Running Class

This running class is really starting to get to me. I spent a great deal of the past several runs feeling miserable, unmotivated, and discouraged. My sister and I have decided that the class is too advanced for us, but since we've already paid we're not going to give up. Instead, we're going to tailor our own running experience based entirely on our individual needs. We both bought our own stopwatches, and we're going to run at our own intervals. When those intervals become too difficult, then we will increase them accordingly. I don't want to quit this class entirely, but I do need proper motivation. Feeling like a loser after every run is not the way to motivate me.

I don't want to seem as though the instructor is bad or is doing anything wrong herself. She's not. The only shortcoming I can identify is that she was overly ambitious in her goals--thinking that everyone who signed up for the class would be capable of the pace and intervals that she set out is not quite accurate. Some of us are recovering from surgery. Some of us aren't very active, and what activity we do get is not from running. Some of us don't exercise as frequently as the class meets and aren't used to putting our bodies through such rigor. My sister and I meet most of those categories (although I meet all of them); so we're going to do this our own way.

Today, when we get to the gym, we are going to run around the lake at the old interval of 2 minutes running, 4 minutes walking. Last week the class did 5 minutes running, 2.5 minutes walking. I didn't. I ran on the treadmill for 3 and 3. (But I've been learning that treadmill training is much different and easier than running on the concrete.) This week, I think the class will be going for 7 minutes running, 2 minutes walking. I know that there is no way I'd be able to do that at this point. And it isn't for want of trying--my body just isn't ready for that level of intensity. So, my sister and I will be doing the best we can.

And it's like what we've been telling each other and ourselves: nobody can fault us for moving, even if we are moving differently from the rest of the class.

I'm hoping that changing the pace according to our needs will give me a better sense of accomplishment and motivation.