure I would be happy, better than on the couch Tasha, maybe it could be said well he got a badge anyways.🤔😂😂
just post your stats when you get to 10k. i did it accidentally after week 3, posted a screenshot of the run from my Garmin, But I dont know if posting proof is obligatory.
I followed the Sam Murphy programme but it’s basically up to you what training you use, but do be careful not to do too much too quickly and risk injury.
Everyone at my running club talks about how soul destroying laps are. So you are not on your own. You seem to know where you went wrong so that’s good for next time. Just do everything you can to make sure you enjoy the next one. If you don’t get at least some enjoyment out of it what’s the point.( and I know there’s loads of points health fitness weight achievement etc but I need to enjoy it too ) . And just chuck this run in the fkitbucket and move on 😊
To help with pacing in future on your long runs (as in not going so fast!), try monitoring your heart rate rather than your pace. Running at a low heart rate will increase your stamina. It's not easy!
On Saturday l had to do my 10k practice and, like you, couldn't do it early or late so went to my local park at 1pm with the sun already doing its peak business. Couldn't go to another park so was stuck with 6 laps where l was. I picked one of my favourite albums and simply went slower, focusing just on music and lyrics. It went by surprisingly easy and quickly!
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Still enjoying short runs 
Enjoying the new running life
Avoiding or enjoying hills?
Hexham 10k done!!! enjoyed that. 
Park run enjoyed my run 😉
