Fridays I run with a friend from the gym, so this morning was my first run without Laura. I got up at 4am (I know an unearthly hour but not sleeping well at the moment)
I had a coffee ☹ another no no but forgot, got to the park, after 3 minutes my breathing was difficult calves like lead weights. I said to my friend I'm going to have to stop, no your not just walk till your breathing gets normal but dont stop says he, a veteran runner. Made 2.5k comeon says he you can do it got a bit of my breath back and finally completed the 5k 40 minutes whereas Wednesday was 30 minutes.
I was so disappointed in myself going into the gym I could hardly manage the stairs legs heavy head pounding. I drank a pint of water and felt sorry for myself but my friend said we all have off days but just remember no coffee when doing a run.
Lesson learned water next time, it's now 5 hours later and I'm just beginning to start to feel human.
I think I may also need Laura's encouragement for the consolidation runs
Written by
doggytail
Graduate10
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I just came in from my second consolidation run. The first was a triumph: pace well up on anything I'd done before and it felt really easy. Today was a different story: it was a slog and I didn't enjoy it at all. I won't beat myself up about it: next time will be easier.
Two things jump out from your account: one that you drank a pint of water on your return, and two that you're not sleeping well. Could it be that you weren't very well hydrated when you set out? And not sleeping well is always going to flatten your wellbeing: you were tired before you even started!
What also jumps out is that you ran 5k in 40 minutes anyway! Think back to when you started out on this journey, when running 30" was a struggle. You're amazing and next time will be better. Your friend from the gym is right!
You should not be disappointed at all. You have got up (at an unearthly hour) and banged out 5k. That's great. You cant get a personal best every time you head out the door. Sometimes runs are easier than others. There are many factors such as hydration, tiredness, life to name but a few. It happens. Fact.
I sometimes (rarely) will do 5k in 30 minutes but my word, not every time. I don't enjoy feeling exhausted. I much prefer a calm and enjoyable 35 - 40 minutes at my easy running pace without trying to beat a clock and hating every minute.
Every run is different. Embrace it. If you cant do the run you want to do then do the run you can do. And you did it. Well done. 👍
Blimey, you got up in the middle of the night for that run! I think you did amazingly well!
The other responses have said it. You were probably tired and maybe not well hydrated. Both of these factors can play havoc with our running. But yet you still managed to run 5K 👍
Just think what you’ll do when you've had a good night’s sleep and are hydrated 💪
Every day will be different. My planned run yesterday felt "off" so I stopped it a quarter of the way through, walked for a bit and then did something different.
Your gym friend is right. You have to listen to what your body is telling you. You still completed the distance in the end.
Now... I graduated nearly 6.5 years ago and have run 7000 km in that time. If you can, project forward in your mind and imagine yourself in 5 years time, you've been running regularly, save for a few injury breaks, but you've had a grand old time, made loads of new friends on the way, broken personal bests and loving your new running life.
Let's say 3 runs a week, that's 150 runs in a year, for 5 years... that's 750 runs in 5 years.
Question: do you honestly think every single one of those 750 runs felt great, or was an improvement each and every time?
Also, consider these factors:
- sleep plays a HUGE role in controlling our stress levels. If you are not sleeping well, that will be a big factor in how your runs feel and how they go. Have a read around the subject of sleep and sporting performance and see what you can do to improve your sleep.
- you got up at a time your body isn't used
- there's nothing wrong with having a coffee at that time - in fact, it can help performance. But if your body isnt used to, then that's another possible reason why things didn't go as expected for you.
- you're 70 years old - what you're doing is AMAZING. To be doing 5k in 30 minutes EVERY time you go out is frankly, a big ask. Be nice to yourself.
One cup won’t dehydrate you through peeing. Besides, we need to pee as a natural healthy process. If you’re adequately hydrated it all should work fine.
There’s studies which suggest coffee drinking before exercise is beneficial for performance and weight-loss. 🙂
I think you did great to do 5k in 40 minutes .However , you said it's your first run without Laura ?
So was it your first consolidation run ?
If so , did you do 5k in 30 minutes on your graduation week ?
Remember that consolidation is for repeating what you did in week 9
So please don't push forward too early , stick to 30 minutes during the consolidation period , your body will thank you for it in the long run ( yes, pun intended)
One coffee will not dehydrate you !
There is no need to ditch your morning coffee 😁
There are a couple of things spring to mind , were you full hydrated from at least the day before the run ?
I try and stay hydrated all the time but if I know I'm going to be running the next day then I pay particular attention to it the day before .
Were you trying to run faster than normal because you were running with someone else ?
Remember , these are your runs , nobody else's so don't be pressured into speeding up !
Remember the basics , run at a conversational conversational pace !
Thank you this was my first consolidation run and No I wasmt fully hydrated from the day before I was naughty 4 gin and tonic 2 lager shandys made from tonic water and only 2 pints of water so no one to blame but myself. I cant yet have full conversations non stop but I can make sentences and answer the questions on fridays when I have company. Lol I did miss Laura's times tho even tho I know how long I've got left owing to the regular run.
I was reading this thinking it was a youngster disappointed in their performance. Then I read John W’s reply and realised your age. This 63 year old thinks you’re amazing. I can only run 5K in 30 minutes in my dreams 🤣🤣 don’t be so hard on yourself x
Your friend's right that some runs are better than others. I've just come in from a long run that was neither the longest nor - in theory - the most technical that I've ever done, but it was probably the toughest ever.
I don't rate your friend's advice re coffee though. You need to be properly hydrated before your run, but as others have said, one coffee won't hurt. Also, if he's a veteran runner, is he slowing down to your comfortable carry-on-a-conversation pace, or expecting you to keep up with him? If the former, great. If the latter, that's a no-no.
Whatever, you're ten years older than me, so kudos to you for running a 40-minute 5k at 4.00am, let alone expecting to do it in 30 minutes. It took me months to get a sub-30 5k - I rarely manage it now - and it certainly wasn't at that ungodly hour!
Hi! I’m sorry to read this. I wanted to share with you that it happens to all of us. I had that on Monday, I could hardly run 7km in fact i had to walk 1,5km of it. I graduated over 2 years ago and have fun quite a few HM. I think I was tired. They happen and it really does make you feel rubbish. Do what you are doing and try and work out why but go out again with Laura after a rest. We can do it!
Hey, I would be really happy with that run! Don't beat yourself up. We all have off days. I am relatively new, graduated about 11 weeks ago. I have always had a coffee before I go, I've been ok with it too. I still use Laura when I go out to run, I like the encouragement. Onwards and upwards, you can do this, you can definitely do this 😉
Just came across this.As everyone else has said. Don't beat yourself up over this one bad run. We all have them. I've never run a 30 minute 5k and never likely to either. I accept that and just enjoy my runs for what they are and what they give me. Physical and mental wellbeing, headspace, freedom.You are amazing and doing amazing things. Can't believe you are 70!!
For goodness sake, 40 minutes? I’ve only run 5k that fast once and can’t get near it again!!! how can you be disappointed? why not try Nike Run Club? I’m assuming you had Laura in ear phones? it’s an app that has guided runs and a lot of them are 30 minutes which is what you need for consolidation, the whole aim of c25k is being able to run for 30 minutes so if you’ve graduated you could run 30 minutes for a few weeks and then …. well the worlds your limit, my last 5k the other day was under 50 minutes and I was just chuffed that I could keep going that long, I do go on a bit so if you know all that ignore me but run for fun and well off days happen to us all
Despite all you ran 5K in 40 minutes. I only run 5K in 40 minutes when everything goes 100% perfect and I am 30 years younger than you! You had an offday and yet still performed, you did it!
Lots of great responses above so all I will say is You Are Amazing! If necessary, ditch the friend (for running, that is...) so you can stick with your own pace. I've only run with friends a couple of times and it just didn't work for me. Even though they slowed down for me I went too fast and ended up doing my slowest 5k overall.....
Thank you for sharing. I think we all have our ups and downs. I find it reassuring that I'm not the only one to have difficult days like the one you described. One big of benefit of being accompanied by Laura is that I always do the 5min warm up walk. Without Laura I tend to cut this part short and I sometimes suffer for it. I've found that I need a MINIMUM of 5mins warm up..
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Fabulous450 Does Faffing So Well, But Day 3 Move for Mind Is A Must!😉❤️
My colleague showed me a lovely running route in the City! Feeling so blessed! 
So close but still so happy! 😁
10k baby!!! So happy but feeling awful with it.
Think I've upset Coach Bennett - he won't talk to me!!
