#W8R3 My first failed run...

[kriswhoruns]

I went out to do my run this morning, but I’m full of a cold. On its own, that’d be ok, I don’t do man flu. It was also chucking it down, on its own, that’d be ok, and you know what, I could live with that and my cold. But then, as I was half way around my first lap of my usual route, there was an organised race using my route, going the other way. This was the straw that broke the camels back, the point I said “screw it, I’m going home”

Is it ok if I just jump onto #W9R1 on Tuesday? I ask because I’ve already completed two 5k Park Runs in less than 35mins, and a couple of weeks ago when I had a day off and the weather was lovely, I pushed myself to run for 10k, albeit not fast, but I did it. I know I can run for 30mins, and one blip in the entire program is ok, yeah? I just want to graduate at Park Run on Saturday.

[Oldlady57]

Not failed, you went out kriswhoruns. We can all have bad days, sounds like yours was today plus your not 100%? You’ll smash it next time. Be kind to yourself 👍🏻

[Sandraj39 Graduate]

I think you can move on to W9 with a clear concience! 🙂 Sounds like you are doing fantastically. Your cold may well have made a difference but also make sure you are not pushing too hard too soon - sometimes the body protests! Good luck with your last three runs and graduation at Parkrun!🙂

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Sometimes runs just suck... you’ll get it next time. I’d recommend completing week 8 fully before moving on.

Congratulations on surviving the 10k without an injury, you took a huge risk there... distances need to be built slowly... frankly, that was a crazy thing to do.

[kriswhoruns Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

I took it really easy on the 10k, and listened to my body. I say I did a 10k run. I did have a ten minute recovery walk in the middle.

The important thing to me is my body didn’t protest, and y’know what, I bloody enjoyed it too! Just going for a light jog around where I live!

[ArthurJG Graduate]

Be careful with colds. Head colds are OK if you feel fine otherwise but don’t run with a chest cold. The other thing is if your body is not at its best then don’t be surprised if strenuous activity- especially a new level of strenuous as in C25k- is, temporarily, too much for you until you are healthy again.

[kriswhoruns Graduate in reply to ArthurJG]

I’m generally alright with colds. Like I say, I don’t go full blown man flu. Yesterday I was a sniffly mess, and I just slept it off after work. This morning I felt rough and a bit bunged up, but otherwise ok. I’m really asthmatic so I know if it’s on my chest.

Thankfully C25K has done wonders for my asthma. Not relied on my inhaler since about the end of W2!!

[ArthurJG Graduate]

This is maybe a stupid question but if you already know you can run for 30 minutes why are you doing C25k? Have I misunderstood your post?

[kriswhoruns Graduate in reply to ArthurJG]

I started C25K unable to run for a minute back in August. But I am bloody minded, and impatient. And once I’ve started something, I’m determined to finish it. (See: bloody mindedness)

[ArthurJG Graduate in reply to kriswhoruns]

Ah right. In this programme the bloody mindedness may come in useful but you do need to try to be patient because the runs are planned and spaced the way the are for good reasons and one of those reasons is the avoidance of injury. Get your bloody-mindedness to have a word with your impatience about how it would feel about a month off running due to injury and try to be bloody-minded about sticking to the programme and taking your rest days I get the thing about finishing what you start but the point of C25k is that graduation doesn’t mark the finish of anything- rather it’s the start of regular running.

[kriswhoruns Graduate in reply to ArthurJG]

Yeah, I learnt when doing my albeit, slow, 10k that I did that a little too soon. I didn’t hurt myself, I just knackered myself out. Sadly I signed up to a 10k run earlier this year for October, and kept putting off doing C25K (by about two months) so I’ve only myself to blame. It was nice to know I *can* do it, but since then, every run (until this morning) has been at a tortoise pace, and just focusing on building my stamina, and following the program to the word.

It’s definitely the start of regular running, I’m even planning on joining a gym in October (something I’ve never done before) so I can run when the weather is awful (cold weather really agitates my asthma) on treadmills, but there is something nice about running on a nice day and just taking in the scenery.

I guess that makes me a runner now?

My aim now is just to get that elusive 5k in 30 minutes by Saturday’s parkrun! Then the 10k Run (did I mention it’s the Windsor Beer Run, I have my priorities right haha!!!) and then over winter, follow the bridge to 10k plan to able to comfortably run 10k by spring 2019 and spend summer doing as many races as I can get my grubby mits on!