Parkrun failure

[MyGastIsFlabbered]

I stupidly signed up to Parkrun and did my first on Saturday. I just wanted to die of shame, I walked the whole way round, was so far behind everyone else (bar a couple) and just feel defeated about the whole thing. I came 454th out of 457 and it took me 54 minutes. My boyfriend is a very keen runner which just made it so much worse. I want to hide my head and never go back. To make things worse I can only go every other week so I'm never going to get any better. And I can't go at all for the next 3 weeks.

I don't really know why I'm posting, I just feel so embarrassed about how unfit and fat I am.

Well done - you went and you finished.

I echo using an app. I began with c25k and never looked back. Trust it

C25k graduate here. I'm doing my first full marathon on Sunday 😬 you can do this!

It doesn't matter that you walked it. All that matters is that you did it and it will have done you good.

If you can't make big Parkrun every week and your dc's aren't old enough to sit and wait while you do it then see if there's a junior Parkrun nearby. You can all run those, adults just can't enter the finishing funnel.

we had a lovely bunch at our parkrun, they were among the fastest runners, but they came back to the end and cheered in the slower runners. They used to have a saying, -don't worry about your time, it was better than all those people who stayed in bed.

I used to help sometimes, and we never, really genuinely never mins how long someone takes, as we all remember being there.

You did it OP, that's a huge thing. There has to be last finishers, but we're all finishers. If you don't look at people finishing around you with scorn, then why would anyone feel the same about you?!

One of the great things about parkrun is that it's the same every week, and it's always there. So you know the score, you know you can do it and there is always a tail runner to accompany the final finishers.
Well done.

Well done on getting to park run and on completing it.

C25K isn't the only way to start running. I would have struggled with it because I hate schedules and plans: I would have given up the first time I missed a run.

What I did instead was have a route from my house, it's a loop, maybe just less than two miles? I just tried to run more and walk less each time. You don't even have to start with something that long? You could find a 1 mile loop from your house. You say the park is near and small- that sounds ideal.

Another poster recommended Strava. I would really agree with that. It's an app you download. Take your phone with you and press go when you start running. It's so motivating to record your progress. Just go out for 15/20 minutes when you have the chance. Even ten is fine. If you don't get out for a week fine. If you go out two days in a row, fine!

C25K is amazing, it's helped so many people lose weight and get fit. But it's not the only way, particularly if you worry about having the time, or missing sessions. It's really prescriptive which lots of people love but I would have found overwhelming.

I have done a marathon. I can wholeheartedly confirm that the first "runs" I did were the hardest. Your achievement is in how hard it is and how you keep going. It's not about time or anyone else. I just did a 10k 4 minutes slower than my personal best. But actually given the circumstances (it was just not my day, I seriously thought of dropping out) I actually aced it!!! Take your achievement and be proud. And keep going.

I agree Summerhouse. Having spent 40 years regarding myself as someone who couldn't run, the first time I went out for a run was massive. And I felt such a fraud when I entered my first event - because I wasn't a runner was I, I don't look like one and so on.
This isn't one of those inspirational stories where you go from fat middle aged woman to super fast age group winner as I'm not fast and never will be. But determination means I've run a marathon, and the confidence from finding out I could do so more than I ever thought has meant I have tried triathlon, outdoor swimming (going to swim 2.1 miles in the sea this July!) and other things. And my son sees that willingness to give it a try even though I'm rubbish and is more willing to try things himself

You had done 5k before many people left the house! There are always people who walk ours and the tail walkers are there for a reason. Keep going, you will get faster if you want to but walking it every week is great too. Chat to tailwalkers if you want company, I’ve never known anyone volunteer to tailwalk who doesn’t enjoy chatting. Parkrun is fabulous, totally inclusive and full of friendly people.

Do the junior one. I do it with my 4 year old - he is very competitive yet easily distracted so it's RUNRUNRUN - Ooh, a ladybird (2 minute break while I limp up and breathe painfully) - RUNRUNRUN - Look, a poo! A big poo! What animal did that poo, Mummy? - RUNRUNRUUUUN! And we still dont come last.

When you can run the 2km without stopping (or pain) then you ditch your kids and move on to the adult one.

Im terrible at running truly truly terrible. But i started out barely able to be able to run for a bus and last month i did a half marathon. I was last over the line but i pootled all the way round and there were a fair few who had to drop out along the way

When i started apps were a new thing so i started by walking to a lamp post, run to a lamp post and on and then run for a song, walk for a song and gradually built up from there.

Keep going op :)

Definitely keep going OP! genuinely I've found the park run to be really supportive - people genuinely want you to do well. Who cares if you came in the last few people, you still got up and out there and did 5k before 10 on a Saturday morning. More than most people do! It's great when you go back and see your progress too. You can do it :)

Parkrun tailwalkers are usually the friendliest most encouraging people OP. Seek them out, have a chat and time will fly! You’ll soon be too far ahead of them though! Parkrun is made for this! Loads of people start with a walk and build up.

You're absolutely not a failure. You ran your first parkrun, completed it and got your time scanned. All of that makes you a success.
I'm a slow runner and I have to try not to get annoyed when DH complains about a time thats 10-15 mins faster than I am. You weren't even last which is pretty darn good for your first attempt. Keep going and try to reframe success and failure to what's pertinent to you.

That's not a failure! Its a success! You completed your first PR in under an hour. Great result. The amazing thing about PR is that you can never be last. And you are only 'racing' against yourself. So next time you do it you can compare to your first result and see how you are improving. PR is great to do alongside C25K.

Thanks everyone. It's just I find it humiliating to be so out of shape that I feel like I'm going to die. My boyfriend is very supportive, tells me how many times he's 'died on his arse' during a race, told me that he's really proud of me for doing PR but I'm really struggling to believe him. But I think that's a whole other thread

I was still in bed while you were running your park run OP! Think of that! It's pretty impressive to manage a 5k, I reckon I could do about 1!

Realistically someone has got to come last, if it's your first one it's probably going to be you or someone else on their first. Most of the people will have done them before so will naturally do a bit better, doesn't mean they weren't also like you on their first time. Next week you will do a bit better and then a bit better, that's the point of park run, you are competing against yourself only. You should be proud of yourself for completing it!

Well done for doing it! You should be proud of your self! Every runner has had the experience of being or feeling last in a race. Next time it will feel easier.
Just enjoy the experience of running / walking at a pace that feels comfortable, and when you've had enough, stop!

I second all the advice you've had to do couch 2 5k.

A 5k run might not sound a lot, but for someone who has done no training it is really quite a lot! You need to work up to it.

I am using the NHS podcast C25K and I'm on week 6 despite starting in December. But it's progress!

I downloaded C25K and did my first 'run' last night. It actually wasn't as horrendous as I thought but still highlighted how unfit I am.

You will find your fitness improves really, really quickly on the programme. I am on week 8 and am genuinely amazed that I am running 28 minutes as I really struggled with 8 x 1 minute on week one. It's very gradual and each step up is actually really doable (though I was terrified that a couple of them wouldn't be before I tried).

You'll be back at Parkrun and smashing it in 10 weeks!

Hey, you're doing it - that's great!

It's pretty much exactly 2 years since I did my first Parkrun. I'd been doing C25K before that, and then running by myself - about 6 months in all. If I could do one thing differently about my early running days, I would have started Parkrun much earlier on.

I thought you needed to be able to run fairly well, you see. And I was wrong. It really is a brilliant event - think of it more as a 'get active, stay active' community group than a runners' event.

You're lapping everyone who stays on the sofa! I hated running for ages - thought I was crap at it, wrong shape, too unfit, look all wrong etc. But I stuck with it because C25K was the only form of exercise I could fit in conveniently, and did it (sometimes very sullenly) simply because it was good for me and one of the chores to be ticked off. T took months before I came to actually like it!

Agree with previous poster that using a tracker such as Strava or Runkeeper can be really helpful - you can see your progress. And getting along to Parkrun puts you in a community of runners and walkers. I never expected that it would be so friendly.

(PS: my favourite volunteering slot is tailwalker - you meet all the loveliest people there)

Well done, OP!

I did C25K 2 years ago as a 45-year old, overweight, middle-aged non-runner.

I'm still going!! I'm not fast (usually 33-35 mins after 2 years of it!)
BUT I'm doing it!!

Go you!!!!!

It’s worth noting that it’s totally okay to repeat weeks on C25K. There are some weeks that seem like a big step up and it’s okay to take your time with it.