Mostly inside runner feeling embarrassed at 5K

[bookrun]

I have been doing the couch to 5 K program and thought I was doing well. Had gotten up to week 5, but have been running on an inside track at our local rec center.  Today I tried to run in a local 5K and I swear, I could not run longer than 3 minutes. It felt so different running outside on pavement and every joint was killing me. Plus, my jogging speed was slower than people who were walking! I am 50, weigh 30 pounds too much, and it took me a good 50 minutes to jog, (mostly walk) this 5K. I was a tad bit mortified. I know now I was NOT READY for doing this yet. Has anyone else been humiliated when attempting things like this?  But I am going to keep at it. Every day I "wog"--(that is a barely jog) I feel great afterwards. But is there a big difference between inside and outside running?

[KellyAnn]

Hi There,   Awe, do not be hard on yourself at all.  The track might be cushioned too and different than outside.  I am not sure.  You will have to check.

 

Some days our legs do not want to run at all, I have had those days.   Pick yourself up, dust off and try again.  Week 5 doesn't seem like a long time and I am super proud of you for doing it.  You finished and that is what matters the most.   

 

Treadmill running is way different, you will have to check about the track you run on and see what it is made of.  

 

I was humiliated when i went to run the Las Vegas Marathon 2 days before my 40th Birthday.  Man, I was in excellent shape, worked out all the time, I was small, and one lady who I running with was a big lady and the other one was an avid runner.  I am like, Hey, I got this in the bag.  I will beat her hands down, after all I was 30lbs lighter than her and she is not a runner.   Well, wth???  I ran 5ks', 10k's half and this was my first marathon...   PHHHTTT, I hurt like no other, a 80 year old woman ran past me, and asked me if I wanted Ibuprofen???  I was so embarrassed..  She was 40 years older than me, I just knew it.   I finished in 5 hours, 30 minutes and the heavier lady beat me by an hour.  Sheesh, it sucked for me.  I never have figured out why I could not go faster.  Must be my short legs.   Well, I will never do another Marathon ever.  BUt I will stick to a 5k, 10k, and so on.

 

You go this.  Do not be mad at yourself.  You did it and you finished.  Keep doing what you are doing.  I am with you on losing weight and I am over 50...  It is tougher but we can do it...  Keep up the good work and Happy Running!!  CHEERS!

[farmgirl]

First of all I love the word "wog" and plan to steal it LOL!  And the embarrassment that you felt is understandable... we psych ourselves up, pep talk, all that good stuff to be "ready" for anything that we decide to throw at ourselves and anything less than what we expected can feel like a failure.  Just remember, you finished a 5K!  OMG do you realize how awesome it is just to have finished it?!  No matter how long it took you, be proud that you did it and you can only improve from here

[Guest SandyK]

First off, I see we share the same blood type, lol! Second, if you were on week 5, you still had 3 weeks of training to go, to be totally ready for the 5k, so don't beat yourself up! Actually I was not ready at 8 weeks for a 5k so I was glad i had started earlier than I needed to, so keep up the good work!

[KellyAnn]

You Too Sandy K, sounds like you are doing amazing yourself.

[swannydog66]

New here, too! I also love the word 'wog' cuz that's pretty much what I do! I have tried to be faster and take longer strides, & last week I injured my knee! Now I am back to fast walking, & pretty bummed about it.

[KellyAnn]

Hi Swanny. WOG is pretty cute. I love it. Sorry about your knee. Walking is great too. Don't be bummed at all. You are moving. That's what matters.

[Guest Steph NZ]

Haha 'wog' brilliant... Can't use it this side of the world though as sadly it is a racial slur :-(

Anyway... Just wanted to say hang in there. I love running because, even when you're running in events, you're only competing/testing yourself!

I think that's great learning for your legs... Track, road, off road, treadmill... They're all so different. Almost like different sports!

I once was part of a relay team running 160k round lake Taupo... You do smaller sections each, but some people run 100km by themselves. So I was jogging (wogging) along feeling proud of myself and even more excited about the fact I was about to overtake someone! As I jog past the guy I realise he's not only about 100 years old... He's also doing the 100km run! I never felt so slow in all my life. Haha

 

Keep going, run on all different surfaces and always be your own cheerleader!

[KellyAnn]

 

Ha Steph, yep, looked it up and it said racial slur. Hmmm. Never would have thought that. Hey. Maybe WUN instead?? Walk and a run? Lol. Interesting.

[Guest Jay]

Hi. I think ur great! I'm still try ig to run and i cant evwn wog properly. 100 mts and I'm panting and puffing thinking i'm going to implode! So deprerssing and cant keep up with the gang that I'm close to quitting!

[KellyAnn]

 

Nooooo Jay. Don't quit. Ever. Every body is different and no one can run like the other. My aha moment was running in a marathon, I was in amazing shape, people bigger than me passing me by. The worst was when a 80 year old woman passed me and said , want some ibuprofen??? Geez. LMBO. But , I was running. Period.

 

Good luck. Don't quit.

[Dart_girl]

How about 'slog' - as in slow jog? That's what mine feels like! I'm super slow. But going further each week. And that's the key, I think. Compare yourself to yourself alone, not to anyone else - especially when just starting.

 

Hang in there, Jay! You can't improve if you stop trying! Keep working at your own pace and I'm sure you'll see progress.

[KellyAnn]

 

Awesome Dart Girl. Love it. SLOG. That's me for sure. Lol.

[Sparkym1]

Slog is what I have been doing. Kind of a slow jog.need some new shoes and better diet and I will be ready this summer for my first 5k...I hope...do they have a 1k☺

[Guest TrishE]

slogging wogging jogging walking running, like kellyann said its all awesome as long as you're moving! 

As for difference between outside and inside, yes there is a difference. its actually kind of ridiculous how different they are. Even between a treadmill and a track theres a difference. Dont let that deter you though. Take every excuse to run outside nice warm sunny days or pretty snowy days (if you layer up for cold). Its the best. 

[TheRoseWithin~Shannon]

Hi. I think ur great! I'm still try ig to run and i cant evwn wog properly. 100 mts and I'm panting and puffing thinking i'm going to implode! So deprerssing and cant keep up with the gang that I'm close to quitting!

 

WE ARE ALL MOVING!  Love it!

Congrats on everyone's accomplishments up above! And Jay ... hope you decide to stay with this in spite of and because of your huffing and puffing!  You'll continue to see changes physically, mentally and emotionally with time, patience and your determination.   

 

Ok humorous story ...

A couple or so years after having my fourth child, I decided to sign up for a St Patty's Day run.  I was not too terribly out of shape body wise, yet I did need a boost to my endurance.  The run was a start towards me getting back on track.  This run is held along the Columbia River every year - a lot of people participate as you may imagine. Opposite side are many apartment buildings/condos and a couple of nice restaurants. At the finish line there is a restaurant called McDougals - very popular back then.  It had an outdoor deck which was loaded with folks this day, and of course their were scores of people visiting and lingering around the finish line. I was the very last person to cross that finish line  - no other runner present save for me.  

 

Now, of course I was self-conscious ("everyone is looking at me; judging me!") about being the last one in, and the only runners I saw near me were the ones who had already crossed the finish line and were walking in the opposite direction - they cheered me on not surprisingly. Yay!  Nevertheless, my self-conscious state remained, only to become hyper-aware when I noticed the police car escorting me towards the finish line. They were following wayHAY too close behind, so I slowed down, (as if I could go any slower) and I jogged alongside their window. I smiled, chuckled and shook my head (probably rolled my eyes too) and asked playfully, "Would it be at all possible for you to hang back about 1/4 mile?"   They let out good-natured laughs, cheered me on and told me I was doing great.  I laughed with them, at myself and continued on.   Cool thing is ... they dropped a considerable distance back. Score!

 

When I crossed that finish line it sounded as if everyone burst out cheering and clapping - lots of, WhooHooo's! and Way to Go's! ... it was loud!  I was red - thank gawd that redness was masked from self-exertion.   This was an extremely embarrassing and funny experience being the center of attention as I crossed that finish line.  I imagined the whoops and hollers were not too different from what the first place runner experienced when he/she crossed the finish line - minus the embarrassing escort of a police car.  

 

Friends didn't let me live that down for a good while afterwards. And they shouldn't have!     Certainly, I'll never forget that experience.  It brought a self-reminder that people are more for me than against me. Most importantly, it was a good reminder to take myself less seriously - my assumptions of what others may or may not be thinking STEAL MY JOY!   No one else was taking me seriously, 'cept in a good way.  I'm still working on this/in this area today, (yada yada). 

[KellyAnn]

LOVE IT SHANNON!

[Teena]

I love your story Shannon...a very sweet memory to hold onto when the run gets a little longer and the body starts burning.

 

Bookrun...I do not enjoy running inside on a treadmill or a soft track. I think there is a huge difference when trying to run outside. I know many people prefer the climate control aspect of running inside but it never has worked for me. When I was in the Air Force, we had an outside rubbery track that we had to do our pt test on and I always struggled with that track. I was able to have someone score me running around the flight line which was just a normal sidewalk and I always did much better there. Another idea is to have someone run with you that is an avid and experienced runner that can set a desirable pace for you.

 

I hope that helps you...but just remember don't let one bad run stop you from getting back out there.