Starting over
By Valarie
Ugh.
My last post here was on March 3. Today is March 22. A gap of 19 days despite my commitment (to Linda and, more importantly, myself) that I would post once a week. Not surprisingly to anyone, I’m sure, is that along with dropping the ball on updating here, I have fallen off the running wagon. When wrote my last post I had just finished Week 1. I did complete Week 2, and finished Day 1 of Week 3. And then…I don’t know what.
I wonder if swearing is allowed here? Because that would feel really good. I am so angry, and only at myself. There are “reasons” I could cite for not having run for 12 days. But none of them are good enough. They’re all just…life. Around the time of my last run we had some disturbing news from my son’s teachers. I allowed myself to use that as an excuse not to run, knowing in the back of my mind that exercise was exactly what I needed to help me deal with things better. Then I was visited by my monthly lady friend, then got sick for a few days with a weird sinus thing, and boom…one missed run turned into two, then four…and here I am. I should be starting Week 5 tomorrow, and instead I am less than half way through Week 3.
I know that what I need to do now is shake it off, get off my ass, and get going again. I really want to stick with my plan to run a 5k on April 18…I’m just torn about how to proceed. The options I feel like I have are:
• Condense the C25K training plan by running every other day (instead of just three times a week) from now on, which would put me at starting Week 8 (which calls for 2.75 mile runs) and I would feel ok about stretching it to 3.1 miles for the race.
• Stick to the training plan as it is dictated, starting at Week 3 Day 2. That only puts me a week behind on race day where I would be if I did Option 1.
• Stick to the training plan as dictated, but find a 5k that takes place after I fully complete the whole program (which would be May 1)
What do you guys think? I want to do the right thing, but I want to avoid letting myself off the hook. I set a goal of a 5k on April 18, and if running every other day (especially at the relatively low distances in this plan) is ok, I think that is the way to go. But I need input from all of you, who I know have been where I am in some form.
I am (once again) starting over, and recommitting to posting every week and sticking with my training plan, whatever that ends up being. Thanks to all of you for your support.
March 24th, 2010 at 8:37 am
Hi Valerie,
I’m also someone who has fallen off the wagon–big time, in the fall (I planned on running an October 5K…oh, ha ha ha…instead I stopped running until Christmas!). Anyway, first I wanted to congratulate you because I think the hardest step is just recognizing that you WANT to get back into it. I did, and I’m signed up for a May 8 5K, so I get where you are coming from.
As for what you should do…I guess, it depends on you. How much running experience do you have? Are you injury prone, or do you know if you are? I would tend to be conservative, myself…I would go with your last option and find a 5K to run in May. But–that’s because I was stupid in early January, and trained too hard too fast, and ended up sidelined for weeks with bad shin splints.
Whatever you decide, best of luck! I’ll be working through Couch 2 5K myself, and I’ll be thinking of you and cheering you on while I train.
March 24th, 2010 at 8:38 am
Hi Valarie,
I’m also someone who has fallen off the wagon–big time, in the fall (I planned on running an October 5K…oh, ha ha ha…instead I stopped running until Christmas!). Anyway, first I wanted to congratulate you because I think the hardest step is just recognizing that you WANT to get back into it. I did, and I’m signed up for a May 8 5K, so I get where you are coming from.
As for what you should do…I guess, it depends on you. How much running experience do you have? Are you injury prone, or do you know if you are? I would tend to be conservative, myself…I would go with your last option and find a 5K to run in May. But–that’s because I was stupid in early January, and trained too hard too fast, and ended up sidelined for weeks with bad shin splints.
Whatever you decide, best of luck! I’ll be working through Couch 2 5K myself, and I’ll be thinking of you and cheering you on while I train.
March 24th, 2010 at 8:39 am
(apologies all for the dbl post, and to Valarie for misspelling her name in the first one! grr!)
March 24th, 2010 at 9:16 am
Don’t beat yourself up first off, that will just get you even more down, dust off and look ahead! Before I ran my first 5k I did a few 5k walks, I found it totally inspiring just to be at the races. Plus you can run/walk and no one cares. On my third 5k walk I vowed I would run my fouth and I did, not even a month later! If I were you I would go ahead and commit to the April 18th race and if you aren’t ready to run it, power walk it
March 24th, 2010 at 9:39 am
I’m with Ashley. Don’t try to fast-pace the schedule, because that is difficult, even if you’ve already got a few weeks of self-discipline down. But don’t let yourself off the hook, either – do the 18th, and walk/run or walk or whatever, and then sign up for another one in May and try to beat your April time.
March 24th, 2010 at 10:22 am
I’d go with picking up the schedule where you left off and keeping the 5K on April 18. Going from nothing to every other day is a lot, and you’ll be a much saner person if you just try to hit 3x a week. You’ll be fine for the 5K on April 18 – you might have to walk bits of it, but you’ll be just fine. If you finish the 5K on April 18 and feel not quite satisfied? Then by all means sign up for a later one and finish out the plan.
The most important thing is not to beat yourself up over the gap. Life got in the way, just get back on track where you left off and it’ll be all good. Good luck!
March 24th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
I love Ashley’s advice because it brings up the very good point that you can certainly walk part of the race and that is FINE.
I believe there are a very select few who 1) never do anything to improve their health/fitness, or 2) never slip up in the process of being perfect saintly athletes. The vast majority of us are somewhere in the middle, and setbacks are inevitable. The absolute key to success in this lies in what happens AFTER a setback: do you succumb to the downward momentum, or do you dust yourself off and get back into things? (Related-I find this video very inspirational: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPO354_ugF8)
I know just how hard it is to re-commit and break that crappy cycle, but I promise you, you can do it. Things will feel so much better after just a few days of being back in the game.
Put on your running shoes. You’ve got this.
March 24th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
I’ve been doing this weight loss-fitness thing for 9 years now (add in two small children) and I can tell you this: Setbacks are PART OF IT. They are what will define your will to continue. The fact that you WANT to continue is what will make you succeed.
It’s not in the fall, it’s whether or not you get back up.
You can do this. I believe in you.
March 24th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
First of all, don’t beat yourself up over it. Secondly, tomorrow, put on your sneakers and go for a run. Falling down happens to everyone. But get back up and get back into it. Start at where you left off and move forward from there.
Good luck
March 24th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Keep the 5k that you planned on doing. That way you won’t keep pushing the race off. It’s okay to walk/run your first 5k. the point is to finish, get a time, and work towards beating that time in your NEXT 5k!
March 25th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
I say keep training at the pace you were before and we’ll still do the April 18th race. We can stop and walk whenever we feel like it. It’s our race and I’m with you every step of the way!
xo
April 15th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
“It’s not in the fall, it’s whether or not you get back up.”
Can I tatoo that on myself somewhere? LOVE it.
I’m late to the comment party, but I just wanted to tell you I’m checking in! I started sometime after you, but I’m now on C25K week 5, part 2. We had crazy weather during my first week 5 so I only got two runs in. Tomorrow will be my last day of week 5 though!
I hope you are going for it on the 18th. Run what you can, walk the rest… its all good. Any day you put on your shoes and move your rear is a good day!
Can’t wait to hear about it!
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