I've been a graduate since last July. Still doing the 30 min runs 2/3 times a week, and have about half dozen 5k charity runs under my belt.
Thing is, even when I'm training I panic. My head knows I can run for 30.mins! But as soon as I get going, I can feel my shoulders up round my ears and I'm gripping my water bottle for dear life.
If I consciously relax, I run better. Then 5 minutes later, shoulders are back round my ears and there is an imprint on the water bottle...
I've tried music, podcasts, staring over the hedges, listening to the birdsong, just about everything.
What can I try?
Written by
Teresa1632
Graduate
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Have you read or heard about Chi running? I've read the book and found it really useful. They suggest you "body scan" every ten minutes and relax any tense bits you find. Laura tells us to shake our arms out if we can feel any tension, both those tips have helped me. Not sure if there's a way to stop it happening, but dealing with it as it does is pretty good i my book.
To start with, leave that water bottle at home. You really don't need to carry water for any run under about an hour's duration and your hands need to be relaxed and not tensely gripping. This can cause asymmetries and tensions in arms and shoulders, which again need to be relaxed.
Are you running 75-80% of the time at a nice gentle easy conversational pace, as recommended in the guide to post C25K running healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Pushing hard forces our body into tensions, which are much easier to control at a gentle pace.
Certain medical conditions can require people to carry water, but you don't need to hold it in your hands. I use a bottle waist belt for runs longer than an hour and a backpack with bladder to longer runs.
How is your general hydration? Are you drinking 2-3 litres each and every day?
Oh yes, I drink lots of water, so am well hydrated. I tried a bladder back pack for cycling with mixed results. The belt thing sounds like a good idea! I'll get one of those.
Alternatively, could use my cycling tops, as they have back pockets. Will see if I can squeeze a water bottle in there.
Well done for sticking to it. What are you thinking when you start to hunch your shoulders up? Are you thinking ‘oh no, I can’t do this’ panic voice or is it more the physical reactions that feel like panic?
If the second I think I’d address this as a problem with your running technique. So either with the support of a running trainer, or via something like this Japanese slow jogging movement, you’d be spending your run actively thinking about your body position.
This is like the conscious relaxing but giving you a lot more to think about.
Depending on what you mean by panicking or how bad it is, if you are thinking while training, that you can’t do this, when you can, there are probably a few ways to address it. Again a good personal trainer could help (you’d need to be fully open about it so they can help), and if it’s more serious and something that you do in other areas of your life, counselling would definitely help. Lastly, practicing mindfulness techniques would probably help. A bit like working on your running technique, this would be a way to keep getting your focus back to the present. Hope this helps!
I train people in mindfulness and use those techniques. It's more of a panic about getting round, even though I've done it over and over! I'll talk to a personal trainer I know, he is a good motivator and good fun too. Thank you.
I find that choosing relaxing music and singing along helps. Even if I can't sing it all as I puff round. I also make an effort to pull my shoulders back and down every 10 mins or so.
Try new routes so you're not getting to those familiar points where these thoughts come back up 👍😁
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Not a good run - time to listen to my own advice!!
Run on through the rain.... Parkrun done!
How to run for fun?
First run after graduation 
I need a bumbag! and a health query
