Still not loving this!!

[froggyrunner]

So envious of all of you who say how much you're loving this. Week 5 run 1 done this morning. It's such hard work. My calfs burn and it's a real struggle. The best bit is the 5 minute cool down walk! Is anyone else the same? Will i eventually at least quite enjoy it?!!!

[Whatsapp Graduate]

It depends what you are expecting. This programme is putting you through your paces. I would be surprised if you were finding it easy.

I think for most of us the joy comes in the completion of a run, of testing yourself and finding you are equal to the task. Sure sometimes it can seem effortless - but only sometimes.

I come in from a run sweaty, flushed and ready sink back into that couch. But it soon passes and the satisfaction I feel for the rest of the day knowing I did my run makes it all worthwhile.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

There are a handful of people I can recall over the past four years who have never developed the love for running. Maybe they are not endorphin addiction personality types....who knows. Running still remains hard work if I am pushing hard and the masochistic enjoyment of that physical exertion is something that not everybody learns to appreciate. I feel sorry for you, if that is the case with you.

Throughout the training plan you are relentlessly increasing the demands on your body, so it is bound to feel hard work. After graduation you can consolidate and get used to running for fun, appreciating your environment rather than slogging through another workout. Being amazed at your own ability to actually do this thing.

Stick with it. It may come later on. It is certainly worth doing from the point of view of physical and mental wellbeing, but if you don't enjoy it then you are unlikely to continue, I suspect.

Keep running,............er.......... keep running.

[froggyrunner Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

I hope I'm not one of the ones who never enjoys it :-(. I suppose 5 weeks is early days, it's been one hell of a shock to my couch potato system. Onwards and upwards!

[RebeccaSK Graduate]

Hmmmmm, I guess it depends on what you mean by enjoying it!!!! When I'm thinking about my next run and what I'm going to achieve, I can't wait to get going. Whilst I'm physically running I hate it. Struggle is an understatement and as IannodaTruffe says, we are pushing our bodies on every run we undertake whilst following the programme. It hurts, the gremlins are at their most vociferous and, if you're like me, you feel like a 1980s car with an inadequate cooling system stuck in a traffic jam. HOWEVER, as I'm getting towards the end of the run and what I've achieved becomes more real, the endorphins kick in. For the rest of the day - sometimes even until the next run - I feel great. I would say, however, that I've only started to feel like this since week 6 or 7 when you really start to run for longer periods of time. Stick with it - even though I found W8 incredibly challenging and W9 soul destroying, I am carrying on because the pride that "graduate" label after my name will bring is within my reach - and your reach. After all, you have completed what I think is the hardest part of the programme already - you've earned that graduate badge and you just have to keep going for another few weeks!

[ancientrunner Graduate in reply to RebeccaSK]

I think you have it spot on there. There have been very very few times I've thought I am enjoying this whilst running, but end in sight and the rest of the day is great. It is a life changing thing to take up on many levels. Keep at it - the hard work is worth it.

[T1gger Graduate in reply to RebeccaSK]

I agree wk6 was the point I started to believe I could graduate and from then on I got a huge high after each run. Keep going you are nearly there!

[Rignold]

also 5 weeks in is not really giving yourself much of a chance to get used to it. 5 weeks into learning French you're not chuckling at Francophone comedies; 5 weeks into learning to swim and you're still using floats, not frolicking off the bow of a yacht.

[runlikeagirl Graduate in reply to Rignold]

Yes five weeks is no time at all. You're still in the 'earning it' phase not the sweet 'reaping the rewards' phase (which is short lived as you then set yourself another challenge and so it goes on... ). Remind yourself of why you started this in the first place and how far you have already come from week 1. You're doing fabulously!

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

While I am actually running, I can't wait for it to be over, but I am already planning my next run....Yes, it's a struggle, does this equal enjoying it? Loving it? No idea. I don't examine my motives too closely... we need to do some exercise, running is my exercise of choice at the moment...I love the peripheral stuff, fresh air, visiting places I would not have gone to otherwise...is that enjoying it? Loving it? No idea...

[froggyrunner Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

That's probably me too. Thank you

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

Not seen you for ages! Hi!!

[Tomas Graduate]

I think this "I hate running" blog post from Semi Rad deserves another outing: semi-rad.com/2017/01/i-hate...

[froggyrunner Graduate in reply to Tomas]

Actually that's helpful!! I'm going to stick at this who knows I may yet ´almost ´ enjoy it ! Thank you.

[damienair Graduate in reply to Tomas]

Thanks for sharing. I loved that article. I have been on my feet in a Hospital all day and driving for over 3 hours since 6am. I'm completely knackered and in no mood. But I'm going to get changed now and go for a run. I'll try one of the C25K+ Podcasts for a change.

[runlikeagirl Graduate in reply to Tomas]

That was funny Tomas . Thanks for sharing

[Hidden]

My philosophy is if it's not fun and it's not necessary then it's a waste of time.

To that end, if you're really not enjoying it, maybe ease back a bit. Does it really matter if you don't keep up with the schedule? Who is the boss of you, some programme, or you? Who are you competing against? If you are competing against others, there'll always be someone faster. If you're competing against an earlier version of yourself, then you can win every time as your fitness improves.

Some fitness bloke on telly the other day said something I liked. Don't compare yourself to others. The goal is to be better, not bitter. As in better than you were, not bitter about what you are.

So my advice would be, wind back a bit to a stage where you can enjoy it, but where you're still pushing yourself.

Sweaty and tired is good. Hurting physically and emotionally is bad.

[Hidden]

I think it's like life...I don't like all of it but I love enough of it to think it's worthwhile 😊

[Steved110 Graduate]

For me so far the enjoyment is the fact that I can actually do it, plus I do feel great afterwards. During, not so much - as the program is always pushing is a bit harder. I'm hoping things will settle after graduation.

I hated running at school but at school it was competitive and if you weren't a natural athlete you just got yelled at- there was nothing about running / exercise as a healthy lifestyle choice to nurture for the long term - and as it was a school, it makes me really angry they didn't try to help us as part of education, just wrote you off as useless - which has implications to this day for me.

So the biggest pleasure for me is showing some long dead PE teachers they were wrong!

[Nobbywatts Graduate in reply to Steved110]

Pretty much how it was / is for me.

[froggyrunner Graduate in reply to Nobbywatts]

Still running though ?

[Nobbywatts Graduate in reply to froggyrunner]

Oh yes! I was agreeing with Steved110. I love the fact that I CAN do it, and after I've done a run I feel very smug, and there have been runs that I have genuinely enjoyed, but quite often it's something to get through - especially running up hills! I hated running cross country at school and I could have been quite good as a track runner if I'd had proper coaching but I didn't and I never really believed I could have been any good and that carried on into adulthood, so now I can do it I'm so pleased with myself, and that's sort of what keeps me going .... I'm Wittering on now. Keep going though - slow and steady - and soon it will become a habit for you!

[froggyrunner Graduate]

Well I've just done wk 5 run 2.. ALL the time kept telling myself it's in your head, you can do it. You know what.. I did my two 8 minute runs. They were hell to

do but I love the fact that I did them!! Thank you for your support.