Well they say pride comes before a fall and in my last post I was grinningly reporting how well I was doing at sticking to 4 runs a week and attempting some core work despite being back at school. Cut to the last fortnight and I've managed to run twice a week... (very long story - harvest festival, nutty parents, school flood...)
This gallingly meant missing two Strava Challenges not to mention heaping on the guilt around all the things I end up sacrificing for work... And adding to the feeling that all my VRBs put there are running further and faster while I'm still twiddling away at what I was doing a year ago.
Still in an attempt to avoid self pity I'm reminding myself that I have managed some running, including two solid if leisurely paced 10ks on lovely new routes, and I'm mentally fitter for it even if I'm going no where fast 😂
Hope all of you are enjoying your running.
Roll on half term.... 3 weeks and counting!
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DebJogsOn
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It is what it is - don't beat yourself up. I work from home and struggle to get out many times. If I had to go to the office I don't think I would be able to.
The important thing is that you still love it and enjoy it when you get out.
Thanks Richard. I do love it and have really come to resent the work more when it means I can't get out there. Trying hard not to beat myself up - but seem to start every academic year promising that I'll prioritise the right things and then get sucked completely into work. 🙄
This is why I'm reluctant to join Strava! My progress is of the two steps forward, one step back variety, but we are both still going on the right direction. (Ooh, bit deep for a Saturday! 😁) So, you can run 10k, working at a not entirely stress-free job, and getting out to run twice a week? Sod Strava, you're doing great!
Ah thank you. I actually find Strava quite motivating (and as someone would can't ever imagine racing or park running like completing the challenges as an alternative) and my connections on there overlap with a lot of folk on here so they're super supportive. I'm just not very good at letting stuff go if I've decided I should do it - which is exactly why I also end up taking on so much at work too.
Still at least when I'm running I do leave all that behind - so you're right, definitely headed in the right direction 😊
One of the runners I know checked her parkrun time with Strava this morning, and knew right away she had a pb. And you're right, she's in a little Strava community and really likes it, actually my OH loves it too. I'm not sure it's for me - but I could see it has its plus points. I'm guessing it's school life taking over everything else that's the real problem.
Yes work taking over is the main issue - but my 'perfectionist' streak doesn't help. So if I sign up for a Strava challenge and can't complete it then I let it bother me too much 🙄.
You should give Strava a go though maybe. I think you can have completely private settings if you want so you could see how it goes before deciding if you want to share.
Hmm, should I? Dare I? I'll think about it. In the meantime, be kind to yourself. There is only one of you, and you are doing as much as you can. Try to protect yourself against the demands of the job, you can never do all of it because there is always more. I taught part time and the work expanded to fill all my "free" time, I walked away when it got too much, but I was lucky in having the choice. You are amazing to be doing what you do, never forget it.
Oh Deb...you are fantastic at fitting everything in...including your running...those flippin Strava challenges can drive you bonkers thinking about it all the time...I missed out on the 'Escape plan' because I missed 2 runs...grrrrrr. But you know you're right when you say, you HAVE managed to keep running regardless of lifes hurdles...there's nothing wrong with still doing what you were doing 12 months ago....you're still off the sofa and doing your thing xx
Arrggh! The Escape Plan was perfect for 3 weeks then fell apart after three 12 hour days in the last week 😳. Since then we've also had a flash flood in school so now there's a backlog of all the work I would have done when we were moving furniture, sucking water out of carpets and focusing on sandbags🙄.
Still I have enjoyed 2 lovely 10ks over the past two weeks so holding on to that.
I am just amazed you fit in running at all with your job! Don’t be so hard on yourself. Running is not always about progressing anyway - maintaining is probably more important in the grand scheme of things, and getting out for 2 runs a week will keep you healthy and maintain your fitness. 💪👍
I recently went down a very dark rabbit hole of despair - post-race blues and injury/niggle meh-ness. But, got out for my very first Parkrun today, which perked me up no end. Every run is a win for me at the mo’!
I have considered it a couple of times but feel like I'd end up feeling really slow like in cross country at school. And while I'm privately quite happy with running at my own speed - I'm not quite sure I'd feel quite so OK in front of loads of other people! Also worry it would be packed out with super fit students here 😳.
Hope the injury is improving - though I guess you're bound to feel in a bit of a slump after the dedicated training and high of completing your first HM!
Well, running with others does make you go faster - not sure if that’s a good thing or not! 😱 I am in two minds - it’s not supposed to be intimidating, but my local one seems to be full of very young, fast club runners. I was 173rd out of 245, so by no means that fast compared to most! But I enjoyed it all the same, and will be going back. The trick is to never feel embarrassed by your pace; you are out there and doing it and that’s what counts! It felt nice to be running with others, a great positive energy. 😁 I would say try it; you don’t have to do it ever again if you don’t like it!
ITB injury is settling, to be replaced by weird achy knees a couple of hours after a run and an ever niggly lower back. It’s beyond a joke really! I think the HM training broke me a bit! 😂😂😂 But I still love running. xxx
There are now a few of us at work who are enthusiastic late comers to running and one of our non-running colleagues said she didn't understand how any of us thought it was good for us as we spend all our time comparing injuries and niggles 😂.
I knew how you feel - the gremlins & workload have caught up with me too - 1-2 runs a week if that. We just have to keep focusing on the positives like your 10ks on new routes 👏🙂 & run when we can. Hope you can still get out over the next 3 weeks - everything counts no matter how short, long, rubbish or epic!
How does it happen every year? I always hope it will be different but by about 3 weeks in there's always a tidal wave of work just waiting to crash (no matter how much prep you've done in the holiday).
Going to aim for 3 runs next week - no matter how short!
The pressure we put on ourselves is awful and it's detrimental to our fitness and mental health.
I love the Strava challenges... but they add to the pressures.
2 runs a week in a busy week is more than ok.👍🏻
On the plus side your legs will be fresher and even more ready when your time opens up.😁
You're not alone, I've had a difficult day with anxiety today due to things mounting up on my todo lists and beating myself with it all. We can only do what we can do 💕
Well done for getting out4times a week for that period. I’ve been finding it hard to get out recently. No head space. It’s one of those things. It’ll get better. Time with less running is fine so long as you still get out there sometimes. Jog on! 😉
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week3run1 ✅. 3 x 17 mins with 1 min walks. 
How did your parkrun or (not)parkrun go?
