Week 6 Run 2 Completed, and ready to quit :-( - Couch to 5K

Well, I amazed myself by managing to complete The Big Twenty at the end of Week 5, and commenced to Week 6 feeling pretty positive.

A trip away over the bank holiday meant I'd had a four day break, and perhaps (!) eaten and drunk a little more than is generally deemed a sensible part of a healthy living campaign. But nevertheless, Tuesday saw me back in my trainers, giving Week 6 Run 1 ago. I didn't expect it to be easy, and it wasn't, but I did it.

So last night was the turn of Week 6 Run 2. I went into it positively - after a solid twenty minutes last week, how hard could two ten minute runs be? Quite hard it seems. But I kept going.

And then I was overtaken. First by two happy looking chaps with a spring in their step who laughed amicably as their stealthy manoeuvre (masked by Laura's dulcet tones in my ears) made me jump so much that my feet actually left the ground (which is probably what they should be doing during a run anyway, but maybe not quite that much). And then immediately after that by a woman who would appear to have done this before. Perfect figure (beautifully exhibited by her skin tight lycra running kit), not a wobble or a bounce anywhere to be see, perfect running technique, ponytail merrily swinging with her pace.

All of them were going at such a speed that within a couple of minutes I literally couldn't see them. And there was me, red faced and panting, lollopping along, fadump fadump as my feet hit the ground. I felt fat, ungainly, inelegant, and yes, a bit humiliated. Suddenly I've stopped feeling proud of myself for making it this far, and just feel pathetic for ever having thought I might be able to do it.

And everyone else on here seems so positive. Am I the only one to have hit a low point?

38 Replies

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suemcshugGraduate

6 years ago

Hi Tryingsohard, I know what you mean. I'm just a run behind you and still feel very ploddy. When I got back yesterday, there was a Dynorod van parked outside my neighbour's house which matched my face perfectly! But, when I see people like you describe - all I can think of is that I want to run like them. I probably never will but I'm a lot closer to that than I was a couple of months ago. It's easy to forget how bad you were when you started. Can't speak for you, but 6 weeks ago I found running for 90 seconds pretty tough. Now we're running for TWENTY MINUTES!! That's pretty impressive. I feel chuffed to bits, even when my other half accompanies me and slightly demoralises me by occasionally running backwards to keep up (down?) with me! You should most definitely be proud of your progress and look forward to getting even better.

HiddenGraduate

I think the biggest thing to take from this is to remember that you are still in the process of learning how to run. It is a skill with a technique & you are already

.... think back to yourself 8 weeks ago, did you know how to run? - how to breathe, how to keep your head still and stop "being too bouncy".... what did you know about pace - about recovery & warming up cooling down, how to cope with stitch & the aces and pains

The chances are you knew very little of all of these 8 weeks ago - and now you know it you wont forget it.

..... Then think of the journey that you have already taken - those 1 minute runs lasted so long, the 3 minute runs were doable, the 5 minute runs felt okay, the 8 minute runs .... you have done them all.

so forget about little miss lycra - run for yourself and for your own reasons.

trainers on, earbuds in & go out & do it....