W8 R2 - the bad gremlin won today :(

[Barney019]

So I have a bad gremlin that comes with me on every run. He sits on my shoulder and tells me I cant possibly run 28 minutes- its impossible, my breathings all wrong, my hips hurt, my knees hurt, my trainers dont feel right etc etc. Up to now on every run I've managed to ignore him but today he won and I had my first fail

I had to stop within 5 minutes for a couple of seconds [never done that before] and it just felt harder than ever today. I managed to do about 21 or 22 minutes and I just couldn't facerunning the upward slope home and so I walked the rest.

It really is a mind game and for some reason 28 minutes is killing me. I could do 25 but the extra 3 minutes seems to be a real issue! I did it on Saturday and was so proud of myself but today it just wasnt happening.

I am soooo cross with myself. I spent yesterday looking forward to my run and I really wanted to finish week 8 and get on to week 9 on Friday as I am doing a Race for Life next Sunday.

So will have a rest day tomorrow and try again on Wednesday.

[29_and_counting Graduate]

I had a rubbish run today too, week 7 run 1. I'm sure it's just part and parcel of getting used to a running routine, accepting that there will be bad runs. Disappointing though!

[Barney019 Graduate in reply to 29_and_counting]

Oh soo disappointing, still I guess like you say everyone has a bad run so onward and upward! Good luck for the rest of week 7.

[29_and_counting Graduate in reply to Barney019]

Thank you! I'm choosing to see it as an important lesson, about not getting dispirited when I don't do a perfect session. Good luck to you getting rid of that gremlin!

[pingle Graduate]

I think most of us have a bad gremlin! Even now I still think I can't carry on about 5 mins into every run but I now know that I can so I just try to swat that bad gremlin away and keep on plodding. Then I find my pace and I'm off! Two little things that might help. Firstly I wonder if you are starting off to fast? I start off really slowly (snails and tortoises leave me for dead!) - but you can always put on a sprint at the end if you still have loads of energy left! The other thing you could try is to use the 25 min podcast which you know you can complete and run on a bit at the end to build up to 28 mins. Uphill at the very end is also hard so a more forgiving route might be easier. I know your RFL will be great - the atmosphere and the other runners will help carry you along so don't fret! You'll get there. Every run, good or bad, helps to build up fitness and we've all come so far!

[Barney019 Graduate in reply to pingle]

Thank you so much for your message - I think you are right. I did start too quickly today. I saw another runner and usually I see no one as I go out so early. I started to run quicker than usual for a bit until he sped past me! Usually I am very snail like and I think this threw me for some reason! Its a really good idea to try my 25 minute run again but I am putting this behind me now and will go again on Wednesday. I think I was a bit out of sorts today, but I'm not going to dwell any more! Really appreciate your encouragement x

[mrstickle]

hi Barney019, try turning the tables on yourself (and the gremlin!) from your previous posts I can see you've been very supportive, positive and have helped a lot of others on here with with wise words - maybe reading back over some of your posts shall be like a sprinkling of gremlin "off" x

[Barney019 Graduate in reply to mrstickle]

Thanks mrstickle, thats a lovely thing of you to say. I am not going to dwell on this, I shall go out on Wednesday morning and do a good one again! I really appreciate your encouragement x