Pesky gremlins: Things have been going so well... - Couch to 5K

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Pesky gremlins

RebeccaSK profile image
RebeccaSKGraduate
18 Replies

Things have been going so well. My first 28 minute run of W8 wasn't EASY but I was fairly comfortable and so I didn't feel too apprehensive about the second 28 minute run this evening. It was awful. I thought I'd said goodbye to the gremlins but they were back with a vengeance this evening. Everything was so hard - breathing, maintaining a regular pace (even though I was on the treadmill), even SPOTIFY CRASHED on me. So, I feel rubbish. I feel annoyed with myself for allowing my gremlins to take hold. I did, at one point, walk for a minute but I made sure I added an extra minute on the end so I still ran for the right amount of time overall. I just feel frustrated and annoyed.

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RebeccaSK profile image
RebeccaSK
Graduate
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18 Replies
IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor

I assume you are trying to establish a running habit for life..........so put it in perspective........one run did not go too well. Even though you consider it a bad run, it has, at your stage of your running career, helped develop your condition, which will mean that you will be better prepared for the next run.

Learn from this experience and be positive about it, don't let the frustration get to you, or your anxiety level is likely to be raised before you attempt the run again.

Chill..........

Gillma profile image
GillmaGraduate in reply toIannodaTruffe

What he said - and well done for getting so far!

RebeccaSK profile image
RebeccaSKGraduate in reply toGillma

And that's what I need to remember - 3 months ago walking for 28 minutes would have resulted in me having to have a lie down - now I'm running for 28 whole minutes! Thanks Gillma x

Dmwx profile image
Dmwx in reply toIannodaTruffe

This is a great response. I was thinking I'd "failed" my w4r2 because I just couldn't carry on and walked the last 2 and a half minutes of my final 5 min run so you're response to Rebecca was exactly what I needed to hear myself.

Rebecca well done for adding that extra minute at the end, I need to think more positively like that next time I stuggle! And well done on your journey so far!!

RebeccaSK profile image
RebeccaSKGraduate in reply toDmwx

And well done to you too - I think I found weeks 3 and 4 the most challenging - you suddenly seem to step up to run much longer periods don't you?!!!! How about this Dmwx ? I'll try and accept I haven't failed if you will to?!!!!!

Dmwx profile image
Dmwx in reply toRebeccaSK

Deal ☺️

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate in reply toDmwx

Well done you too! And..no such word as . f*** on here! :)

RebeccaSK profile image
RebeccaSKGraduate in reply toIannodaTruffe

You're a star IannodaTruffe - it's why I follow you! I think I would say exactly what you've just said to me to anyone else with an experience like mine. It's just difficult to follow my own advice!!!!!!! Thank you x

Gwibiwyr51 profile image
Gwibiwyr51Graduate

Hey, don't be too downbeat, you carried on and completed the run; chin up and go and smash the dreaded G's on the 3rd run.

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate

Breathe! You are doing just fine... slow and steady and think how far you have travelled :)

Turn the frustration into positivity and move forward knowing you can do this :)

RebeccaSK profile image
RebeccaSKGraduate in reply toOldfloss

Everyone on this forum has made me feel so much better - thank you! As for slow and steady - I honestly couldn't run much slower Oldfloss :-)

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate in reply toRebeccaSK

There is always slower... believe me! x

nikkiwabit profile image
nikkiwabitGraduate in reply toOldfloss

On my last run (only W4R2) Laura said if you need to slow down and I said allowed"If I slowed down it would be called stopping"! Finished the run though :)

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate in reply tonikkiwabit

Tee hee.... I used to chat to Laura too; the bit where she always said..." Finish in style..." I used to say very, very loudly... " If I just finish I shall be thrilled" !

Well done you x

Stampy74 profile image
Stampy74Graduate

One of the things I have got from my experience on this journey so far is it's the hard runs that give you the biggest learning curve.

They might not be the ones you enjoy but if you make it through even when the odds stack up against you that's a huge achievement.

How much stronger has your mental ability grown to have beaten those gremlins when they were at there worst, how much fitter is your body that when push came to shove it came through.

No two runs are ever the same and who knows why one can be amazing and another a complete slog but each one from where we started is an accomplishment to be proud of.

Good luck and keep positive.

MoGr profile image
MoGrGraduate

Sorry to hear am heading out for my second wk8 run this morning. It should have been last night but shattered and then felt like a failure. So we get up, we carry on and hope that we will find the motivation on our return! Good luck and bad runs happen. They do not define you - think of all you have done over the last 8 weeks - you are amazing!!!

Brumgirl profile image
Brumgirl

Any run, no matter how "rubbish" is better than no run at all!! You've done amazingly well.

Hannah_S36 profile image
Hannah_S36Graduate

I'm at the same stage as you, and for me I think because I've got a few longish runs under my belt I assume l can do the run and expect to find it on-loosing a bit of focus. Just come back from today's run and I'm knackered!!

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