So last night I finally laced up my trainers & got out there to do my first run.
Unfortunately this wasn't quite to plan. Plan was to walk 5 mins to the park, run around said park & walk 5 mins back. Unfortunately the park was a little further than expected and run no 1 was suddenly upon me as I walked alongside what is a fairly busy road, confidence failed me & I just walked a bit faster. By the time I arrived at the park Laura was almost onto run 4 so I turned around and went home
On the positive side I didn't run but speed walked the run's so I have started the exercise habit at least. I am going to try again tomorrow (to keep the Mon, Wed, Fri habit) but will be changing clothes at work, driving to the park on my way home and running. At least that way I will avoid the problem of leaving the house again once i'm home.
I am determined, it will happen
Written by
Holly303
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13 Replies
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Hi Holly nice to hear from you. I think finding a good route is trial and error. I am currently running up and down a lane which is 5 minutes from my house allowing me to fit in the warm up walk. It is normally deserted but this morning I saw about 4 different people dog walking and running. I am only on Wk 2 but I feel a lot more confident already. I just smile and say morning and carry on with what I'm doing. Try not to get too hung up on what other people think - stick to your plan and I am sure your confidence will grow. Good luck tonight 👍
Thank you, on the positive side the park is somewhere I would feel a bit more comfortable puffing my way round so I at least know where I am going on Wednesday.
Planning on doing a few nice walks with the family at the weekend so I can investigate new routes. I think changing at work at stopping somewhere nice on my way home will work well as it open's up my options & I won't get home & think of an excuse!
I was much the same a few weeks ago. I'd run laps of an old car park so that I wouldn't have to worry about cars, people, anything! I'm on week 8 now and running by the roads, busy places, and it doesn't bother me. Your confidence will grow. On week 1, I was constantly looking around to see if anyone was watching me as I struggled to shuffle for 60 seconds at a time. Today I ran 4k in 25 mins. You can do this!
Hi holly, don't be defeated...you put your trainers on and went out the door...that's off-the-sofa time.... Be happy, the hardest bit is done.
I have found the same though that sometimes the runs start before I have gotten to where I feel comfortable - before the busy road, before the railway crossing, next to kids school carpark (eek!!) but I just pause Laura for a minute or two until I get to where I feel ready to start running and keep walking....just think of it as a longer warm up, you can press play and start the runs when you are ready, the first 5 minutes is only a guide, if you want to make it 10 or 15 minutes warm up then do so. If you feel like w1r1 wasn't as you'd like, repeat it, I did a couple of repeats in week 4 to feel better about it, it's your couch 2 5k journey, so take as long as you need to do it. Look forward to hearing how the next one goes!
Just keep going once you've started. Make that your mantra. You' ve started so you'-ll finish. No-one gives a toss what you'-re doing. You just think they do 😊
I took myself off to our local county park. A leafy footpath would be nice ☺
Better luck with your next run ☺
Well done for starting. I think as others have said there are going to be lots of tweaks and changes as you go through. I am about to start w6 tomorrow and only once made it outside last week. It was not my finest hour! So changing back till confidence returns, but you did it out in a park. Impressed 👍🏻
Run no 2 tonight. I have told myself that this week I am going to do every other run with more walk in between. I struggled last time, am very overweight & unfit & asthmatic to boot! I don't want to feel defeated as I did on Run no 1.
Week 1 will begin properly next week with every run
Holly303 Hi Holly, firstly well done for starting I found that the hardest part. I'm only on wk 2 but have alreadyn noticed a difference. Wk1 especially R1 it was head down and even not acknowledge people I knew this week W2R2 I don't care in the slightest about what anyone thinks. I just tell myself that I'm nothing to them and equally they're nothing to me so me and my sweaty body just get on with our own thing 😊
You are spot on to do it at your own pace and in a way that suits you. I think that the changing at work is a great idea. As you say one less opportunity to find a reason not to go back out again once you are home. The fields where I run is a little more than 5 mins away from the house so I just walk a little way before I switch Laura on. I am trying to do a Monday, Wednesday, Friday routine too. Good luck.
Hi don't worry it can take a fair bit to get into it I've just finished week 3 now but it took me 3 weeks to finally complete week 1 as I suffer from asthma and was incredibly unfit so I kept on stopping and had to stop fully and stop the run completely a few times so its OK if you have a shaky start.... I'd try somewhere quieter like a field (with a walking path through it) or a different time of day until you get your confidence up but well done for starting and its good it hasn't put you off
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Wk1, R3 - I made it!!
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Not quite running - I hope you'll forgive me that!
Week 1, Run 1 - I done it!
