Negatives

[TC321]

Am I the only one who thinks he can't do it. Did W1R1 a few weeks ago, feels like a lifetime ago. Life gets in the way and I feel I can't do it. So many ppl have offered their time and support so I feel rubbish for letting you down. Need to be stronger mentally I think.

[cheekychipmunks Graduate]

Don’t be down on yourself. Lots of people doubt their ability in the first few runs, then all of a sudden something clicks.

Give it another go when it suits you - but do. Take it so slow you’re hardly moving if necessary, and see how you get on. You CAN do it - it’s mind over matter. 😀

Go on, see if you can surprise yourself. If and when you do, you’ll feel epic. Really.

😀😀👏👏

[TC321 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Feeling epic would be great. I am not overtly healthy and my lifestyle leaves a lot to be desired. It is not just the running, other things would have to change too.

[cheekychipmunks Graduate in reply to TC321]

You can do it! Just wait and see. 👏👏

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

Please don’t t think you are letting us down. Fitting in an exercise schedule takes time. We all can have busy lives and adding in something extra sometimes takes and a bit of wiggle room. That doesn’t mean you won’t do it. Also when it is something you are not sure you can do yet it makes it harder to find the time. Please keep going and trying, it will change around and you will feel better about it. I am sure if a lot of us are honest we felt the same in the beginning, you are not on your own.

[TC321 in reply to Realfoodieclub]

Thank you. Loneliness is my worry. It is hard for me to admit I am struggling. It is as much my lifestyle as the running. I do feel like a lot of you guys have wasted a lot of time.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to TC321]

We are always here because we want to help. Never a wasted time 😀.

[telford_mike Graduate]

Cheeky is right. The things you feel are sometimes called Gremlins on here. Common ones include:

The Self-doubt gremlin,

The 'I don't have time' gremlin,

The 'I'm not built for running' gremlin,

The fear of failure gremlin,

The 'I'll look silly' gremlin,

and many more.

If you read the posts on this forum you'll see that everyone meets gremlins all the time. The programme is demanding, but as you'll see from many members' experiences, the rewards can be huge. And here's the thing. Gremlins don’t exist. They're just things in our heads that create imaginary obstacles to an objective that we'd like to attain. You really can do this if you want to. The programme is entirely designed for absolute beginners of any age. Have a look at your priorities and if you can squeeze C25K into your life, tell those gremlins to take a hike and give it a go! Good luck!

[TC321 in reply to telford_mike]

Thank you... I have a drink too much Gremlin amongst others.

[Hidden]

Self doubt come through every word that you write. Why are you so down on yourself? I'm guessing that your confidence has taken a knocking at some point. You can do this if you practice a positive mindset.

Give yourself encouragement, rather than pulling yourself down.

Notice the achievements rather than the difficulties.

Give yourself praise, not discouragement.

Set precise times each week to run and don't let any thing distract you. Come on here and we will cheer. Over time you will find that running will affect your mood, so that you grow in self confidence and your self esteem improves!

It's a bit like magic

[TC321 in reply to Hidden]

Wow. That does sound great. You are right I am down and have low self esteem which I have never really talked about. Feels like I will be laughed at.

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to TC321]

Well you're talking about it now... and I don't hear anyone laughing.

Running is fantastic for improving your self esteem and confidence. The only difficult part is getting past those gremlins who don't want you to change for that threatens their very existence.

So much of this programme is more about learning mental strength and committing to yourself to complete it.

Loneliness is extremely hard to deal with. We can be here for you but the hope is that as your self confidence improves you'll be able to maybe meet some other runners in your area either through a club or parkrun and expand your social circle which will increase your confidence even more which starts a lovely cycle which in turn helps you to meet others.

Talking is the first step. Action is the second. You've made a start. Don't let those gremlins hold you back anymore. You deserve to finish this and gain all the benefits you can from it. You already have that right. You don't need to earn it 👍😁

[bairnbroon in reply to TC321]

I felt like that too. I said to my husband that people were looking at me from their cars and laughing. He said nothing could be further from the truth; they were smiling at me!! I checked next time and he was right. I’m a 6 stones overweight woman in Lycra with no coordination who completed wk2 yesterday. The time is right for me. Our gremlins that the others talked about are fake and only as powerful as we allow them to be. I step on each gremlin during my warm up walk. Hope you manage to find time to do this and stop beating yourself up. It sounds like you could do with the boost and there’s nothing better than a post exercise morale boost!! Xxx

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to bairnbroon]

Absolutely!! You show them who is in charge!! ✊👍 we let these little buggers rob us of the little joys in life for long enough. There's always a time to draw the line and say that's enough. I'm the boss of me! 😁

[Hidden]

Self sabotage can kick in with anything. It’s a strange thought to think that we can actively sabotage our own good intentions for positive change but we can and we do.

Recognise that you are in control. Any step is better than none and don’t put the pressure on.

Do enough to purely enjoy it, and stick with that. You don’t HAVE to push yourself to the point of not enjoying it. I think that would be far better than not going at all, and you’ll make progress, for sure.

The fact that you feel bad and have wanted to try and recognise what needs to change is immense!! Don’t underestimate that.

If you want to go out, go out. If you don’t, but know you haven’t gone for a while... still go out. If you are hating it, walk it. It’s time outside. It’s time not dwelling. It is time not snacking or drinking.

Don’t worry about us lot!!!

[Hidden]

You should think about some therapy- no one will laugh at you but you can get the help and support that you deserve. Speak to your GP and ask for a referral to IAPT

In the mean time, have a look at the Headspace app and website too- really good for mindfulness and meditation, which in turn helps with negative thinking patterns. Oh, and keep running too

Good luck buddy

[Irish-John Graduate]

Read lots and lots of the 'newbie' posts of present-day Graduates. I think you'll find you are in good company

I've often wondered if the fastest runners in the world feel the kind of pain, effort and anxiety the rest of us do at our far less 'fast' or 'long' efforts. I do know that if a little over two years ago I would be trying very hard not to feel 'inadequate' because it takes me 'a long time' to run the kind of non-stop distance I do now - I would have said that I would be ashamed of myself to do so, my dream being back then to someday maybe get as far as week four and reaching the 3/10ths of a mile marker in the local park without stopping would be 'an absolute marvelous thing to be able to do"

The programme works - but it takes work and a bit of time

Fortunately as the increments add up, the confidence level rises and the achievements are accumulated a day comes when we suddenly realise 'Hey - this is the FUN, I'm not just doing it to 'get fit/lose weight/prove something to myself....it's all that but MOSt of all - it's bloody fun!!!'

Wishing you many happy miles in your future - they really are out there for you

[TC321]

Thank you everyone. Lots of helpful thoughts. Thanks for caring. For making me feel more than useless. I have got to reduce or stop the drinking to give this a chance. I am off Mon and Tue so will make a restart then. You lot are an inspiration. Love u all.

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to TC321]

If drink is your main issue then yes, I'm afraid so. I have always maintained that there are never any good or useful answers to be found at the bottom of an empty bottle, only more misery, self- doubt and bitterness.

I'm maybe a little to anti having just lost my mother at 62 due to her drinking and smoking. It destroyed her brain. She no longer knew truth from fiction. She reeked of alcohol at all times even though she wasn't drinking all day long. I haven't really been able to enjoy a drink for years after watching her destroy herself. I want to live and I want to be healthy and no high or buzz from any substance is going to get in my way!

[TC321 in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

Thank you for sharing that. It helps me a lot.

[cheekychipmunks Graduate in reply to TC321]

We do all care! That’s the added bonus of this programme, this forum. You’ll always find an encouraging word here, a piece of advice, and a good chuckle if you fancy one!

No-one is judgmental, the vast majority of us started this programme as absolute beginners. We’ve all suffered those darned gremlins at some point - but pretty much everybody on here grows to love the programme and love running. Some sail through in the 9 weeks and achieve 5k at the end, some take wayyyyyyyyy longer to graduate and never achieve 5k, some are in between. But we all have each other and we love to encourage others.

We’ve got your back, TC! ❤️

[Hidden]

Not sure I can add to what everybody has been saying but be kind to yourself we are always here 😀

All I can say is, this is more than just about running . It can and does change you how you think about yourself and how you feel.

I hope you can see through your difficilties and give C25K a good go. You won't regret it.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Good question... two answers!

Are you the only person who thinks they can’t do this? No, far from it. Have a look at graduation posts, many refer to not thinking they could ever do it. That’s hugely inspirational for new starters... if they can you can.

Are you the only person who thinks you can’t do it? Yes, well almost, the vast majority of people here know that you can do it.

The mental strength you say you know that you need will drive you through the early weeks while your fitness catches up. Have you tried relaxation techniques to clear the mind and focus? They can help a lot. Also having a schedule will be important with a busy life.

Keep on trying, you can do this.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Have you read the guide to the plan healthunlocked.com/couchto5... which includes a link to a post about mental attitude.

You can do this..........if you really want to.

[EmmaA-F Graduate]

🙋🏼‍♀️ I didn’t think I could go it... self doubt gremlin was a nightmare! Always telling me I couldn’t do it.... so I slayed her 🤺 and then more came and i slayed them too.

I started to talk to myself like I would my best friend... I’d never say to them what I would say to myself at the beginning of a session.

I made many reasons why I couldn’t run but always pushed through and realised that I’m a morning runner, up and out before my brain realised what we are doing.

So yes.... like you I didn’t think I could, but today I graduated.... and that could be you in 9 weeks 😊

One foot at a time, tell yourself you can and you will 💪🏻

[TC321 in reply to EmmaA-F]

Thank u Emma x

[EmmaA-F Graduate in reply to TC321]

Welcome 😁

[quirkybee Graduate]

Hi TC321 just wondered how are you getting on since graduation? 😊