Gone a bit off-piste, but my own path is the right one for me!

[skipkins]

After W6R2, I realised I wasn't enjoying myself any more. In fact, I was hating it.

I loved the first 5 weeks, where I felt real progress and improvement, but I dragged myself around the 20 minutes of week 5 and didn't feel remotely motivated by having done it. All I could think was that I had to do at least that again every time for the last 3 weeks and that I had absolutely no intention of doing it.

I went back and did W5R1 with a vaguely formed plan to try and improve my endurance, speed and mental resilience with a view to trying again and it seems to be working. I've ditched Laura (sorry Laura!) as I genuinely feel the NHS music is part of the mental barrier I've created for myself, and I also found it really demotivating to hear her say "you're halfway", when I was ready to drop. I know other people find this motivating, but to me it was the absolute opposite. My own music means I know how much time I've done and what I have left to do, but because they are such great tunes (to my ears!) I keep going.

My biggest breakthrough this week is that I've also accepted that I might never run for 30 minutes non-stop on a regular basis, but if I run for 30 minutes in one session in smaller chunks on a regular basis, it's 100% more than I've ever done before and I'm losing a bit of weight and getting fitter.

I'm such a conformist in most aspects of life, that to realise I can go my own way on this has reinvigorated me!

[KANdoit]

I have a sneaky suspicion that there are a lot more of us like you out there ... my body rebels with injury each time I go beyond 15 min continuous ... but I can run 2 min walk one for an hour with no consequence other than being knackered. Thats why I'm as slow as I am on a Parkrun but who cares? C25k got me off my butt and into running ... "my way"

[skipkins in reply to KANdoit]

It never occurred to me that I could do a run/walk parkrun - that's a brilliant idea! I am getting faster and fitter, but I just cannot run for more than 8-10 mins without getting bad tempered.

[Slater Graduate]

I blogged about this yesterday. I've been on here a while and hadn't really heard of anyone else losing interest in the programme, so I thought I'd write about it, in case anyone else was feeling the same.

Thanks for your post, it's good to know I'm not the only one no feels like this. I believe getting out there and doing something is the most important thing of all. Plus, surely the best exercise is the one that works for you!

[skipkins in reply to Slater]

I also wondered if there were other people feeling a bit this way, so it's a relief to know there are. Most of the blogs are so positive (which is great and really motivating in the early weeks), that I was beginning to think it was just me!

[morningglory Graduate]

I graduated in the Summer but remember feeling the pain of the Week 5 - 20 minute run and wondering why I was continuing. I did continue and I can now run 30 mins with out thinking about it. I tend to mix it up and do interval training, or try and increase my distance but again go back to doing smaller chunks say 10 min runs with 2 min walks. You have to do whatever is best for you and if what you are doing is working keep it up.

[Hidden]

I used to hate it when Laura used to tell me that I was half way and I wasn't sure that I could do that much again, and the time she told me that I was half way and I was sure that I only had 60 seconds left did make the people around me wonder why I was yelling noodoo as I staggered on. My method was to repeat week until I could do the times and now I can run for an hour.

[sbhoa]

I also blogged about this 'When one size doesn't fit'.

I have friends who are experienced runners who are helpful in reminding me that with a programme which is designed to fit 'most' people there will be some who need something different somewhere along the line.

A little over a month after running myself to the point of collapse on W6R2 because I believed the 'you can do it because you've got this far' advice I actually managed to complete that run. I've moved to 2 gym sessions (general but geared to running) and one run a week which has been running as much as I'm able. Was stuck at about 12-13 minutes running. Now trying to do 2 gym, 2 outside runs ans after managing W6R2 on Thursday I went out today to see if I could do the 23 minutes at least all running. Managed 20 and am satisfied with getting that far.