Hi guys....

I'm feeling a little down today, because for the first time, I just utterly failed my run.

I was on week 7 Day 3 (25 min run). At about 12 minutes in, I was just dying! And I started walking. I kept trying to run again, but then I'd walk. Run-walk-run-walk. I just could not do it today. I've done 25 min runs 3 times already, but today it just became impossible.

I gotta admit that my eating has not been so good the last few days. I was out of town, and kinda splurging on foods. And during my run, I literally felt like vomitting, which I've never felt before. It was probably the foods.

I think I'm going to try to keep moving on to Week 8 Day 1, even though I failed today. I hope that's the right decision, but I'm not sure. I guess I'll see if I can make the 25 minutes first, and if I feel like running 28 I will.

Anyone else had experiences like this where you've been so successful and then just utterly failed one day? I was so surprised by it. Maybe I've been overconfident? I've never once failed to complete a run since starting this training. I feel kinda sad about it, but i just need to get over it I guess.

Bad runs happen, Kellost! I had a couple when I got new shoes that didn't fit properly, and each run is a new challenge--sometimes it's almost easy and sometimes it feels impossible. Take a day off and eat clean and you'll be awesome next time Set a goal of running the longer time and push yourself--you're more likely to make the longer run if you go into it planning on doing the distance.

That's excellant Uber, I'm so happy for you! Maybe we are both going to be able to learn to enjoy our runs!
I was running to a song the other day which had a beat that matched my stride and it suddenly felt so much easier. Wish I could find our the bpm of the song and try to find more songs to match.

I'm afraid that I think I've injured myself doing squats at the gym On Thursday I did 2 sets and in the shower afterwards I felt some discomfort in the outside of my thigh, just about me knee, but it went away soon after. Yesterday I did 3 sets and felt the discomfort while doing them, and since the discomfort has been there all the time. I've done some research and I think I could have slightly strained my hamstring which worries me. Everything I've read points to that so not sure what to do for the best. I bought the Nike + sportband the other day and am wanting to try a run to callibrate it, but am scared of making my leg worse. I know I didn't do it running, it was definitely the squats, so I'm going to avoid them for a while, but I don't want to end up not being able to run or exercise at all.
Tomorrow is usually my step class but it's cancelled due to Easter so was planning on doing a very short run today outside to callibrate the nike + and then trying a longer run outside tomorrow instead of the gym. My next hard workout isn't til Tuesday so not sure what to do for the best.

LM-- I'm so sorry you got hurt. Make sure you REST THAT LEG!

When I did some funky thing to my quad during a lunge a few weeks ago I was panicking-- it made a loud sound and it HURT. The first day I was actually limping-- but I rested and iced and I was really surprised how quick it healed-- just three or four days. Now I can't feel it at all.

PLEASE PLEASE don't strain it more, because then it will take longer to heal!!!

I read somewhere that there is actually an app that will go through your playlist and find songs that fit with different running paces-- don't remember what it was called-- but it sounded excellent. What I listen to makes a HUGE difference.

Kellost, please stop being down on yourself and telling yourself that you FAILED. You had a bad run. You shouldn't beat yourself up about it, or be angry at yourself or your body. There are so many different factors that go into it!

The only way you can fail is if you give up and never try again. There will be so many more runs in your life, have faith that there will be many more good ones than bad and it will make up for the bad ones in the end <3 And try to just move on, treat your body well, and then try again.

I've been to the playing fields down the road today and my leg was really hurting to start with. I walked to start with to warm up and it took me over 8mins before I got my heart rate up a little. It was so weird to be on grass because all I've done is the treadmill and one run on pathways so far, and as I was walking I thought there was NO WAY I was going to be able to run at all today.
But I really wanted to callibrate my Nike+ so thought I had to at least try.
Anyway, when I started running I could hardly breathe because I wasn't used to the cold air in my lungs, and going by my Nike+ I was jogging at about the same speed I walk at on the treadmill! I really felt like I was going to have to give up after about 30secs but I knew what point I had to get to for the callibration so I pushed myself to keep going. When I stopped I'd actually run just over 3mins lol. Appalling compared to my treadmill running, but I am going to keep reminding myself that I am injured, I've never run on grass before and I'm not used to the cold air in my lungs.
It's given me a big fright though when I think the 5k I'm signed up for in 3 months is mostly on grass and all I could do was 3mins.....
My Nike+ has training programmes on it but I seem to be in the middle of walking to run, and training for a 5k. The walk to run first few weeks are too simple, but the first few weeks of the 5k training are too hard. So I've had another look at the C25k and am thinking that I might either start that again from the beginning outside, or maybe start it a couple of weeks in.
I feel bad having to start again, but I need a way of getting used to running outside with some structure to it so I can feel I'm making concrete progress.

Completed Week 2. Now on to W3D1. Supplemented my workout on Saturday with Billy Blanks Boot Camp Tae Bo and only got through half and I am still sore. Hopefully I will feel better this afternoon to go for my run. Hate these sore muscles. I do squats and lunges all the time but that one just kicked my butt.

tnvols-- congrats on finishing week two!

LM-- I KNOW what you mean about running on grass! The other day I only ran for 3 minutes before walking. It's so much harder! I've decided the next time I run outside I'm going to try the outdoor track, and not try grass until I'm really fitter. Also even tiny gradients make a HUGE difference to me...(not in a good way) Hope your leg is feeling better!

I'm moving on to W8D2 tonight and hoping that it will be UBER-GREAT like my last run.

I really like the idea of repeating the program outside. I was thinking of sticking with the longer runs but incorporating some of the hill programs on the treadmill... but we might get a real sense of accomplishment repeating the whole program, or maybe starting from week 3 outside...I might steal your idea.... especially since the weather is getting nice now.

Feel free to steal the idea Uber, I just wanted to find a way to get running outside and feel like I'm making progress rather than going backwards. I've decided I'm definitely going to try it and see how I go. I am going to start again at Week 1 but if I find it ok, I will move onto Week 2 for my next outside run, and so on until I find it a push, then carry on with the weeks as normal. Depending on the weather W1D1 will hopefully be on Wed so will let you know how I get on.
Tomorrow is a gym workout day for me so hopefully I'Il manage another 30mins on the treadmill to officially finish the programme indoors, before I start again outdoors

Ds and I officially started today! We did w1d1 on Friday but that was a test to see I he could do it with me. I want to have mondays as the start of each week so we redid w1d1 today and will start week 2 next Monday. I felt awesome after our workout this morning, though my ds is holding me back just a bit. But I'm so happy that he wants to do this so I am happy to go a tad slower for him.

I have to say that after reading some of your posts that I am glad I am starting out running outside. It sounds like the transition can be difficult.

I can't wait for Wednesday for my next run/walk!!

I started in winter, so running outside was not available to me! I've done about half on a treadmill and half on an indoor track, but outside is much harder for me.

LM-- I love your idea and plan to steal it! Plus it gives me something structured to do when I'm done-- which, unbelievably, is coming rather soon!

Whoohoo!!! I graduated today from the C25K indoors on the treadmill with my third 30min run! Most of it was at 7.5kph but some was higher, and the last couple of minutes although I was dying I upped it right to 8.5kph which is the fastest I've done. Still only managed 3.8k in the 30mins though.
So where do I go from here? Well, I've decided I'm going to keeping going with the treadmill runs for a few weeks and see if I can slowly up the speed a little, and maybe add a few more minutes to get me nearer to 5k. My big new thing though is that I've decided to start the programme again outside on grass this time, as I've got the Race for Life 5k coming up at the beginning of July and the only grass run I've done I only managed just over 3mins lol. I'm going to start with W1D1 tomorrow hopefully. If I find that actually easy then I will move onto W2D1 my next outside run, and so on until I find it hard, then I will continue with the programme as it's supposed to be done. I'm hoping this way I'll be able to see progress running outside as well and gain confidence that I might actually be able to do the race in July lol.

That is so awesome!!!!!! And it is so inspiring to know that people are finishing the program, it gives me lots of hope.
Congrats!

Loving Me CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!! YOU DID IT!!!!!!!

And you know, I think I started before you! You have zipped right through.

I ran on the treadmill last night but was very tired and started at ten o'clock at night---- sucky, sucky, sucky run-- plus I didn't use my C25K app, so I "think" I did 28 minutes, but I'm not really sure. I was sweating my brains out, had stomach cramps, and my HR went up to the 160s, all to do the same intensity run that I've been doing all along. I attributed it just to being tired when I started.

LM-- can't wait to hear about your progress on the grass!!! I am going to finish C25K and then follow you outside.

YAY YOU!!!!!

I just got back from doing W1D1 on grass at the local playing fields. Wow lol!
My peak heart rate was about the same as my first 10-15 mins on the treadmill and I really sweated. Although it felt hard compared to the treadmill, the 60secs seemed to be over very quick and I felt like I could have managed a bit longer, so on Friday hopefully I'm going to go back down and try W2D1 and see how I go with 90sec runs. I started off the other day and today running around the very edge of the field, but it is very uneven so today I moved inwards and ran around the edges of the football pitches and that seemed to work much better as it was more even.
It's scary to think that I can do 30mins straight on a treadmill but it's so hard outside on the grass, but I'm just really glad I found out now rather than a couple of weeks before my race or I'd have been in big trouble. And rather than beating myself up over being able to run so little outside it's kind of fun to be starting the C25K again because I have a new challenge to work on, and hopefully I'll have graduated again by race time.
I have come to the conclusion today though that I need to give myself a break, and rather than being **** bent on running the whole race and feeling I've failed if I don't, I need to focus on what I have achieved so far and just concentrate on finishing the race, be that by running or running and walking. Lets face it, 8 months ago I couldn't even have walked that far...