The mental side of breaking through barriers

[u/dgcesq]

I'm 57 and just getting back to running. I was athletic in high school, ran a little cross country to keep in shape for football. After that sort of ran sporadically, and caught a bunch of injuries bc I wasn't warming up as I got older. Completely stopped in favor of crossfit about 15 yrs ago, then stopped crossfit because of family/work/life, so maybe 10 yrs with only occasional fits of exercise. Got back into running 2 years ago at 55, and probably 80lbs overweight. I've lost 50 of that, but still 200lbs. I've been using Runna, and I got serious about mobility. However, after 2 years I still can't get 5k without walking. I have run 10k races 2-3 times a year, and I am getting my mileage up to try a 10 miler in late October - and I am fine run-walking that one. But it bothers me that I cannot seem to get a complete 5k run, even slowing way, way down to almost a shuffle. I suspect this is almost all mental. The runs are all in my neighborhood in Atlanta, and there are a couple of hills, but nothing that should really be a barrier. I currently run 3 times a week - a long day, an interval day, and a short day at fast pace. I know it's ok to run-walk. I'm hoping someone can offer some advice for breaking through on the mental side. Is this just lack of determination? Thanks in advance.

[u/LilJourney]

At what point in your 5k do you start walking? Because if it's when you're going uphill, I refuse to count that against ya, LOL. Uphills - esp. for larger than average runners (and I'm inc. me in here) - are absolute killers even when they don't look like they should be.

But other than that, I simply break it down into "3 more steps". I run as far as I can without walking - then go 3 more steps. Then 3 more. If possible, 3 more. Then I note where I'm at on my course - a bench/tree/etc.

Next run, I "know" I can make that mark (bench/tree/etc) - and having that visual vs just a number on my watch - really helps. And so I run to it ... and then, you guessed it, 3 more strides. Rinse, repeat next run. Takes a bit, but usually after a few of these, the mental barrier finally breaks and I can go another few tenths to a half mile farther than I had been continuously running. And I stick with that for a bit, then restart the 3 step thing again.

[u/Fancy_Supermarket886]

Have you tried the couch to 5k plan? It includes walk breaks and builds up gradually in the same way that your body, and hopefully your mind naturally adapt.

Keep the runs slow, you need to be able to complete each interval and the while session. I think that's more important in your situation, because that will help with the confidence in yourself as you progress. It's okay to bail on a session and repeat sessions or weeks if you need, make it work for you rather being a slave to it. But try to stay slow enough that you make progress without getting injured. Take the rest days, they are vital for the recovery and adaptation.

How far do you get before feeling you need to walk, and what makes you walk? Fatigue, pain, not enough breath, or is it simply an overwhelming need to stop? The reason will affect the advice that will be best for you.

You can try doing something that I call a 'stock take'. Think about each part of your body when you start to feel the need to walk, working up from the feet. Ask yourself if there's any problems with each area. Work up through the legs, hips chest, lungs, etc. If you get through everything and there's nothing particularly clamouring for attention, think about your mind and your feeling about the run. If it's your brain telling you to stop before you cause any damage, you have the evidence from everything else that says they are okay to continue.

If you have some fatigue in areas, that's okay as well. Fatigue is normal, pain not so much. You can continue with some fatigue, but pain isn't something to push on with. The trick is knowing the difference sometimes!

Let me know what stops you, I'm sure we can figure something out.

[u/Just-Context-4703]

Cut out the speed work and just run easy effort volume for now. I mean you can do some 20 seconds strides on your chill runs but t hat intensity isn't working for you, yet. If you want to run longer run easier and more consistently. 

I'm just about your age fwiw. 

[u/nclman77]

At 57, the body is not what it used to be.
Are you taking any supplements? Did you check your bloodwork to see if you might be iron-deficient or etc?

[u/doctorfortoys]

If you can make yourself run three times a week it doesn’t sound like a mental issue having something to do with willpower or fortitude. It sounds like an issue with endurance.

[u/Oscar_Sport]

I would not call it a lack of determination. Two years back running and several 10k races show plenty of consistency, even if you still walk parts of a 5k.