Fitness ups and downs

[TortoiseRegretsHare]

Seems over the past year that I've got to a good level of fitness and then something has happened - usually not an injury, but a bad cold or (as now) Covid or something that means I have to stop running for 2-3 weeks (and I cycle too - so I stop cycling too) and my fitness declines because I'm ill and then I get back to a slightly lower level of fitness and then I get ill again. It's getting depressing. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. At least that's how it feels. I've tried "go easy on yourself"; '''take each day as it comes"; "any activity, no matter how brief, is good" - and other self admonishment/ pep talks. Any tips?

[Cmoi Graduate10]

Sympathy and empathy TortoiseRegretsHare ! I was extremely fortunate during my first 18 months of running, but the past 15 months have been an unholy mix of injuries, illness and adverse weather (ice, thunderstorms, heatwave) and I'm a long way behind where I used to be.

It's not easy, and when it comes to tips, what works for some people won't work for others. I've been trying to focus on the fact that I'm still running, even though not at the level I was at before, and on enjoying my running. Right now that means running where and when I want, making the most of the environment in which I find myself, and not recording everything.

Others will very likely tell you to give yourself targets, get yourself a training programme, run with others, use audio runs etc. If those solutions work for you, brilliant, use them.

I also take the view that negative emotions are allowed. It's how you deal with them that counts. Personally I'd rather acknowledge that I didn't enjoy a run, or that things aren't going how I'd like, than force myself to find positives that I'm actually not feeling, and experience guilt about that into the bargain. Others will find it more helpful to focus only on the positives. The one thing I refuse to do, though, is give up. I'm pig-headed like that.

You can only do what's right for you. I hope the joy comes back into your running very soon.

[TortoiseRegretsHare in reply to Cmoi]

Thanks Cmoi - think I’ll listen to the podcast and the song you mention in your profile!

[TortoiseRegretsHare in reply to Cmoi]

That song is superb - and I love the video. Off to find more now.

[Beachcomber66 Graduate10]

Starting C25k at age 66 was never going to be an easy ride! I have had lots of injuries and illness has got in the way sometimes too. My present approach, which has developed over time, is firstly acceptance; injuries/ illness is going to get in the way and all I can do is minimise recovery time. Finding a good ( no, better than good 🙂) reasonably priced physio has been fundamental. I know the deal now; she quickly works out what is wrong, and helps me fix it through a mixture of treatment and my adherence to the recovery plans she provides. I find that once I have a plan, I am ok. Making progress run on run gives me the lift I need. As part of that I have learned a bit about injury avoidance tactics. So I don’t try to push the pace as much as I did, I enjoy long slow runs and I keep my stride length under control. I am also better about post run calf and hamstring rolling. Illness is frustrating. Last Monday I ran 15k, today I can’t run having struck down by this awful virus which has hit people. 8 weeks recovery time has been mentioned 😱. I have been in touch with the surgery to see if they will upgrade my asthma inhaler ( we were talking about it last week) and have decided that I need to keep moving rather than crash out in bed. A medic friend of ours said this morning that older people (I am 71 now(ish) are like racehorses; you need to get them back on their feet as soon as possible; so I keep trying.🙂

[TortoiseRegretsHare in reply to Beachcomber66]

I'm more of a carthorse - or maybe a Shetland pony, but less cute - than a race horse, but I like the idea. Maybe your virus is what struck me over Christmas - it took ages to shift - and now I have Covid. But you've cheered me up - thank you!

[Beachcomber66 Graduate10 in reply to TortoiseRegretsHare]

I am no racehorse either…more of an old nag 😂

[Beachcomber66 Graduate10 in reply to TortoiseRegretsHare]

oh, Covid wasn’t a big deal for me. I took out the then 10 day advised recovery period. I tested negative on the 10th day, and I was soon back out there running again. It doesn’t have to be a big deal for everyone; luck of the draw I guess. I should add that this was in 2022 in the omicron phase when I had been well and truly vaccinated. We all remember too many friends for whom the consequences of covid-19 were far worse.

[Chinkoflight]

The fulmar is great inspiration and would motivate me thinking about the way they effortlessly soar along the cliffs. Not so sure about a tortoise or hare. Take one step back and start from there - achievable tasks with extra day by day steps.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10]

It’s really hard. I’ve had a bit of a run of bad luck-illness, fall, illness, more illness… It can get you down.

A few things were useful on restarting at a lower level.

Trying to not to compare with how I was running before, just with how I felt sitting on the couch ill or lying on a pavement after having fallen, unable to run a step.

Trying trails where I knew I’d be slower so that wasn’t something to condemn myself for, and being surrounded by new and beautiful scenery was such a tonic.

Ditching the watch apart from to make sure I was home for dinner.

I also sometimes focussed on just being out and running to enjoy a podcast, so that took all the pressure of pace and distance away. It wasn’t about the run, it was about what I was listening to.

Positively taking walking breaks, or even sitting down breaks. I’d have considered a long run with coffee and cake in the middle a failed run before but I really embraced that as a nice way to cover the distance.

Enjoy marvelling at how bad some runs can be. Maybe this is just me, but I absolutely love looking back on some totally awful runs with a perverse sense of pride that I managed to endure such misery! There was one famous long run that was just hideous from start to finish. Never warmed up, heavy, cold, tired. It taught me that I can push through not enjoying a run if I have to and that’s important. Pretty much the only good thing about that run! We are often tougher than we give ourselves credit for.

Sorry you’re in this position and hope that long ramble made some sense!