I stink at running!! Really :/

Really lol
I am training for a 5k and am on week 4 of the C25K program (run 1/4 mile, walk 1/4 mile, run 1/2 mile, walk 1/2 mile and repeat).
My fastest pace this week has been 15 min/mile averaging a 3.5 mph pace.
I know this stinks! Is it even worth it?
I really do like running. In high school I ran track but was a sprinter (100yd and 200yd dash, relays). I have never had endurance.
I feel bummed because everyone seems to be doing <10 min miles.
Should I give it up and try something else?

Oh, not everyone is doing <10 minute miles. Some are, some aren't. I usually run about a 12 minute mile. I've done marathons and was at about 13 minute miles. Sometimes it is hard being in the back of the pack, but it is what it is! I'd rather do it and be slow, than never have experienced it. Also, people seem to want to be good at running without practice. Running, like everything else, improves with practice. You are just in the beginning stages so don't be hard on yourself. You'll improve with time.

I know exactly how you feel! I felt this way just last night at the gym when I walked by guy who had his treadmill set at 7.6 mph and he ran at that for an hour like it was no problem. It made me feel like, "Why do I even run, I will be slow forever!"

But the truth is that when I started running 6 months ago I was running at your pace, a 15 minute mile. Now I can easily run a 10:30 minute mile pace for a 5K, which is still freaking slow compared to most people, but that is a lot of improvement without really focusing on improving. I didn't do C25K, or sprint intervals, which help you get faster, I just ran. I love running outside, and that is my favorite form of exercise now. 5 miles go by in no time at all! I don't check my pace anymore, I just push myself where I can and run for the feel of it.

I still like to do 5K races and have done many since I started, but it's hard to sign up for timed races because I know I will be at the back of the pack and I don't want to get discouraged. Just sign up for fun runs and have fun and be proud of yourself for doing it!

Really lol
I am training for a 5k and am on week 4 of the C25K program (run 1/4 mile, walk 1/4 mile, run 1/2 mile, walk 1/2 mile and repeat).
My fastest pace this week has been 15 min/mile averaging a 3.5 mph pace.
I know this stinks! Is it even worth it?
I really do like running. In high school I ran track but was a sprinter (100yd and 200yd dash, relays). I have never had endurance.
I feel bummed because everyone seems to be doing <10 min miles.
Should I give it up and try something else?

It's totally up to you. If you enjoy it, then I say stop worrying about others and go enjoy yourself.

Or switch to sprints and do a HIIT running workout of sprints/walking.

Or switch to something totally different that you enjoy. But whatever you do, there is likely going to always be someone doing it better, harder or faster.

Actually, some people really are designed to be sprinters and not mid- or long-distance runners. You might be one of them. This is determined by how much fast twitch muscle fiber you have and is largely genetic. I am a sprinter by nature, too. (By the way, if you are a born sprinter, you would probably make a decent weight lifter, too.)

That is me, to a T! I finally gave up on chasing the elusive 13.1 miles. I am content on getting my 5K time down below 27 mins as my new goal. Much, much better at sprinting (and lifting hahahahaha).

Yep

I figure it's better to find what your body is good at, and train to improve your potential there, rather than force your body to do something that is against its nature. I have never been even remotely tempted to do a marathon, for example, because I think my body is just not made for that. But I seem to have some lifting skillz. I am pretty close to benching .7 of my body weight--my understanding is that this is not bad (for a woman who has only been training with a barbell for 3 months).

There is something to be said for doing things that are unpleasant and that do not come easy. A good friend of mine is not at all flexible but has been stubbornly doing yoga for years, and she finally managed to get those palms on the floor in Uttanasana. A lot of natural tendencies can be overcome with practice, but you'll reach a limit eventually.

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." -John Bingham

I love this!

Back when I started almost exactly 3 years ago, I could do about 3/4 of a mile at 5mph. Now I'm up to 14+ mile on my long run and working towards my first marathon. It gets easier, trust me. Try breaking up your goal into smaller, more manageable chunks. Stick with C25K, it does work. Don't get down on yourself. The gains in speed and endurance will come with time. Best of luck!

Original poster-- It's a month later. Are you still running? Have you progressed passed week 4? Have you gotten any faster? Come on..... inquiring minds want to know.

The only way to lose is to quit. I started C25k not able to run more than 30 seconds in January, and finished a 5k last month with a time of 34 minutes. Then, this morning, I barely made it a full mile. It just wasn't happening. It's you versus the road, and sometimes the road just wins. It's never easy, only fun sometimes, but ALWAYS worth it. Just stick with it, give it your all, and it WILL happen.

I hated running. But I started in February and I'm not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm running a 5k next week and I'm just looking forward to crossing the finish line!! Doesn't matter how long it will take me, I've only just begun. And I'm sure the next time I run one (hopefully some time in June), I will finish faster.

Don't give up. Especially if it's something you LIKE!! LOL Seriously. You'll get faster -- and if it's only by a couple of seconds, it's still faster, right?

Really lol
I am training for a 5k and am on week 4 of the C25K program (run 1/4 mile, walk 1/4 mile, run 1/2 mile, walk 1/2 mile and repeat).
My fastest pace this week has been 15 min/mile averaging a 3.5 mph pace.
I know this stinks! Is it even worth it?
I really do like running. In high school I ran track but was a sprinter (100yd and 200yd dash, relays). I have never had endurance.
I feel bummed because everyone seems to be doing <10 min miles.
Should I give it up and try something else?

You don't stink at running! It takes a lot of training to hit <10 min/mile. Keep running, you'll get there!