Now that was sh*t

Now that was a sh*t run. Or should I say it was a good walk? Whatever it was, I'm sad it wasn't a "proper" run.

I decided to follow Laura's advice and change up the route. The route I am normally going would be a big loop of around 6k would I follow it back home. Today I went the other way around. I had no intention of going all the way around but turn around at half-time.

Things went downhill from the start. First, I wasn't ready to run when the 5-minute walk was up. It seemed to pass so quickly. Much more quickly than usual - but that might be because I by now know exactly at which "landmark" I have to start running. Okay, me off into jogging mode then.

Merrily running along a new route, through the village and through a wood. Until a few seconds after Laura's half-time announcement. At this point (and about 2,3 km according to google maps) a "I don't want anymore" was firmly planted in my head. And the hill infront of me wasn't helping either. I had my mind set to running to the foot of the hill, walk and then pick up again from the top. Haha. In the end I walked not only up the hill, but for half a kilometer. Then I ran again and it was so hard to pick it up. I managed to run for 600 meters, then walked. Also thanks to a stitch. (I never had stitch problems before!)

And then I continued walking. And some more. "I will run back when I'm at the point I usually turn around". (I didn't). Somewhere in the woods (back on my usual route) I tried to run, because I really didn't want to half walked all the way back. Several kilometers! I tried and failed. Was still feeling the stitch. Back home I was cold and annoyed with myself. Even thinking of redoing the 20-minute run of week 5 a few times.

I don't know what caused this - and my very first - really bad run. Was it the fact that I knew I would have to go 6k (walking or running) anyway to get back home? Or was it the fact that my knee hurt all evening before and I unconciously took that as an excuse? Even if it was fine during running? Was it the stitch? What the hell was wrong!?

Next time I'll be sure to turn around at the half-time point and thus not only avoid the hill but also be sure to make it home within the podcast time.

All in all I covered maybe 3k running (nearly 7 in total) and out of the 25 running minutes, maybe did 13 consecutive and then 2 on and off. Blergh. I think I erase that run off my memory.

[Anonymous36 Graduate]

Don't beat yourself up, you still went out there and did it! You'll go back out again in a couple of days and do it all again too, because you can do it! My route became my safety blanket and I knew my time by landmarks too, it was tough at first when I moved away from it but it soon becomes more interesting than the old route.

Maybe it was a combination of all the above that made it rubbish or maybe it was just a rubbish run, we'll never know! Chin up and keep at it, you can do it

[Gridlet Graduate]

Don't be so hard on yourself! You were just in the wrong frame of mind, put it behind you, next time will be better. You still ran for 3k, I bet you never thought you would be able to do that when you started!

[TheMagicalPixie Graduate]

Most people have had rubbish runs long before getting to where you are, so don't be too hard on yourself! Maybe do another run on your normal route to get your confidence back, before trying a different route?

Either way, you've got this far, you can do it!

[TeamTia Graduate]

Suzi - don't be too hard on yourself! I will be doing week 7 run 2 tomorrow and I have to say the last 2 have been a struggle - however I did notice on both runs that the first 10 minutes is the hardest - once I made myself keep going for that long the next ten where a lot easier as I seemed to find a more natural rhythm - the last 5 were just pure gritting my teeth talking to myself that I wasn't going to stop until the 25 minutes where up! Yesterday I even managed to go faster which made me confused as I past the point where I had stopped previously!

I would say change your route but if you can while you are doing the 25 minutes - try and map out a route that is flat. I have to walk for over 20 minutes to get to somewhere that is flat enough that I can run for the 25 minutes without facing massive hills as I'm just not ready to run uphill yet!

Chalk it off as a bad run - but hey - you still ran! And even walking up the hill will have added to your fitness and strength. Have a rest and re route and let us know how you get on

[Hidden in reply to TeamTia]

Thanks.

Yes, I had to have at least one really bad run, right? I hope that was the one (and only one) ;))

If the weather holds and it's not raining tomorrow evening I'll try again then (or Friday). And as I have to run in the nearly dark by then, I will have to change my route to somewhere with streetlamps.

I started the programme running in the dark, maybe the run tomorrow will bring me back to the good and proud feeling I had after completing Run 1 back then and the 25min will fly past?

I let you guys know how it went.