Help- I can't do it!!

I started running in January this year - my fitness level was at zero, I could barely run 50m and now I'm running 5-7.5km 4 or 5 times a week. Being young (20) it wasn't too difficult to get into shape, I'm feeling so much better for it and best of all I'm really enjoying running (mostly). I've started to take part in some 5km events and I'm running about a 30min 5km now - not super fast but considering I have started from scratch. I've signed up to run a half marathon in October (eeeek) but more pressing is a 10km that I'm running in a month's time.

I've not run 10km yet and I'm petrified that I wont be able to! The past week I've had 4 horrible runs, one 7.5km and the others 5kms and they were really really hard work- I just wanted to stop and kept thinking 'I can't do this!'. I feel I just need a bit of inspiration and some tips to get me over the 'needing to stop' and to help continue past the 7.5km mark! Thanks

Hi

It may be that you are running a bit too fast in training - most training plans have you running at a nice easy pace for most of the weekly runs with just one faster (tempo) run and some quick sprints on another day.

If you feel it is hard work then just slow down a bit - go out slow, keep slow and if you gradually pick up the pace then fine but as soon as it starts to feel hard then slow down again.

What worked for me is to just gradually work up to running 10k - ie going from 5 ot 6 ot 7 to 8 to 9k but doing it slow.  Once you can do 8 or 9 k at a nice comfortable pace then you could start to make eg the middle few k faster.

But a month to go is still ages really - as it sounds as if you have plenty of opportunites to train.  Maybe you should have more rest days ie don't try a 7/8 k unless you have had 2 rest days and it is worth looking at training plans - you maybe surprised how little fast runnning they suggest and how short some runs are.

To do your first 10k after only 6 months running in an hour or so is still excellent and if you keep going then years down the line you will find you are so much fitter and faster - but it is still early days too!

Thanks, that sounds like good advice. I might just try and take the pressure off myself over the next couple of weeks, slow down a bit and enjoy it! And I'll check out some training plans too. 

i'm fairly new at this lark but you sound like you've got a shocking case of mental block. mybe you need to work somtheing out where you dont have to run the whole way. and also i aadopt a bizarre school mistress type attitude with myself. if i have 8 minutes to run i just tell myself that i gotta do it

It maybe that you are doing a bit too much.

Have an easy week, say 3 runs of max 5k at a very slow pace. Next week only extend one of your runs to 7.5, keep the pace very slow. The other 2 runs max 5k at again at a slow pace.

I have just built up my distance from nothing. I ran approx 4k. once fast then slow then vary the pace. I then upped the distance a little to just over 5k and did one run fast, the next slow and the third I varied the pace.

Make sure that you have easy weeks. It could be every second or third week as you are just starting out. You need to rest to recover. If you are not having easy weeks then you are not giving your body a chance.

If you run 2 of your runs very short distances you may be surprised at how far you can run on your long run. So don't worry. You'll make 10k in a month. Relax and enjoy.

On race day, you'll have  extra adrenaline to get you through, and you;ll have tapered- at the moment you might have quite a bit of accumulated tirednes in your legs.Don't try to go further AND faster on each run- long slow runs, or shorter fast ones. Make sure you rest between, and take water with you on longer runs.

Good luck.

bounce!