running regression (getting discouraged!)

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  • lefemme88
    lefemme88 Posts: 9
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    Maybe when you use the tredmill put on a movie! Thats what I do. It keeps me entertained so I dont get tired that quickly and I forget im using the tredmill. lol. (Just dont get too into it and fall off lol)
  • Grlnxtdr0721
    Grlnxtdr0721 Posts: 597 Member
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    I don't know if anyone else has suggested it, but since it is warmer than when you originally started, and you are doing it outside, make sure you are drinking plenty of water. And also make sure you're stretching really well, too. I think it is easier to run on a treadmill, too, because you have more to distract you. On a track it's like "Oh here we go, another circle". Do you have anywhere else you can run? Like a trail or path around a park?
  • CLSostarich
    CLSostarich Posts: 18
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    Make sure you are using good form when you run to get max oxygen. This is a great video that helped me a great deal:

    http://video.about.com/running/Proper-Running-Form.htm
  • petemeep
    petemeep Posts: 62 Member
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    I haven't changed my eating much that I have noticed and I don't think I need to take more rest days, I have been very inconsistent the last couple of weeks with when I run. Maybe that is part of it I'm going to try slowing down my pace and be more consistent on when I run (rather than taking 5 days off which happened last week). I have been somewhat stressed lately between school and work and life I have a feeling that may be part of it also.

    I feel MUCH better knowing that many people go through days or weeks where their running feels off. I'll continue to keep at it I figure some running is better than sitting on the couch!!

    Thanks to everyone who answered I won't give up I know I can do it if I keep at it!

    :D
  • muddyventures
    muddyventures Posts: 360 Member
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    I don't know why this happens but I seem that I have periods when running is just harder. My times are slower, I'm not so comfortable, I feel "heavy" when I run. It seems to persist for a few days or a few weeks but then I get my running mojo back.

    My suggestion is to have a look at what you are doing - do you need to slow down, change your workouts, have a few days rest, tie your shoes differently (don't laugh, it' makes a huge difference to my shins!), find new music to run to (180bpm seems to be the magic number for me, songs at this rate with a strong beat really get me moving again), cross train for a few days...... etc?

    Try a few different things, but most important - just keep going and run through it!

    Oh yea, and then there's the MOJO.

    I think this..
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    You are probably running too fast. A treadmill will set the pace for you, but outside you have to do it. Starting off too fast is a common mistake. Start off very slow at first. Once you finish (and you will!), then begin to pick up the pace a little at a time, but do it near the end of the run, not at the beginning. Keep a slower steady pace until you get a good breathing rhythm (this should also help with the cramp), then run at that pace for a while and gradually increase when you can.

    If you find yourself breathing too hard, slow your pace and try to get it back under control. Walk for a bit if you have to. After a while, finding your pace will become habit and you won't have to think about it so much. Just give it time.
  • JoyousRen
    JoyousRen Posts: 3,823 Member
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    To prevent side stitches, as another poster mentioned, I time my breathing with my steps. I breathe in when my left foot lands and breathe back out the next time my left foot lands.
    For the inability to move past week 6, my guess is you are running to fast. On the treadmill, you have your pass controlled. On a track you don't.
    Unless you aren't sleeping properly or are working out HARD on your non-run days, I don't really agree with the need to for more rest since C25k is only three days a week.
    I doubt fuel is an issue either since your muscles contain enough energy stores to go for about an hour to hour and half before they become depleted. That being said I still eat a banana about 15 minutes before a work out because I hate getting hungry during a work out.
    Heat and dehydration are a HUGE factor when running. Running a half marathon dehydrated from being sick feels worse than running it on an empty stomach from improper fuel planning. *shudder* Any way, I learned try to drink water through out the day and drink ice water when running to help keep my core body temp down.
    ^^ These are just things I've picked up since I began running a couple years ago when I started with C25K.
  • JoyousRen
    JoyousRen Posts: 3,823 Member
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    Oh yea, and then there's the MOJO.

    I think this..
    MOJO can play a big part too..
  • turningstar
    turningstar Posts: 393 Member
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    I just went through this. Treadmill is easier for most folks than running pavement or off-road. Make sure you are well hydrated, fueled up properly, and keep a SLOW pace. As your endurance improves, so does speed. You may be running faster and not knowing it. Ive had cramps lately too, so im trying to breathe deeper.

    One more big thing is HUMIDITY. Not sure where you are running, but here in Florida the humidity is so high that I went from running 25 minutes straight to not being able to run more than 14 without stopping. I was really discouraged until I hit the treadmill in the gym and found that I can run much longer when im not battling the humidity. If your heart rate skyrockets very quickly and you struggle to breathe, its probably humidity.
  • 42kgirl
    42kgirl Posts: 692 Member
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    My cycle makes a difference in my running. The few days leading up to the flow are difficult. The week I ovulate, I could run to the moon and back and barely get winded. I read an article on this years ago because I thought it was all in my head. I try to get extra rest the week before TTOM and that seems to help. I don't run the first day of it because it's just too uncomfortable for me.
  • HornsUT32
    HornsUT32 Posts: 163 Member
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    Slow your pace down, especially as you start your run. I find that my first mile is the slowest, and my last is the fastest. Your body needs time to warm up, so take it easy at first. Also, give your body time to recover. I have done several 5K and 5 mile races the past few years, and I have never run one without stopping. I set a goal to run one I am doing without stopping on July 4th, so I have been training with longer runs. Doing between 3-5 miles on treadmill seemed super easy so I thought I would head outside and try it. Wow...what a difference. The first day I could only do 1.5 miles. The next week I made it up to 3 miles, but it was torture. My pace outside is also about a minute slower than on the treadmill.

    I also have had a bad few flare ups of "runners knee", and this one might be the worst Ive ever had. Changing from the treadmill to outside is not easy on your body. Go at it slowly...I wish I would have done this!!! I have a 5k tomorrow, and thankfully my knee is feeling about 75% better, but it is still not perfect. I may be taking about a week off of running if it still hurts at the end of the race. Thankfully the race tomorrow is completely flat, so there are no hills to make it worse :).
  • HornsUT32
    HornsUT32 Posts: 163 Member
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    I just went through this. Treadmill is easier for most folks than running pavement or off-road. Make sure you are well hydrated, fueled up properly, and keep a SLOW pace. As your endurance improves, so does speed. You may be running faster and not knowing it. Ive had cramps lately too, so im trying to breathe deeper.

    One more big thing is HUMIDITY. Not sure where you are running, but here in Florida the humidity is so high that I went from running 25 minutes straight to not being able to run more than 14 without stopping. I was really discouraged until I hit the treadmill in the gym and found that I can run much longer when im not battling the humidity. If your heart rate skyrockets very quickly and you struggle to breathe, its probably humidity.

    Good point on the humidity! I ran last week when it was 96 degrees outside, and although it was hot, it wasn't awful. Two days later I ran at about 9:00 am and it was only 87 degrees. but 75 percent humidity. I literally could not breathe. I stopped after 1.5 miles and finished running in the gym later that day.
  • petemeep
    petemeep Posts: 62 Member
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    I just went through this. Treadmill is easier for most folks than running pavement or off-road. Make sure you are well hydrated, fueled up properly, and keep a SLOW pace. As your endurance improves, so does speed. You may be running faster and not knowing it. Ive had cramps lately too, so im trying to breathe deeper.

    One more big thing is HUMIDITY. Not sure where you are running, but here in Florida the humidity is so high that I went from running 25 minutes straight to not being able to run more than 14 without stopping. I was really discouraged until I hit the treadmill in the gym and found that I can run much longer when im not battling the humidity. If your heart rate skyrockets very quickly and you struggle to breathe, its probably humidity.

    I never thought about the humidity but it has been humid here I'm in northern Kansas nothing like Florida but more humid than I'm used to.
  • LvLite
    LvLite Posts: 102 Member
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    One more thing. Week 6 may be a mental stumbling block as I recall. I have done that program 3 times, twice to get running and once to increase speed. Find something that motivates you to push harder and to quiet the voice that tells you that you can't finish.

    I agree with this for sure.. it is so mental!!! I am there again and that voice is SO wrong!

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