Need a kickstarter!

[mrqwest]

Eurgh! So I've not been running for... 3 weeks now. I feel terrible, my legs ache because, presumably, they're not getting used and starting to lose muscle (i'm not actually doing _any_ exercise at the moment). I keep trying to urge myself to get up & out of the door in the mornings before work but the cold dark nights just aren't gripping me at the moment.

Evenings are so busy with the kids and work so that's out of the question too! I have the time in the morning so it's not a case of being *too busy* to run, but I just don't have the motivation.

Some folks have said 'sign up for a race, that'll boost your motivation'... except I have a 10k race in 3 weeks, it's been booked for nearly aaaages now and that's still not got me out of the door!

So, fine folk of Couch to 5k, what do you recommend to help get me out of the door at least twice this week and start building back up again!?

[Fentaz42 Graduate]

I'd go out on one hell of a bender! It would make me feel so ill I'd be disgusted in myself and the guilt would force me out the door! Then it's done and you'll feel full of smugness! Huzzah!

[mrqwest Graduate in reply to Fentaz42]

ha! If only that'd work, alas, I've tried (oh how I've tried!!!) and that doesn't work for me. I'll eat a curry, or a big bar of chocolate one night and then think it'd ruin my run the following morning so I don't actually go out!

Bored of it now and I've got just over 2 and half weeks until the 10k; oh and a half marathon in Feb. You'd think this would spur me on even more!!

[lizziebeth57 Graduate]

Decide to do it tomorrow morning, set your alarm and do it. Then tell us and we will give you lots of praise

I am sure you know this having done the programme but once you take that first step of putting the shoes on ( okay and some clothes if it's morning ) and going out the door you will be fine.

[mrqwest Graduate in reply to lizziebeth57]

You're so right! Only once in the last 18 months have I put my shoes on and stepped outside before turning around and coming back in (pavements were too icy to walk, let alone run). I didn't see this last night and the littl'un has his back teeth cutting through so spent most of the night on the Sofa with him but tomorrow, if I wake up in my own bed, I'll be out for a run and I'll let you all know how it went!

[Hidden]

Will guilt tripping work!

[mrqwest Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Hopefully!

[Hidden in reply to mrqwest]

Here's the guilt trip...active parents make for active children. Children follow your example. You were doing great, get back out there

[mrqwest Graduate in reply to Hidden]

eurghh, you're so right!!! Every time I'm out walking with the boys and we see a runner, my eldest shouts "look daddy, he's running like you do"...

[gypsydepp Graduate]

Come on!

You're one of the 'originals'!

I know how you feel....have had gaps myself.

Put week 9 podcast on and go for it.....

Laura will get you going again.....if only to remind you of the feeling of achievement when you graduated x

[mrqwest Graduate in reply to gypsydepp]

haha, one of the 'originals', yeah I like that! As I said to Lizziebeth57 above, if I wake up in my own bed tomorrow morning, I'll be out for a run in the morning! I'm not enjoying this lethargic grubby feeling I've had for the last week or so!

[Anniemurph Graduate]

Get those trainers on and get out there! Go on, you know you want to

[mrqwest Graduate in reply to Anniemurph]

sadly I am already at work but tonight, I'm digging out my Garmin, my trainers, my iPod & my headphones, and tomorrow will be the day.

[OldNed Graduate]

This may be (is) a cliche but Just Do It. You know you can. Let me tell you a true story about procrastination. Our daughter, who has a learning disability, has always been very fluent in her use of language (although not in her speech, unfortunately) and always interested in words & meanings. As a child she once asked "what does procrastination mean?". We told her to look it up in a dictionary. "I'll do it tomorrow" came the reply, and she wondered why we fell about on the floor laughing. Just Do It.

[mrqwest Graduate in reply to OldNed]

Beautiful! I've literally just spent 20 minutes on Garmin Connect planning out a new route. I've kinda pin-pointed two things that put me off running at the moment. The cold dark mornings (5:30am!) and my route. I live in a particularly hilly area but have found a 5k route that is predominantly flat although it's a hill up to it and a hill down at the end, but after 18 months, it's really really boring now.

I've planned a 7k route now with a hillier profile, it'll be a paaaain to do but that's all part of the fun eh? I won't do that tomorrow, I'll do an equally hilly but shorter 4 or 5 to get back into the groove but I'll do the 7k next week... I might even do it this weekend with some additional km to make it longer.

New 7k hill profile starts at 66m and ends at 120m (54m gain overall) > cl.ly/image/0J3T0T1J0l0X

[OldNed Graduate in reply to mrqwest]

Best of luck with it.

[waletta Graduate]

Come on now - we need to know. Did you do it? The run that is, not sleep in your own bed. Children bless them eh?

[mrqwest Graduate]

Ha! I didn't go out yesterday, I set my alarm, ended up on the sofa with the littl'un again. Alarm went off at 5am, switched it off, nodded off again and woke at 6:45. D'oh!

But I DID go out this morning... spent the night in my own bed (hurrah!), out the door and boy it was tough. I was trying to slow my pace down as I knew it'd be hard but obviously didn't slow it down enough. I managed 4k and I had to stop twice for a quick breather. I'll head out again on Saturday and improve on that!

Feelin' good about it too