failure :(...... a very cross redfacewoman ! - Couch to 5K

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failure :(...... a very cross redfacewoman !

redfacewoman profile image
redfacewomanGraduate
16 Replies

What happened tonight ? i've failed only ran 13 minutes when it should have been 25 it;s the first time I've given up. My back hurts every time i put my right foot down and i just wasn't enjoying it so i stopped soooo cross with myself this was W7R3 boy i'm so mad with myself do I go again tomorrow or rest till monday to recover from my back pain ?

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redfacewoman profile image
redfacewoman
Graduate
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16 Replies
lesleyann208 profile image
lesleyann208

what are you like..."only ran for 13 minutes"...that is NO failure I can assure you. When I started with Laura 5 minutes would have been like climbing a mountain! Have faith in the programme (as Laura says), don't be put off by setbacks, I had 2 weeks with no running and had to go back to week 4!! Keep going and believe. xxx

Caz9 profile image
Caz9Graduate

If you've got back pain, then I wouldn't run until Monday and even then I would see how your back was before going for a run. There is no point running and aggravating an injury, better to have a rest and let it mend, so to speak.

Don't worry about 'failing', we all have off days and as Laura says some days we have good runs, other days we have bad runs, but a bad run is better than no run at all! It's just part of the course, so put it behind you and look forward to the next run.

RunnerBean profile image
RunnerBeanGraduate

13 minutes running is no failure and you absolutely did the right thing to stop as you were in pain. Don't get disheartened, everyone has runs that don't go as well as others. The important thing is to be well rested and pain free before you go again.

AnnaDJ profile image
AnnaDJGraduate

You did the right thing. I think week 7 has turned out to be the toughest so far. Give yourself a break and don't beat yourself up.

Pelephant profile image
PelephantGraduate

No no no, you are not a failure. You are just looking after yourself and doing the right thing. I think the word FAIL and FAILURE should be banned from this sight. Perhaps there could be some autocorrect which changes it to SUCCESS! Every run is a success, it's just that some are shorter or slower successes than others! Keep going! X

AliB1 profile image
AliB1Graduate in reply to Pelephant

very true! i think we are all too hard on ourselves.

notbad profile image
notbadGraduate in reply to Pelephant

Great words from pelephant, couldn't agree more - legion wrote on her blog the other day that every run counts even (or especially) the bad ones. It's hard to get our heads around that but looking back over the whole of C25k I've found it very true.

Soozz profile image
SoozzGraduate in reply to notbad

With you there, I had 2 awful runs but although I felt bad at the time, I can see now they were learning experiences and also that getting out there and running (yes, running! this is so new for me) is always a good thing and better than lolling on the proverbial couch.

13 minutes is great! Think back a few weeks, you've come so far. If your back is hurting, listen to your body and rest it, a few extra days' rest won't jeopardise your graduation, in fact it will help you achieve it. If you run with a bad back you might aggravate an injury.

Hope it's feeling better after the weekend. Let us know!

Anniemurph profile image
AnniemurphGraduate

No, seriously, redfacewoman, if it hurts, give it a rest. Believe me, if you run you will be off for longer. And i endorse all the comments about not failure - just think back to the first run, when 60 seconds was probably not easy! 13 minutes is a run, therefore it is good :) I hope your back improves over the weekend.

If you keep running on a bad back you may get to a point where you can't move at all for a while (its happened to me twice).

I had four weeks off recently for injury, and then went back a few weeks, which I finished on target (rather than having to repeat runs). You won't lose fitness if you stop for a while and go back a bit. Have a sports massage if you can afford it. Some of the practitioners are very well qualified in sports science and may have good advice to pass on.

redfacewoman profile image
redfacewomanGraduate

thank you all so much for your positive comments today i'm walking like a 90 year old but feel positive- I do already have serious back problems (4 operations to date) but have been so enjoying the benifits of positive excerice even though it's only on a treadmill. I WILL be running again soon once the pain has gone- on a good side just managed to put a dress on that I haven't been able to get in to for the last three summers Thanks again x

notbad profile image
notbadGraduate in reply to redfacewoman

Well done to you for doing as well as you have with your back problems - I've found this tough even without health issues & so you have my admiration & respect.

Legion profile image
LegionGraduate

Yes, definitely rest rather than risk making it worse. Remember you need to enjoy the journey, not race to the finish line. Your body told you it wasn't happy and you did the right thing and listened. Those 13 minutes are still a step in the right direction, not a failure. Hope you feel better soon. Let us know how you're doing. :)

Miso_14 profile image
Miso_14Graduate

Failure? No way. You made it all the way to W7. Believe, keep pushing but see your GP first. Well done :-)))

stayinbed profile image
stayinbedGraduate

Don't worry, you haven't failed. You didn't just decide not to bother, your back hurt and you really need to let it fully recover before even thinking about running again. Hard I know but in the long run (oooh, sorry!) you'll be running again more quickly by letting your body recover. Good luck, do be patient with yourself.

paterson profile image
paterson

this is not a failure at all. I have found week 7 the hardest - 25 minutes is a real challenge. Keep repeating it or try to get to 18 mins then walk. Keep going

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