After reaching 10 miles, my running has gone seriously downhill. I took 1 week of running, then did 4 runs of 5K - 7K - 10K - 5K and then did not run at all anymore, which is now reaching 2 weeks. The reason: a combination of the dreary weather and a lack of wanting to run plus the new running shoes not feeling 100% fine right away.
The weather is perpetually grey, not cold nor even rainy, but a gloomy grey sky all the way. And it is seriously getting to me. I don't venture out, except for the obligatory 1 day a week going into the office. I guess I just have the winter blues or something. And even when there is a blue sky, I don't see it as either I am locked in my home office with my back to the window or I am curled up on the couch with no sight on a window. But the days with a blue sky in the past weeks are to be counted on 1 or 2 fingers, so...
I keep thinking 'just go out for a short walk', but just thinking about switching from indoor clothes to outdoor clothes is too much and I sink a bit deeper into my couch. I am possibly the most lazy person here on the forum at the moment.
Just now though I was thinking to maybe redo C25K or do something alike, just to get back into running. It might also help with getting adjusted to the new running shoes. Just not sure whether to start today (impossible - pulled a muscle in my lower back from sitting 2 days on the couch the whole day), on the 1st of January or whenever the weather is not do dreary...
Sorry for bugging you with this self-pity post. Just needed to get it out of my system. I guess everybody feels like this sometime and you all just get on with it, while I sit here nagging. Again, sorry!
A later Merry Christmas and an early Happy New Year to you all!
Cheers, Evy
33 Replies
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You sounds like you have the winter blues Evy. No need to apologise, we all get down in the dumps sometimes. Just think about the positives for a moment. You may not realise it but you are an inspiration to many people. You have inspired me through my C25K journey and I love reading about your runs. You have achieved 10 miles which is just incredible.
I don't particularly wish to run today but I'm going to put on my man tights to go out for a short one for 15 - 20 minutes just to get out of the house.
I hope you feel better soon and manage to get out - even for a walk and please keep posting. Remember, you are an inspiration to many. 👍
Alan
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-BLUSH- I don't really feel like an inspiration. There are so many people here who more deserve that title. But someone once told me to try and accept compliments, so : thank you -blush-.
And yeah I think I have the winter blues too. Last year winter was much colder (we actually will reach 14°C this week), but more sun and blue skies. Back then I wanted to run as it was a pleasure to be outdoors in the sun. Everything looked fresh and crips and full of color. But now everything looks dark and greyish as if the color leeched out of everything. Beh...
Now first things first, I have to get that pulled muscle in my back back to order. Hanging on a couch for 2 days straight is apparently not healthy. Luckily I can sit on my desk chair now for 5 days during the day (feel free to insert a rolling eye emoticon here). Once the back is ok, I'll try to push myself to go out and maybe restart C25K. Maybe not everything, but I can try to use it to get back into it...
And hooray for you for going out there despite not wishing to run! Now THAT is an inspiration! 😉
Hey Evy I’m with you all the way today! our couch is full of Colin’s son so I’m. it even out of bed but have looked out and it’s raining!!! so the only way i’ll run is alone. The clouds parted briefly yesterday but other than that I can’t remember the last time I saw uplifting blue sky or sunshine
maybe stand up and stretch that back and at least you can smile and say you did something 🤣
Haha yes, oh and does the distance from my desk to the loo also count as activity? Sorry to read you have dreary weather there too. Maybe my memory plays tricks with me, but I think last year it was much colder, but much more sun and blue skies. Which is a lot better than 14 °C and a perpetual grey sky that leeches the color out of everything.
Don’t feel bad. It’s a tricky time of year for all sorts of reasons.
Just think of it as giving your body a rest and then perhaps, for New Years Day, you might think differently and head out for a run. It’s a great day for kicking off again.
I do think you need to fix the running shoes issue though and if these don’t suit then it’s time to treat yourself to new ones. Lots of sales at the minute!
Thanks, yeah I might try a short run on New Years day. Maybe I get a badge from Garmin for it, haha. Might also be the combination of the covid pandemic and the dreary weather and such. I love working from home (at the moment we go 1 day a week to the office), but I do get isolated a bit. It's just me and my parents. And I don't meet with friends or so, being a risk patient. So maybe it's all of that combined.
As for the shoes, I really don't know what the problem is. Ok, I haven't run much in them yet. But according to me they are the same ones as my old shoes, only a version or 7 younger. So I thought they would be 100% good from the start. Maybe I will indeed do C25K again (or at least parts of it), it might be good to get used to the shoes too?
Shoe manufacturers sometimes change the design slightly from one year to the next and it can make a big difference for us runners. I wore Brooks years ago and then one year they changed ever so slightly and I could not wear them any more and switched to Saucony.
Hmm... now that would be annoying. I also had a gait analysis done, so I really thought these would be good. Though a little corner of my mind was actually afraid I would buy (get) shoes after an analysis and they wouldn't be good. Giving them a little more time.
I completely sympathise with how you are feeling, Evy. I struggle with motivation a lot in the winter too. I work from home all of the time so it isn't a good combo.
You seem to like a challenge so maybe you need to find another one now that you've hit the marvellous 10 miles? What about the HM???? Or else just go for a 60 day Garmin badge step challenge. Even going out for a short walk every day will help to lift your mood - and it might help loosen up your back too.
Thanks! I have been thinking about a HM, but I don't know if my body is up to that. The 10 miles already felt like a LOT. Plus being a snail, I would need to pull out quite some hours for training. And again, no idea if my body would be able to cope. But I'll think about it.
Now I'd be happy to reach 10K again. Before the 10 miles my structure was 2x5K in the week and 1x10K in the weekend. If I now think about 10K I just don't feel like starting even.
I'll give myself this week to be lazy still and will see if I can kick my butt out of the door starting 1st of January 🎉
Hey, Evy, So sorry to hear that the December dreariness is sapping your enthusiasm. I’m not surprised: It has definitely been a completely different December to last year. I recall amazing sunrises, crisp air and blue skies twelve months ago; now all we’re seeing (I’m in London, so geographically close to you) is heavy grey cloud and seemingly non-stop rain. I got a very brief glimpse of the sky a few mornings ago - so remarkable, that I took loads of photos. I see no sun forecast in the entire week ahead; it makes my heart sink. The best I can do right now is look for slots with no/less rain or with less dark grey icons. That window of opportunity (and the idea of exploring new paths) got me out this morning, but the heavens soon changed their mind and most of the run was in steady rain. Wet through, but I’m so glad I did it.
I’m sure you’ll bounce back soon. As others have said, you’ve been inspiring to follow, and you will be again. Maybe you needed a break? You took on a really big goal after all, maintaining that progress alongside all the other life-demands. Perhaps it’s a good moment to take stock of your progress over the past year or more (= amazing!) … and do some research and planning: imagine new routes or freshen the types of runs or look for a training plan to follow.
One thing I notice is that you still don’t have your HU 10-mile badge showing next to your name, so that’s one simple step to take - credit where credit’s due, 10-mile champion!
BLUSH, I really don't feel like an inspiration to others. Then again I tend to focus on the negatives (my bad runs, runs not happening, etc) rather than on the positives. So thank you and -blush- again!
You are an inspiration though, running in this dreary weather WITH rain even?!
That new routes things might be something I need to investigate. That's a problem here for me. I live rather industrial with not a lot of nice paths to explore. And if there are nice paths they mostly are pretty desolate which makes me feel kinda scared to run alone in the nowadays world we live in. But I am a bit tired of the route I always run, maybe that does not exactly help in getting me out there either. I'll have to open up Google Maps and take a look around!
Let me check for the 10 mile badge, I thought I had it (on the marathon group that is). If I don't, I'll indeed have to go fetch it 😆
Oh dear! I totally get it though. It is just so dreary and sitting on the sofa, or our at home work 'offices' gets a bit much doesn't it! I have all sorts of niggles from just not moving enough!I break through it by putting my running gear out the night before and just heading out at first light. That said, it's only been once a week recently.
You definitely don't need to do cto5k again, although if some kind of plan helps then maybe some speed intervals or run/walks would help. Or how about a new route, as a new adventure?
Remember, the daffodills will be out before too long!
I'm just thinking about C25K or something alike to get back into it, plus to get used to my new running shoes. I have definitely not run enough in them nor build it up slowly to get used to them.
As for the new route, there is a serious lack of good routes in my neighborhood. Lots of industry and very busy roads without sidewalks. There is a nice route I can take, but it is very desolate and on my own I feel kinda scared when taking it. But I will explore Google Maps and look around!
Your shoes sound like a bit of an issue and have put you out of kilter. Perhaps lace up those old ones! Good luck. I was going to run this morning but the weather has put me off. Hmm. Maybe this afternoon, although my knitting beckons!
My knitting beckons too 😂 - making my first garment (that is besides hats and scarves). So I am very curious as to how it will end up because of which I find it hard to put down!
Sorry to hear you have the winter blues, dark mornings and dark nights , hard to put exercise in. This Covid doesn’t help either, no end in sight. I am going to make a New Years resolution to walk every day for exercise, no excuses ( says she) but will have to start later in January as to have to wait for PCR result when back from hols. Maybe give yourself a target to do say exercise 3 times a week something like u used to do ( no excuses, illness excluded). I don’t think u need to go back to 5 km again you’ve done all the hard work getting there. Good luck whatever your route is.
Thanks, I should indeed take such a resolution too. I just fear I won't be able to actually do it and just end up disappointing myself. Meh, giving myself this week still to be gloomy. On the 1st of January they predict a less cloudy sky, so fingers crossed I might take a step outside then!
Sometimes the sky here is that light grey which inspired Bill Bryson to describe it thus:
In Britain it had been a year without summer. Wet spring had merged imperceptibly into bleak autumn. For months the sky had remained a depthless grey. Sometimes it rained, but mostly it was just dull, a land without shadows. It was like living inside Tupperware.
It's not unusual to feel "down" at this time of year.
Thinking about your problem of running alone, are there any local running clubs?
There is 1 running club that I know of, but I don't feel like joining them as they run MUCH faster than me (and they don't Jeff - Jeffing is unknown in Belgium). 6 or 7 years ago when I tried running, there was also the option of joining an athletics club and then you could run on the athletics track around a soccer field. I guess that would not be scary at all. But that's literally running around in circles without any change in scenery...
Nice poem by the way, it describes this weather nicely. While he says living inside Tupperware, I can't stop thinking about The Truman Show. Only the ceiling lies like 100 meter above me without the fake blue sky...
Hey Evy, that’s a really honest post thanks. I wonder what will happen now you have shared all this with us? I found your idea of a rerun of couch to 5 k an interesting lower stress place to re-enter. Whatever you choose good luck
Well honestly? I kinda feel like going out today after work. But that is my feeling at this moment. Scroll forward a few hours until I am off work and my feeling will probably have changed to 'crawl on the couch and hide'. But that I feel this way at this moment is a good sign I think? That means I don't feel completely gloomy and doomy yet 😂
Hi Evy, sorry not to have replied sooner, and I’m sorry you’ve been feeling so blue. It’s absolutely fine to be a bit down - I think it’s one of life’s natural rhythms. Don’t forget how much you’ve achieved and also what an inspiration you are plus you post some of the funniest and most interesting posts here! I think once we get to a certain level we put even more pressure on ourselves to perform and forget to have fun. Oldfloss reminded me of this a while back (she’s fab) so I actually picked some new routes and if I saw an amazing view or whatever I let myself stop and take a photo. And if I wanted to finish after 10 minutes so be it. Maybe just a 10 min run will blow some cobwebs out - no pressure. I know what you mean about running shoes, we get so excited about a new pair and when something doesn’t seem quite right it’s really disappointing. I have 2 pairs that I absolutely loved initially but just don’t feel as good as my old beat up pair I swear by. I’m constantly chasing trainer perfection and I don’t know if it actually exists!
Anyway, sorry for the long ramble, I hope you can get out even if it’s just for a walk. All the best 😊.
Thanks and no worries about 'late reaction'. I have been off the forum a few days myself before my entry and had to catch up too.
As to the shoes, I have had that before. Not with shoes, but getting all excited about something and putting so much hope in it, that once I get it, it doesn't fit my hopes 100% and gets me sorta down. I am thinking now about doing something alike C25K with my new shoes to try and get used to them. Maybe that's better than doing 5K and 10K in them right away?
And yes, routes. I really should find new routes, but the neighborhood here is really not runner-friendly. Lots of desolate (creepy) places where a female runner on her own might not be a good idea and lots of roads without sidewalks with cars speeding by at 70 km/h. Or I have to go run in the middle of the city, which I don't like either as you have to continuously slide between pedestrians and I quickly feel 'looked at'. I guess I'll just have to move, haha!
I know what you mean about running in the centre of town, it’s really difficult. So many people getting in the way! Doing some short distances in your new trainers is a good idea, I really hope they start feeling a bit better soon. The weather here has been awful, but I have to force myself out today as I need to get to the shops, and I hope you manage to get out for a bit too. All the best 😊😊😊.
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