As I have mentioned numerous times running is not my strength and I am OK with that. I know I am going to be passed left and right during the run, it is a given. Here is the thing that I don't get however. How is it that people of all ages, different sizes from very small to obese and people so knock kneed that their knees almost touch are all faster then me? For two years now I have been working on my running with the hope of some improvement. While I guess there is some the reality is is that I am still very slow.( I had a particularly slow run today (slower then usual) when it should have been faster so I am a bit frustrated). My significant other runs very little. On the few occasions that he has run with me, he often passes me. That totally pisses me off! Sometimes I think that maybe there is something wrong with my mechanics but then I see some other peoples' form and I know it can't be that. I am in good cardiovascular shape so that shouldn't be holding me back to much I don't think. I mean shouldn't I be faster then those who don't do squat and then go out one day to run? I have often thought it was psychological. I was a heavy kid who played sports. While athletic, the running killed me. I was always the slowest and really struggled. I know that those memories used to be a factor in my relationship with running but I have worked hard to go from hating running to tolerate and on occasion enjoy it. I don't know, maybe it will take years to get to the place where many start out.
Good thing that I can pass them on the bike:)
Ok, I am done complaining now.
Thanks for "listening"
I bet you anything your faster then me, I am a horrible runner. But the point is, your out there doing it, which speaks volumes because, in my opinion, what we do is special. Hang in there, you will get better at it. I was at a event were a a professional tiathlete spoke, he said best way to get better at swim, bike, run is to swim, bike, run.
ReplyDeleteI am slow also but I just keep moving and hope that I get better.
ReplyDeleteSlow here too....but 3 years ago I didn't run at all so I'm faster then I was. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouraging words.
ReplyDeleteYes, the best thing we can do is just keep moving.
Julie,no running to running slow is a huge improvement! Congratulations
Kathleen, went back and read this post on running. Try not to be discouraged. I spoke to a friend of mine the other day just as she was heading out for a 6-mile run. She was feeling like she was going backwards with her running. Sometimes, the best way to get faster... is to, well... go faster. I spent years at a plateau until I just decided to incorporate speed work, hills, and I was determined to just start running negative splits every mile during my long runs—which I subsequently encouraged her to do. What I learned was I could indeed get faster. More, I never really swam competitively before competing in triathlons. Last year the longest swim I had was 3000 yards. This season, I am swimming that consistently about once a week. If there is one piece of advice I can give you, submit to the fatigue, don't fight it. Enjoy it. Sounds counter intuitive, but it has made me run faster when I felt like dogging it.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
p.s. how is your nutrition, hydration, etc? could that play any part?