Hi everyone, I feel I have lost all my mojo for running, the last few runs have been hard and it's a while since I have enjoyed them. Today I just ran out of steam and stopped at 23 mins. I was supposed to run for 28 mins. but just could not do the last 5 mins. Just not feeling it and really worried I am going to give up running completely and go back to couch potato! Does this phase pass? I am so close to finishing the program and I really really want to do a 5k park run before July! I have even signed up for the 530 run on 11th July so I am keen to get my motivation back.
First failed run :( - Week 8, run 2: Hi everyone... - Couch to 5K
First failed run :( - Week 8, run 2
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Susanlikesblue
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MbubblesGraduate
Sorry to hear you’re not enjoying running lately. Are you perhaps trying to go too fast? Or have you been unwell?
Don’t think of it as a failure. You still managed 23 minutes, so you did well. My advice would be to take your rest day, as always and then just redo it as many times as it takes to be able to complete it comfortably. Or you could even go back a week.
Do you listen to music. I find it really helps me. You could take your time to put together a playlist of your favourite music to help motivate you. Maybe try a different route, anything to keep you going. It would be a terrible shame to give up when you have come so far.
Would love to know how you get on, so keep posting and remember that parkrun goal. You will get there!
Thank you for replying. I do do most of those things, I have rest days, listen to music and I try to be slow. My average speed is 7.47km so not racing, and yesterday I think I was really slow! I think it was hotter than normal and I was a bit dehydrated? I have been thinking about what you said about the route, maybe I am a bit tired of my usual route. Lets see what my next run will bring 
I will post how I get on.
Sandraj39Graduate
I agree with the comment above…slow it down even more ( speed will improve naturally as you get stronger). Maybe take an extra rest day and go again. I also agree that a new route or playlist can work wonders!
There are lots of reasons why runs can be hard, from pushing too hard too soon to maybe being a bit under the weather - the secret is to accept them for what they are and just keep turning up!
As the runs get longer, we also need to develop the mental strategies and stamina to keep going - something which isn’t an issue during the early shorter runs. Try finding a mantra to help you fight those gremlins off when runs get hard - my favourite is simply ‘I’ve got this!’ We definitely all have the peaks and troughs but as you progress the good runs definitely outweigh the bad!
Always keep in mind your reason ‘why?’ - and you are well on track for that Parkrun in July!
Good luck!🙂
Thank you. I do think I was a bit dehydrated, Glad to hear that further along there will be more good than bad. I promised my son I would do park run with him so that should be all the motivation I need. Just felt a bit sorry for myself yesterday I think
JancanrunagainGraduate
Okay tough love coming up! You didn’t have a failed run you ran for 23 minutes non-stop, way to go Ava.
I’ve stopped started and almost given up over the years. But a run is a run is a run - you’d have thought at one stage that 23 minutes was a huge achievement and it absolutely is.
For whatever reason sometimes it doesn’t come together as they say in all those cheesy problem columns it’s not you it’s the run!
Put your big pants on, look in the mirror and tell yourself how fab you’ve done and how fab you will be doing.
Mr JCR always says that his long distance cycling is always done in the head and not the legs. My coach Jo Whiley aka Jo Cool also says the longer runs aren’t about your capabilities but training your mind to accept you can do it.
Remember Week 1 Run 1 and how proud you were at having started ? You’ve just run 23 minutes non-stop…. That’s 23 times better than then .
23 times better - did Usain Bolt improve his record 23 times? No idea! But I know you’ve run 3 minutes longer than I can …
Go Ava - next time out you’ll crush it
Thank you for that! You are so right, the first few runs I felt so unfit and 3 minutes felt like a lifetime, even 1 minute actually! I am going to put on those big pants next time and talk myself into it, all weekend I have been so negative and forgetting how far I have come. I think I need to remind myself of all those things you point out
Big pants rock!
YesletsgoAdministrator
A little reminder - we don't use the 'f' word here. When a run doesn't turn out as you planned it's not a failure, it's part of your learning about running. One important lesson is knowing when to stop, so your run today taught you something.
You're experiencing today's run as a setback, but it's not very long ago that even running for 20 minutes was incredibly daunting. You managed 23. There's probably very good reasons you didn't carry on for another five minutes. Don't fret about it, try and identify the reason (as the other replies suggest).
Sometimes we just need a little bit more rest to recharge our batteries. Have a couple of non running days. You might, as has been suggested, be going down with a bug, in which case take as long as you need to recover. If not, the chances are you'll be raring to go when you try this run again.
Good luck
Thank you.
mrrunGraduate
Amateur/recreational running is about health and fun but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. It could get tough, frustrating, injury prone and plain hard but that’s how anything that’s related to physical exercise works - whether you’re running, swimming, cycling or doing gym work. The point is, what motivated you to start running? Is that push still there? If it is, that’s you motivation.
Thanks, yeah maybe I need to refocus those goals in my head.
T2runnerGraduate
There is no such thing as a failed run! A 23 minute run is still a long run and you will be fitter and stronger for it. As others have said, slow down, speed is where we can improve later, Drink plenty leading up to the run and make sure you are doing your deep breathing, I find both those have helped me. A run is a run and you will have benefited from it no matter how short, it will have improved your muscles, your heart, lungs and stamina. Weirdly I have found picking up the pace at the end helpful to me, pushing myself a little bit harder, knowing that it is adding to my fitness, if I struggle I then slow down again and the slower run is easier.
Thank you. Do you mean deep breathing while I run? I do still breathe through my mouth which makes me feel quite thirsty and I try to remind myself not to, but honestly i find I am too tired to worry about breathing! lol. I do sometimes take a really deep breath while I run but it's very occasional. I am not fit enough to pick up the pace at the end, I always wish I could but tbh I am just glad if i make it to the end!
To be honest I still struggle to remember to breath properly, it will be whatever feels right for you, but from the sound of it I would guess you are not getting enough oxygen to your legs, I have a big nose but nose breathing on its own is not enough for me, I breath deeply through my mouth right down as much as I can three or four times and just normally but as deep as possible, I will also breath in through my mouth and nose at the same breath when I remember or need more oxygen but after the 3-4 breaths I can feel the oxygen hit my legs and it seems to get easier, not a lot but a definite improvement. As for the dry mouth, I am a vapour and that dries the mouth also, I drink plenty of water the day of my run and have a glass of juice 10 minutes before I run, still get a dry mouth but nowhere near as uncomfortable.These are what I have found for myself but every one will be different and you will find the answer, just try a few different things and see what works, but the breathing, this is the most important thing to do, same as a car, starve that of air and it stalls, it won't work without it.
Good luck and you will have to carry on running to try and find the answers, at least while you are concentrating on breathing you will forget you are running!
Thank you for this, really helpful. My next run I'll make sure I pay attention to my breathing.
OldflossAdministratorGraduate
No, f. words here please... just blips or dress rehearsals.... some are easy some feel harder...but the run is there....
The advice you have already had...it works. Ease off.... ease more... slow and steady and relax. Try not to overthink... just relax and let the new running legs carry you.
So many reasons why that run felt like a struggle.... and for everyone like that? there will be double or more that feel wonderful. So be kind to yourself. take an extra rest day and pop in a tad more strength and stamina work.. so important as the runs get longer for us all!
On you go!
haha sorry about the f. word! I think I do overthink while I am running and maybe I need to adopt a mantra instead like someone else said.
Slow and steady...mine from when I first began...and famous for it on here...or should that be infamous...It works!
MollydexGraduate
I personally go back a week if I find that I really struggle. It seems to work for me. 23 min run sounds good 8 weeks ago you were doing nothing. Be kind to yourself. Well done you got this
Thank you, I think I may do this, I will try another 28 mins and if it's the same I will go back a week. May be a good idea for me.
Sorry to hear this, I am also battling with W8 at the moment. It does seem like a particularly tough one. I just keep focusing on a couple of things my coach Steve Cram says. It's just one foot in front of the other, and it's not a race- especially relevant for me as I'm walking it. I have frequently taken longer rest times and repeated walks as they didn't feel right. Just regroup think of that park run and go again.
Thanks, a few people have mentioned their coach, I have Sarah Milligan and she does not really say much. I wonder if I should listen to someone else? Maybe they prompt and encourage more?
Hey Ava I have Jo Cool aka Jo Whiley and she’s becoming more quiet as the weeks go by . The last time did this I had Mr Smooth aka Michael Johnson - I thought he died on me! I reckon that as time goes by the encouragement is a little less no matter which coach - I think they believe we are all getting more resilient and fitter so don’t need them. I disagree I actually think as the run intervals get longer I need more check ins but genuinely I don’t think a change of coach would necessarily be any different…
For my first two attempts at C25K I had Sarah Millican and I felt from her voice that she was just going through the motions.
On the other hand Jo Whiley (who got me through my third, successful, attempt) was much more enthusiastic.
The trainers do say much less in the final weeks.
First two attempts? Yep. I didn't get past week one on my first try, and week two on my second. It was a few months before I tried again (I'd forgotten I was on a course of medication that interfered with exercise) and that stretched through the summer of 2020.
I got close to not finishing Week 4 Run 3. The weather was awful: a warm fine drizzle between July downpours. It was a slog. And then two days later Week 5 Run 1 was done on a cool bright morning and it felt great.
By Week 8 I was changing my route, exploring the area more, rather than doing the same out-and-back repeatedly. I got lost more than once!
TrembyGraduate
Hi, I did exactly the same as you- on the same run. I decided to refer to it as a "practice run" and while it did dent my confidence at the time, I managed it fine a couple of days later.I agree some upbeat music keeps me running better and longer. A few weeks after this, I have run 45 mins. I think just remember why you started. You will be able to do it, you already have once. Slow and steady
Thanks, it's good to know I am not the only one and you went on to conquer it! Hopefully I will do the same.
hamitGraduate
Ha, well running is somewhat like leaning the guitar. You have to embrace "the bad notes" and get on with it. So just keep at it, slow but varied pace kept me going and at 77 it still does. Good luck.
Thank you.
dieOR5kGraduate
’experts’ are people who’ve allowed themselves to fail, not finish, come back from injury. The more you run, the more setbacks you’ll experience. The more you’ll learn that after many bad runs you’ll have that one run that makes you glad you’re alive or just proud to have barely 😥 finished. You can do this, even if it takes many weeks. Running isn’t a sport of perfection, but of perseverance.
Thank you.
Exactly that. It's perseverance and gaining experience.
I finished my C25K programme by giving myself an ankle sprain that took over a month to heal. Did that stop me? Nope! After suitable physio treatment I was back at it and eventually re-doing C25K, completing it again three months later, and with much stronger ankles. About a year later I did my first half marathon distance.
Before March 2020 I had never ever run, not even at school, and would have laughed at you if you'd suggested I'd ever start.
Yup, I’m a pandemic runner also. Never ran a day in my life. Just couldn’t stay in my chair a minute more with my joints seizing up. I clearly remember run, cry, walk beginnings.
Thought people who ran on Saturday mornings wasted a really good opportunity for coffee, donuts, and sitting by the fire. Now I’d do that on Sundays 😆.
drl212Graduate
Get back in the saddle. Maybe try the run again or go back and start where it was fun…
All runs are different, so chalk one up to experience.
Keep us posted on your next run.
you got to week 8, that’s a great achievement! Some runs do seem harder than others and maybe you just had a bad day at the office so to speak. Hang in there, maybe go back a week , no shame in that. You started you’re close to finishing and can do this!
Thank you!
Same here! Finished all my 25min runs and moved to my 28min runs...and guess what... can't make it past the 18ish min. The first day I was frustrated. The second run about the same (20 min or so). The third run of the week was even less that 20min running and then I had to walk. I decided that it doesn't matter! And what I did to feel still good about the process was to continue walking to reach 5k. At least I manage the distance.! Tomorrow I will try again. And I will keep trying for as long as it takes!
Honestly speaking there will be runs like this. As a graduate I can tell you there are still days when I struggle to finish parkrun unless I start having a chat with someone. The most embarrassing one recently was feeling like I couldn't when earlier in the week I'd run 8mile and suddenly could face a little 5k?!It isn't the body it's the mind. So time to start thinking up mantras and distractions, you will hear about these same struggles even from world record holding althetes!
I also have a theory that this length of running is just at the point of where we are about to really relax into the distance and realise we can keep going and going. I have a rule that I'm not allowed to stop in the first 3K of any run, usually at that point I'm having a whale of a time and feel like I can run forever.
Sarah from the running channel also mentions that she really only starts feeling good at the 30min mark. So 28mins is the tough part before it starts feeling really good!
You've got this!
I also used to repeat a week/run if I really found I couldn't do it. Go back and have a confidence boost run from the week before and then try again.
Your doing ace! Remember where you started! You've come so far and the sky's the limit!
That's funny that she only started to feel good at the 30 minute mark! lol... it's my target time! But my body does like to moan for the first 10 minutes or so and then seems to settle down a bit. Thanks for the reply
Honestly looking back now I know if I stopped after anything shorter than 10-15mins I would for sure quit the run ! It's so hard to restart once I've accepted walking! But I also distinctly remember the feeling that 3 mins running was going to be too much to manage! Hopefully the relay race I'm training for will break my once I've stopped I'm done mentality! 😅
Yeah, I can't allow myself to have a walking break as I too would consider the run done. It's hard sometimes. Good luck with your relay race.
As others have said that was demo run. I started C25K feb 2024, still hadn't made week 8 by November 9 months later. In fact it took me weeks until I finally got 3all 3 week 8 runs under my belt in 7 days.
I only stayed with the plan during my false starts through bloody mindedness. You can call it commitment, will power and self determination if it helps. C25k is a catalyst to start but making the effort to get out the door is all down to the individual. Although it looks like a 9 week plan to get you running 5km in 30 minutes, it's not really. But it does get lots of us running, eventually, fast enough for long enough.
When I'm at the end of my energy on a run and want to stop I tell myself it's just running, I can still run a few more steps, perhaps a little slower and generally I can. Can I get to the next lamp post, that tree, make it for 20 more seconds. As I said bloody mindedness to milk out another minute, then another.
but don't hurt yourself with grit, picking up an injury by pushing too hard..
I think being "bloody minded" can get you far! Well done you for your perseverance. I have taken all the advice on board and am back at it. Learning to just suck it up and keep showing up. I could do with some of that bloody mindedness Thanks for your reply.
cool beanz, happy running.
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