That’s that then

[Mummycav]

Set off this morning, all ready to put the deflation of Saturdays park run behind me...stopped at 6 mins...stopped at 10...stopped at 16...stopped at 23 mins...saw my house from the park, turned everything off and sloped Home....again...

[Midriff_Crisis Graduate]

Don't be so tough on yourself. It sounds like you've just hit a bump. If you've got this far through the programme, you've already proved you can get over them (lots of them). Tomorrow is a new day.

[Hidden]

Dont let it drag you down MummyCav, sounds like its got in your head a little bit. Maybe take a couple of days off, and plug in Week 9 again so you can hear the sultry tones of MJ!

Keep smiling, you have come so far!

[Martin_Rose Graduate]

What's happening Mummycav?

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate in reply to Martin_Rose]

I’m useless that’s what’s happened

[Martin_Rose Graduate in reply to Mummycav]

Hey, you are not useless, you are one of my running heroines, you need a bit of a rest. This is your mind not your lean body, by the end of the week you will be back on form. XxX

[mfamilias Graduate in reply to Mummycav]

Wodscollop, young lady.

[Indigogirl Graduate in reply to Mummycav]

Hey now, less of that! Big ((hugs)).

Now, regroup, have a couple of rest days, revel in this glorious sunshine (I hope you've got some up north 🌞) and KNOW that next time WILL be better!

[Hidden in reply to Mummycav]

You are certainly not useless Mr Smooth doesn't coach useless people, and we don't believe you are either..

Sometimes your bod is giving you a message, maybe take 2/3 days away from running and then just go out with no target in mind and see where your feet take you.

Big hugs from one of your biggest fans... Forza Mummycav....

[mfamilias Graduate]

Uh-oh. Sounds like the post-graduation gremlin has got you good and proper. Slap a piece of tape over his mouth, and pull Laura out of your phone. Why not take one of the earlier runs with 8 minute sessions, and relive part of your journey? Or get yourself an app for 5 to 10 k? Sounds like you need direction - have you thought about an"after graduation plan"? It's easy to give in to the gremlins if you don't know what you're aiming for. Big hugs.

[MichaelH070862 Graduate]

Hi no one on this forum is useless you just need to take a step back you only graduated a few weeks ago so don't be to hard on yourself we all have off days when nothing seems to go right. I went out yesterday and had decided what I was going to do which was only 3km and was more than happy with completing it. I don't know what playlist you are using or are you still using the app I ask as all of my runs are without music or advice so you could try a run with just the wind for company but just don't be to hard on yourself it will all fall back into place in time.

[JaneM21 Graduate]

Hey - don't be so hard on yourself. Give yourself a break (says she who's on an enforced break!) and then try a short run with gorgeous MJ. Different route? You, who's been such an inspiration to us all, needs a bit of a virtual hug I think. Xx

[Lilybell]

Go back over your previous posts. You'll see you have stamina and you made it through some tough weeks. You're going to break through this too.

[Whatsapp Graduate]

I stopped a couple of times on runs since graduation. Not because of injury, not because of exhaustion either - just because I let my gremlins win. A few hours later I was kicking myself.

I decided I hadn't put myself through this programme only to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory - I was better than that - and so are you. Remember how your graduation run felt!

One problem with post-graduation is up-until-now you have been working towards something. You did it, and now you don't have to prove it to yourself anymore. Find your next running challenge - improve your time. increase your distance - whatever it is, make a plan and work towards it.

[RunForestR Graduate]

Hi MC109.

Ok so received wisdom from this post and last post - you are not useless. Proved that by graduating, getting the bling and by posting and starting some of the most popular strings on this site. So once again - clearly not useless, actually total opposite - Useful!

So how to get you out of your funk? I'm sure it is a whole host of things, but what worked for me:

What did you love most about the "programme"?

For me it was the knowledge that someone else had thought through the steps and was telling me that today - you need to get up and go and run for 20 minutes, then in two days time - do it all again. Then the following week you do.....you get the idea. The structure - and the confidence that others had achieved the same before me made it achievable - manageable - so I achieved it and managed it.

The current difficulty I face - and you too maybe - is what's the plan now? What are the incremental steps that will get me to where I want to be - and where is that anyway!

I'm not going to be Mo Farah - no Olympics for me at 50+ running the 5000m or 10000m in the same day and getting gold in both - no my goals need to be realistic. A friend tried to persuade me into the London marathon in 2018 - again - that feels unrealistic (although technically possible apparently - according to some running plans I've seen) only 12 weeks ago I couldn't run more than 60 seconds at a time so god know how I'd cope with 6+hours of running.

So what are my goals.

For me I've decided that a 1/2 marathon next year is achievable. (sometime in the summer when it's warmer - but not too hot.) I ran a few in my late 20's - would like to see if possible to do again.

You could decide the same - or you could set your target at 10k or 5k in the elusive 30minutes.

But it sounds like you need to set your new target and give yourself 9 weeks to hit that target, and then either create your own programme in the image of c25k if that helps, (you could always use this but replace walking with a light jog, and hit a faster pace when your supposed to run (i.e. 5minute walk warm-up, then 60 sec run, then 90sec jog, then 60 sec run, then 90sec jog......etc)or hit a website like "my.asics.com" (other websites are available - but I found this one useful - it has lots of lovely graphs - and I love a good graph me!) and create a running programme, based on your target - current running ability and deadline.

Whether you run with your own music or revisit MJ, or others - I'd say - whatever works best for you, but my suggestion would be that you give yourself a target, set a deadline for that target and then hit the incremental steps along the way. it worked for the last 9 weeks, no reason it shouldn't work for the next 9, and then the 9 after that, and after that.......

But.......Not Useless. Useful, Capable.

I hope this helps, hope you're just experiencing "post-bling blues" - it's a thing I promise you, and that most of all you keep on going.

post soon!

[ruralfrance Graduate in reply to RunForestR]

This is a great post, full of good advice, thank you RunForestR. And good luck to Mummycav.

[sjs1969 Graduate]

Don't be so hard on yourself, it sounds as though you are putting a lot of pressure on yourself when actually you have nothing to prove as you've had the most amazing running journey so far. Wiser heads than mine will tell you that even though you've graduated - something I'm still dreaming of! - you're still a new runner and so maybe the runs don't happen to order, if they ever do. Remind yourself of what you love about running and when you next head out for a run remember that we're all running with you 🙂

[Babs24 Graduate]

Don't despair MummyCav! Felt exactly the same last Friday, and it was my first run since graduation on Wednesday. Realised I didn't have a target now. So that's what I did today - target to run a little bit further, and when I get there, I am going to have a target to run it a bit faster. It worked this morning! Good luck - it was just an off day for you. xx

[lardofale Graduate]

Bad runs are really dis-spiriting and it's a nightmare that you've had a couple on the back of last week's euphoria. What you've achieved so far is mind blowingly fantastic, your enthusiasm has rubbed off not only on new runners full of apprehension but also on graduates and experienced running bods. Take a deep breath and a step back, rewire that enthusiasm circuit and go again. We're all here for you mate

[IgaT Graduate]

Be gentle to yourself! Take additional day off. Don't set any goal or time limit and do what your body wants to do. It wants walk, then walk. You feel like running, run. Don't push, just listen.

Take a different route, download some new music or podcast and concentrate on scenery and sounds

You will get your running mojo back! Enjoy whatever you do!

[runswithdogs Graduate]

Are you upset that you walked during Parkrun? Please don't be upset. I've been running for over three years, have done 20+ Parkruns and done more races than I can count (5km, 10km, 8 mile) I STILL walk on many of them. Some of them for lots of it - I think I had six or seven walk breaks on my last Parkrun. It's all a part of the learning process. It's really fun to run with people but it's also REALLY hard. There's a whole new set of skills to learn. How to pace yourself. What do do if you are in front of a little group, what to do if you're at the back. A couple Parkruns ago I started near the front and ran super fast for the first kilometers, and then fizzled out like a fading firework shortly afterwards and watched about 2/3 of our Parkrun blast past me. I often run fast at the start thinking WHHEEEE!!!!!! and then slow to a crawl before repeating the same. I've been passed by little children, senior runners and people running with prams. I don't consider a single one a failure. If you can, have a good laugh, think 'gee that was tough' and get back out there and do it again. Because it doesn't matter how fast you did it, how much of it you ran, what matters is that you did it. Pre-C25K would you have imagined running those 5kms? Be proud of yourself and your accomplishments. The statistic that matters most to me that I've kept track of during my running journey is the total distance covered. The rest don't matter. Speed, time, longest distance. It's all irrelevant compared to the fact that I run. Sometimes faster, sometimes slower, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. Sometimes mostly walking.

Happy running. Go out and do one you enjoy, leave the expectations at home.

[mrrun Graduate]

Look, I'm not into Park run that much, I must say, but I accidentally ran one on Saturday . As in I came do the my run and the park was full of people who were about to do 5K Park run. No way I was going to wait, but also no way I was going to participate so had to compromise. And so I did. They went clockwise, and I ran anti-clockwise. By the end of it I remembered all their faces

The point is, there is no such thing as bad run. Hard runs, yes, but no bad runs. Just go and do it again, you will be fine, you'll see

[Fishypieface Graduate]

Oh, you've had some lovely replies on here, all with great advice and encouragement. So sorry you are having a wobble. It's really unsettling and horrible to go through. For me, I give myself a pep talk when my brain starts wanting to quit. I say things (quite possibly out loud!) like - give me 10 reasons why you love running, then you can stop. Then, 10 reasons why you wanted to start this, then you can stop..... Give me 10 things you'll be if you do stop..... Give me 10 things you'll be if you don't stop....Just run one more lap and you can stop.... Anything to keep me going. Then sheer bloodymindedness: no I'm not stopping no, no, no, no, no, no........ all the swear words etc. etc. That bit makes me happy because it's naughty Then I playback all of the lovely words of encouragement people on here (including you!) have given me, over and over. My mind is fully occupied and the gremlins latch onto some other passer by and I make it through the run. Then I do it again the next time and the next....

Also, imagine that you are someone else on here in the same position. What would you say to them to keep them going? List it all, out loud if need be (!) the next time you want to stop.

You will get through this and be stronger for it xxx

[Ificandoit Graduate]

Reading all the lovely responses to you here shows that it's normal to feel a bit lost after graduation - that's great as that's just how I feel too! - may be it takes time to settle into post grad running - we need time to work out a new target/ or our new timetable now. Best of luck - I'm with you ever step!

[Sadie-runs Graduate]

No, no, no - this is not that! This sounds like a slight mental hitch. You can beat this. Lots of brilliant advice listed already - and I agree it sounds like mixing things up (new route, new music, podcast, even Zombie run!) might reinvigorate you. And, so important, stop being so hard on yourself!

I can imagine that the loss of goals and structure that the programme brings affects a lot of people this way. (TBH I could see this happening to me). Is the key setting yourself small manageable goals maybe?

Take a couple of days out, make a plan, but most of all, be kind to yourself, okay? xxx

[Oldmo Graduate]

Aww , I know just how you feel. I graduated in August, and up to that point was loving this new running thing, then, once I no longer had the goals to reach and my stabilisers were taken off I went all wobbly. Still finding it hard to be honest, but I am still getting out there. Don’t want to progress to 10k and park runs are always on a Saturday which I can’t do , so it’s mind over matter. What I do know is that me and you both would be so disappointed if we gave in to these gremlins. Just remember Churchill ‘ We will never surrender’😜 and we can’t let down all our buddies on this forum. If I can stick at it , will you ?

[Downtwo]

Felt I should reply despite all the lovely supportive posts. I think it's a useful issue that you have highighted about the difficulty of not having the regular programme. I am sure I will experience it too when I finish. Its been on my mind of how to keep motivated. I sometimes take an extra day to recover if I am too tired and I am getting to know when I seriously shouldn't attempt it and when I just can't be bothered as I want to do other things instead. I have not kept to the 7 day week always so I am probably a couple of weeks behind. I do walk a lot and the fitness does seem to be getting better. I still would walk it if I had to rather than force myself to run when I wasn't up for it. Remember Week 1 - you don't want to go back there. May The Forum Be With You! xx

[SuzyKK Graduate]

No, no, no! You are not useless, it happens for various reasons... who knows maybe you're sickening for something... that happened to me. Whatever it is they're just gremlins trying to get to you. Don't let them! Rest up for a few days then do something different from what you've been doing... maybe try running to Sammi Murphy - I like the music & it's like C25K, with running 10 minutes, walking for a minute, running for 10 minutes, walking for a minute... officially it's 4 lies, but you don't have to run any more than you want to... just don't let it get you down!