White flag moment but I completed Week 4

I'm so pleased to have finished week 4 but I found that last run really hard. I almost gave up after the first three minutes. It's very clear now that I am overdoing it with the additional exercise because I was in agony all the way through my run. I do all sorts of exercises on my 'rest day'. This means my body doesn't actually get a rest.

My friend says it sounds like I have runner's knee so I am going to make sure I actually have a rest. Also, I run an extra 1k after I have completed the run because I felt the runs weren't challenging enough. Clearly, it was and I am having to cope with it now.

I guess with the Parkrun coming up on Saturday, I was trying to get closer to 5K to prepare myself for it. I am worried about coming last. A bigger pressure is a friend from work is joining me and he regularly runs 20K without a sweat. I know this is wrong because that's not the point of Parkrun. It's about being a community of people who love running.

Oh well...I am now resting and sticking to the programme.

[misswobble Graduate]

Don't get carried away on Saturday!

I doubt you'd be last even if you walked it. Parkrun is not just for runners. It's for the less mobile, the injured etc. Not that it matters where you come. It's not what it's about

Stick with the programme! Tell your mate that is what you are gonna do and let he/she do their own thing. Meet at the end for high fives and a bacon sarni

Have fun! It's a blast 😃👍✔️🏃

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

Thank you. I'm going to speak to my friend later. The Parkrun has a lovely coffee shop so that will be a nice treat at the end

[Frostycat2 Graduate]

Your definitely pushing yourself to much follow the program you will really feel the benefits and the amazing feeling of achievement the right way you don't want to injure or even get fed up with it , you will get there quicker than you think ,, good luck in the park run just have fun and let us know how you do x

[Hidden in reply to Frostycat2]

Thank you. I will take my time and enjoy my runs in future.

[Razouski]

I agree with the other posts, you don't have to rush to get there, and it's not worth risking injury that will stop you running completely for a while. Believe me, once you've got the bug spending time on the IC (injury Couch) is no fun and really frustrating. The programme is tried and tested and has supported so many of us getting from the couch to being able tun successfully, so it's worth following.

At our Parkrun we have a whole range of abilities and some people walk the whole course, others have their app and do whichever Week and run they are on, some (like me) have additional needs (if my vertigo is bad I can end up on the ground waiting for the world to stop spinning), so it's really not worth worrying about your position.

I actually put off doing Parkrun until I had finished week 9 , which was actually week 18 as after week 8 I had surgery for breast cancer and had to start the programme again after 10 days recuperating.

Happy running and have a good rest. 🏃🏽‍♀️

[Hidden in reply to Razouski]

Wow. It's really interesting to hear about your Parkrun. I admire you determination to do it with vertigo. Coping with breast cancer and coming back to it is just amazing, x