I’ve been having a challenging time with anxiety and it has affected my heart rate during my runs. I have accepted that I’m going to be anxious for a few more weeks, so I’m coping the best way I can, by getting out there and doing what I can.
Yesterday, I wanted to get a 5K run in, even if it was slow. I decided to have an earlier than usual run to beat the heat, but it was still 13 degrees when I set out at about 5:45 a.m.
Warm up walk over and off I go, slowly, to try and keep my heart rate down. I keep to my tried and tested route. Even though the area is very built up, the birdsong was loud yesterday morning as there was no-one about. I hear the whistling calls of Red Kites and look up. There are about 6 of them, circling high above. A common sight here, close to where they were reintroduced.
I carry on running, turning left past the post office and left again to go back towards the village. It feels like a plod and it’s quite hard work. I reach a T-junction and have to decide. Left to do a 4K and right for a 5K. Choices! I hesitate for a few seconds - then turn right for the 5K! 😊 I plod on and head for the road by the common. As I start the 5th kilometre I have an upwards incline and take shorter strides to cope. “Hills are my friends!” I duck down a side street to add a few hundred metres. Then - it’s downhill and much easier running! I fly past my Dad’s house and down another slope, hoping that it’s enough to get that last km under 7 minutes! I reach the end of the road so have to turn and run for a few more seconds.
Run over and ‘home’ for coffee. I do have a sense of achievement after that run. I’ve accepted my anxiety and am working with it. I completed the Strava 5K challenge for June and pulled out some stops for the final half kilometre! 😊🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️👍
No pic as it’s not working.
Splits:
8:44, 8:44, 8:25, 8:15, 6:55
Written by
Jools2020
Graduate10
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That was a good run for you today Jools2020, almost negative splits, strangely enough the photo feature on my app also failed today to Healthunlocked (I was going to send the time of my London Vitality Virtual 10,000 time)I just hope that running will ease any anxiety issues you have.
Wow, that's some serious speed work for that last k! I love how you used the slopes to your advantage 👏👏👏 a very wise and mindful approach to your anxiety, it's definitely better to accept it and work with it than try to fight it 👍 And you've got your running and the red kites to help you along 🤗🤗
Thanks, Ian! I’m learning to work with the slopes as much as I can. My warmup walk is uphill slightly and I run down the same slope for most of the last km. Is it cheating? Maybe 😂
An odd thing is happening to me at the moment. I'm often running faster uphill than I am on the level. It must be something psychological, with me putting in more effort on the harder terrain, perhaps?
My usual warm up walk is, like that of Jools2020 , an uphill climb (over ten storeys) and most of the runs are then generally downhill from there (with a few climbs in the middle). If that's cheating, I don't care. 🤪
Wow 😮 look at that last split! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻I don’t suffer from anxiety, but I feel for those who do, but I find that running does relieve the stress of work and gets me away from my desk. That’s why I tend to run at the end of the day rather than at the start as it’s a full stop to my working day both physically and mentally. I’ve been running with some friends from work these last few weeks to support them to reach 5k. It’s been fun but all they do is gripe about work 😫. They couldn’t make it this week so I got out there with my cheesy tunes and did a gentle 6k lost in my own thoughts - bliss 😊.
I’m glad you have found something that helps with your anxiety and hope that it subsides soon. Take care x
Well done on your run Jools - and yes, I’m another one who runs to try and keep anxiety at bay. It’s an exhausting thing to live with sometimes but...we run on! 🏃♀️🙂x
Hi, sorry you are struggling with anxiety at the moment. At least you have your running which hopefully makes things a little easier once you get past the gremlins and out of thedoor.Good to see your nice tidy splits are making a comeback!
Keep at it -looking forward to yourposts getting longer as you start to feel better.
Sorry to hear you’re having anxiety Jools, a run is a good place to push it away, that was a good run and good splits, rest well this evening and keep well
A good run Jools. Glad to hear you're still getting out there despite your stress. But running is good for stress so it would be much worse if you didn't.
Thank you tmbtrain. I’m working on the anxiety. I embrace the good days and accept the not-so-good days. Running helps 😊
Too bad of the anxiety, I know it all too well. I suffer from General Anxiety Disorder since 2002. I am on meds now for it and am coping with it, but I regularly have a panic attack still, mostly in the evenings. I hoped running could help me with my anxiety, but unfortunately for me it does not do the trick. Running does make me feel good though, which is good on its own.
Thank you. I agree that running helps me feel good! That in itself is great, but maybe it’s the yoga that helps to give me calmness and peace. Anxiety isn’t fun and I hope you can find something that helps. Especially with the panic attacks. I tried meditation with those and as long as it wasn’t a severe attack, the meditation really helped. I had an app and used some free sessions from that.
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5k continuous run! Tadaa!!! 
A soggy but fresh early run 💦🌧🏃♀️
