W8R3 Half an hour of unrelenting mental torture!

[hannah141]

My last post was a very positive one - I ran an extra 2 minutes because I knew I had it in me. I felt so good that I said to myself that on the next run I wouldn't run less than 4k now I knew I could do it. So I pushed myself round the lake and every minute was torture! I don't really know what it was - I can put it downy to any number of things or none of them at all. I hadn't been eating very well that week (lots of bad heavy stuff), I was tired after long hours at work and my quads had only just recovered from a lot of step climbing the day before. When I thought a run would invigorate me, it did the opposite. Every single minute I had to tell myself to keep going when I just wanted to go home and go to sleep! I think it's probably been the toughest run to date when it comes to mental willpower. I didn't know whether I should just call it a day and wipe it off, worried that if I kept pushing on it would make me resent running and I'd find it harder to step out next time. Anyway, I got it done, ran 4k and not slower than usual but my god it was hard!

[louisella Graduate]

Well done for finishing it and not giving into the gremlins - I know what you mean though, my w8r1 was good so I set off feeling so positive for w8r2 but found it so difficult. It can be hard to gauge what will be a good run and what will feel urgh. Hoping to do w8r3 this evening as I'm overdue by about a week!

Well done again though, feel proud of yourself that you kept going (and 4k's brilliant)!

[Slowstart Graduate]

Sometimes, after a really good run, our expectations are so high we unwittingly put too much pressure on ourselves to repeat the wonderful performance and when it doesn't happen we get despondent. I'm sure the next run will be fine.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Well done... even though it was hard. Maybe you just pushed too hard considering the week you had been through?

Slow steady, next run.. forget distance, and just cruse through to the finish?

Plenty of time to go for challenges after Graduation

[hannah141 Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

Thanks OldFloss, great advice. I did the next run last night, I was just a bit slow to put up the post match report! Much better though. I started off slowly and built towards the end, changed it up with a different route and put on my positivity hat! It was tricky for the first 20 minutes but not an eighth as bad as W8R3!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to hannah141]

Well done...just take it steady and head for that finishing line!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Sorry... 'cruise' x

[Hidden]

Absolutely no reason to call it day at all, literally you have come so far , you have just completed week 8 😊

That is something to be proud of and already shows you have determination by the bucket loads.

It often happens 1 good run is followed by a not so good run or doesn't meet our expectations, alas that is parting of growing and learning as a runner and as much part of the success of the program . the ride is a rollercoaster.

As Oldfloss said now is the time to just cruise to graduation, slow and steady, complete the timed runs no extra pressure.

You are so close, keep at it you are doing great 😊

[hannah141 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Yay thank you! I shall cruise to the finish line now and with only two runs to go, now I'm excited! I will take the next run just as another 30 minuter, then if I'm feeling it on grad run, I'll see if I can do a bit more. It's nice not having the pressure though. I do find that when I'm near the end, and I'm allowed to stop or hitting 28 minutes, that's when I get my second wind and want to keep going! Glutton for punishment obviously!

[Hidden in reply to hannah141]

It is great feeling when you achieve something you have worked hard for