Sloooow.
I finished C25K a month or so a go. Since then, I've been pretty erratic and random. I'm also finding that I try to run faster to get finished quicker, because I know I have so much to do.
The majority of my runs are 1.5 to 3.5 miles. Should I look at a 10K training plan to try and give myself more structure? This week has been my highest mileage week so far at 9.5 miles (HA!). I constantly feel guilty for running when I could be spending time cleaning the house or other things I need to do.
Shakedown Street
Start getting your base up.
Started-5/12, RWOL refugee,5k-24:23 (1/12/13),10K-55:37(9/15/12),HM-1:52:59(3/24/13)
sugnim
No need to feel guilty for taking care of your health. If you enjoy running, go out & do it.
As for what to do next, I'd say work on constancy. Make a plan that gets you out running a little more often. When you feel comfortable doing that, you might want to work on building your mileage up a little.
Old , Ugly and slow
I finished C25K a month or so a go. Since then, I've been pretty erratic and random. I'm also finding that I try to run faster to get finished quicker, because I know I have so much to do. The majority of my runs are 1.5 to 3.5 miles. Should I look at a 10K training plan to try and give myself more structure? This week has been my highest mileage week so far at 9.5 miles (HA!). I constantly feel guilty for running when I could be spending time cleaning the house or other things I need to do.
Feel guilty who wrote this your husband this is 2012 not 1912
Just start running a little more try to get to 20 -25 mpw
first race sept 1977 last race sept 2007
2019 goals 1000 miles , 190 pounds , deadlift 400 touch my toes
Chief Unicorn Officer
I agree, build a better base. Your mileage is not great to support a 5K, before jumping ahead to a 10K. That's not to say you don't deserve kudos for getting out there and doing what you do, but I think too many beginners hit one milestone, like doing a 5K, and just automatically want to move on to the next distance. Get better at the 5K. Get stronger and develop, like a previous poster said, more consistency. And don't feel bad about it. There are people here who have large families and make the time to run over 40 miles a week and don't feel bad--you deserve to do something good for you and that makes you happy.
Mile 5:49 - 5K 19:58 - 10K 43:06 - HM 1:36:54
levitation specialist
Agree with the others. Stop wasting time feeling guilty and decide to INVEST in yourself by doing something you like on your own(being running, biking, yoga, whatever!) for a few hours easy week. The house will be fine(and the hubs can help out a little, you know).
For me, it helped to have a next race goal to work towards. I always signed up for the next race as soon as I crossed the finish line of the previous one. Actually, only just these last 2 months have I not had a race scheduled. But my marathon goal hadn't opened registration yet, so I just built base mileage until then.
If it's important to you, then it is important enough to do with frequency. Do you need to go all marathon training on the hubby? Well, no. But really, 9 miles is like what, 2 hours a week? Cereal.....he'll be fine and so will the house(dunno if you mentioned kids or animals, but even they will survive just fine!)
It's okay, really. We support you!
What do you want to do? I agree that you should try to get your base up to at least 20 mpw, whether you want to start training for a 10k or improve your 5k time.
Good luck!
I run about 4 times a week. My partner is on call 24/7 so it can be hard to plan runs. Last week I ran less than 5 miles as he had to leave for a conference, the weeks before were around 9 miles.
How much should I increase my mileage weekly? Still 10% even with my very low miles?
Tom- it is not my partner bitching at me, I just constantly tell myself this. There is so much I always have to get done
Ditto to the other folks- there is always something that could be spending the same time doing.... could be spending time with family instead of cleaning, could be doing actual work vs. screwing around on the internet. Spending time on your health/fitness and spending some constructive time focusing your own thoughts is worth the time per week...
If you are the type of person who thrives with a structured training plan, then go for it. There are probably some other intermediate 5k training plans you could try, or a 10k is the next step up. Having a next race on the calendar sounds like it could help you, too.
Will run for scenery.
Guilt is something you should feel when you've done something WRONG. You haven't, at least nothing in your post.
You said you finished C25K. Did you actually run in a 5k event ? If not, I'd say that is what to do next. Running with a little number pinned on your shirt is a whole different world. Having an event on your calendar is a great motivator. (And some people hate 5k's so much they train enough to run in fun events )
But whatever your motivation, spending a small slice of your day on your own phyical & mental well being is nothing to feel guilty about.
Stupid feet!
Stupid elbow!
I run about 4 times a week. My partner is on call 24/7 so it can be hard to plan runs. Last week I ran less than 5 miles as he had to leave for a conference, the weeks before were around 9 miles. How much should I increase my mileage weekly? Still 10% even with my very low miles? Tom- it is not my partner bitching at me, I just constantly tell myself this. There is so much I always have to get done
I get the on call thing, but can't you run around the block of within a 5 minute radius distance? I know the firefighters near us are allowed to do so(and do so quite often). I have a 12yo and a 5yo. I just recently started running hill repeats in front of our house(down 2 blocks and back up, takes 10 repeats to do a mile) when they are both home. I figure I am within sight distance at all times of the house and if they need me, all they have to do is come outside and yell for me and at most, I am less than a minute away.
YOU need to stop telling yourself your time is better spent elsewhere. Health is a very good use of your time & energy.
10% is just a general rule. Some people are more or less injury prone than others at new things. You really have to know your body and how sore you usually are when starting a new routine or increasing intensity. I might just add .5 mile this week to my shortest run and see how it goes. Although since you aren't consistent, .5 added to a 5 mile week still won't be what you have done in the past if you sometimes get close to 10. So it sortof depends. What is your "schedule" right now?
I am a terribly disorganised person, so training plans do tend to help me. I was looking at the 10K training plan as a way to increase my weekly mileage, rather than focusing on running a 10K race.
I have completed C25K on the treadmill, I am still working on building up with outdoors. My outdoor runs tend to be 2.4 miles (to the highway and back) to my longest run of 3.6 miles. We live on a country road, and about a man I've had trouble in the past with lives one mile down the other way.
I have ran two 5K races, with very slow times (37:20 and 38:54). I have another one on Saturday that should be interesting, I have never ran in the morning and the race is at 8am.
I do need to wrap my head around the time I spend running, I know it is a big health benefit and I shouldn't feel guilty. My partner even bought me a Garmin for Christmas so that should give me a boost when it comes to running outside. My running window is my youngest's afternoon nap, which she sometimes skips and sometimes wakes up when I put her down. Then, when my partner gets home from work which can be anything from 6pm to 12am. I know, full to the eyeballs of excuses! I have found that I do well on the treadmill when the kids and other half are in bed, around 11pm, so I think I will start adding more runs there.
Not a dude
First and foremost, if you ever want to spend more time running, you have to get over the guilt. Are there a bunch of other things you could be doing? Sure! Is that 30 minutes or an hour you're going to spend running REALLY going to make that much of a difference as to whether or not those things get done? Probably not. I work full-time, take classes in college, and have a family...so while the time I spend running takes away from all of that to an extent, it is so helpful to me because it is the time I have to focus on ME and what is best for me and my health in the long-term. It's really a matter of perspective and ultimately, only you can decide what activities in your life are most important. If running isn't at the top end of that, that's okay. Just try to do it for 30 minutes 4 times a week and you are doing what you need to do for fitness-only reasons. You're probably not going to increase your distance capabilities or your 5k times off that, but you will be healthier than the average bear.
If you DO want to progress with running, great! You just have to make the time to do it. For now, just work on building up to 3-4 miles about 4 times a week, but do it incrementally. Maybe something like 2,2,2,3 for a couple of weeks and then 3,2,2,3 for a couple of weeks and then 3,3,2,3 so on and so forth. Eventually it will become part of your routine and it really won't feel like you're "wasting" time that could be used doing other stuff.
You are getting a Garmin? Sure sounds like you have support from your partner, so nothing to feel guilty about. Heck, you'll be a better mom when you are a healthy mom, and think of the important lifelong lesson your child will learn about the importance of being healthy.
My thoughts? Sign up for a 5K in two months. Do it now. Pay the money so you commit to the training.
Next, either repeat the last two weeks of your C25K plan then increase mileage in the following weeks building up to your race, or get a 10K plan and begin that with the same objective.
I constantly feel guilty for running when I could be spending time cleaning the house or other things I need to do.
I'm pretty darn sure I would never see a man writing those words. No offense guys, just an observation on female
guilt.
Coralie, as a Mom of now adult sons I realized a long time ago that unless I am happy no one else in the house is
happy either and thankfully my hubby always knew that too!LOL
I try to do everything to, I never succeed, but I prioritize and do what I can and for what I cannot do I have zero guilt.
Family first, running second, housework, chores and watching TV comes last.
Life is busy, we all have a lot to get done. Two years ago from Sept-Dec hubby and I both were training for a full
marathon, working full time, getting ready for Christmas, having family time, volunteering and doing a total kitchen
tear down and reno completely on our own, all at the same time.
It was extremely busy but we both always made time for our runs. Sometimes it was early morning, sometimes
lunch, sometimes late at night. Running gave me the energy, drive and stress relief I need to be able to keep a
handle on everything else.
Keep running, be consistent, dont' worry about speed or race goals. Just keeping doing it because in the end
if you don't you will feel guilty about that too and be less healthy to boot.