The good, the bad and the strange

[Little-runner]

Soooo I'll start with the strange....I was away for the weekend for Fairford airshow and staying at a campsite (which is basically 2x large fields full to the brim with caravans). As my running is now something I just do, I take my kit with me and I WILL run where ever I am. I had planned a route that would avoid as much road as possible (as there were busy roads with no pavement). Me and the other half checked the route out and it was a no go. Too busy of traffic and people, so instead I opted to run up and down the track in the campsite in front of all the caravans. I felt totally self conscious, as I prefer to run where few people are, and there I was parading myself up and down (5 times) in front of all the campers! 🤣

The bad....was the same run as above, on a different day. My legs felt fine but my breathing was all over the place. At firstI thought it was because I was still warming up and give it a few minutes and it'd settle down. 20 minutes in and I was still struggling...the more I though about it, the worse it got. Then the batteries died in my headphones, so I lost music to carry me through, and all I could hear was me gasping for breath. I tried slowing down, I tried breathing in through my nose, out through my mouth, in for 3 out for 3 and various combination. Nothing helped and It was horrible. 😩

The good (and thank goodness)....today I did week 9 run 1, back at my usual stomping ground and a little anxious based on the previous 'bad' run. Up early and out running by 6am before it got too hot. Yes I was breathing harder (because I'm exercising!), but I felt in control. My legs felt good, my usual pace actually felt a bit slow so was able to pick it up a bit, and when I finished I felt so pleased that I had a good run. Yay!😁

I've thought about the bad run and why it wasn't happening for me that day...

1. It was HOT

2. It was early and I'd only been awake 20 minutes before I was out, and potentially not hydrated enough

3. The ground underfoot was uneven

4. I became my worst enemy with negative thoughts and made the situation worse than it was

So I guess if it happens again, then I just need to say to myself, 'you've been here before, you're just having a bad day and it's not going to be like this forever, just keep going'

Onward and upwards!

[AnnieW55]

Great post. Working out why a run was a bad one is a great thing to do. It all adds to the experience we gain, and can draw on in the future.

[theoldfellow]

Hydration is important when running early. I always sink half a pint of water before I go out. The heat won't have helped, nor the uneven ground. But once the negative thoughts start, it's easy to follow them down... That's why I use a running mantra, I'm not a music person. It may be a good idea to have one ready - I won't suggest one, as one size does not fit all.

But well done you for getting through the hard times.

[Little-runner Graduate in reply to theoldfellow]

Thanks oldfellow...I guess the more running experiences I have, both good and bad, will allow me to work out what works for me and on the flip side what doesn't work. I like the idea of a mantra as well...I'll have fun thinking one up on my next run!

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate]

Brilliant. Well done for persevering in spite of the audience etc. I often find I'll push harder if I'm feeling self-conscious even though it doesn't always feel like it.

Negativity is always the enemy 👍😉