Running - Some days I just suck.

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  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
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    And the funny thing is...there are times when I feel great before the run and have a bad run, and times I feel cruddy and have a good run!

    Ugh! Yes! The other day I went to happy hour, had a couple of beers, go home and literally forced myself to go run and it was AMAZING. WHAT!?!? lol

    You should find a local hash house harriers club if your body liked the beer/running mix. Mine enjoys it as well.

    but yeah

    sometimes a 9 minute pace can feel like you're in hell when a few days ago you were hitting a 7 minute pace for miles feeling like a rockstar. It just happens. When it happens to me I just tell myself to think about it as mental training rather than physical. You are going to feel like this the last couple of miles of a hard race so why not mentally train through so you will be more prepared to handle it when it counts. That probably doesn't make sense to anyone else but me as my logic is a bit weird sometimes......
  • Tla0126
    Tla0126 Posts: 207 Member
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    I warm up walk... If I run any slower, I'll be walking. It evens out.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    There are no good or bad runs just different runs. Some runs your fast, some your slow. Some you're tired other you are not. That's just the ebb and flow of it.
  • vharding7
    vharding7 Posts: 48 Member
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    Do you do a warmup before your actual run? I find that if I plan to run 6 miles, I will do a warm up of about a mile at a slow, steady pace. Then stop and walk around...get a drink...whatever for 5-10 minutes, then actually run. It makes a HUGE difference in how the run goes. If I do not warm up, I am often miserable for the first 3 miles. If I warm up, my runs are so much better for the duration....

    I might have to try this. I've been running into the same issue except lately I've been having less good runs and more horrible "i feel like dying" kind of runs lol Thanks for the idea!
  • DBoone85
    DBoone85 Posts: 916 Member
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    There are no good or bad runs just different runs. Some runs your fast, some your slow. Some you're tired other you are not. That's just the ebb and flow of it.

    As a lifelong runner, I disagree. There are bad runs. There are runs where your body is not in synch...where you break form,,,and if you do that, you need to stop and do something different becasue if you break form and push yourself, you will end up doing damage to yourself structurally.

    There are good runs that feel great....there are good runs that feel bad...and there are bad runs that you just need to tap out and come back tomorrow. It is very important to learn to distinguish between them for your own health....
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Eh, I have no problem calling a bad run a bad run. Considering it to be bad doesn't mean that I regret doing it. If anything, I tend to remember when I make it through bad runs more than when I make it through easy ones. I mean, it's easy to exercise when everything goes perfectly. When something goes wrong and I stick with it anyway? Now that's something that makes me proud or gives me a boost. And on the rare day when it goes really bad and I just go home? I feel good the next day when I try it again and it goes right.
  • scraver2003
    scraver2003 Posts: 528 Member
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    I agree 112% with DBoone85 and jemhh. Yes. Yes. There are bad runs. Absolutely. And knowing when to call it a day and try again the next - that has really actually helped me. Knowing that it is ok to shorten the bad runs and run longer when the runs are good. Sometimes I need to push myself and sometimes I need to go home. Sometimes I just need to push through the bad run and consider it a training experience and sometimes I just go home, rest, and do a longer run the next day. Realizing that I can alter my schedule to suit me, I have been able to enjoy it more AND be more consistent. That consistency has really helped me improve.
  • ShibaEars
    ShibaEars Posts: 3,928 Member
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    Yep, I know that feeling! It also applies to lifting weights. Some days are amazing & I can lift super heavy (for me). The next I struggle with lighter weights.

    There are so many factors that can affect a run - maybe you got less sleep, maybe you're a bit more stressed, who knows! It's frustrating, but it happens. At least you know there are better runs in the future!
  • teenie_71
    teenie_71 Posts: 44
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    This happens to me too. Probably at least a few times a month.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Many days, I can get out there and bust out a great run. Then, days like yesterday, I get out there and it feels like I'm done before I even started; like it's my first time running. What gives!!!

    Surely I'm not the only one that struggles with this?

    Only you and everyone who has laced up a pair of running shoes. There are so many factors at play (sleep, fuel, weather, mood) that it can be hard to pinpoint the exact cause of a particularly awful run.....the good news is that the more you run you have far fewer runs that suck.
  • lisaanne1369
    lisaanne1369 Posts: 377 Member
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    Glad this is up.. My last few runs I been showing my age! I just shrug my shoulders and say E for effort.
    Course it is hotter than an hochie cochie out there!
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
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    It sure happens to me. There are days I want to stop at a stranger's house and call a taxi to come and pick me up...and I'm only a mile from my house :sad:
  • newjojie
    newjojie Posts: 291 Member
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    Glad this is up.. My last few runs I been showing my age! I just shrug my shoulders and say E for effort.
    Course it is hotter than an hochie cochie out there!

    This is great!
  • congruns
    congruns Posts: 127 Member
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    Sometimes my feet feel heavy and I have to work alittle hard for each step. A lot of times within the 1st mile, I get that feeling that I there is no way I can finish this 5 miles the way I feel right now. I understand my body a lot more and can sense when I don't just feel it in my legs from the start, so after stretching, I'll do some high knees, kickbacks, and jump rope just to get my HR up.

    Sometimes it could be mental. If I have a busy schedule and need to get this run in quickly, then chances I'll get the heavy legs. Other times after a stressful workday, I'll have the energy to run forever.

    Understand your body. It's a great feeling to overcome theses obstacles and finish a run you didn't think you can do.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Yeah, I definitely have days when my thought process is "I'm dying, I am literally dying. This run suuuuuucks. Oh, car's coming. How long have I been running? Have I even been going ten minutes? Have I run a mile? Ughhh, worst run ever..."
    So true! But you forgot "If I turn here, I can just run home and it'll be over. OK, I'll give it a few more minutes. Oh, look at the cute kitty. Why didn't I turn back there and go home?!?"
  • runningagainstmyself
    runningagainstmyself Posts: 616 Member
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    You're not the only one. Sometimes, runs do just suck. Mine last night - sucked.

    Sometimes it takes sheer stubbornness to get through it. Other times, it can actually prove useful just to turn around and go home, and try the next day.
  • lmr0528
    lmr0528 Posts: 427 Member
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    This was me 2 nights ago. Felt horrible the whole time, kept getting side cramps, which I normally don't get, legs got sore quick. Just couldn't wait to be done.
  • sunflower9194
    sunflower9194 Posts: 149 Member
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    Yep, I know that feeling! It also applies to lifting weights. Some days are amazing & I can lift super heavy (for me). The next I struggle with lighter weights.

    There are so many factors that can affect a run - maybe you got less sleep, maybe you're a bit more stressed, who knows! It's frustrating, but it happens. At least you know there are better runs in the future!

    I'm so glad I saw this thread. This totally happens to me:sad: ! I think it can also depend on how I'm eating and sleeping during the week and what else I've been doing for training. Right now I'm training for my first triathlon (it's a week from Sunday) and I've been doing a ton of exercise over the past month. Had a really challenging (was going to say bad, but am trying to stay positive) 5.5 mile run last Friday. Thinking about it later I realized I was probably under fueled and under hydrated. At this point it's detrimental for my training to have a calorie deficit, even though I have more weight to loose. Thanks to all for your ideas and feedback!
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    Just look at it this way....Even the worst feeling/performing run is better than sitting on the couch doing nothing.
  • Nicholec2003
    Nicholec2003 Posts: 158 Member
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    You are definitely not alone. I just did this last night. Tried to do fartleks for the first time and it was horrible!! Even my sprint is slow. My legs were like lead, I felt like I was crawling, my lungs wouldn't cooperate, and my foot cramped up so bad I could see my toes curling up even with my shoes on. Blah. The other day I nearly choked to death on a giant bug that decided to fly down my throat. Needless to say that totally ruined the rest of the run. That'll teach me to run with my mouth open.

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