Week 7 run 2...that was flippin' hard!?

[futurefit]

I'm a bit confused why that was SO hard...ok...so the weathers a bit muggy today but that was the third 25min run I've done this week (25mins Mon, Wed and today), so thought it should get a bit easier, not harder? Week 6 run 3 was so much better but this was by far the most challenging. I guess we can all have days like this though and sometimes for no specific reason. Normally I come away from a run feeling happy(ish) in myself but this time I felt kind of wrecked.

[Purple_faced_woman Graduate]

I found a similar thing happened to me. Partly I think it was just overconfidence - I've done this/I can do this, and then maybe starting a bit faster due to that and struggling. I find there is a balance between the "I've done this/I can do this" leading to either "therefore this next time will be easy" (over-confidence) and "I'll take it as it comes and not worry" (relaxed acceptance that it is possible but knowing that every run is a separate challenge in itself, and there are many factors to take into consideration).

I've just completed Week 8 Run 3 and found it much harder than the other 2 runs despite being the same length of time (28 mins). There are a whole lot of different factors that may have affected me: what I had to eat/drink yesterday/this morning pre-run, what the weather was doing, where I was running, how much and what type of exercise I did yesterday (eg, went to Body Conditioning class where we did a lot of lunge steps, so my knees were less happy), my mood, things that are worrying me, etc. So many things mental and physical contribute to how I run.

What I'm basically saying is, as you put it yourself, there will always be good runs and bad runs, but the reasons are not always obvious. Just know that if this one was a bit crap, the next one will probably be a lot better. Keep on running - you're doing great!

[dagshar Graduate]

There are always a lot of factors at play and things will vary from time to time without us being able to pinpoint the reason exactly. Saying that, I do find it tougher when it's humid - it can make quite a difference.

[Irishprincess Graduate]

There are loads of reasons why a run can feel harder than usual. Sleep, water, food, weather can all impact the next day's run and it happens to all of us. It's behind you now so forget about it and I bet the next run is a good one!