Back to the starting line....

[iwillbeskinny]

So last year i bought a tredmill, started the C25K programme after various attempts at getting fit, fitness videos, products off tv advertisements, boxing, spinning, aqua aerobics, walking, Wii Fit and a cross trainer to name a few!

I always liked the idea of running, alone, my own pace, fast- job done, although never had the guts to pound the pavement as being over weight i didnt want to open myself up to criticim or mean commets- Tredmill is perfect for me, i can close the blinds shut the door and stick my headphones in so i cant hear the pounding of my feet!

Managed all runs, repeated a few along the way. Weeks 1 through 8 done, asked that same question about W5 run 3 as many have! Managed it and felt super excited! Developed some mean calves and lost about a stone! Go me!

Hello cold dark nights, warm living room and stodgy food, bye bye tredmill. Never fully completed the programme, could complete a 30 min run not a problem, just not a trio so i feel i didnt ever deserve my graduate badge!

Havent ran since October, Jan 13 arrives and i hop back on the tred, figure il run until i cant anymore, see how ive deteriorated and work up from there, Oh how i deteriorated, couldnt string together 5 mins of running! Beathing was a mess, legs felt like lead weights balance gone, Seriously dissapointed in myself! Left it for 3 weeks, trying to dig deep and find any motivation to push myself back on.

So today im back at Week 1 Run 1, aced it! although not all a loss i have increased my speed from 5.5mph run to 6.0mph and my brisk walk from 3.5 to 4.0mph.

So here goes my road back, new promises to myself and a goal to nail to the wall and a graduate badge to win!

[greenlegs Graduate]

Well done for having the positivity to get started again! And you're fitter than you were last time, which is a great bonus.

You know you can do it - that's a big advantage that many don't have. The tricky bit is knowing that you put in all that effort and could run for 30 minutes - but it wasn't enough. And that's really hard.

I don't think I'm alone in finding reaching the end of the programme a bigger bump than I'd expected. It's tough realising that just because you can run for 30 minutes that doesn't on its own magically transform everything else. I could very easily have stopped in week 7, or week 8 or after run 1 or 2 in week 9. Without this group, I probably would have, too, if I'm honest.

But I think I've changed how I see it - graduation wasn't really the target, being fitter was, and for that, I have to keep challenging myself. Which is often not easy. Doing all three final week runs did convince me that I really could do 30 minutes, and it wasn't actually all that bad. (The first time was pretty hard, and didn't convince me it was something I'd want to do too often.)

For me, I think what will keep me going, (and it's early days as I only graduated earlier this week!) is making the targets small and manageable - running three days a week, with at least one run for 30 minutes or more. If my pace gets better, that's a bonus.

At the moment, running 30 minutes plus 3x a week still sounds a lot, and off-putting (doesn't mean I might not do it, but I don't want to feel I *have* to do it every week). But making one or two of the runs shorter but faster does sound ok.

The other thing that makes me think I'll keep this up now, is that I've changed how I feel about myself - I'm kinder to myself, and I am much less of a negative thinker than I was before. Feeling Good by David Burns has helped me enormously with that - and lots of other reading too.

Feel free to ignore all of that - it was probably more for me, really! Best wishes.

[greenlegs Graduate]

Another bit from the Jeff Galloway pages:

jeffgalloway.com/training/b...

"The seed of exercise - if you don't crush it - will survive periods of moisture and drought. Just when it seems to be drying up, it will spring to life, rejuvenated, and propel you further down the road. Don't be discouraged, even if you've stopped. Tomorrow's another day. Many beginners stop and start again 10 or 15 times before they get the habit established. Beginners who don't put pressure on themselves seem to have an easier time staying with it. If you simply walk/jog 30-40 minutes every other day, you'll find yourself gently swept along in a pattern of relaxation and good feeling. Your workout starts to become a special time for you. As you make progress you find within yourself the strength and security to keep going. At first you're "just visiting" that special world when you go out for a run. But gradually you begin to change. You get used to the positive relaxed feeling. Your body starts cleaning itself up, establishing muscle tone, circulating blood and oxygen more vigorously. One day you find you're addicted, and the beginner becomes a jogger."

And this:

"Fitness Mistakes (for a new runner) - which cause burnout:

1. tried to run continuously for more than a half mile (should have run 1-2 minutes and walked 2 minutes 2. Started out each run too hard - for him/her (should have started by shuffling slowly - with walks) 3. Told himself before each run that he was going to feel bad (should have forecast a fun, easy run) 4. Tried to exercise when blood sugar and motivation was low (should have eaten something first) "

[TX-Bluebonnet Graduate]

Well here's hoping you'll have a smooth road back. I do my walking on a really long trail the city put in that's wide enough for walkers, runners, roller bladers, and bikers to share at the same time. Everyone on the trail is out for fresh air and/or exercise. I've never seen anybody look at me with less than a neutral expression, and there are plenty of friendly people who nod or smile as they pass. It'd be great if you had a place like that to do the podcasts and not have the treadmill as your only option.

[bethbrit]

I too am running on a treadmill. I too have had stops and starts due to niggling injuries. I started running outside in the UK and love the feel of the wind and the smell of freshly cut grass but the climate here is too harsh to run outside. I have learned to like the treadmill.

I reached week 8 run 2 before Christmas then had a return of plantar fasciitis. Returned two weeks ago with week 3. I feel good, my foot doesn't hurt and I am hopeful that this time I will make it until the end of week 9 and finally graduate.

I am planning to sign up for a run for life 5k this summer and run all the way. My speed is slow but I figure that is ok. I am learning to relax and go with the flow. I figure anything I do is better than sitting on the couch.

So good luck to you and getting back - I am right behind you.

[Legion Graduate]

Welcome back to the fold (mwahahahaha). Ahem. I mean well done for starting again. As greenlegs said, you do have the advantage this time of knowing you've done it once. I was one of the ones who graduated only to suffer injury (and a multitude of other excuses!) shortly after, so I'm now building up again. I've found the mental challenge much easier this time, because instead of being convinced I couldn't possibly do this, I know that I can and have and will. Good luck on your way to that lovely, shiny green badge.