Well they say pride comes before a fall ...

[LisaTT]

Really cross with myself. Been on here shouting about how was getting on and all was going well .... should have shut up! Had 2 really bad runs .... Week 8 R1 was hard but ok ....R2 felt sick half way through and walked home ... tried again tonight and felt sick at the same point and walked for a bit and then ran the last 2mins. Thinking I've hit a mental block ... cross and disappointed with myself

[123456789 Graduate]

Hey there Lisa, don't worry about a couple of poo runs, they are no biggie.

Can u run your route in reverse?

Can u slow down ever so slightly for the duration of the run?

One small step back is not something to worry about, you ran the last two mins so your body just needed a little breather. Don't be so hard on yourself.

All the best

Dale

[LisaTT]

Thanks Dale ... you're a great support

[Fingalo Graduate]

Bloody hell Lisa, chill the feck out and stop giving yourself such a hard time!

Bad runs are shite but they happen and one thing is certain, a bad run is infinitely superior to no run at all.

You have to let the anger and disappointment go, it will only become a mental block if you allow it to.

Focus on the positives, you're on Week 8 so you have plenty so use them and get your mind right.

I look forward to your blog telling us all (because we are all rooting for you) that you got it done. Because you will.

[Esprit Graduate in reply to Fingalo]

Haha Fingalo, you made me laugh, I nearly choked on my coffee. Lisa, Fingalo is right, bad runs happen. I graduated at the beginning of January and I've had 2 bad runs recently when I had to stop after 10 mins because I couldn't get my breathing under control (I have asthma). But you just get back out there and try again. It's so easy to hit a mental block - those demons are constantly in my head, telling me to stop, telling me I can't do it. And as someone wisely once said, a lot of the time it really is mind over reluctant body (for me anyway). Don't feel bad, feel proud you have come this far. You can do it!!

[greenlegs Graduate]

Just had a look at your week 7 run 1 blog - you said you'd done 4k then - and you said something about going slow... That's pretty fast really! Not many people manage to do 5k by the end of week 9, but at that rate you'd be doing 4.8 (if I've understood it right). (I'm old and slow, I know, but at the end of week 9 I could only do 3k in 30 minutes - but I still graduated. It's not a race.)

Maybe you just need to slow down, quite a bit (or just a little bit) for the first half of your runs, so it's easier keep going to the end? Don't beat yourself up over it anyway, just plod on. You will get there.

[LisaTT]

Thank you both so much for replying ... my jogging companion is naturally slightly faster than me ... and so maybe that's my problem ... only about 10 steps ahead ... I'm still proud of how far I've come ... just hit a big down .Thanks for your support x

[Saruma Graduate]

I'm about to ditch my running companion (my hubby). Having graduated a couple of weeks ago, he has started to really push the pace on our runs. I've managed to stay with him so far, but I'm finding the runs a real struggle and I'm getting to the stage where I'm not looking forward to them! As nice as it is to have the company, I have realised that I need to take things at my own pace or I run the risk of getting demoralised. I'm off out on my own tomorrow, my run may be a good bit slower than of late but i long to have a run where I don't feel like my heart's about to burst out of my chest,

[Fingalo Graduate]

I can see where the idea of having a companion can appeal but it's never made any sense to me at this level, no two people would be getting the same out of it.

One will be holding back and the other will be pushing themselves too much, both will become frustrated.

Tell the hubby to go his own way Saruma, both of you will benefit.

[greenlegs Graduate]

Yes, there's a lot to be said in favour of running alone, especially now it's getting easier to get out in daylight. The runs I've enjoyed most of all have been the shorter ones where I just push the pace up to as fast as I can until I need to slow down to recover - but it really wouldn't work if I was trying to keep up with someone else. I even tried running fast up a hilly bit (very short hill, so less than a minute) - and it was actually fun! I did have to walk for a bit after that though, but it was well worth it.

It would be nice to have a bit of company sometimes though!

[skf28 Graduate]

Hey Lisa

Hope you are feeling a little better today - I would echo the other comments and advice regarding slowing down. Today I did week 8 run 1 and I took it reeeeeeeeally slowly - kept asking myself 'could you hold a conversation at the moment?' - if the answer was 'no, I bl00dy couldn't, now stop asking yourself questions you daft moo' I knew it was time to slow down.

I would also suggest ditching the companion, in the past I have tried to start running on numerous occasions by going out with well-meaning friends - who then zoom off, like very fit gazelles, leaving me huffing and puffing behind, only to say sod it after a couple of minutes and plod home feeling very demoralised

On my own I have only got to prove something to myself and truly have got through the runs in the last couple of weeks by going slow, slow, slow - we've plenty of time for sub 30min 5ks after graduation!

Keep going - look forward to hearing about your next good run

[runner45 Graduate]

I always run alone then went out once with someone younger and fitter - she didn't even puff let alone sweat, from now on its imaginary friends only.

[Tessietwo Graduate]

Even a bad run is a run. If I have a bad run and I'm feeling a bit fed up one of my friends always says - well the next run will be better. Maybe there is a lot of mental attitude in this running thing? I suppose we have to listen to our bodies as well. I felt sick on a run and couldn't understand it, maybe just too tired or something just not quite right?? Good luck with the next run.

[LisaTT]

Hurray I did it. Went alone tonight as I needed to get over this hurdle. Had a big long talk to myself and managed it ... really happy! To be fair covered a similar sort of distance as I do when I'm with my friend.

Thanks so much for all of your support ... it means a lot!

Lisa x

[Fingalo Graduate in reply to LisaTT]

Delighted for you.

[skf28 Graduate in reply to LisaTT]

yey!

[LisaTT]

Thank you