I'm fat, slow and unable to finish this mornings parkrun. Feel so defeated. Managed 7.5k on holiday so it's not the distance. It's the voice in my head that compares me to the 'real' runners. Ran 2 of the 3 laps at a faster pace than I have ever run but was so disheartened by being dead last that I gave up. I even sent my running partners on without me. I just can't keep up. Feel a real failure. It was also treacherous underfoot and the slippery mud gave me a real fright.
I've downloaded the speed podcast for 5+ and will give it a go this week. Parkrun I will be back.
Written by
Funkydelia
Graduate
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I can understand why you are feeling so disheartened but you know - YOU GOT OUT AND GAVE IT A GO! The slippery surface will not have helped either.
Try to put it down to simply a rubbish run and set it behind you. I dropped out of my only Parkrun so I know where you are coming from. I too am trying to improve my running with Stamina and can now run 6.01km but only in 60 minutes. How much too slow is that?
Chin up and keep running. You are way ahead of some of us!
You did well if it was slippy conditions so don't feel too bad. But I think if you look back at your run you know what went wrong, reading your post you said you did 2 fast laps it may have been better to do 1 slower lap and build up your speed when comfortable. I know myself if I start out too fast too soon I can burn out, I find my performance is better building up gradually I can then maintain a faster speed towards the end. It doesn't always result in a new PB but it does give you the satisfaction of finishing. Put this run behind you and look forward to the next one with a positive mindset. Good luck
I'm always dead last at the start of my park run, and my first one finished 149th out if 161. I'm not out to compare myself with others, just to feel fitter and healthier and have some fun along the way.
Don't be disheartened, give it another go and just keep slowly plodding along x
It really doesn't matter if you finish last every time because you're only competing with you, that's the point of Parkrun in my opinion. You have to finish, how else will you know whether you do better next time?
I am sorry you didn't finish your parkrun; I was last on my first parkrun; after falling flat on my face in the mud (thankfully by then I was on my own) I got up and carried on as my son was also running (I had sent him ahead within a mnute or two of starting when he was running backwards laughing at me); then a few minutes later I was joined by the tailrunner who encouraged me on through the next few kms to the end. Once I got into my stride I was even able to chat back to him telling him about my c25k journey! I finished way after everyone else but it gave me a personal time to work on.
If you went out and did two quick laps just focus on them as a speed training session; next time try and start off in a more measured way and enjoy the feeling as you finish in triumphant style (just don't do an aeroplane across the line as I did a couple of parkruns later, when I was sure I had improved my time, scarlet faced and all - the photos are not pretty )
Maybe it's something to do with our names as I am dead slow too! But so what? I'm never going to run in the Olympics at my age and time of life but, I am in superb shape --- you can even see my upper abs now -- feel great and can eat what I like without feeling guilty. I've never done a park run and it takes me 50 minutes to run 7K, but how many people can do that? And please stop being self-deprecating. You'll lose that surplus weight if you want to just by staying on the program -- you will eventually go off unhealthy food, honest!. Very well done other Delia
dont feel bad...you got out there...small steps= big progress, and its often the harder times we gain more mentally and emotionally. You are doing brilliaintly, and you will nail it!!!
There are always days that are bad, so put it behind you! I found the stepping stones really good as each 5 mins she changed track and it kept you at an even run, don't go too fast, I did that on one run and failed miserably! Keep going you are doing really well.
I'm fat and slow too and after many months of frustration trying to up the pace and get better and faster I've realised finally that I may not always be fat but I'll always be 'slow'. I'm pushing 50, my joints have taken the toll of up to 7 stones of excess weight over the years (down to 4 now) and even when I'm in good shape I'm never going to be fast.
I'm training for my first Park Run as returning from injury and I'm not quite at 5K yet. My local one isn't 'all abilities' there's no one taking walking breaks or struggling but they're a great crowd and I'm resigned to being last week on week once I'm doing it.
Sometimes we have to give our heads a good shake. I spent far too long getting frustrated over 'time'
You more a real runner than the folks that were still in their beds while you were running! Don't give yourself too hard a time, you'll get there, you know you will. There's also no shame in being cautious, there's always another week when you might feel more at ease.
Hey FunkyDelia. If your three laps were anything like Cambridge Parkrun yesterday I'm not surprised you struggled it was horrible. My knees were really sore afterwards I guess from the slipping and trying to avoid puddles etc. Don't be despondent: you were out there having a go. If you started faster than usual you probably wore yourself out a bit too much. I was a bit blue yesterday as I had done 5k in 32:27 on my graduation run
Having had a first go at the speed podcast this morning I would like to offer a word of caution. I really struggled with it (I did Parkrun in 33:37 yesterday to give you an idea of the speed of my running, although I'm relatively tall so might have a longer stride length than you.) The fast intervals are at 165 BPM which in wind today I struggled to do. In the end I missed the 4th of the 6 fast intervals walking with a longer stride length instead and walked (at the right BPM) the last three slower jogs. I'm going to try my own interval training next using the W1R1 podcast and alternating faster and slower running without trying to keep to Laura's strike rate. I don't think I'm alone in finding that strike rate pretty hard and needing to work up to it.
Thanks for the info about the speed podcast. Looked again and tried the stepping stone one which was challenging enough to work me really hard but not so bad that I wanted to die like I did in wk1!
I am also going back to week 1 for interval training, running fast or lengthening stride form1 min and jogging for walk it does help cover the distance but finding really hard! Just wish I could loose th weight everyone talks about!
I did W1R1 as interval training today but it was pretty windy and although I ran hard with longer strides for the runs I wasn't able to maintain the jog in between: I was getting stitch and struggling to breath! Still it actually felt like more of an achievement than the 30 minute slow runs so I think I shall stick to this and even though it was still run walk I got further than I did when I did the programme first so that was also encouraging. It is supposed to be interval training that shifts weight so we shall see after a week or two of this!
Hey, slow and steady greenlegs here! Slow is good. Starting out too fast is hard to resist, but it does work better if you can hold back, even though it's *very* hard to see everyone else disappearing into the distance. I have been last at a parkrun, but it was surprisingly ok. I just kept plodding on at my steady slow pace until I got to the end. I thought I'd be embarrassed by people cheering me in, but it was rather lovely.
One of my two parkruns was also very muddy and slippy and it did make things much harder, as it put a lot more strain on my knees and hips, so don't be so hard on yourself. You did really well, and don't forget that you're doing way better than most people ever do, whatever their body build.
Funkydelia (I love your username btw) all my worst runs have been me comparing myself to others (as they whizz past seemingly with ease) so I really do get why you felt like you did. It's those mind Gremlins - tell them to b off, follow all that wise advice above (slow & steady gets us there) and enjoy your next parkrun.
Sorry for the delay in responding - I'm only just now catching up on all my emails. I'm so sorry you felt this way. You're much braver than I am because I haven't even done a parkrun yet, despite loads of encouragement from people on this forum. I have a horror of slippy ground so I probably won't be going to my local this winter as it's all on grass. So well done for trying, I salute you and hope that you're feeling better now and that you can move onwards from this experience. All the best,
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