Ok. So I knew I'd have a bad run at some point after reading other peoples posts, but this was truly AWFUL! Guess if I'm to analyse it, I felt forced to go out just now as we've had a really full on weekend (haven't we all?) and running in the week is really hard, what with work, dark nights and kiddies bedtimes etc. I'm also putting the pressure on myself to finish this year as I love the idea of starting 2014 with a new challenge, so I know I need to make every run count. Anyho, out I go... First issue is that during the warm up walk a lady collars me about a stray dog, so we end up spending 5 minutes repatriating him with his owner before I can go on my way! Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, but I was acutely aware that I had a finite window of opportunity before I had to be back for the food shop! But then I start running and well...heavy legs, really sore shins (suffered with them throughout to varying degrees), constant self doubts and lack of enthusiam, arrived shortly thereafter. I managed just 20 minutes (with a break!). Serves me right for being all smug and self righteous after my Monday run where I managed 35 minutes. This was my week 8 run 2 and I'm really cross with myself for being so unmotivated today. This is the first time I've wobbled on the programme and I really felt like telling Laura where to go when she piped up at 5 minutes in, with her "how are you finding it?" Question, followed by "not too hard I hope?". I'm sure I actually said "just bugger off Laura" out loud, rather than in my head. Hope no one heard... I'm looking to you all for words of wisdom and encouragement... I so want to do my graduation run with Nerdio and all my other virtual runners alongside me!
Disaster and a dark mind... Plea for encourage... - Couch to 5K
Disaster and a dark mind... Plea for encouragement!
We all get bad runs, try not to let it get too much Into your head. Just tell yourself we all have them you've just had yours it's out the way now, upwards and onwards. I am sure your next run will be fine. Happy running.
Thanks realfoodieclub. I'm feeling a little more rationale about it now (helped along by a roast dinner with all the trimmings and a large glass of rose wine!). Still cross with myself, but as my legs are really sore tonight, I'm reconciled to that fact that it wasn't all psychological and that my body was actually struggling too. I will be out there soon exorcising those demons...hopefully!
Realfoodieclub is right we all have bad days, yours didn't get off to a great start and you were also under time pressure which just added more stress, so just relax you know you can do this and if you don't graduate till after Christmas it wont be the end of the world it will just mean that 2014 will have a brilliant start. Graduation isn't the end of your running journey it's really where it starts.
I like that - it puts a lovely different spin on things. I have been hung up on 'finishing', but you're right of course... Will hold onto that thought. Thanks for the words of encouragement!
Just remember we have all been there - my worst run was end of week 8 - a day after I handed in my application to run the local 5k as my Week 9 R1 2 days later on the Sunday. I spent the Saturday at friends telling them how crap I was the night before, why oh why had I said I would do this 5k, feeling terrified, nervous and everything, but the Sunday was fine and gave me such a buzz to know that not only had I run for 30 mins (more because I still cannot do 5k in 30 mins) but also actually run for 5k.
You will succeed - and hope you can get it completed in 2013. The next challenge is always good - and I can assure you, you are doing better than me as I just cannot do this winter running and have really fallen by the wayside despite knowing I am to do the Great Winter Run on Jan 11th. Roll on the festive period when at least I might see day light without being at work - and the motivation will return.
Glad to know I'm not alone then! You're running the great winter run on my birthday, I'll be sure to toast your success, but I will almost certainly not be running that day...I'm anticipating so many presents and cards, that I'll have little time to do anything else that day but open them! Lol! Thank you for your support...I love this site!
I am sure we have all told Laura to bugger off at some point or other. She's very forgiving and will be waiting for you on your next run with no hard feelings. Honest. Put it behind you and I am sure the next run will be a success. After all, you know you can do it, so don't get stressed about it.
Keep running, keep smiling.
Thank you IannodaTruffle! I do think I owe Laura an apology though, she has been such a good friend and my outburst was thoroughly unprovoked! Lol! I will be out there again, pounding the pavements and puffing away next week. I am bloody well determined to do this, and you're right of course...I did 35 minutes Monday, so I know I can...
My Laura would have loved it if I had been as polite to her as "bugger off", I said an awful lot worse on many occasion, and always out loud! Forget today, raise a glass of wine to it and toast the dog! That was your good deed for the day, think of how sad someones Christmas would have been without their mutt. Now plan for Tuesday. Get someone to have the kids for an hour, plan an easy route (no hills) and go for it. Make sure you give all the Christmas decorations marks out of 10 and decide whether they're from John Lewis or Poundland or somewhere in between. You will succeed and if you went out every other day from Tuesday, you would graduate on Christmas day, so there is plenty of time before 2014. Good luck and keep posting.
Like, like, like!!! There are some shocking Christmas decs around by us, so will have plenty of fodder for the game! I've followed your advice re wine to the letter tonight though used my own initiative and threw in a thoroughly lavish roast dinner too - hope that was ok? ; ). The only slight alteration I will have to make to your brilliantly inspired plan is the day...gonna have to be Wednesday as Tuesday is gymnastics / swimming club hell (not for me you understand, but the little one seems to like it, so who am I to spoil the fun?!...). Thank you.
Fattytt is so right Finding that dog has meant someone will have a lovely Christmas instead of being really sad wondering where their dog is Bet lady is telling all her friends and family about really kind runner who helped her Just now you feel really down but you will prob surprise yourself next time out I know you wanted to graduate on Boxing Day but if it doesn't work out I am sure some of us will be your virtual buddy if you let us know when you do graduation run and you still have time to do it before end of 2013 Wishing you well and remember you will get there
I had a good old cuddle with my mutt tonight too and told him just how brilliant his mummy was! He seemed to concur, but then he's biased! Thank you for your lovely supportive words...I do so love the folk on here! I've already reconciled to the fact that boxing day might be a leap too far now with my dodgy shins, but the end of 2013 is still doable so that's what I'll aim for...will keep you posted.
We all have runs where we feel frustrated that it's not gone well but at least you're out there running, which is the main thing. It's not a big chunk of time out of your day, and once it's done you can get on with other stuff. Make some "you" time and don't feel guilty about it then your runs can be less stressed. Good luck and happy running
Thank you misswobble. I was probably foolish to go out today as I was definitely trying to just shoe horn it in to everything else I had to do! Must learn the art of delegation...; ) thank you for your support.
I feel your pain - I had my first bad run week 6/3 last week. Even though I had read of them on here, you really have to experience one to 'get it'. Like you, I squished the run in to a busy day and it was just a little too much. I also went off Laura big time and mentally cancelled my plans to buy a garmin or ever run a park run, lol.
I too would really like to graduate on Jan 1st and looking at my schedule, am getting a little pushed to do that.
However....put it behind you like these good people say: you're next run will likely be much much better, mine was yesterday. If we don't graduate in time for the very start of 2014, then so be it. But once we are on week 9, we are running for 30 continuous minutes, just like Lara promised we would be.
hey lemondoodle. You and the other folk are right of course, and I'm hopefully getting a bit more perspective on it, now I've had a few hours to process it! I think I was secretly hoping that run 2 would go as well as run 1 (where I did 35 mins) and that I might be able to leap frog run 3 and go straight to week 9, with a gold star and a smiley face from Laura for doing so well! Like I said, that'll teach me! I've had a coming back down to earth moment and think I should take heed! I'll get there, but I might not be quite as smug now when I do! Lol! Onwards and upwards for the pair of us eh?
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