Happy Monday fellow runners and welcome to the first Catch Up Corner in June! First and foremost, how are you doing? If you’re following the Couch25k programme right now, which week are you on and how have your runs been going? If you’re doing something else, what have you been up to? It’s great to look back and share the challenges and the little victories!
I graduated over a year ago and it’s been full of highs and lows since. This week has been a busy one and I’ve been struggling to fit my runs in. I managed my third run of the week at sunset last night and came home feeling full of beans at 9.45pm. Not exactly the best planning in the world! I’m so glad I did it though! I’m coming back from an injury where I couldn’t run at all for a time so I’m still loving that I can get out and do what I love.
That’s got me thinking about what we can do when we can’t run. When the road is closed for whatever reason. It might be life just throwing so many challenges in our way that getting out for a run is impossible. It might be that we are injured, or unwell and we need to recover. When running has become part of your life and suddenly you can’t run, what do you do?
My top tip is to remember that you are still a runner. You might be a runner who isn’t running at the moment but you’re still a runner. You can do all sorts of things that will help you come back stronger. Seek real life advice from a professional about what’s the right thing for you if that’s appropriate. Maybe it’s fitting in some strength and flex work outs at home. Perhaps it’s exercising in other ways such as swimming, walking or cycling which don’t work your body in the same way as running. Maybe it’s a good time to think about what you’re eating and drinking and how that’s supporting your body. You might even need to give yourself permission to just rest and recover. It’s sometimes so much harder to stop or slow down rather than to push onwards and onwards when it isn’t the best thing for us! The thing I’ve found most helpful of all is to find people who understand that it’s hard when you want to run but can’t who can keep you going while things are tough. The great news is that we’re full of wonderful virtual run buddies here who can do just that!
Have you got any top tips for staying motivated when running is difficult or impossible?
I can’t wait to hear about your runs this week! Who is going to be first? I’m waiting with coffee…
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Happy RUNday to you! 🤗 my partner just text me that!
I’ve finished week 2 today and I’m feeling fabulous dahling! All set to start week 3 on Wednesday. I’m finding the runs great at the moment and feel like I’m getting fitter and my cardio and energy level has also improved. I’m not tired after I get back and after a shower I’m ready to tackle the day head on 💪
Tomorrow I will doing some yoga and a kettlebell workout and possibly a morning walk too.
I’m relaxing with a cuppa and foam rolling my feet 👏
That’s just fantastic! It’s great your partner is being supportive-that makes such a difference. Monday RUNday…I really like that! ❤️
What a great week for you! I’m also a fan of both yoga and kettlebells. They were actually two of the things I enjoyed most while I wasn’t able to run. My physio was really positive about how good they can be for runners.
Such a lovely post to read-it’s so obvious that you’re in a great place with your runs. Just hold on to that feeling. Enjoy that cuppa and foot roll too! 🫖👣🏃♀️❤️
We both started this program together, it’s been great motivating each other. I go out much earlier than he does and we text each other how we’re getting on. One of these days we will run together!
Running together can be lovely! MrU started about a year after me. We’ve had some really nice runs together, although he’s about a foot taller and all legs so pace can be a challenge! It sounds like you’ve found a great way to make it work!
Good afternoon. Make mine a lemon & ginger please as I'm not a coffee drinker. I'm currently on another enforced pause to my running journey, but I'm not sitting around waiting to get those running shoes back on. We've been out for a long bike ride today as cycling has always been a regular feature with us. Also those strength exercises are done most days. I'm hoping to make a return soon as the leg is feeling good again. Happy rundays everyone 🏃♀️ 🏃♂️ 🏃♀️
Love a lemon ginger! I’ve got one right now post Zumba. It’s sounds like you’re doing all the right things with getting ready to return to running. A bike ride in the sunshine is wonderful!
My experience with those strength exercises was so positive-now I’m running again I wish I’d been doing more before I had my enforced pause!
Have you got a timeframe for coming back to the runs? Just wishing you the best while you’re on the injury couch-although I don’t think anyone can accuse you of just sitting around! ❤️
Ha, what sunshine! Cool NE wind blowing the cloud inland off the North Sea. The sun didn't come out until we got back mid afternoon. I'm going to test out the running at the end of the week and see how it feels. Take it from there I guess.
I’d totally forgotten it was chilly earlier on! I got caught out on the way to the gym without a jacket on and I was actually cold!
Really good luck with the return to running. I felt really out of sorts to start with…almost as if my arms and legs had forgotten what to do! It came back in time. The key thing is to stop if you get pain again. It’s frustrating if you have to do that but absolutely worth it for your recovery.
Go you two!!! It must be lovely to have a buddy to keep you going. Much as I loved Denise Lewis, she wasn’t all the good at holding gates open or making a cup of coffee when I got back!! Happy Monday RUNday right back at you! 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️
Hi I am on week 7 run 2 just completed last night oh boy was it tough in that heat. Lol
This is my 2nd time doing couch to 5 k I did it last year and wanted to do it again. I find the hardest part is dealing with the pressure we put ourselves.
I really do love it better this time but last night I felt disappointed . ( why do we be so hard on ourselves)
Week 7 run 1. I felt like mo farrah lol week 7 run2 felt all over the place found it harder to get running pace right , breathing and back to thinking when is this going to end .
Today is a new day so hopefully haven’t bored u to tears . Good luck to everyone and the weather is great x
The weather certainly has its challenges at the moment! During my first full year of running, I remember wishing for sunshine in the rain, wishing for rain in the sunshine, hating wind, wanting a breeze, being excited about snow and then being desperate for it to go away when it came! I guess it keeps things interesting.
We all have those tricky runs. You can be really proud that even though you found it hard, you made it through. You’ll know you have that in you when the harder runs come along. The good news is, often after a hard one, the next one is lovely! Choose a nice route, good music, a steady pace and do whatever you know you enjoy to help you have a good time.
I’m never bored by posts-it’s really nice to read other people having the same challenges and successes as I do-I find that so encouraging. Thanks for sharing! ❤️
Morning... I am into blueberry smoothie right now It is great to be a visitor here.... and having to think!
Well, there has been over the last few months, one heck of a lot of NOT running. Staying motivated is not the problem for me, it is just shaking off the feeling sometimes that, although the urge to run never waivers, I simply may never be able, to run again!
This usually follows injury or illness and post Covid was really tricky to shake off! So... for me.. trying, when I feel well enough, to do them, to keep up with simple daily exercise routines...just a few yoga stretches toothbrush squats, breathing exercise, etc really help.
Re-reading my run diary, reading endless posts on the forums, and seeing what some folk are really up against can lift the running spirits wonderfully.
Positive thinking too... knowing, I have been here before, knowing I will be back out there again, slower, ( is that possible ?) , but out there... and even if it takes an absolute age, I will get to where I want to be.
I tell folk all the time... the runs are patient... they wait for us... Thank goodness , that is the truth
I would love a croissant right now! Ideally an almond one-my favourite and send me a blueberry smoothie? That sounds fantastic!
Some really interesting thoughts (as ever!). I love that the thought of getting back out and back to where you would like to be carries you through-same for me! Coach B on one of his runs talked about having long term goals where the aim stays the same but the time frame changes as it needs to. That’s one of my favourites! Those runs are there waiting for all of us. A really lovely thought to keep us going through whatever tough times come. ❤️
Great topic for me right now, as I'm currently at the end of a week's break to let a twinge in my hip settle down. At first it only hurt when I first started walking after sitting down for a while so I thought keeping it moving was the best approach and pushed on with week 3, but it got worse rather than better so I made myself take a break. I surprised myself with finding it hard to stop as I was so excited about the progress I was making (my second time doing c25k after a period of depression and weight gain) and I'd linked it so closely with the feeling of recovering from depression that stopping feels like sliding back into that place. I keep reminding myself that I'm just taking a short break to avoid doing damage to myself, it doesn't mean I'm reversing progress.
I thought the hip was better over the weekend but it got worse again towards the end of Sunday so I'm giving it another week. I'm doing some gentle yoga and I'm trying an interesting technique for my mental health so I feel like I'm still working to better my mind and body. Fingers crossed for the final run of week 3 next week sometime!!
How frustrating for you! If you’ve seen any of my posts on bridge over the past few months, you’ll see I’ve been in a similar position. I saw a physio (which I’d totally recommend!) and have been building back with his help but it’s been bumpy. Those setbacks are so tough to take. Almost worse than getting injured in the first place. There’s something utterly rubbish about feeling like you’re making progress and then having a relapse.
I’ve found it helpful to remember that even when it feels like I’ve gone backwards, I’ve still moved forward with all the strength and flex work that I’ve done to recover. People can and do recover fully from this sort of thing. It takes time and work but you absolutely will get there. You’re doing the right thing being patient and getting stronger. There’s a strength and flex forum you might like to have a browse around-they have yoga challenges running and a lot of other exercise resources there too.
I began the C25k program 7 weeks ago at the age of 59, after being diagnosed with high blood pressure and low pulse. It was difficult at first. I have tried running in the past but suffered from shin splints. Now, with the right footwear and not trying to run too fast, I've done the first 7 weeks without a hitch. I was meant to be starting week 8 but have come down with a sore throat and a cold.
What keeps me going is the buzz I get from running and knowing that I will soon be able to start again, maybe in a few days - but also, reading the posts on this forum are an enormous help. I've not posted before but have read lots of inspiring stories and tips on here and they have helped me with the running, particularly getting through week 5 which ramps up to 20 minutes, and now again with being unable to run.
So many thanks to everyone on here, as I think there's a lot of us that wouldn't have got as far as we have without this forum to guide us through
There’s so much to celebrate in your post-beating those shin splints, finding that comfortable pace, doing that milestone week 5 run and all the way to week 7. You’ve made fantastic progress.
Colds are such a nuisance when they come along. Recovering before running again is important. You’ll be back!
The thing I love most about this place is the support we can all give each other. It’s kept me going though tough times too and I’m so grateful for all our members. Really looking forward to hearing your updates and hope that cold leaves you alone soon ❤️
As this is in C25k my runs are going well, I'm sticking to the plan, keeping my rest days, enjoying running at conversational pace, getting stronger day by day 😃 week 1 run 2 this morning 😁For the rest of us I'm a bit of an idiot 🤣🤣🤣 but beginning to feel that I can do this (I couldn't remember if this was for graduates or just people on the programme, )
This thread is for absolutely anyone who wants to catch up! I love that there’s a real mix. No hard and fast rules here! It’s so nice to see what everyone is doing, whether that’s couch to 5k or beyond. You are (as far as I can tell!) the only person who is doing both couch to 5k and a half marathon programme at the same time and that’s just brilliant to me! Just keep being you!
Running couch to 5k with your granddaughter must be so nice. Such special memories to be made there ❤️
Trying to run couch to 5k with granddaughter and her partner in the morning and a recovery run with neighbour in afternoon is crackers, neighbour is on run 2 week 2 but 2 interval runs in a day is too much, they all run faster than me, so I'll run very slow and tick off another run in the HM plan.As to memories, we have so many, she lived with us on and off when she was little, they all did and then I did some days having them when daughter went to uni, now she's at uni and having a lovely long summer holiday.
I thought tomorrow was Thursday, but I'll do housework and shopping then have a walk, so I'm not completely daft.
Aw, it sounds like you’ve got a lovely relationship with your granddaughter. She’s so lucky to have you!
Just for the benefit of any couch to 5kers whi might not know, you’re an experienced runner and you’ve built up to running on consecutive days over the years. Still, remember to take it easy on those runs and if you need to take some extra rest, be nice to yourself and have a sit down! ❤️❤️❤️
Hiya, well Im still trying to kind of go gentle on the kind of groin strain by not doing hill runs and walking upstairs at funny angle ( a little to the side, seems to take the pressure off). Some days I think its ok and then it just gives me a gentle prod that its still there. I did a fairly fast 10km yesterday and it was fine until the last probably 2kms and then it started twinging.
Good bit of advice from you, even though I'm not doing doing the runs I want to do, I remind my self I am still a runner. What I find annoying sometimes is people who come up to me at ParkRun and say ' thought you'd beat me today' and I find myself justifying the fact that I still have an injury and therefore am not pushing it. I still love ParkRun, but ours has become a little more competitive, so its almost a 5km race every sat morning. I'm telling myself to just go back to enjoying the lovely view as we run past the river and through the trees, as its really pretty and that a PB will wait until Im back to full fitness.
I read Coach Bennett's blog the other day about staying positive and that the biggest challenge is in your head, very true indeed! 😆
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It is great to be a visitor here.... and having to think! 
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