Tell me it gets better

[So_Fetch]

I haven't been running very long....I'm in week 7 of the c25k. Have been doing a 5k a month since January. I'm slow, and usually run/walk. On Saturday I did my 15 minute run (the c25k) during a 5k and I felt great. Yesterday, I did my 2nd 15 minute run and my calves/ankles were killing me from the very first step. It was so bad I almost cried at one point - but I didn't want to stop running because I didnt' want to redo the day.

Is it normal to have really great runs and really crappy ones? I know it ebbs and flows but these were the same amount of time and they were just on opposite ends of the spectrum. I'm not going to stop - I am training for the Nike half in October (San Francisco). I guess I just need a little encouragement.

Thanks!

[brittmk0922]

I have definitely had that problem! I have good days, and days that aren't as good everytime I try to move to a new distance/time. Your body is just getting use to it...
Do you have any pre-existing injuries? Just want to check and make sure... I know that I have knee issues and for awhile I was pushing them too hard before I had to learn to scale back a bit.

[gt7301b]

Some days running just sucks, but when you push through you fell awesome.

[jobell]

May 16, 2012 15:26:36 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

Some days running just sucks, but when you push through you feel awesome.

THIS

I went out for a long run a few weeks ago, in the first mile my feet, ankles and legs all hurt. Maybe halfway into my second mile I started to feel better. By the 10th mile I was tired again, but felt awesome!

[starryfish]

Yes it gets better but even experienced runners have bad runs. Usually the first one to two miles is the hardest for me

[vccake]

Make sure you have good shoes. Also -- do you wear orthodics? My plantar facistis was (and sometimes is) hell but good shoes and orthodics help.

I've been running for years and I'm still slow as shit. I try to mix it up with a lot of walking, yoga, step, swim, etc. If I just do one thing over and over I get bored and generally, injured.

[Deleted]

There are good days and bad days. Some days I fight to put one foot in front of the other, some days (like yesterday) my feet and shins just want to complain, other days (like today) it's extremely easy and I just fly.

In the beginning, there were more bad days than good days (for me, at least) but then I got used to it and even the bad days weren't quite as bad.

[samiam]

May 16, 2012 15:26:36 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

Some days running just sucks, but when you push through you fell awesome.

This

For me, the first mile is always the worst. Everything hurts, pace is off, breathing too fast... it just sucks. By the end I'm grooving

[Wines Not Whines]

Yep, definitely. I've been running for a few years, but I still have bad days. Today was one, actually - I was supposed to run 5 miles, but I got a horrible cramp I couldn't shake, so I only did 3.5 and walked a good portion of that. It sucks, but it happens. You just have to go back out again the next day.

[Deleted]

Some runs just suck, beginning to end. Just keep at it!

[So_Fetch]

Thanks! I can't wait to where the first mile or two feels bad and the rest is easy. Right now I'm usually counting that time in minutes (the first three are always the worst!)

I do have plantars fasciatis but that's not what hurts. It only hurts when I stop running. go figure.

[joenali]

Honestly, I don't think it ever gets easier! You just get faster!

[agzram]

May 16, 2012 16:07:00 GMT -5 aswartzw said:

There are good days and bad days. Some days I fight to put one foot in front of the other, some days (like yesterday) my feet and shins just want to complain, other days (like today) it's extremely easy and I just fly.

In the beginning, there were more bad days than good days (for me, at least) but then I got used to it and even the bad days weren't quite as bad.

This was me for sure! I was feeling pretty crappy during week 4 & 5 of C25K but when I complained to my friend about all the pain, she suggested that I slow down. Once I did that, I felt worlds better! The other thing I do is take a couple of Advil (if it won't upset your stomach) before my longer runs and it helps during the run a lot.

GL!

[Lovecows]

I definitely agree with all of the PPs. Even though I've been running consistently for a full year now, I hate the first two miles and I have runs where it never does get better. Heck, a few months ago, I had three full weeks of running where every.single.run was unbearable and I felt like I had lost all of the fitness I had gained. Things turned around, though.

Just don't give up.

[MrsE]

Sometimes I have awesome runs, other times I have crappy runs.

[aliciar6]

my coworker and I run a lot, and there are some days that the run is super easy and our goal was to take it slow and when we get back we feel great and find out our pace was 30 seconds a mile faster than we had planned to run, then there are days when we go for our long slow runs that at barely 2.5 miles we want to die and it feels like we have been running for 5. which makes no sense because the friday before we did 6 miles and felt awesome the whole time...so for us it's random too

sometimes it's mental, sometimes it's weather, we both thought the weekend we had back to back 5K's that the 2nd day would be harder, but both of us beat our best time that day...

don't give up, you'll get there and no matter how good you get there will always be days that running just plain sucks

[Deleted]

yes, totally normal. I have been running for several years (though I am no marathoner or speed-demon by any means) but some runs are just painful and/or awful. I don't think that will change even if you have been running for decades.

[aurora]

I've been a runner for over 20 years and though I'm new here (hi, everyone!) I'm going to go against the grain a bit. If you have localized pain that hurts so much you want to cry, that is not a good thing. Sure, we all have good days and bad days, and some amount of overall pain/fatigue is very normal, but localized pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. I once ran through pain in my foot and ended up with a stress fracture that put me out of commission for 6 weeks.

A couple of things that help me are making sure I have the right shoes for my running style and making sure I get enough potassium (for the calf muscle pain). Good luck!

[So_Fetch]

Thanks! The calf pain was new - so I'm thinking maybe I didn't stretch enough. I'm scheduled for a run today - so I'm stretching more and drinking more water. I'll have to look into the potassium. I'm definitely gonna keep at it...I never thought I'd enjoy running, but when it's good it's really good. I just have to remember that.

[katieh]

May 16, 2012 17:00:54 GMT -5 So_Fetch said:

Thanks! I can't wait to where the first mile or two feels bad and the rest is easy. Right now I'm usually counting that time in minutes (the first three are always the worst!)

My husband and I just had this conversation the other day. He said something like, "just think: one more mile." And then we remembered 7 months ago when it was more like "one more minute" and that was hard enough. It DOES get better, but there's always going to be those runs that just suck. I'm to the point that I can run 4-5 miles without stopping most days, but every once in a while I'll have a day when I have to stop after one mile.

[aurora]

Bananas are a great source of potassium. I actually really dislike them, but I'll throw one into a blender with some orange juice, yogurt, and frozen berries and it makes a great vitamin-filled post-workout drink.