Ahhhh what's happened to me!!!

[kayface]

Today I had my first ever incomplete podcast. It was my fourth attempt at Stepping Stones and today I had to give in somewhere after 15 minutes. My legs felt like lead, my chest was tight, it was ridiculously hot and I was exhausted and it felt so hard to run. I literally ran out of effort to push myself on and ended up stopping and breaking into tears.

I've managed to complete the Stepping Stone podcast but have found it quite difficult, and even though it's helping me manage my speed in my outdoor runs, I'm usually taking quite little steps to make sure I don't exhaust myself. I'm not making any progress on distance, and with today's mishap I just feel so deflated and like I'm not getting anywhere.

I'm hoping my run on Friday will restore faith in myself, but at the moment the enjoyment and satisfaction has just GONE. Gahhh

[Oldgirl Graduate]

I litle trick I discovered by accident to lengthen my stride was to run on very flat or very slightly downhill long section of pavement. Its the only way I can go any faster I think cos I have very short legs and my stride is not long as a consequence.

Don't let a hard run get to you, everyone has them now and again, its just our body saying I'm not quite in the right tune today, be kind to me.

I had a very difficult run this morning and ended up wheezing my head off and calling a halt to what should have been a 5K run but I aborted it and headed home or I could have been in serious trouble with my asthma. I'm not letting it get to me, it was just one of those days with bad weather conditions. Put today in the past and look forward to your next run, try perhaps one of the other podcasts for a change or just a lovely relaxed run to your favourite music.

[happierswimming Graduate]

I can't do the stepping stones at all! I've tried it 4 times too and just can't manage the fastest beat. I have to take small steps to keep to the beat and feel I'm running on the spot. I prefer to re-do the c25k podcasts running at my usual speed for the walking bits and speeding up for the running bits so that I do cover some ground at least. I don't think I'll ever be fast but I would like to do 5k regularly and I'll never get that far on stepping stones. Not gonna give up though- are we

[totalbeginner Graduate]

just to say i only tried it once. i completed it but it felt harder as the tming felt very artificial. i felt my usual pace better as m strides must be longer and to do the faster strides i was only taking small steps like the pp mentioned. i was quite disapointed that i didnt travel as far in the same time as during my week 9. but i felt more exhausted

might give it another go though - i dont like to give up too easy!

[BettyTwinkle Graduate]

I've done stepping stone twice now and have to agree with the stride problems. I graduated about 6 weeks ago and since then have regularly run 5km every other day. However, for the last couple of weeks I have had a real problem getting out there and doing it ....... and then along came the stepping stones podcasts and I was back to it. I have done them and what I have thought is that they have probably helped with my technique as I was running to my own music and still not able to break the illusive 30min 5k target. Best I ever did was 33 mins although it's usually around 35/36 mins. (Which drives me mad, especially if I think I have been running faster!) Hang on in there, it can be frustrating, heatbreaking, but also such a sense of achievement and good feeling to have completed a run. We all get 'bad' runs, I have and took a couple of days off and then had a good one!! Maybe you just need a bit of time out and I'm sure you will be back with a vengeance!! Good luck, you will get this licked, promise you