Sustainable running

[alpacagirl]

Hi my first post! This is the third time I have completed couch to 5k - gave up after 6 and 4 months before. This time I am determined to keep it up by being more relaxed about it. I'm at the 4 month mark again, I take 3 short walks (20 or 30 seconds) up parts of 3 steep hills. I only run about 4 k in 30 mins but I am only 5'2" and 59 years old with asthma. Surely it's better to make it achievable for myself than keep giving up because it feels such a slog? Any one else feel the same?

[Dpsl Graduate]

Hi! The fact that you're having another go must mean you really want to do this, and I've found that's what matters. Whenever I've thought I can't, it actually meant I didn't want to. If you're running regularly for 30 minutes, whatever the distance, you're doing really well and getting stronger all the time -- and probably gradually increasing the distance, too. 😊.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

What week are you on...? It is great that you are here again...!

Maybe forget speed, and distance and start being kinder to yourself...just follow the programme but do it slowly and maybe.. err.. enjoy it

I feel that is why you keep giving up...it has got to have enjoyment in there somewhere..

[alpacagirl Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

Thanks Oldfloss I finished the programme 7 weeks ago and since then have been running 30 mins 3x a week but giving myself 3 short walk breaks on parts of the steeper hills - I find I look forward to the little walks (only 20-30 seconds - helps to regulate my breathing and gives my legs a break!) and so am now enjoying the runs. I can run continuously for 30 mins but that's what I did before and is the reason why I gave up as I found the hills such a slog😅

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to alpacagirl]

Maybe shake it up a bit then.. vary the time and distance; did you do the C25K+ podcasts.. they are great for improving stamina and speed ...

You have been consolidating the 30 minutes but it has become a chore really, even with the breaks...?

I usually do a 3 K, a 5K and a longer run on Sunday, anywhere up to 10K.. I sometimes use the 3K as a speed run.. usually downhill with a tail wind ( At the moment I am doing a 10K revisited plan, so it is all different right now)

Are there any non-hill routes... ?

[MarkyD Graduate]

Yep, Oldfloss has it right. You're just getting bored with the same old runs. Mix it up, set some goals, turn left and not right, join a running group, parkrun, train for 10km, enter a 10km run, download Zombies Run onto your phone, listen to a 'teach-yourself-Hungarian' podcast, start running tourism (canals, towpaths, stately homes, munroes in Scotland...), intervals, obstacle or muddy runs, hill training, running oval at your local athletics track, fartlek, trail running, 75km in a month, enter a charity run (get all your mates to sponsor you & then you cannot give up), there is even a naked run at London Zoo if you want to be outrageous.

Two runs diverged in my village, and I -

I took the one more steep,

And that has made all the difference.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to MarkyD]

Love it MarkyD !!! especially the Naked run yeay!!!!!

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Running should be fun, not some kind of self imposed torture. If you are getting out three times a week for about thirty minutes at a time, then you will be fine. Work your way through MarkyD's list and I would stress parkrun as an inspirational event open to all.

[alpacagirl Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks all - not sure about everything on MarkyD's list .......

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to alpacagirl]

'work your way through the list'. Should have put this first:

zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/what...

[Dhiny]

I found running the same route after graduation became very boring very quickly so I joined a local social running group, do parkrun on Saturdays & found some different routes around town. I also occasionally run hills though it's not my favourite thing to do but it changes things around. I also do interval training occasionally, sprinting for 60 seconds & then slowing the pace down for 2 minutes - sometimes I run with music & sometimes without; it just shakes things up a bit and makes it more interesting. xx