Why is it getting harder and running and mental health? ??

[cornishgirl29]

It seems it has suddenly become really difficult now that I am running for a long period. I stopped twice today because my legshurt and my breathing was difficult. I have reached run 2 week 8 and I am struggling. I am also feeling moderately depressed at the moment and it's not helping feeling that I cannot do these runs. Anyone else with similar experiences.??I feel like I've gone backwards?

[damienair Graduate]

Your a new runner. Even after finishing C25K you are still only just starting out. I did C25K 2.5 years ago. I’ve done 53 Parkruns, several 5K road races and a few 10K road races. I regularly run 3-4 times per week all through the year.

Guess what, I still consider myself to be a new runner and I still struggle sometimes. Some days I go out to run an easy 5K and I find it anything but easy. Positive mental attitude is vital for running. If your brain is screaming at you to stop your body will also scream at you to stop. However if you can be strong enough to tell your brain to shut up and if you can continue to coax your body and legs forward you can achieve more than you thought was possible. Don’t be hard on yourself, your doing great. We all have bad runs and we all find it difficult sometimes. But running is great for you and your health. Stick with it.

Damien

[Thelyde Graduate in reply to damienair]

I enjoyed reading that response and will remember to tell my brain to be quite too 💪

[Hidden]

Are you having your rest days?

[cornishgirl29 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Yes.

[Hidden in reply to cornishgirl29]

Sometimes it can take time for things to fall into place, just keep going, don't be giving up, it's very hard at the beginning, your mind and body need to get used to it all which can take time.

Keep asking on here for advice along the way and it should help.

Just don't give up, it will all happen for you eventually..

[damienair Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Exactly, we all have bad runs. But sticking with it and struggling forward makes the amazingly great run so worth while.

[Hidden in reply to damienair]

That's true damienair.

[slow-farah Graduate]

Hi 😊 you may have seen the survey results parkrun released this weekend that stated 69% of parkrunners have reported improvements in their mental health (which includes me!) so your experience obviously goes against this.

General advice is that if you’re feeling low/ depressed for 2 weeks you should seek GP advice.

As you are now running 28 minutes this is a lot more than the 1 minute you could run only 8 weeks ago, you might find repeating week 8 helps your body adjust to running a bit more.

If you’re struggling with breathing you could investigate asthma as a possible cause. Asthma runs in my family but it never really affected me until I began running.

I really hope you are able to find your lost mojo.

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate]

Oh yes! It's feeling harder... because it is harder. No more breaks, less support from the mentor on the app so you feel a little abandoned (I did) which combined with your feeling down anyway is giving your internal gremlins chance to come and plant doubts... why bother... you can't do this anyway.... warmer inside... back to telly... yup they'll try anything to get control again!

It's really, really, up to you now. Are you gonna let them them take control? Or are you gonna kick their scaly arses to the kerb?

You must have felt some achievement already. Think how good you're going to feel. Think how much you've already benefited and what's waiting for you.

We all have down days and I know more than most that if I do run, I can turn that around if I can push the doubts and anxiety away.

Get the right tunes going, even before you set out, like in years gone by when you'd get ready to go clubbing, psych yourself up and go, go, go!!! Right past them gremlins and grinning out the other side! 👍🏻😁

[backintime Graduate]

If you're on w8r2 then you already did w8r1 so you KNOW you CAN do it

imagine throwing those gremlins under passing cars, or in ditches, or anywhere where you win and they fear to come back

it's ok to be a bit scared and worried, but you really can do it. if there's a place you normally stop running, imagine yourself running through it before you get there, rehearse it in your head and psych yourself up (I have particular car park on my route after only 1K that I have to push myself through mentally or I walk)

[Buddy34 Graduate]

Firstly don't worry some runs do feel tougher. If your legs are hurting are you drinking 2-3 litres of water per day and you say you're out if breath which suggests you're going too fast.

As for the way you are feeling , have you spoken to the doctors about this. You are already really helping yourself with running but sometimes we need a bit more help. Good luck 😊😊

[Grannyhugs Graduate]

Mental ill health is rubbish - been there got the tee shirt, but outdoor activity is great to relieve it. I struggled with w8 runs until I decided to search out beautiful places to run. If you can treat yourself to a scenic run, slow down and look around hopefully you will find running easier and mood improved. Keep going, you are achieving wonderful things.

[Beachcomber66 Graduate]

I am 67 and have a bit of asthma problem. Not a lot going for me then really😊. I got a bit lost towards the end of C25k, mainly because I was thinking about "what next?", something you mentioned a post or two back, and I also expected more of myself; pace, distance etc. I also thought I needed the background commentary to keep me going. All a load of rubbish!!

Asthma, as you know, for many is controllable through inhalers, so that is a mitigate the problem as far as you can thing. Running has actually increased my peak flow.

For the rest, I would give yourself a couple of days off, especially if your legs are sore, and then go to your week 8 run 3, running it really really slowly...no objective other than to run for the allotted time. Looking forward, you have choices. Do you want to run quicker? or further? or both? (I went for distance first then speed...but that is an age thing probably). Maybe you just want to do 5k lengths at a jogging pace.....whatever you choose to do is a success. I ditched all earphones when I finished C25k and relied on my running watch (I went for the cheapest with its own GPS). I settled on a pattern of one short run, one 5k and one longer run each week, and used my running watch to control pace. It worked! Oh...I do have a coffee and chocolate brownie end of longer (and sometimes shorter!!) run ritual...puts a smile on my face and lifts my mood no end. The fact is, whatever your brain is telling you, you are doing really really well. 👏👏👏👏🏆🥇👍👍😊

[Annieapple Administrator Graduate]

Sorry to hear you are struggling with the longer runs! Are you running at snails 🐌 pace? Try slowing it right down! It’s the usual cause of breathing problems! Mentally it’s probably a catch 22... the low mood impacts on the running & not completing the run impacts on your state of mind. Whatever you do don’t stop running. The runs WILL get better.. there is no race!! You can repeat them till you master them.. sometimes when you are feeling low you can’t muster up the energy to keep up with hydration on your rest days. Keep tabs on that! Any time you put those trainers on and give the run a go, is a victory particularly with depression! Can you change your music or route to stimulate things a bit? You have done extremely well to have got to this point!! Once you conquer 8:2 you are going to feel amazing so keep on keeping on and just enjoy what you can do! Hugs 🤗 & keep telling us how it is!! We are here for you!!

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Any runner can make any run hard by pushing hard, or easy by taking it easy.

The recommended pace for C25K is one at which you can speak clear ungasping sentences as you run......,.if you cannot, you are going too fast.

This easy conversational pace is the one that builds stamina and also makes running more enjoyable.

This might help you with the mental approach healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Be kind to yourself.......slow down.

[cornishgirl29 Graduate]

Thank you

[cornishgirl29 Graduate]

Thank you for all the helpful comments. what kind people xx

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to cornishgirl29]

"Keep asking and allowing others to help. There are more helpful people waiting to help than not"

That's a quote from a book about anxiety, one of several quotes from that book I keep pinned to my bedroom wall for when the dark times come. I never used to believe it but have learned it is very true. 💕

[Oldgirlruns Graduate]

You’re not going backwards cg, just think how far you’ve come. On week one, did you imagine you’d be running 25 minutes and more? Of course you didn’t - but here you are. So what to do next? Lots of advice already given- stay hydrated and keep it really slow. Don’t think about 5k in 30 minutes- loads of us can’t manage that at graduation. I still struggle to get to 3k in 30 minutes and I graduated in August - now that’s slow! Perhaps give yourself an extra day off as a treat then try the run again, remembering that this isn’t a punishment - we do it because we want to run! (Who knew I’d ever say something as bonkers as that - me? Run? 😱!). So relax, smile and give it some welly! And let us know how you get on! Happy running cornishgirl!

[Parky88 Graduate]

I'm at exactly the same point and having exactly the same experience... hope it helps just to know that!!

I'm just trying to tell myself that my last few runs were just tough ones and at some point soon i will have a good one so just keep going! As someone else said if you've done W8R1 you know you can do it, you wont have physically gone backwards in such a short time. We're so close to the end though and can do it 😁

Let us know how you get on next time 🙂