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Original poster

Help me find my running mojo!

27 replies

MamaSqueak · 13/04/2022 21:43

Years ago I very slowly did the London Marathon and the Bath Half, but have seriously lapsed and haven’t done anything beyond a couple of jogs with friends. I have always been slow, but used to have good endurance. These days I just can’t seem to keep going. I have tried earphones but don’t like them so couch 2 5k won’t work. Can anyone give me some tips or strategies to help me regain my running mojo? I really need to start from scratch.

OP posts:
HalleLouja · 13/04/2022 21:45

Mmmm I am trying to find mine too. I have found focussing on keeping my heart rate low and not speed has helped a bit. Not sure where my mojo is.

Original poster
MamaSqueak · 13/04/2022 21:50

Thanks, focussing on heart rate not speed is a good tip.

OP posts:
Haggisfish3 · 13/04/2022 22:11

I have bone conduction gheadphones that are good as they don’t need to be over or in my ears.

HalleLouja · 13/04/2022 22:13

Its helped me get out running again. Walking up hills is always a relief too. 😂

Its amazing how you can build up the length of time running with keeping your heart rate low. As in it starts being a few yards and in a few weeks you can run decent chunks with a low HR.

Drbrowns · 13/04/2022 22:15

Try a running club maybe. I joined one in January when they started a couch 25k for new members and really enjoy it. I’m super super slow but they have a place for everyone

Lastqueenofscotland · 14/04/2022 08:47

Do you have a parkrun near you? I’d maybe start off volunteering if you’ve not been out for years and then move on to brisk walking it a few weeks later?

emmathedilemma · 14/04/2022 10:05

have you got a GPS watch? You can set timed interval workouts such as C25K sessions up on some of those. Or use an app such as GymBoss on your phone and i think you can make it vibrate on the interval changes. And definitely go to parkrun as suggested above!

grafittiartist · 14/04/2022 10:07

I have let it slip too- and I miss it!!
My plan is to sign up to a virtual challenge. I did this over lockdown, and it really helped me to get out there. Walking and running.

Sameiam · 14/04/2022 10:07

Start on a treadmill you can have volume on until you get comfortable just free running for e.g. 30 mins? Or at least one in a gym with a tv you can watch.

Suprima · 14/04/2022 10:09

Going out for minutes helps. Not miles. With a consistent 30 minutes 3x a week, you will see your mileage in that time creep up.

I also find booking a big race motivation- then it needs to get done.

I also recommend joining a running club with a big social element. You don’t need to go to every run, but just having a buddy who you can text to come out with you, or to spur you on to do more minutes/miles is really helpful. I had my best running progression by doing a weekly loop with a few friends, every week we’d say ‘go on, another half mile?’. By the end of it we had turned our Tuesday 10k into a half marathon.

Sameiam · 14/04/2022 10:09

I've just got a peloton, which is expensive for what it is but I am loving the guided classes enough for it to be worth it. Done couch 2 5k before but always given up around week five or six, hoping I can push through on this! Bringing my speed down to what I can power walk if I try has really helped plus heart rate has stopped spiking over 200

Aniita · 14/04/2022 10:09

I have a garmin and use the training plans on there. I tell it my goal and timescale, it tells me when to run, how far to run and how (intervals/long/by heart rate etc). I have a read of the plan beforehand so I know what to expect, then on the run itself, the watch just vibrates to give me the new instruction.

Although, I think c25k has a vibrate function, so provided you review the plan before you go, you probably don't need ear phones.

Suprima · 14/04/2022 10:10

And go to Parkrun. Just go. Just do it: don’t worry about your time. Just go every week consistently. Make friends, have brunch afterwards or have a regular coffee that you and your family do at 10am on a Saturday. Just make it routine.

BobblyBlueJumper · 14/04/2022 10:12

Yes, time not distance is a good one.

Also walking (at a decent pace, not a stroll) is really really good for running fitness - most people run too hard and you need the slow miles to build cardio endurance.

latetothefisting · 14/04/2022 10:15

Just seconding the recommendation about bone conducting headphones - I have aftershocks and they're amazing. Incredibly light and comfy and they don't actually go in your ears so you can still hear what's going on around you. Try a pair from Amazon or somewhere that gives you free returns, you've got nothing to lose. I find it so much easier if I've got good music or a podcast to distract me.

Suprima · 14/04/2022 10:16

Most Japanese runners do the minutes not miles thing, and I think they are the best runners in the world. It’s doing something. Less pressure, more mediative.

Also watch YouTube videos to practice your running form. Or book a coach for a session. Running inefficiently is a sure way to hate running.

BlueChampagne · 14/04/2022 12:44

Agree with Suprima about minutes not miles. Find some nice routes where you can watch spring unfold over the days and weeks (if you're in N hemisphere). Allow yourself walking breaks.

BogRollBOGOF · 14/04/2022 13:42

Earbuds rarely fit in my ears and aftershockz are by far the most comfortable earphones I've ever used, so if it's a fit or surroundings issue, they are worth considering.

I've got an over-use injury at the moment and even C25k is more milage than I can take, so I've been doing little and often around the block of 500m to up to about a mile now. It's working better for me knowing exactly how much I'm running rather than the mixed run/ walks as all time on my feet counts at the moment.

I like plans and checklists. Just checking off how long/ far you ran and expanding that is satisfying.

If I'm in an off season with no targets, I do a "bingo" card of different types of runs/ things to spot/ terrain etc to keep it fresh and mixed up.

Original poster
MamaSqueak · 15/04/2022 07:09

Thanks so much for your encouragement. I’ve just been out - set a timer for 10 mins away from my house and took a longer route back so over 20 minutes walking/running. Time not miles is definitely the way forward. I will gradually increase this to 30 minutes over a few weeks.

OP posts:
Sammysquiz · 16/04/2022 22:59

I find listening to something gripping keeps me going, like a great podcast or audiobook. I have to be engrossed otherwise I listen to that nagging voice in my head telling me it’s all too hard & to stop running!

Arucanafeather · 16/04/2022 23:54

Consistency is the key. I’ve been very inconsistent (partly due to ill health…partly because I’ve always been a little inconsistent) and as a consequence I keep having to break the starting to get fit again barrier all the time. Friends who have come out 3 x a week, consistently week after week have got where they wanted to go. Sounds like you’ve made a great start. No matter how fit I am, I always find the first 20 mins of a jog or hilly walk hard work, always have done.
Like pp say, parkrun is a great thing to do to. Start by walking it and when you’re ready you can jog a few sections.

notanotheraibu · 17/04/2022 06:52

What about running somewhere really pretty and with nature so you enjoy the feeling of being out?

KhaleesiOfChaos · 17/04/2022 07:39

Put your phone on max volume and wear something with pockets. Earphones don't work for me either. C25K was brilliant but I'd have given up due to the headphones thing.

Patchbatch · 17/04/2022 07:43

@MamaSqueak

Thanks so much for your encouragement. I’ve just been out - set a timer for 10 mins away from my house and took a longer route back so over 20 minutes walking/running. Time not miles is definitely the way forward. I will gradually increase this to 30 minutes over a few weeks.
Sounds great! I was the same, used to be an avid runner and plenty of half marathons etc under my belt- but gradually just let my running slip and reached the point couldn't run a few mins without being out of breath. I went by time initially, 30 mins and then just gradually was finding myself running more than walking- also did a hill sprint session once a week. Now I tend to go by distance and have fallen back in love with it, especially at this time of year. I went out this morning when it was light and not bitter cold, bliss. I do love listening to music though I find it really motivating, I know you don't like headphones but there are loads of fab ones out there now that you might get on with. My friend listens to podcasts.
Norwegianleatherindustry · 17/04/2022 07:50
  • Listen to podcasts or exhilarating music.
  • Choose a route where the scenery changes often
  • try to go twice a week. Never go more than three times in a week
  • go as slowly as you need to. In fact, ignore speed completely. It will take care of itself in the end.
  • ignore slow/fast methods so absolutely don’t bother with interval running / shuttle runs / fartlek and stuff of that nature
  • try to stay on your feet a bit longer every, say, three runs. By which I mean go from 15 mins to 17 mins
  • get a Garmin watch. They are very motivating.

Good luck!