W6R2 Done 😃 (but a bit confused)

[Bundoodle]

Just back from W6R2 and soaking wet. Mother Nature decided to give me a shower, before my shower. Walking back from the 5 minute cool down felt really good (I never manage to get it to coincide with my actual arrival back home so it's usually more like a 10 minute walk). Does anyone else find the first section of the runs awful - feeling sick, gasping for breath and feeling that I may die at any moment - and the last bit enjoyable and, while by no means easy, a lot less hard? I would have thought I would get more tired not less 🤔. Still loving the program, I never, ever, thought I could run and now I don't want to stop!

[bulgarianlily Graduate]

Yes and what is fun, is that the time to settle down into the run seems to be coming down for me, was 10 minutes, now five.

[Bundoodle Graduate in reply to bulgarianlily]

Hopefully mine will start to come down and one day the whole thing will be enjoyable! Thanks 👍

[misswobble Graduate in reply to Bundoodle]

The warm up is important. You might need a longer warm up. I know I do.  I like a long lead in before I start running as I am just so slow to get into my stride.  I warm up in the house before I leave for the warm up walk, so I'm really good and sweaty before setting off. It seems to help. I don't see needing a long warm up as a bad thing. We're all different and maybe five minutes just isn't enough for everyone

[Bundoodle Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Maybe I should start walking to get going a bit before I start the podcast. As I am getting fitter I find that the walking doesn't even start to get me warm. I have tried to walk faster but to no avail as it just means I break into a run. Thanks for answering.

[Shivani05 Graduate]

The first 5 minutes are always a struggle. It gets easier after you find a rhythm, but for me personally I find it's only after 20 minutes that I feel GOOD about the run. Unfortunately by then it's nearing the end and I have 10 minutes to make the most of it before it's time to stop.

Gasping for breath is not a good sign at any point in the run. Start out very slow and gradually increase your speed once you've got a rhythm with your breath. Good luck!

[Bundoodle Graduate in reply to Shivani05]

Thankyou! I think the gasping is my asthma letting me know it would rather I didn't try to run. I do use my inhaler before I run so maybe a trip to the asthma clinic may be on the cards.  Once I get going and get a into a rhythm the breathing gets better but is still not easy. I don't seem to be able to synch it with my running though. Something to work on next time out. 

[Returning2Run Graduate]

Yep, with you there! Sometimes I feel sick if I haven't drunk enough water the day before the run and if I'm going too fast. I always get a bit nervous before going out and I think it's the adrenaline that makes me a bit speedier than I intend to. I find that a lofnger warm up like MissWobble helps, as does going a lot slower than I need to for the first 10 mins and slowly bring the pace up if things are feeling okay  

if it's getting hotter where you are then that's also something else to think about for hydration and skin protection. I only say that cos last summer I thought I'd be fine without it because it wasn't the hottest part of the day and was for less than an hour but my moles started going funny. All checked out fine now but am much more cautious 

[Bundoodle Graduate in reply to Returning2Run]

Thanks! I keep forgetting the sunscreen and have got a bit of an inadvertent tan myself. It's interesting what you say about not drinking enough the day before as I didn't drink much yesterday and tried to compensate this morning, having a belly full of water probably doesn't help much. I'm going to try a longer warm up and take it slow and steady. I'll let you all know how it goes.

[Lisakcm]

I hate the beginning of a run , I have to really talk myself into keep going 

[Bundoodle Graduate in reply to Lisakcm]

I think I need to just expect the first bit to be hard and remind myself it gets better and then I get to stop😂 Now I know it's normal to find the beginning hard I don't think it will worry me so much. Thanks 👍

[Slowstart Graduate in reply to Bundoodle]

When you start to exercise you generate energy without oxygen (anaerobically) and so build up an oxygen deficit, which is when you feel sluggish. When you continue to run your body recovers somewhat, then you feel good. When you stop you continue to breath heavily whilst you repay this oxygen deficit (recovery time). (That's in simple terms) Of course there are other factors, but this explanation has helped me work through the slump. It's not just you, it's natural.