becoming a better runner and becoming better at running events

slimandsmiling

I think I am in need of some emotional feedback please mfp friends..

I have been doing pretty okay and have remained mindful when eating too much. And then today I went out with my dad and my boys to a fun run.. my dad just doesn't get the whole fun run thing. I had the boys with me so I did the 1 mile run with them. It was the first fun run I had ever done and there weren't many other parents doing the 1 mile run.. I was slow-ish and felt a bit of a t*t really as no-one else seemed to be running with their kids. I felt embarrassed as everyone else prepared for the 'big' boys' 10k.. my new running club was also there all doing the 10k and I found myself wishing I could be running with them (mainly because I would have loved to run longer than 1 mile).,, but I am also a little unsure of myself as well as I know I am the slowest runner in the group. this was made worse today by being one of the slowest runners in the 6-10year old range as well.

Since starting my running, I have gone from not being able to run more than 1 minute to now running 1hr 10minutes.. but still I feel like a failure at times... mainly because I know I am slow..I can now run 10k but slowly. Everyone in the running club I have joined seems fitter and quicker and more confident. How can I overcome these hurdles and become a quicker, fitter .. more confident runner as well? x

Angel_Grove_

Following - congrats on making it to 10k!! I just hit 1.75 miles without stopping this weekend. I've a long way to go yet!

Bj0223

I think its great you did the fun run with your kiddos! Great parenting on your part!

Speed comes with time and lots of running- sprints and hills can help too. Try not to focus on others and be proud of what you are accomplishing. You don't know where they started, everyone is on their own journey.

Oct 2013- I was running a 13 min mile and was so proud of myself. I couldn't run a block the summer before. I just last week ran 5K in under 30 minutes. Its not about who is the fastest but about who goes out and does it and you do it! Be proud.

runningmouse

"Since starting my running, I have gone from not being able to run more than 1 minute to now running 1hr 10minutes.."

That is fantastic success! Be proud of yourself in such a great achievement. It took a lot of days and massive commitment to achieve that time spent running.

Stop looking at those other runners. Chances are they (a) have been running for more years than you. (b) have incorporated speed work/track training into their runs and/or ( c) are naturally gifted at running fast.

Next steps for you if you want to run faster, is just that, start running faster on some days. Add interval/track workouts. Run hills. Ask your running club for advice on increasing speed. Chances are they have a track night or a hill night go out and join them. Want to know how fast to do your speed work? Use the Greg McMillian run calculator you can google it.

Most of all be happy that you can run and that you enjoy your running process. Speed will come in time.

SueInAz

Speed comes with time. I've been running for 4 years now and I only these past few months feel like I'm really starting to get faster... and I currently run 5K in 32:25. One thing to keep in mind... other runners don't look down on you for being slower. You're out there and doing it and that puts you very far ahead of the people who don't even try. I've never gotten anything but positive reinforcement from runners who are faster. While it's a little disheartening to be finally closing on the finish line and seeing someone running towards me with a bib and a medal looking like they could do the whole race again backwards.... that person is always saying "You're doing great, you're almost there!" or "Way to go, keep it up!"

I was at a race expo a couple of years ago and one of the elite marathon runners was being interviewed. He expressed his admiration of people like you and me who are out there running for hours to cover a distance he can do in 1/4 or 1/2 the time. He said if it took him that long that he didn't know if he would be running at all. So don't be down on yourself.

As I said earlier, speed comes with time but it also comes with distance. One of the easiest ways to get faster is to run farther. As your stamina increases from running farther the shorter distances get faster. Split your training runs up so that you're doing a longer slow run each week but also a shorter, faster run. Right now I'm doing 5K on weekdays before work and 10K on the weekends. One 5K is easy and the other I'm pushing as if I were running a race. The 10K is somewhere in between. I'm not actually in training right now, though, just running to keep up with it for the off-season and burn calories. I'm also trying to get faster.

Curtruns

slimandsmiling wrote: »

Since starting my running, I have gone from not being able to run more than 1 minute to now running 1hr 10minutes.. but still I feel like a failure at times... mainly because I know I am slow..I can now run 10k but slowly. Everyone in the running club I have joined seems fitter and quicker and more confident. How can I overcome these hurdles and become a quicker, fitter .. more confident runner as well? x

You need to focus on the first part of your statement and forget everything after "everyone in the running club..." You have had success, be happy with it but never satisfied with it!

zipa78

Speed is a matter of cadence, work on getting to 180-190 steps per minute. Running with a metronome or suitable music is a good way of achieving that. I've been working up my speed by doing the "Couch to 5K" program over again, but this time with a backing track with songs in the 175-190 BPM range. This seems to work really well for me, and after I'm done I'll probably do it once more with songs in the 190-205 BPM range.

MeanderingMammal

slimandsmiling wrote: »

How can I overcome these hurdles and become a quicker, fitter .. more confident runner as well? x

Run more. Long easy paced miles will help you improve your pace considerably.

It take time to develop, the main thing you need to focus on is your own development, rather than comparing yourself to others.

WhatMeRunning

Unless your goal is to be a competitive racer trying to win first place, then you need to resist the temptations to compare yourself to others. You're trying to become a better "you" than you are today, so you should instead compare your current self to your past self, and use that to keep pushing yourself further.

scottb81

You are already doing better than the vast majority of people on the planet so look at it from that end.

As to how to get better, lots of miles over a long time. The more miles you can run (up to a limit) the more quickly you will get faster. In my semi-informed opinion that upper limit is somewhere around 10 to 12 hours of running per week. Doing that right you can expect to see continuous improvment for around 10 years before you even approach your genetic limit.

The good news is you will get best results running nearly all of these miles easy so running becomes a relaxing time instead of a chore.

Here are a couple of articles that may help inform you.
This is the best one, Athletic Training by Arthur Lydiard, arguably the best running coach of all time. http://www.fitnesssports.com/lyd_clinic_guide/Arthur Lydiard.pdf

It was written way back in the days before heart rate monitors. All the training intensities he talks about are "by feel". So, this next article is more modern and gets into more detail about the best training intensities by heart rate.

http://content.bandzoogle.com/users/cippianhotmail/files/Want_Speed_Slow_Down_2007.pdf

or if you want to read his whole book http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Endurance-Training-Racing/dp/1616080655

PaytraB

slimandsmiling wrote: »

Since starting my running, I have gone from not being able to run more than 1 minute to now running 1hr 10minutes.. but still I feel like a failure at times... mainly because I know I am slow..I can now run 10k but slowly. Everyone in the running club I have joined seems fitter and quicker and more confident. How can I overcome these hurdles and become a quicker, fitter .. more confident runner as well? x

Congratulations on being able to run 10K!!! That's terrific!!!

The paragraph above could be me.....only I'm slower. I haven't quite run 10K yet (made it to 9K recently) and I run about the same amount of time as you.
Don't worry about your time or speed. Those things will take care of themselves over time. All you need are a lot of miles under your shoes.
Keep running. I think you're doing terrifically good.

Mr_Knight

Getting to 10k is a big step - congrats! :drinker:

Building up speed comes with time and miles - keep it up, and you'll get there, no problem.

kristinegift

If you've gone from 1 minute to 70 minutes, you are definitely not a failure! Just keep with it, and you'll start to increase your speed naturally. Don't compare yourself to the other runners in your club, but just celebrate what you've trained your body to do and look forward to what is possible in the future!

4leighbee

Curt911 wrote: »

slimandsmiling wrote: »

Since starting my running, I have gone from not being able to run more than 1 minute to now running 1hr 10minutes.. but still I feel like a failure at times... mainly because I know I am slow..I can now run 10k but slowly. Everyone in the running club I have joined seems fitter and quicker and more confident. How can I overcome these hurdles and become a quicker, fitter .. more confident runner as well? x

You need to focus on the first part of your statement and forget everything after "everyone in the running club..." You have had success, be happy with it but never satisfied with it!

^^ This! And ... oh my gosh, what a wonderful parent to run with your kiddles. I coached little kids running for years and that was my very *favorite* thing to do, especially when they looked at me sheepishly and asked if they could go on ahead! Yes! Leave me! You will be happier when you let go of comparing yourself to others and just enjoy your run.

ncfitbit

I think you need a new running group! No, seriously. I don't know if you have a Fleet Feet near you, but they have some awesome race training groups and one of the first things they do is create pacing groups so people are comfortable running with similar runners.

I'm training for a 4 mile race in a few weeks and I've loved running with other people who go MY speed.

Good luck and don't give up!

SBRRepeat

Getting to an hour and ten minute run is awesome! HUGE Congrats! It took me a very, very long time to be able to run 10k.

I read an article recently that hit me pretty hard, being the hyper competitive, type A personality I am. Basically, in summary:

There will always be someone faster. There will always be someone slower.
Who cares?
Let's be honest, that's not why we run. You're not putting yourself through this because you expect to win the Boston Marathon. So, be okay with running your own race against your own pace. Faster runners will admire your dedication and progress, slower runners will strive to be as fast as you some day.
Run to challenge yourself, to race against your own personal records. You can always keep improving. Every mile you put in makes you better and stronger and one step closer to being the kind of runner you think you'll never be.

I never thought I could enjoy running, not even after I struggled through all of C25K. But I gradually became the kind of lunatic who chooses to run in the forest during a rainstorm for an hour and a half... For fun. Sure, I may have finished my last half marathon 80th of 120 in my age group, but d*mned if that wasn't 12 minutes faster than the half marathon before it.
Keep putting in those "slow" miles and, pretty soon, they won't be so slow anymore.
Enjoy running for the sake of running and, pretty please, don't compare yourself to others. You never know where they started!

Also, so so so awesome that you were out there running with your kids. You should be very proud of them AND you!

slimandsmiling

Thank you so much everyone who posted here...you have all helped me get back on track.. I am going to keep going as I have really enjoyed all the runs I have done...and I will stop focusing on everyone else and be happy with the path I am on.x

Roxiegirl2008

First congrats! That is awesome. My speed came with just increasing my miles and really just getting my body used to well...running again. I will do some speed drills. I know it is hard not to compare yourself to others. I used to do that all of the time. I found that until I started to compete with myself I always felt like a turtle. Although we all know that the turtle beat the hare. Keep it up!