I struggled with week 1 but had a (very) brief moment on run 3 when I thought I could actually do this so… on to wk 2.
I can honestly say I have never felt so low and defeated as at the end of today’s run. It started badly and then got worse. I had issues at home before I even left, struggling with my phone, my ear buds and the new arm phone pocket my hubby bought me. Then I got caught in traffic and one thing and another I was in a bad place mentally when I finally set off. Then issues with my clothing and the app and my music kept dropping out meant I never managed to get in a rhythm and then the ache in my knee that has been there since run 1 wk1 got worse and worse until I dropped out of the last 30 secs of the last run.
I knew this would be hard and after the muscle aches in wk 1 I thought I could do it but now….
I couldn’t run through the pain in my knee and I feel so defeated that I have hit this pain block so soon.
So much for runners high. I came back and cried my disappointment out.
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C311
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That sounds absolutely rotten. I’ve definitely had runs like that where the tech played up, my laces wouldn’t stay tied, I got lost, stepped in stinging nettles etc. it’s really demoralising but everyone has them and doesn’t make you any less of a runner.
Sorry about your knee pain. Is it something you’ve had looked at before? I really wouldn’t be trying to run through joint pain-you could end up properly hurting yourself and needing to stay off running for longer. I would definitely rest until it eases and consider seeking some advice about what’s causing the pain and how to best manage it.
Thank you. I know it was partially my own fault for not being organised and I have found the advice on here very helpful so maybe after some rest I can start some knee strengthening exercises then get back at it. Thanks again
Sorry about your run today C311, but well done on completing week 1 of C25K, I would advise you to take a few extra days off running until all those aches and pains go, when you do restart, repeat run 1 of week 2, do the running parts slower than you did today, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, good luck.
Thanks. I think I’m going to step back and do some walking and knee strength excercises before I attempt the rest of c25k but I’m still determined to get there (it’s just obviously going to take me a lot more than 9 wks)
When that knee feels comfortable enough then head out again...and when you are ready... set out all your gear the night before! Try stuff on if need be... but get it ready. Think about your route... go through it in your head... think about it with anticipation not apprehension
Just relax.
Do some lovely warm up work.. relax and enjoy... and then, maybe trickle out again for Week1 Run 3...and slow and steady.
Your last positive post shows that you want to do this and that you are capable of doing it !
You are doing wonderfully. All you need to do is believe it !
"Believe you can and you are half way there".
As for the Runner's High.... well that could be a while... why not just settle for .. that was a good run ... well done me!!!!
Thank you. These links are great. I have been doing the stretches and warm ups but I will definitely take some time out now to work on these knee strengthening exercises before I start wk 2 again.
The disappointment got to me but I realise now that I just have to prepare my body BEFORE I can tackle the c25k.
Maybe more realistic to do walking exercise, knee strengthening and diet before c25k. Shame though, it still feels like failure.
I clearly still need to readjust my mind to accommodate the new exercise parameters.
Honestly though. Thanks for the info and links I will definitely use this.
Run preparation is important for everything to work effortlessly. Familiarity with the tech and accoutrements will soon follow and good route planning is essential.
Do not try to run through pain. You may need to build leg and knee strength before you try to run. There are links in the guide to strengthening exercises and the Active10 walking programme.
Thanks. I had thought I was active enough to go straight into c25k and had skipped merrily over the active 10 section in the guide but now see that some consistent activity monitoring would help me get on track before running. Thanks for the nudge in the right direction.
Thank you for your persistance in writing to me. I have really appreciated the support and the advice about knee strengthening exercises and I will start on these as soon as this pain settles down.
Aw, so tough to have a difficult run. I think we’ve all been there and know how you feel. You’ve had loads of practical advice on here so I will just share something I watched yesterday.
This guy was an Olympic champion for 1500m. He’s a gold medalist. And he’s working on getting back into running after having a break. This is his week 3 programme. Really different from C25k but he’s really honest about his good runs and challenging ones
I found it helpful to see that even the ex-pros struggle. Don’t worry, it will get easier. Wishing you some wonderful runs when you’re ready to get back out there.
He’s definitely fast. He’s actually the record holder for the fastest park run (13:48). But he only managed 4 minutes 15 seconds at Kipchoge’s marathon pace, so I guess everything is relative. His slow runs would break me but everyone has different targets and he’s younger and has more experience.
I just find it encouraging that he has difficult runs on things that “should” be easy for him. Shows that even when you’ve been a pro and done this as a full-time job, you can have days when it doesn’t come right for you.
Absolutely please don’t. I posted it to show that everyone has challenging days, not to share his training plan. I found it encouraging that sometimes we all struggle but if it doesn’t help, please ignore it.
Wow. I never really realised how hard even regular runners and pros found this. I must work on my mental strength as obviously this is going to be exercised EVERY run. Thanks for the link and the insight.
They’re not all tough. Some of them everything flows and you feel like you can run forever. But hopefully the video helped to show that sometimes everyone has a challenging day. We learn how to manage them.
The key is to know that the journey is up and down. I’ve had ones where I didn’t think I’d make it, one where I got lost and had to climb through a tree, one where I pushed too hard and had a terrible run but learnt loads. Lots of learning done but I’m still going. And lots of learning to come.
As I used to say to my students, if it was easy we wouldn’t need to train. You’ll get there. Hope the next one is fantastic
Sorry to hear you had such a bad run and yes we do all have them at times. I’m no expert here but I understand the knee issue the C25K has actually helped my knees I still have my off days but less of them now.
I also prepare the night before I’m only using a treadmill but I have my clothes out and ready for the morning I like to be organised.
Repeat each week if you have to, make the runs slow. You can do this it may just take a little longer than you planned, don’t give up you’ve got this (once the knee has healed).
I dedicated my runs each time to a different family member or friend and kept them in my thoughts on the running parts a nice distraction from my speed, pace, breathing, aches and pains etc also spurred me on not to give up and let them down, that runners high will soon be your again. Stay positive
Thank you. Dedicating each run to a person sounds like a great idea and one I intend to implement as I find doing things for other people much easier than putting in effort just for me. Great advice. Thanks
It sounds to me like you're giving yourself a hard time. Remind yourself that you've got up off the couch and gone out there, no matter how it went, you're ahead of the game! You're already breaking old habits by going out and experiencing the highs AND lows. It's all part of the journey so don't let the lows stop you, just keep chipping away and you'll succeed. Muscles will complain but over time that will subside as you build strength and stamina. It's obviously okay to bend the C25K program and maybe walk more but certainly only go at your pace and ability. To me the program felt like it was a really good introduction to running. It demands an achievable level of effort but it will also tolerate flexibility in its training.
Thank you. I know it’s such early days for me and I need to adjust to the new exercise. I’m going to take some of the other advice and increase knee exercises before I try again but I can’t give up this early into c25k. Thanks for the support
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