Freaking out a bit

[Wiggle]

Last night I went to running club for 3rd time to discover everyone there this week were experienced and fast so a light run for them (in between local half marathons weekends either side) was about 8min /mile joggette round a 6m course with serious hills.

Not to be deterred I thought I'd give it a go - ridiculous really given I've only recently hit up to regular 5.5/6 mile distances and it was about 25c but hey, what the heck.

Needless to say the gazelles quickly left me in the dust! Thankfully one kind soul held back and paced me round which was great. I'd have quit otherwise.

Long story short, despite 3 very short breathers, I did 6.2m in 56 mins which was none too shabby since my best to date is 6m in 61 min non stop with much less elevation or heat.

It did a lot for my confidence at the time but can't say it was a joy!

This morning, however I'm a bit freaked out about the challenge I'm up against to try for the Chester Marathon in October. I have to sign up next week (work thing) if I'm committing and even though it feels pie in the sky the devil in me is saying jfdi, stop whining and get on with it!

My plan is starting to ramp up now and last night gave me a bit of a view of how it might feel. The angel on my shoulder says my fitness will build and what now seems tough will seem easy soon but ...

Thing is I know now how crucial being supported is and worry that if I can't get that consistently from the club, I'll never do it. If it wasn't for the guy who talked me round last night I'd never have achieved what I did last night. He helped me raise my game and kept me going.

Not sure where I'm going with this, just wanted to download I guess and if I'm honest need a bit of honest encouragement and feedback.

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

Hi! Sounds like proof that running with a club helps with speed. But also, you can run 10k in 56 minutes so I reckon that you will do just fine in the marathon - looks like a fabulous one too! Enjoy your summer training

[Wiggle in reply to roseabi]

Thank you! A succinct reminder to stick with the facts and not let the head chatter get in the way.

[Anniemurph Half Marathon]

Wow, that was fast! Well done. Though if the club members are consistently much faster than you then you may not get their support, as you say.

But not to worry - there are plenty of plans you can use to work on - myasics and Bupa are two that I know about and I'm sure there are many more.

[Wiggle in reply to Anniemurph]

Thanks Annie. I'm using a plan from verywell which suits my schedule pretty well. Since posting I realized that my concern is about committing and falling short. It'll be good to be able to get a sensibleness check here when I need it!

[ju-ju- Marathon]

Feel free to download anytime.. and wow what a great time for your run. You are braver than me. I joined a running club and left in floods of tears as I just couldn't keep up with all the super fast athlete types. It sounds like they are very supportive. You plan sounds very doable to me and could you tell them your plans as I am sure they will be full of support and help for you to reach your goal 😎

[Wiggle in reply to ju-ju-]

Thanks ju-ju. I don't feel very brave -almost went home last week to be honest but I figure it's not going to happen unless I reach out. So I'm going to sign up to the club this week and then set about finding out how it all works and the people to talk to. Feeling nervous but more determined.