Gutted!!

[ca66ie99]

After completing Couch to 5k but not sticking with running I realised I needed goal.

I signed up for a 10k in May but unfortunately with a month of birthdays and celebrations beforehand my I fell off the wagon and although I completed yhe run, it was very stop start and I was disappointed in myself.

I signed up to Run to the Beat (today) and resolved to train. I had to take a month off due to injury but threw myself back in to it and 2 weeks ago completed the training programme managing 9.44k in 60 mins on the first go.

More so than doing 5k I realised that now I was beginning to enjoy running, I could not believe I could run without stopping for that long!

I even managed 3 runs whilst on holiday which has never happened before. I was all geared up for a serious attempt at 10k in 1 hour.

Until I got home from holiday on Thursday and came down with a cold and cough. After struggling through several sleeoless nights, shivering and over heating I woke this morning with the realisation that I am simply not going to make the run.

Part of me feels like a failure, that if I could just drag myself to the start line I could do it, but deep down I know my chest is so congested I doubt I could run for 5 mins (it took me 15mins to walk from the car yesterday and its a 2min walk !!!).

I also feel in a different way that I have taken a huge step by acknowledging that it is a run to far. I am just soooooo gutted that all my training has gone to waste.

I have just booked a place for a 10k in February to try and keep my motivation going, hell I even get a free beanie!! If I can keep going through the winter months I think I will have cracked this running lark.

Sorry for the rant, was just feeling so disappointed ;-(

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

One of the commonest phrases used on this forum is "listen to your body". You have made the right decision, I am sure, but it must be annoying after training yourself up for the event. Why not wait until you recover fully and set yourself a 10k course and go out and push that one hour barrier. That will give you the impetus to keep up the training through the winter for your 10k in February.

Good luck, get well, keep running, keep smiling.

[ca66ie99 Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks, you are so right. Thatsa really good idea, I normally try to vary my runs so I dont get bored but I think I will give this a go, hey I might even be able to get below an hour!

[LalaEghiz]

Oh you poor thing. You must feel rotten but it sounds like you really need to firmly stay on the sofa today. If it helps I'm sure you won't be the only one who is too poorly or injured to take part today. Then there's peeps like me who can only dream of what you have achieved!

It's only 14.5 weeks til Xmas so February will be here before you know it. With more training until then lots of folk will be eating your dust as you zoom past and will be coughing far more then you are now

[ca66ie99 Graduate in reply to LalaEghiz]

Your reply made me smile! Its true, sometimes I dont realise how far I have come and like you say, the next one will be around the corner quicker than I know. All the more incentive to keep on running!

[Net68 Graduate]

You really have done the right thing, if you had tried and DNF how bad would you be feeling? You are listening to your body and that definitely the right thing. Your hard work is not wasted, your health has improved and once feeling better you are a closer step to your February race

Is the race route close by? Can you do it once you feel better? See what your time is?

Hope you start feeling better shortly

Good luck with further training once you are feeling better

Happy running

[ca66ie99 Graduate in reply to Net68]

That's a really good point, I'd have hated a DNF more than a non start.

At no point while the run would have been going on have I thought that I could have done it, my body is definitely telling me I made the right decision.

The route is not that far abd I have planned to tackle it at some point just to see how I would have done. Its frustrating but hopefully I will be laid low for less time than if I had run!