Learning from my mistakes : Yesterday's long run... - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

132,413 members158,564 posts

Learning from my mistakes

10 Replies

Yesterday's long run, 13 miles. I wasn't feeling the love, I didn't want to go, but I'm on a plan... I gotta go! So I was then pondering what to wear, decided to wear a long sleeved hoody and no jacket. I went to fill up my camelback and mucked it right up and soaked it through. So I headed out with a hand bottle.

I froze to death! I was fairly ok the whole time I was moving but as soon as I stopped I nearly burst into tears! I had to get me cloud chaser to pick me up in the car whereas I would usually walk home to walk off aches. I spent the rest of the day trying to warm up which I guess means my core temperature had dropped.

I need more than a hand bottle.

I really mucked up, I dont have fond memories of the run and the last 3 miles were a real slog!

Not to forget that I read an article this week stating that 4 hours is the average for a marathon and over that is a bit embarressing! Well prepared to be embarrassed Cloudchaser, it was not a helpful article as it made me question why I'm bothering. I am fully aware that we should not compare ourselves but I was trying to find a bench mark, I just looked in the wrong place.

So anyway, I have purchased a new top and will defo take my jacket to carry if necessary!

10 Replies
Zev1963 profile image
Zev1963Graduate

pffffffff, I think anyone who succeeds in running a marathon has every reason to be proud, and no reason to feel embarassed !

Lovefood1984 profile image
Lovefood1984Graduate

Well it took me 3 to do a half so there is no way I'd do a marathon in 4! Best throw away that article, it doesn't sound very inspiring to me. Hope your next run is a warmer one :)

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor

The self conscious, sensitive little flower, who wrote that article should be totally ignored. Just think Cc, when you finish your marathon you will set a PB that most people on the planet will never achieve, Your accomplishment will be well above the average and we will all cheer you on as a heroine, even if you take 4 days to finish (especially so, in fact!!).

I hope the London marathon has runner tracking enabled, like the New York marathon. I really enjoyed following my mate as he ran that one. You are doing great. Good luck.

Keep running, keep smiling.

Bazza1234 profile image
Bazza1234Graduate

Whichever race you are going in -- they should have the results for past year's races. Have a look at those results and I am sure you will see that there is a wide range of times. Many of these websites for runners are for younger/faster runners -- I am 68 and there are virtually none that cater to me !! :) So basically - ignore most of what they say.

misswobble profile image
misswobbleGraduate

It''s not about other folks's times, it's about you and what you're achieving. If we got hung up every time someone else did better times than us we'd never get out the door! So come on stop feeling sorry for yourself and give yourself an "I did fantastic" punch into the air. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

You can tie that lightweight running jacket round your middle when you get too hot. They weigh nothing.

I was hot on my run the other day but I couldn't get warm for ages when I got back in.

A good plate of hot dinner does help, so make one ahead for when you get back in. Curry or chilli always goes down well with me

Rignold profile image
Rignold

I believe the average time for US men's marathon is around 4.16, yes, bt let's remember what average time means: half of them achieved that or faster (including the Kenyans and professionals cracking out 2.10 times) and the other half of all the entrants were slower than that. To achieve the 'average speed' you have to be fast enough to beat half of the field.

To run a 4hr marathon, you need to be cracking out sub 30 min 5ks back to back 8 times in a row. Not impossible by any means, obviously, because half of the men are managing it, but no mean feat, either.

My HM time is 2.15 at the moment. By the conventional maths (marathon = 2xHM +6 1/2 mins), that would give me a marathon time of 4.37. I'll be thrilled to bits if I get that when I do my first marathon later this year. I'll be thrilled just to finish tbh.

I'm hoping to get my HM time down to 2 hours by the end of the year, but my target for the next one is 2.10. And you know what? If I don't achieve that, so what? It's the running that is the point, not the time, not where I am compared to anyone else and certainly not what some dickhead on the internet thinks.

I am on a really good running group and everyone posts their runs and times on Facebook every day. Most of them are far better runners than me, and frequently post things like "Urghh, did 10k today... really wasn't feeling it, had cramp, broken leg and got stuck in a tar pit, really slow time of XYZ, may as well have stayed at home" and their XYZ time is 15 minutes faster than my PB for the same distance. But that's okay. I look at my stats and the important thing is that I actually got out there and stuck to my schedule, and secondly, the overall trend is upwards.

As regards clothing, I have ditched the hoodies and always just wear a lightweight wind jacket over a base layer technical shirt. Once I am warmed up, it is fine. When I was wearing a heavier layer it was the sweat cooling on my skin that chilled me through, even though I was simultaneously too hot.

Cheer up, look up but don't ever give up, to paraphrase one of those self-help gurus.

Thank you all for taking the time to cheer me up! Rignold you made me laugh out loud! Thanks! Yes your right, I was feeling way to sorry for myself, I'll kick ass tomorrow when I go out again!

Mr Truf, yes there is a way to follow the runner, I'll post my number once I know it... The more cheers I get the better, it might blow me round the course.

I don't know what posessed me to go out without my jacket, I usually take it. I put it down to a temporary brain blip, but rest assured, next Sunday, I will be uber prepared (that camel pack won't get the better of me either!)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch... I might try running with an audio book, see how that is.

ancientrunner profile image
ancientrunnerGraduate

I just completely agree with everything that has been said. That's real stuck up rubbish. Someone at work did the London Marathon in around 5.30 last year and I have another friend who did it in 6. I am in awe of them. Sadly I don't think I will ever do a HM and to me anyone who even trains for a marathon is amazing.

That would be great fun if we can track you! Go teamC25K!

It would be fab to know a small band of merry runners would be tracking my progress (no stalking now!) I didn't realise that you could last year when my friend was running the London. I feel tempted to run in my C25K Tshirt now!

You may also like...

Oh my POOR knees - learn from my mistake!

manouvre that involves wrapping it round me and walking sideways :) I was so keen to graduate...

I learned from my W9 gremlin wobbles and today I graduated 😊

too much about how far/how slow, and eventually wear out the scary fluoro trainers so that I can...

Learning to be my own Laura

Things I learned from week 6.

Please stop if you feel pain! Learn from me!

worse and is now painful all the time and I can only walk for a few minutes before it's too much....