Slow decline 🐌

[Shuffledaway]

Having done C25K 2 years ago, I was cycling once a week, running twice a week and strength training once a week. Since then, we moved and various other things have happened and Ive gradually ended up in the position of one session a week of strength training .

Have no desire at all to run and it seems the less you do it, the less you want to. Last week I did a hiit session and discovered how much fitness I’d lost 😞.

So, yesterday I decided to get going again and started C25 from week 4 just to see if I could do it. I did it, but it was hard!

The important thing for me is that I start to enjoy running again because that would inspire me to go out, instead of a feeling of dread. I always dwell on the fact that I have to go out before I go and am usually miserable/ irritable before. However, when it’s done, I feel good.

Sorry for the ramble bu would be interested to hear how others overcome the psychological barriers!

[Gwenllian1 Graduate10]

I sympathise! I’ve had similar issues with moving house and various health problems but I’m still running, just! I have various things that help me to keep going. I find having nice running kit is a help! I put my runs in my diary and on running days I put my kit on when I get dressed. So far I’ve never got changed without having run. I try not to think about whether I feel like it but just go, although I do tell myself on the days when I really don’t feel like it that I can just do 3k if I don’t warm up and feel better. Again, once I’m out I’m usually fine. I try to run in lovely places and I reward myself when I get home with good coffee and a really nice breakfast. Hope some of this helps. And as you say, I always feel good for doing it! Good luck!

[Shuffledaway in reply to Gwenllian1]

Thanks for taking the time to reply, this is good advice. I might invest in some new gear, that might help and just getting up and getting the gear on without thinking about it!

[Beachcomber66 Graduate10]

I will skip the bit about the background , but I am now well into my comeback after a bad 6 months or so. I was actually really keen to get back, so there was a glad to be out there feel, but finding that 5k was too far was a shock after doing a HM in September. I think that my running watch and slightly obsessive approach helped. I didn’t do run walk. I started at 1k, and then built it up steadily over 3 runs per week. I was soon seeing my average heart rate drop on like for like pace and distance runs, and then the longer distances came back and finally pace improved. It just helped me to see that, run on run, things were improving. So long as I have a plan and can measure progress empirically, I can enjoy the recovery process.

[Shuffledaway in reply to Beachcomber66]

Thanks for giving feedback, it does help. Your approach in running 1K and then increasing might work for me. It’s another option to C25K. 🙏

[Beachcomber66 Graduate10 in reply to Shuffledaway]

Your legs and lungs will tell you 🙂

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10]

Life does get in the way Shuffledaway, but please don’t give up on your running. Redoing C25K is an excellent idea. 👏👏👏

I’m like you: I need to enjoy my running. I do too much of it to feel miserable when I go out.

Your fitness will return. Consider posting on here to keep yourself accountable, and you’ll be back to where you were before you know it. Good luck! 😀

[Shuffledaway in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Yes, posting might help too. It’s an incentive not to have to write the disappointment you feel in not having done anything! Thankyou 🙏

[ForbiddenPlanet Graduate10]

I agree that motivation is key and in my case, like Gail, I have nice kit (mainly trainers) and gear (watch, headphones).

And any run day I tell myself is a reward day, and I usually eat nicer / richer / more food.

Also joining in programmes with others has helped me. My performance really fell off in the first months of this year, and what sparked a revival was joining a 30 day challenge on the Strength and Flex forum.

Another benefit I gained from that programme was having a short S & F running workout to do every day. This covers just 2-3 km in my case, but really helps me establish running as a regular habit. (I do a longer run every other day, which incorporates this workout). I have a morning ritual now, and it seems silly, but once I've measured out porridge and crushed seeds into a bowl in preparation for my post run breakfast, then I feel committed to getting out there! 😂

Even having just a one day gap between runs used to result in a feeling of strangeness when I went out for a run, and this continuity - doing something every day - has helped me.

I also love poring over the data that my Garmin has collected, and after doing my post run stretches each day, I love scarfing down porridge and coffee while analysing the stats on the Garmin website and Strava. It's little post run rewards like this that keep me going.

[Shuffledaway in reply to ForbiddenPlanet]

Yes perhaps getting up early and doing something every day will be motivating. I don’t have Garmin etc but I have found that podcasts help me to forget what I’m actually doing! It’s all very interesting and useful advice so really appreciated! X

[Seaside22]

Love your snail, Shuffledaway. Do you use music? I try to tell myself that I’m going out to listen to my favourite tracks, with running (jogging/shuffling) just a side thought. Puts a smile on my face.

[Shuffledaway in reply to Seaside22]

Haha yes perhaps I should have a gazelle instead of a snail! I have used music but I find podcasts are more of a distraction which is what I need!

[CBDB Graduate10]

What helped me is to get myself planning, either using an existing plan or devising a new one.

I’ve also posted a list of different C25k plans that make me want to revisit each one of them!

healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...

Hope you find that mojo again! It’s out there!

You got this and so we’ll done for getting out there again!

[Shuffledaway in reply to CBDB]

Thanks so much for this! Lots to read up/ try.😀