I feel disappointed.

[Doone]

Lovely day here, arranged a run this evening with my friend, had a good sleep last night, been looking forward to it all day......just home and it was hard, hard, hard. Breathing was all over the place, legs felt good I just couldn't get to grips with my breathing. I feel very disappointed.

[ANewMe2022 Graduate]

Hi Doone, I too struggle with my breathing as I have seasonal asthma. I try to breathe in on 3 steps and then breathe out on 3 and so on. I've tried doing 4 but can't get plenty air in to keep it up...xx

[Doone Graduate in reply to ANewMe2022]

You know I try to do that too. I always feel like I can't get enough air in via my nose. I ran my 5k Monday and I felt fantastic, breathing good, pace good. I'm still new to this but I'll keep chugging away and hopefully it'll all fall into place. Just frustrating when you're up for it and it doesn't go to plan. Onwards and upwards.

[Mollydex Graduate]

Some runs are just like that , and it's pretty cold today , and in Manchester the humidity was not the easiest today.

Hopefully next time will be easier

Keep going

[Doone Graduate in reply to Mollydex]

I ran my 5k on Monday and it felt fantastic. Breathing good, pace good. Just frustrating because I was so up for it and looking forward to it. I'm still quite new to this graduation and I'll keep at it. .

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Some you win.. some you don't.. stick with it... the weather is chilly, and many of us, even seasoned graduates are struggling with things... Stay positive.. you have come along way.. the runs will still be there

[RainbowC Graduate]

Every so often a bad run comes along for no apparent reason. All you can do is get through them, and appreciate the good ones even more!

[Doone Graduate in reply to RainbowC]

You are right RainbowC it certainly does make you appreciate the good runs. The positive is I didn't stop and saw it through to the end.

[Doone Graduate in reply to RainbowC]

I just need to learn not to be disappointed in the bad runs Oldfloss. I didn't stop I just kept chugging along!! Panting!!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Doone]

That is the way! Well done...

Confucius got it right,, he said " It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you don't stop".

I know there are times when I nearly do stop, but like you, we keep right on plodding!

We rock!!!

[runmelrun Graduate]

I've had a bad leg run tonight, normally I'm out of breath but tonight my lungs were all "let's go girl" but my legs were, "bed time for you lady"

[CookieM Graduate]

My breathing has been all over the place my last two runs - sometimes there doesn't seem to be any reason for it, does there! But at least you got out there and ran

[Doone Graduate in reply to CookieM]

I did it and I could easily have stopped less than half way but being with my friend made me just kph going so I'm happy about it because I so wanted to stop and I didn't. So that's a huge positive.

[mfamilias Graduate]

I ignore my breathing completely and it settles into a pattern - it only has a wobbly if I try to run too fast. The problem with breathing is that the more you concentrate on it, the worse it gets. Just like concentrating on other things, like the time I tried to establish whether my arm and leg movements were synchronised, and ended up inches from falling flat on my face. I'd recommend what my mum told me when I had chicken pox: scratch somewhere else. In other words, think about something different, and your breathing will sort itself. Oh, and listen to music (if you don't already) so that your breathing isn't the first thing you are aware of.

[Doone Graduate in reply to mfamilias]

Thanks I probably was concentrating too much on it. Didn't have music because I was with my friend . I'll try to take the focus off it next time.

[Millsie-J Graduate]

I have had a couple of difficult runs recently. But I then realised my pace was all over the place , too fast for the first couple of k. so ran myself out of breath. Yesterday i had a slow paced run and did everything I had intended to do, and comfortably. Its easy to think you need try to get faster all the time but to do that you need slow comfortable runs under your belt to build stamina and running legs. Do you think you were moving too fast?

[Doone Graduate in reply to Millsie-J]

Possibly started off a little bit faster than usual because I did think to myself that it felt faster. But I always feel like that in the beginning then I settle into it and it's comfortable. I just didn't get the comfortable feeling this time.

[Millsie-J Graduate in reply to Doone]

Are youmonitoring your pace at all. I felt just yne same nut when reviewing my stats i was going faster than I thought. I can only asdume tnat ad we get a bit more stamina we dont notice immediately that we are moving quicker . I have had to make a teal effort to slow to my previous pace

[Davoda Graduate]

As you say a bad run is so much better than a no run, and I think it's keeping going in the bad runs, that really builds you mentally.

I had a few "bad" runs over the holidays & decided on Monday to just run, I had no route, no distance, no time in mind & just ran, I only decided at each crossroads on the path whether to go left or right, and went wherever my feet took me. I listened to a podcast from one of my favourite speakers - nothing to do with running & found with such a "free" agenda I had a great run.

I think that post grad "bad" runs are much more disappointing, but perhaps they're just another stepping stone to our progress? And when you add up your mileage this week they will be there & be a part of your total. When you look back at this week, you'll see 15k or whatever - not how you got there!

I'm reminded of a story I heard about Corrie Ten Boom from the 2nd world war & her telling her sister that dark threads are just as important as brightly coloured threads, to make a tapestry. So maybe the bad runs are the dark threads that make the picture complete?

[Doone Graduate in reply to Davoda]

You run Sounds lovely. How nice to have a free agenda. You're right it all adds to the bigger picture. I'm proud of my 15k this week.

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

Might be the cold air? If so try a buff over your mouth and nose to warm it a little.

Sometimes it's just like that for no obvious reason. Probably be fine next run.