"Ran" my 1st 5K today, glad I finished HORRIFIED I am so slow (Page 2)

CONGRATULATIONS! On Thursday I ran an 8k and finished in a time of 37:10 (7:27/mile) not a fast time considering the winner finished in 24:46 (4:59/mile). However, I went back to look at my results from this same race that I ran in 2005 and my time was 49:00 (9:52/mile). Improvement is possible with hard work. I would disagree with some of the people that said "don't be hard on yourself". If you want to get faster, you need to be very critical of your performance and decide what you need to do to get better. You can take time to enjoy the fact that you finished but if you are not critical of your performance you will never get better. Good luck and great job!

How true you are.

I'm a total BOPer.  The only reasn I didn't come in dead last at my last tri was because 2 people DNFed.  The only direction now is up, and that's a good thing.

Big congratulations on finishing your 5K.

CONGRATS!!  That's a big step, we've all been there. Just keep working at watch the times fall!

Great job Slugger, running the entire way !  Can I get a WOOOOO HOOO !!! Great job!!

Here is what gets me, when I run alone and I do the 3.1 mile I make it home in 26 to 30 minutes. I've never gone over 30 minutes, so when we started out I figured it being a 3.1 I'd keep to that same time . SO DID NOT !

It took me 40 minutes to run yesterday !!!  DOUBLE what it normally takes me ! WHAT THE HECK ?......... I think it was that brutal hill over by the park that got me. It was on the way back, and it is like you need a rope and someone at the top to pull you up kinda of hill ! lol

I just really thank you all for your encouragement, and you are right, now I am more determined than ever to get faster !  I feel like yelling out the car window to any jogger I see "way to go, you are doing great" !!!  Maybe I'll start to carry gatoriad in my van and pass it to them out the window ! lol I have such respect for runners now !

You are all awesome ! Thank you

You finished your first 5K yesterday (I'm usually a day late), congrats. 

As for being slower than you expected, you have two choices.
1)  Sign up for another 5K and keep training
2)  Call it quits

I still wouldn't medal (top-3) even in the M60-64 age group (I'm about 20 years younger than that). 

How nice to be able to share that run with your daughter and your mom!  You are setting a good example for both of them!

Keep up the good work  

Congratulations!!! If it's any consolation I finished 4 minutes slower than you. But I RAN THE ENTIRE THING. and that included 8 freaking hills!

I'm VERY proud of myself. ANd like yousaid...we can only go up!

 see you around running!!

My husband and I drove the route I have been running and I say he told me it was 3.1, today he says "oh, that is 2.something........" WHAT  ?  so he drives it a few minutes ago and calls "yep it's 2.3 miles".

I was furious !  I've been running short a flippin mile and thinking I was doing it in 1/2 hour !  Ok, so now I have to add a bit of humiliation to my already kinda sucky morning yesterday ! 

I guess for now I can just use the route we did and know for sure it's 3.1.  How horrible ! but better to know today than the day of a race adn wonder why I can't do the last mile !!

Good grief !!!!

As a slow runner, I get tired of hearing that someone else calls themselves slow only to find out that they can run circles around me... many times, in the REALLY small races (50-60 people) you will see a faster crowd therefore making your race seem slower. If you went to results of a MUCH larger race, you'd probably see that your time is acceptable. 

My 5k time 1 year ago was 34:56 and yesterday it was 33:15... so in one year, I did improve, and you will too... but, please don't be embarrassed at posting your times here... 

good job finishing the whole race!