Ran my 5K today...and so disappointed.
AsellusReborn
Posts: 1,112 Member
This is mostly just me venting. I have come to really love going out and running thanks to the C25K program; I realize not every run is going to be a good one and some are just going to not go well, but did I have to pick the day of my actual race to have a bad run?
Today I ran my second 5K and it was Week 9 Day 2. My first was on 9/13 and it was somewhere in week 7, I forget now. My first time was 40:18 (13min/mile pace) which was not what my goal had been (I wanted under 40); it had been an impulsive sign up because my husband was running it and asked me to join him at the last minute. I modified my runs that week to make sure I could cover the entire distance and just sort of went for it. That day ended up being a comedy of errors - everything went wrong! Forgot my scrunchie, my chapstick, and my hrm - used my phone instead of my ipod and learned that it fails as a music device. It was an evening race and I usually run in the morning. It was hot, I do better in cooler weather. Etc. So while I was mad at not making my goal, I resolved to do better; that was my practice run.
Well today was my real 5K, the one I signed up for when I started the C25K. Everything that went wrong on the first one was right today - I had all my gear. The weather was cool, it was early morning. I've had two weeks more of training runs - they'd gone awesome. My best gave me a 12:10 pace and all were running the 5K distance.
And my time today? 39:45. 12:50min/mile pace. I improved..but barely. I am so frustrated, I don't understand why today was my slowest run since my first official 5K! It would be one thing if that was where my training runs have been but honestly, I usually do better. The course just felt like it would never end today.
Today I ran my second 5K and it was Week 9 Day 2. My first was on 9/13 and it was somewhere in week 7, I forget now. My first time was 40:18 (13min/mile pace) which was not what my goal had been (I wanted under 40); it had been an impulsive sign up because my husband was running it and asked me to join him at the last minute. I modified my runs that week to make sure I could cover the entire distance and just sort of went for it. That day ended up being a comedy of errors - everything went wrong! Forgot my scrunchie, my chapstick, and my hrm - used my phone instead of my ipod and learned that it fails as a music device. It was an evening race and I usually run in the morning. It was hot, I do better in cooler weather. Etc. So while I was mad at not making my goal, I resolved to do better; that was my practice run.
Well today was my real 5K, the one I signed up for when I started the C25K. Everything that went wrong on the first one was right today - I had all my gear. The weather was cool, it was early morning. I've had two weeks more of training runs - they'd gone awesome. My best gave me a 12:10 pace and all were running the 5K distance.
And my time today? 39:45. 12:50min/mile pace. I improved..but barely. I am so frustrated, I don't understand why today was my slowest run since my first official 5K! It would be one thing if that was where my training runs have been but honestly, I usually do better. The course just felt like it would never end today.
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Oh sweetie, try not to feel too frustrated about this. I think you did GREAT! You are going to have plenty of more future 5Ks to run. Some might be hard, some might be easy, but the thing that doesn't change is YOU are there running them. I'm really impressed with you. I started Week 9 today and have my first 5K scheduled for October 13. I HOPE by that time I can get under 40 minutes, but I'm not expecting it. If I can just run the entire thing, no matter how slowly, I will be ecstatic. :happy:0
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You listed a lot of pretty legitimate reasons why you couldn't have expected to meet your goal. What DIDN'T happen was a complete failure. 18 seconds? That's pretty darn close to your goal.
Everyone has days when they don't compete at their best... From amateurs to the pros. There is not one person on earth who is exempt from having a bad day.
It's ok to be disappointed that this happened, but don't be angry at yourself. I hate to say it, but if you keep running races for a long time, you will have lots more races that you are unhappy about in terms of results. It's just a part of the process. But you'll also improve a lot, and there will be days where you amaze yourself. It's totally worth it to keep going and improving yourself.0 -
Thank you Tajour
I know. I'm just frustrated lol. I hate not meeting my own expectations.You listed a lot of pretty legitimate reasons why you couldn't have expected to meet your goal. What DIDN'T happen was a complete failure. 18 seconds? That's pretty darn close to your goal.
Everyone has days when they don't compete at their best... From amateurs to the pros. There is not one person on earth who is exempt from having a bad day.
It's ok to be disappointed that this happened, but don't be angry at yourself. I hate to say it, but if you keep running races for a long time, you will have lots more races that you are unhappy about in terms of results. It's just a part of the process. But you'll also improve a lot, and there will be days where you amaze yourself. It's totally worth it to keep going and improving yourself.
I am more bothered by not improving the second race than I am the first one - I left the first one going, okay, well everything went wrong - I'll do better next time! I left this one going, I have no idea what just happened
I know - I can't set a PR with every race. I'm just disappointed to have done so much worse on the real thing than my practice runs. 0 -
I'm not a good runner, but... you did improve from 1st to 2nd race )) I'd take it as such - an improvement. It's a process, you are getting there.0
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I am more bothered by not improving the second race than I am the first one -
But you did improve! Race conditions are different from your normal workouts. Even so, you had a better pace your second race than your first. You are being VERY hard on yourself 0 -
Races are different from training runs...I get race nerves.
The first race I did, I had stomach issues - I did a 10K and had rotten cramps, had to stop and drink water and eat jelly babies at the halfway drink station! I carried on but didn't make my target time, I was 2 minutes over and I could have kicked myself. I did all the right things but it just didn't go right on the day.
I think with practice you get more used to it...and also when you've trained for something, it is difficult not to build up your expectations massively (maybe that's just me).
As secretlobster says, you did improve! Just hang in there, it gets easier (says a race veteran of...ooh...8 races...working on more!)0 -
Thank you. I ... yeah, that sounds right and it makes me feel better. I know I need to be happy with how I'm doing, I just want to be good at it too! Lol. But yeah, I was definitely nervous. Thinking about it that may have screwed up my pacing too - I try to hold myself to a 165-170 hr while running and I was just so antsy I couldn't do it. I wonder if that messed with my endurance.
Well - you're right. I did improve. And I will keep running, so in the long run these runs don't have to be perfect. I have the rest of my life to get there (...although I hope it doesn't take me that long. LOL!)0 -
Just keep pushing on and you'll keep improving! The key is to keep trying to do a little better than last time. I've heard most people run faster while training than during races for many reasons including nerves or a new running area.0
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Don't beat yourself up about it your a runner now and not a couch potato :drinker: and your doing great
Just a thought, have you run further than 5k in your training runs? and do you do sprint intervals ? I found this helped me improve but im still a slow runner LOL:bigsmile:0 -
Do you mind if I ask how long you've been running?0
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3 months. Thank you Couch to 5K I'm training for a 10K now and want to do a half marathon come spring. 0
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So you're still a new runner!! That's fantastic about your aspirations Just remember that DISTANCE is what you're shooting for... Really not speed. You're doing an awesome job and if you are training for a half marathon, speed will eventually come with distance. Later, but it will. Wait at least a year of running before you start berating yourself for not being fast enough LOL 0
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I am. And logically that makes total sense! I just watch so many other new runners come in 35 or less and I can't help but find myself coming up short. Lol! I am such a perfectionist, I hate that feeling. But I do know you're right. I just have found that I love this and really want to be good at it!0
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You are my hero lady! I just want to be able to be like you, and reach the point where I CAN run a 5K
Don't beat yourself up. Having goals, and meeting them is great, but you my dear, have achieved what so many can't and don't. You may not have met your time goal, but you are a hero in my book!!0 -
You are my hero lady! I just want to be able to be like you, and reach the point where I CAN run a 5K
Don't beat yourself up. Having goals, and meeting them is great, but you my dear, have achieved what so many can't and don't. You may not have met your time goal, but you are a hero in my book!!
The program works. It so honestly does. I totally was one of those people who thought - I'm just not cut out for running. I just didn't think I was built for it.
But a 5K was on my bucket list so I could say "I have run a race" - and so here we are!
Though if I could lodge a complaint with the powers that be, it would be that my bucket list has not gotten shorter. I checked off "5K" and suddenly noticed that my list is longer - when did 10K, 15K/10mile, Half-marathon, and marathon end up my bucket list? Pfft!0 -
You are my hero lady! I just want to be able to be like you, and reach the point where I CAN run a 5K
Don't beat yourself up. Having goals, and meeting them is great, but you my dear, have achieved what so many can't and don't. You may not have met your time goal, but you are a hero in my book!!
The program works. It so honestly does. I totally was one of those people who thought - I'm just not cut out for running. I just didn't think I was built for it.
But a 5K was on my bucket list so I could say "I have run a race" - and so here we are!
Though if I could lodge a complaint with the powers that be, it would be that my bucket list has not gotten shorter. I checked off "5K" and suddenly noticed that my list is longer - when did 10K, 15K/10mile, Half-marathon, and marathon end up my bucket list? Pfft!
You rock!!
(I'll be starting W4D1 tomorrow....) 0 -
You will get there Week 4 was very pivotal for me. It was about that week I realized I really could do it. You will too. Trust your body and don't be afraid to be amazed at what you can accomplish You're getting to the point where it's more of a head game than a physical one! 0
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May I make a suggestion? You would benefit from celebrating the great changes you have made instead of beating yourself up for your percieved failures. That kind of thinking, whether it be related to running/work/school/weight loss leads to unhappiness. Also, as someone mentioned earlier, if you are going to have a long relationship with this sport then you are going to lots of instances where you don't meet your goals. Are you going to hit yourself it a hammer (metaphorically) each time you don't improve? What if you don't improve your PB for years? With a little shift in perspective you could actually feel accomplished after each and every run regardless of your times - after all, you are doing an incredible thing for your body, your health, your family who want you around as long as possible, not to mention the joy you sound like you have when running.
You are doing a great job!0 -
I know. And what you're saying makes total sense! I just...I dunno. I love it, so I want to be good at it! But after a long, long think and a discussion with my husband, I'm going to stop worrying about times (or try) and just focus on being able to run longer and longer and find the sense of accomplishment that way. Or at least try to. Lol! 0
