Severe disappointment in my workouts

nis75p06

(here is the obligatory whining about how tough I have it... skip this paragraph unless you have a nice piece of cheese to go with my whine). I used to be able to run... About 160+ pounds ago and 20+ years ago. I am losing weight using MFP - but I don't just want to lose weight, I want to be able to do the things that I used to enjoy doing before carrying around and extra person got in the way.

I stressed all weekend about starting W4. All I coul dsee in my mind was that huge (to me) imposssibly long 1/2 mile jog... I worried about it all day at work. Worried about it enough that I almost skipped going tonight.

I just did W4D1. Or rather I attempted W4D1. I barely finished W3 - pain in my legs gets pretty bad and just totally run out of gas by the end of every workout. Today I used the HS track, figuring the softer surface would be kinder to my legs.

These were my intervals and pace:
5:00 (warmup walk) 20:02
0.25 mi (jog) 14:37
90 sec (walk) 16:12
0.50 mi (jog) 16:08
0.25 mi (walk) 18:43
0.25 mi (jog) 16:12
90 sec (walk) 19:39
0.50 mi (supposed to be jog) 20:06
5:00 (cooldown) 21:18

It's that last jog interval that has me completely demoralized. Of that 1/2 mile, I made 100 yards at a jog and then had to walk the rest. This is the same problem I had with W3. I would do okay until the last interval and then just turn to jello and be completely unable to jog another step. No more strength in my legs and panting like a steam train. I don't think I am improving, stamina wise. And not being able to finish the workouts is leaving me so frustrated I could cry. I am just too fat still to expect to be be able to finish the workouts properly?

IreneAdler221

Don't beat yourself up, you are on a journey and it may not be as smooth or fast as you'd like, but as long as you keep moving forward you will get there. As for losing energy at the end are you getting enough sleep at night, eating enough daily, drinking enough water?

nis75p06

Umm... Sleep?

I get about 7 hours a night Sunday-Thursday (start moving towards bed around 10:30pm and get up at 5:45am).
I get a hour or maybe 2 on Friday (my work schedule is a bizarre mix of days and deep nights), but basically I get up at 5:45am on Friday and don't get back to bed until 10am on Saturday other than my 1-2 hour nap Friday afternoon. I get 5 or so hours Saturday during the day and then don't go back to bed until Sunday night around 10pm, though often take a nap Sunday afternoon for a hour or 2.

I am usually right around 1600 calories a day net which is supposed to be 1-1/2 lbs weight loss per week. Sometimes a couple hundred below, sometimes a couple of hundred above - but usually right on for the week. Today I'll be at 1200 when I finish this frozen fruit bar I'm eating So I think I'm eating plenty. And I usually get my 8 glasses of liquid (about 2/3 straight water and 1/3 teas or coffee)

I get as much sleep as I've always gotten, eat enough calories per MFP and drink enough water too.

Would an energy supplement, like 5-hour or some kind of energy drink, before I try again Wednesday night do any good?

kimpossible471

I was exactly where you are mentally, without the beneifit of having EVER been a runner. You said it has been 20+ years since you were really doing much running?

GIVE YOURSELF SOME TIME

I struggled with week 3. (did it twice)
Struggled with week 4 (repeated at least a day)

Just remember....week 1 and week 2 seemed hard at the time too. It is supposed to. Some days will go better than others. Just keep at it, and you will stretch farther than you ever thought possible.

I know week 1 I barely made it through.... and 3-4 months later I'm running in excess of 3 miles 3-4 times a week. (well, yesterday, I had to walk part of my last 10 min interval because my earlier pacing was too fast....)

When I felt like you do....and it happened often.....an MFP friend who was also going through C25K would remind me to "be kind to myself". You are doing so much more than you were before, and you will continue to improve. Even if a particular day's run is "rubbish" - it is still a success, because it marks another day that you got out there and did something.

Make sure you are getting enough rest - not just sleep...but actually take the days off of running that the program says also. (I did take long 4-5 mile walks or biked on "off days"). I found myself getting into a rut where if a run was "crap" in my mind, I'd go out the next day and try it again. Invariably, it didn't go well because I wasn't giving my body time to recover....so I'd try it again the next day.....you see where this is going right? Rest a day, or maybe 2 and SURPRISE.....knocked out whatever interval set like it had never been a problem.

That's all I've got, other than one more reminder to "be kind to yourself". You can do this. Each day out is progress towards the end. It is OK to move forward at your own pace...just keep moving forward.

Now - I need to get out there and try my crap run from yesterday again.....some of us give advice, but refuse to learn.

Good luck.

KP

NatashaRuz

Ditto what was said before me. Keep at it. Do this at your own pace...As long as you keep at it and don't give up.