I've just got back from running my second 5K. It sucked.
These are my results:
Fri Nov 30 2012
Division: 5K Individual
Bib Number: 1212
Name: Coralie
City: Opelousas
Overall Place: 1106 of 1590
Gender Place: 608 of 981
Female 20 to 24: 106 of 150
Total Time: 39:53.3
Chip Time: 38:57.6
Total Pace: 12:34/M
My first 5K my time was 37:20. This time, after mile 1, my stomach started hurting. The course seemed to be never ending and when I finished, I actually felt faint and nauseated.
Rant. There were so many people cutting corners. The course followed the road, but people kept taking the path around corners (which was a good difference). I also saw several people cross over on a out and back stretch, cutting large distances off the race.
There wasn't a single mile marker, which I'm sure isn't necessary, but I found it hard having no idea how much further I had to go. There was also one water stop 0.3 miles from the end.
Finally, kick in the bum, please. I am horribly disappointed with my results. I've only been running for about 5 months, but I see so many people much further on than me. I feel like I've stagnated. I don't want to stop running, but I feel like I'm being stupid and I can't improve. I am fat. I am unhealthy. I'm a complete beginner. Anyone else a slow improver? Do I have a chance? Sorry for being a drama queen, I think I just need a bit of reassurance.
PR- A Run Through History 5K - May 5th 33:24
Next: Merrill Lynch Running of the Bulls 5K - May 18th
Coralie,
Congrats to you on finishing your second 5K! I am so sorry that you're feeling disappointed right now!
If I recall correctly, you haven't had the greatest week leading up to this race, right? And you still got out there and you finished. There are so many variables that could be different between this race and last race, I wouldn't worry about the time difference. It sounds like tonight, you gave it all you had.
The first time I ever tried to run was about 10 years ago. I kept trying to get out there and run, but I was fat and felt so uncomfortable running that I just gave up. I just thought maybe I wasn't meant to be a runner.
And you know what I did in that time? I gained *more* weight! I made it even more unlikely that I'd ever be a runner! I'm so glad I have turned it around now but I am hoping you won't make the same mistake I did and throw in the towel when you are probably right on the edge of your next milestone.
What I've found for me is that I'll tend to hit different levels and then sort of hang out in that general area for a while, then I'll see a sudden improvement, then nothing, then another jump. But sometimes there are whole months that go by without a lot to show for my efforts. Or perhaps that month something changed that I wasn't noticing because I was too busy worrying that this week's pace was slower than my pace from two weeks ago. Because that happens.
But if you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you will improve. And if you stop, you won't. You just have to trust the process, because it does take time.
Started C25K Feb. 2012! First 5K 5/1/12 32:00
Current PRs: 5K: 26:03 12/15/12 10K: 58:32 9/23/12
10M: 1:26:15 3/16/13 HM:1:56:00 4/14/13
Thanks for sharing, Zelanie. I want to keep it up. I've lost 30lbs so far, and I want this change.
I didn't have the best week, in all honestly. My last race was the 21st, then I had 4 days off, and 3 1.5-2 mile runs. I find it hard to get the time to run sometimes, and my treadmill isn't functioning properly. I did want to push in another race while I could, as I'm pretty sure I'll be having surgery in February and there aren't many races around here.
I am sorry for being all despondent, I can be a silly emotional person sometimes.
I bet you haven't even recovered from your first race. Since running is still new to you, I bet your first race took more out of you than you'd think.
Bad Ass
DamarisMarathon Maniac, Ultra Runner
PRs: 24:57 (5K); 51:25 (10K); 42:46 (5 Miles); 2:04:31 (HM); 4:34:09 (Marathon); 8:00 (Trail 50K)
Damaris Runs with Asthma
Antipodean
Hang in there. We've all had our share of shitty races and runs. And ruts. And lack of motivation. The great thing about forums is that you can come here, vent, rant, seek advice, get unsolicited advice ;-) and (the biggie) find motivation. Good luck getting back your running mojo.
Julie
PRs
5k 24:54
10k 52.30
"It's not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves."
~ Sir Edmund Hillary
Shakedown Street
just curious what your pre-race routine was for this race. Did anything significant change vs the 1st race?
Were you crazy hydrating? Fueling?
Just as an FYI...a very close friend of mine who is insane fast and I were running a local 10K. I went to undergrad with him, previous roommate, etc, etc....iron stomach. Starving pre-race, takes bite of son's donut. Mile 2 I breeze past him throwing up.
good job on the race...still, it's only your 2nd!!!
Started-5/12, RWOL refugee,5k-24:23 (1/12/13),10K-55:37(9/15/12),HM-1:52:59(3/24/13)
Chief Unicorn Officer
Sorry you had a crappy experience, better luck in your next one! As far as getting better or seeing improvement, you know what you need to do, I think. It's a matter of implementing it. If you're overweight, lose weight. That alone will help you improve. If you want to get a better time in the 5K, you're going to have to work at doing more mileage. Runs of 1.5-2 miles just aren't going to cut it. That takes time to increase so obviously, you also have to have some patience. I would also venture to guess that 4 days off in a row didn't help much. I don't really know anything about your overall training, so it's possible you ARE doing more miles and I just don't know that, so if that's true, my bad! The bottom line is if you want to improve you have to find the time to run more. It is not going to happen magically. It is not going to happen doing the same things that you've always done. It takes consistent work.
Mile 5:49 - 5K 20:08 - 10K 43:06 - HM 1:36:54
Coralie, Sorry you had such a bad race. I agree with what others have said so far-- As a new runner, your recovery time is going to be a little longer. You may just not have been ready for another race just yet. I usually do about 1 race per month and I've been running several years; when I race more frequently, I don't tend to do as well in the races that I do run, and the time to recover from the race takes away from training time. And when you give yourself a month between 5Ks, you actually give yourself some chance to improve. It can take some time for your body to actually improve from a hard workout, so you might have not given yourself enough time to get the benefits from the race you did.
As far as advice/kick in the arse--
You probably know you need to be running more miles. I know it can be difficult to make the time to run. If you can, spend the next couple of months building up your mileage slowly, and even if you do have to have surgery in Feb. and take some time off, it'll be easier getting back to it. A 5K becomes a significantly different race when your shortest runs during the week are 4 miles.
On the positive side--
I do consider myself a 'slow improver'. I hear about things people did in their first year running, and I was so, so far from that my first year running, my second year, my third year... The good news is that ever year I improved a little bit, and now, in my 7th year running, I am actually hitting some goals that I never thought I would hit, goals that I associate with 'being a pretty good runner'. How did I get there? Mileage and consistency. As the years went by I built my mileage, and I ran more consistently. I made opportunities for running. When I needed to run in the dark to fit my runs in (and didn't-- still don't -- own a treadmill), I bought a headlamp. When my commute is long, I try to run home from work once a week. I have had long stretches where I didn't feel like I was seeing any improvement at all. This year I had a goal of a 2:00 half marathon (after I ran a 2:01 last October). In March I ran a 2:04, and then in May a 2:01. The truth was that I was improving, though I didn't see it in my race results, and this October I ran a 1:54.
Keep at it, and good luck. I am sure you will see improvement, it's just not always quick.
Tracy
First of all, congrats on losing 30 pounds! Losing weight is hard, and you are on the right track and doing really well.
I'm sorry you are disappointed in your race, I think we've all been there. As far as progressing, it's hard without knowing your running history and training, what advice to give. How many miles do you run a week? What's your typical week look like? Continuing to lose the extra weight will help you get faster. Running more miles will help you get faster. Coming to this forum and asking (and following...) advice from the more experienced runners will help you get faster.
You've only run 2 races so far, and I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit... you've lost 30 pounds, and have been running for 5 months! So many people give up on both things much sooner.
Don't call me Buttercup!
Sorry that your race didn't go as well as you'd hoped. As someone who has had her share of disappointing 5Ks, let me just say that it happens. We all have off days. It sucks and you're entitled to feel badly about it, but then you just have to put it behind you and move on. In the grand scheme of things, you have been running for a nano-second. You need to give yourself a break and know that it's OK. You WILL improve, you WILL have better races - it's just going to take time, and determination on your part.
How about this - wallow and feel crappy this weekend if you need to, then after that (and I mean this kindly), SUCK IT UP and move on. Each day is a chance to start over, and do better. You just have to keep on putting one foot in front of another. Literally. =) You can do it. I promise.
(and FWIW, I started out at a 40+ minute 5K, so I understand your frustration. My last 5K was under 36 minutes, and I'm still hoping for improvement - I just know now that it's going to take time, and persistance.)
Congrats on the weight loss, by the way. 30 lbs is awesome. Keep it up!
Slow and steady wins the.... wait a second! I've been lied to!
Smaller By The Day
Kick in the arse? You asked for it, but don't worry. I'll be gentle. I can't help myself though. I have to start with a couple of congratulations. Congrats on the weight loss. Congrats on sticking with it. Congrats on having enough passion to be upset.
Now for the kick in the arse.
a) People who are cutting the course, are only cheating themselves. Unless they are knocking someone out of an age group award, or winning the race, it doesn't matter. They just paid full price to run part of a race, and they still walk away with nothing more than a T-shirt. At least you know you ran a 5K. They didn't. Don't worry about them. This is about you.
b) Finding time to run can seem really difficult at times, but there are ways to address it. Here's some food for thought. 30 minutes is only 2% of your day. If your day were a dollar, a 30 minute run would only cost you $0.02. The only time it becomes a problem is when you've already spent the dollar. Get a day planner. Look at your week, and make a plan. If something changes, at least you can see what the plan was and adjust it. Just make sure to set aside 2 cents. What else can you get for 2 cents that is worth so much?
c) Sometimes progress doesn't show up on a stopwatch. Things can seem stagnant, when in reality you're making huge gains. Your body is still changing, and adapting to running. Your vascular system is actually building new pathways to supply the muscles with oxygen. Your soft tissues are getting tougher to deal with the impact of running. Your heart and lungs are getting stronger and more efficient. You're adapting the cells in your body to burn an alternate fuel (fat) for energy. What I'm saying is that there are things that have to take place in your body to prepare you for the next level of performance. When you try to skip those steps, you end up sidelined with an injury while your body recovers. Embrace this time, and know that you're making positive changes every time you take 30 minutes to lace up and get moving.
d) Comparing your progress to someone else is a recipe for frustration. There are just too many factors. Was that person an athlete before? Do they have natural talent? What are the other factors in their life, such as stress, schedule, genetics, body composition? The most success I've had in any sport, and I've participated in many, came during times when I focused on my own improvement rather than what everybody else was doing. I actually finished 2nd at a National Championship, and didn't know it because I wasn't even paying attention to what my competitors were doing.
There's your kick in the arse. I hope it helps. I wouldn't do it if you didn't ask for it, and if I didn't care about your success. Now get out there and spend a couple pennies.
2012 Races
Blueberry Stomp 5K (9/12) - 31:02
Feel The Learn 5K (10/12) - 26:58
Indianapolis Monumental HM (11/12) - 2:03:56
Run For The Heart 5K (12/12) - 25:48:48
2013 Races
Valpo Valentine's Day 5K (2/13) - 24:45:08
Chi Town HM (3/24/13) - 01:54:07.2
Dart For The Arts 10K (4/13/13) - 48:59
Indianapolis Monumental Marathon (11/02/13) -
RUN/BIKE/SWIM REPEAT
Coralie, I'm going to give you two of my favorite quotes ever ......
"comparison is the thief of joy"
"do what you can, with what you have, where you are"
I have used these a lot in relation to my running over the years.
Yes, comparison can be good as a motivator if you are on level ground with the runner you are comparing yourself
too but I find a lot of beginners come on running forums where most are really not beginners and get discouraged
when seeing what others are doing.
Think of how many people could never ever do what you did, run a 5K. You are doing great but still have a lot of
weight to lose, as you do your times will improve.
Be consistent, be focused. Eat better, lose more weight, run more. Focus on what you can do better each day to
improve your running, not what you can't do and work consistently and diligently toward your goals.
I'm not pulling this out of my butt!LOL I lost over 40lbs at age 38 and went from someone who had never run a step
and did a half marathon 3 years later in 2:13. I was happy with those kind of times for many years and it took me a
long time to decide that I wanted to work hard enough to improve on that time and it took a lot of work gradually
bringing down those times over a period of several years. Then in 2012 I ran PB's in every distance at age 50,
including 1:57 half and three other halfs that were (2:01, 2:01 and a 2:04) and a PB 4:20 full marathon.
Some people think they can't improve if they are overweight, some think they can't improve if they are getting older.
I am proof you can do both and I am not athletic but I am stubborn and I never ever doubted my ability to reach
my goal if I worked really hard.
Running is not easy, getting better at running is not easy but it is rewarding in so many ways.
You can do this, you don't need reassurance from internet people, you need to believe in Coralie.
There, I kicked you in the butt, thank me later when you PR at your next 5k.
5k-25:29 5M-42:27 10K-54:10 1/2 - 1:57:44 FULL - 4:10:48
6 Full Marathons 25 Half Marathons (Not a Fanatic Just crazy)
I can really relate to your post. I'm in the process of losing weight. (long process in my case, I'm close to 50lbs lost in almost 3 years and have 40ish to go) I've run 5Ks in the 39 minute range after training consistantly for months.
You do have quite an advantage over me in the age department. I'm betting that with consistancy and continued weightloss you'll drop that time right down and finish in the middle of the pack before you know it.
Finding time to run can be challenging. Some run early in the AM. Some run at lunchtime. Some run at night. Every little bit does help. I find that "easy" pace runs can be done more frequently and in a row without exhausting me.
~Andrea
Bad races happen to all of us. We're in the racing off-season, but I usually look for another event to get the bad one out of my mind...which will never happen! You sort of always remember the bad races but that's okay.
Kudos to you for getting and staying out there!
"You see an agent, you do what we do. Run. You run your ass off!"
Cypher to Neo - The Matrix
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