Hi all, my local running club started a C25k a few weeks ago that gave me the motivation to start this again. I've done the program twice before so know it works but am now at my heaviest and most unfit.
The week before it started I went out 3 days and did a pre week of 40 sec run intervals and really struggled but have been managing to keep at it and did W4 D1 today. Sore but done.
My problem is the club. The first night was awful, yes lots of new runners but all were already fit, talking about boot camps and one woman even had just done a 25k cycle the day before.
The result is that the group is flying ahead. Adding in extra run time during warm down, fast pace and even doing the parkrun together whereas I have to stop at the end of the 30 mins.
I did my run today with just my son, slowed my pace right down and managed it. I am delighted with doing it but am finding the group sucks the joy out of my achievements. I want to go it alone until I can do the 5k.
Seeing it written down it looks like a no brainer but I am worried about motivation, is it better to be in a group?
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Ceejaybee
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I would say you do you! Going at your own pace and enjoying the run sounds like a better motivator to run again than if you don't enjoy it with others. And your son being involved also sounds like you could encourage eachother! 😊
There’s a book, film and even a song called The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. It’s best to run at your pace on your terms and over your distance... sometimes running with someone is fun, but for your running you can’t beat just being out there and doing your thing.
I find the problem with some coaches, and so some groups, is the determination to break through that wall... the best coaches will instead enable you to show yourself that there is no wall.
You’re doing great... obviously I say ditch the group... run happy, and use the best coach there is... that’s you. Slow steady progression, celebrate every run (they all have many victories in them) and enjoy running... then you’ll keep running and become a better runner.
I always recommend that people do C25K on their own........no compromise on pace for anyone, nobody to let you down and the flexibility to run when it suits you.
Have you read the guide to the plan? It is full of tips.
Time to focus on you, your thoughts and gives you a chance to listen to your body, how you’re feeling and just to enjoy the surroundings. Don’t worry about motivation - keep checking in and posting/encouraging on the forum and you’ll be motivated all the way to graduation. Happy running 🏃♀️
Sounds to me like
1) your running group aren't really doing C25K!! (And not very inclusively either!)
2) you seem to have found what works for you this evening - "You do you!" as Meg223 so rightly said.
Besides, we're all the running group you need - you're never alone for long on this forum! Loads of virtual running buddies here, and very inclusive!
Keep going. I think you are going to do brilliantly just as you are. 😊
It's great that the club gave you the motivation to get started but you've done that now and it sounds like the club has outlived its usefulness - for now at least. In your own words, the club is "sucking the joy" out of it for you. That's massively unhelpful in terms of your objective of following the programme and completing C25K - if you're starting to dread going out with the club, do yourself a favour and just finish the rest of it on your own. Bet it will feel really liberating! We're all here to give you virtual support and, further down the track, maybe you'll rejoin the running group and maybe you won't. For now, just focus on you.
Could not have said it better. I for one have only completed C25K because I have run on my own. Don’t fancy park runs etc, not at the moment anyway. Struggling having finished a couple of weeks ago but with the encouragement you receive on this forum I am still going and am out in an hour to go again “at my pace and if I stop for a wee bit so be it”
Have a go on your own and with your son but have some motivating music too. Good luck.
<<I want to go it alone until I can do the 5k. Seeing it written down it looks like a no brainer.>>
Doesn't really matter what the rest of us think then. Maybe you needed to put it in writing to clarify your thoughts but it's clear that you think you'll be more comfortable running alone till you reach 5k.
I found the same - I also like to run by myself if I'm trying to achieve something specific - but that's not the point, because it's not about me. A group only works if you all have the same aims and it looks like this group is not content to stick to the 5k programme whereas that is what you want to do. If you want to run by yourself so you can control your own progress then do that.
Think you answer your own question CeeJayBee. Then again we are your group, if you want us to be. You will get all the support you need here. Run on your own happily with the app or the podcast in your ear. Do bear in mind that the course will get you to run 30 minutes non stop reasonably happily. You then advance to 5K. Read the FAQ POSTS. 0nly about 10/15% of folk finish 9 weeks able to run 5K. Sounds as your club selection process was not to help the members, but to guarantee good results for the Club perhaps? Meanwhile a very warm welcome to you and your boy.
You’ve kept up so far, now run 5 minutes several times before moving on.
I had to do week1 twice, I was that bad. Now I am happy to run 30 minutes non stop, just a few weeks from those terrible runs. Enjoy your running.
I think the above posters have said it all . I quite enjoy running alone not many want to get up as early as I do ! Just press on alone or with your son and then rejoin the club.
There's not much I can add to the wise posts above but all I can say is that it sounds like you know what you want to do. Try going alone, or with your son, and see how that goes. Enjoy your running
Snap! I had exactly the same problem with my group. Snide comments and no support from the group leader, no proper warmup or cool down, and pushing us to sign up for a park run after the second week!
In the end I dropped out, at week four. Best thing I ever did! I now run when I want to without any pressure, and actually enjoy it. I felt like a failure at first, but realised (with a little help from lovely people on this forum!) that the fact I am managing runs is a success in itself. I have also started swimming three times a week, and can see that progress in each sport is helping the other.
I fully intend to do a Parkrun, but in my own time and when I am ready.
Do what works for you, not what someone else dictates!
Yep, I totally agree with everyone above. Focus on yourself and do what works for you. I've just finished w4 d2 and have considered joining a running group, but decided that I want to at least finish the c25k first to feel more confident in myself before I consider what's next. Keep on running and good luck
Im nearing the end of c25k and originally looked into doing it this time round with the running club. Unfortunately the course started whilst I was away so I cracked on on my own. Now I can't imagine running with other people. So much so that I'm not sure I want to do the event I signed up for in June.
I think you've made the decision, enjoy yourself going forward and let us know how you are doing 🙂
Surely it's only better to be in a group where you feel supported not deflated. A group setting can be a great motivator but I think in this case of you feel no joy from it and you are able to motivate yourself you would be better to go it alone x
I've run on my own have never been in a group but I joined the lonely goat running group on fb. Brilliant motivation from beginners to marathon runners.
For me I did it by myself which I love the motivation for me was to keep coming back here and posting about my completed runs and all the support I got. As for your running group the warm down is exactly that and not a time for adding in more running do what suits you 😊😊
Thanks everyone for all the replies. I think as I was writing my post it really made it clear to me that leaving the group wasn't quitting.
Ironically the reason I wanted the group is that my husband, son and daughter all run and I thought going out with them would make me feel bad when in fact they have been brilliant.
And we're all rooting for you! I'm sure you can do it. For what it's worth, one of the greatest pleasures about running as far as I'm concerned is that I do it on my own. We all have complete confidence in you and are looking forward to hearing about the success of your solo running career! Anyone who sees running for pleasure, health and fitness as something to be competitive about is not helpful: it's about you and your achievements, which are already considerable. Let us all know how you get on.
I would hate to do c25k in a group. I think it would destroy my confidence. I am doing this totally on my own (yes, i do need to kick myself up the butt most days) but THIS group has been my motivation. I try to log every run and the people on here are always there to celebrate the little (big!) victories and pick you up when you are down. Find some others that are at the same stage as you and run "together" during the week. I don't mean at the exact same time but within a day of each other. Having someone facing the same runs at the same time to bounce off can be really helpful. Good luck on your journey 😊
I hope this helps, but I completed the whole programme without a running club or anyone else alongside me, and kept it secret from the majority of friends/aquaintances until I;d completed it. I used the app and Sarah Millican's coaching, then after that I found music to keep me interested. I've never liked joining classes, they've not motivated me in the way they do so many other people, mainly because I start comparing, or get worried I'll blurt out something dumb. I'm not really sure why I stayed motivated doing this alone, because I'm someone who's easily distracted, but I think the fact I felt I was at last achieving something helped enormously. And a year later, despite the odd blip and injury, I am back to running three times a week.
When I did tell everyone I was running, I had a friend saying 'Oh, you should run with me, or do a park run with my husband.' And another friend has tried to rope me into pilates classes with her and a keep fit aerobics class. They don't understand how I stay motivated and why I don't want to join in, but this way works best for me.
This running club appears to be demotivating you, and I think by writing this out, you realise the same thing. The C25K programme works as an individual tool, which could be why it's so successful. Maybe when (I say when not if) you've graduated and you want to stay motivated, then it could be the place to go back to, but not while their efforts seem to be unintentionally undermining yours.
Your experience really resonated with me. I’ve been doing the Couch to 5K for just over a month now using the NHS app and I’m finding it so much better than being part of a beginners jogging group that I joined 5 years ago. I joined the group through work with the intention of getting healthy, losing weight and having the motivation of taking part in a 5K. Most of the people were like me, unfit and needing to be eased in gently with the exception of maybe three people who were very fit but they grouped together and did their own thing. When I look back at how the group leader was organising the runs compared to the app, I’m staggered I didn’t do myself some damage with the group. The first run was uphill to a junction and took about five minutes with no stops and going quite fast, for beginners. At the first stop everyone was exhausted but we quickly moved on to the next run. The pace really wasn’t set for complete beginners and we never got to complete a route successfully before we were off on to the next route with a bit extra stuck on the end. I did the 5K but I can’t say I enjoyed any of it. With the app, I’ve built up the runs very slowly and I haven’t felt like I’m being pushed too hard. If I have a day where I don’t feel good, I can just stop and go home and try it again the day after. There’s no pressure on me to keep going, it’s all at my own pace. Also someone on the forum recommended Japanese slow jogging to me. I’d never heard of it but if you go on YouTube you can see what it’s about and I’ve been doing that. I’m don’t know how old you are but I’m 55 and I find it much kinder to my body but I’m still seeing results as I’ve lost weight and inches, so that may be worth trying. I would say try the app, do it on your own, at your own pace and if you get fit and want to keep motivated with others then maybe you could try the group again.
It's only better to be in a group if u enjoy it and it doesn't sound like you do think I would find all that a bit daunting running with people who are already fit and doing other exercise 😧try on your own and use the thought of rejoining the group once you are happy with your fitness levels as your motivation it won't take long or get your son out again with you.
I found this virtual group great support and motivation. I don’t post often but read posts every day. You’ll find all the support you need here, your C25K at your pace. Good luck x 🏃♀️🏃♀️
You do have a group to motivate you...all of us on this forum! I run on my own and enjoy listening to songs on a free spotify app...its the only dedicated music time for me so lots of pleasure there to get you round. The people here encourage and make you smile! If I can do c25k anyone can. Have some happy runs!
I recently joined a club along c25k. Lasted 3 weeks before i realized i prefer to run on my own. If the club isnt working then do your own thing with your son and enjoy it.
I've done most of it on my own and i did meet a couple of ladies who were local and doing the same as me so we've joined forces which is great for motivation. But I do also enjoy alone time. The group doesn't sound like it's motivating you at all so why not try another approach. If you hate it you can probably join back in, just tell them your not around for a couple of weeks to keep the option open!
Thank you all for your kind replies. Did W4D2 tonight with my husband and daughter and it was much better. Really felt I achieved something when I finished rather than feel I could have done better.
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W4 R3 done
W4 done but oh dear.....
Wk4 r1: hard but done
Week3 Run1 not entirely to the app plan, Parkrun number 1 done!
W1R1 (but really R3) is done!
