I do NOT handle heat well. At all. Like, if it's over 85, and I have nothing to do, I probably won't leave my house. I don't sweat much, which makes it even worse, because I just stay uncomfortable.

I tried adapting my running routine so that, after eating dinner at 5, I could run around 7:30, instead of eating a light snack when I get home from school at 3 and then running around 4:30-5ish depending on how much I procrastinated. Didn't work. First time, almost blew chunks all over my neighbors yard. Today I got a cramp so bad I had to turn around, and I wasn't even a mile away from my house. I was so ticked off it's not even funny. I had a stressful day, and I need that run, but I just couldn't do it.

It just doesn't seem fair. Friends I have that run (I don't have many, but the very few who do) can all eat dinner than run within the hour. I can't LOOK at food and do that. I feel like giving up. I'm so insanely prone to cramps it's not even funny. Like, I get them no matter what I do to my eating patterns, running times, speed, breathing, form, anything. I hate it.

And on top of it, I'm not improving. I mean, my mile times at school have gotten better, but I don't see myself as a better runner. I know I did better on the second mile than the first because one of the girls in my gym only felt like jogging, so she jogged while I pushed myself, and we talked and joked around making it go easier (I got 7:42, by the way-my goal is 6, like that will ever happen...). My knees bang when I run, and it hurts (I know I'm knock-kneed, but still...). I barely lift up my legs, no matter how hard I try to change that. I look like I'm throwing myself down the street.

I'm starting to wonder why I started this. Why did I sign up for cross country (which I now have to prepare for because I'm competing against a lot of people who have been running for 14 years, and I've been doing it for, what, 6 months, maybe?)?

Not to mention I seem to have lost all my confidence (my excuse is adolescence). I don't know...when I look in the mirror, I've stopped seeing my good points, how much better I am than I was before, and all I see is the zit on my nose, the fat on my stomach that is just big enough to make itself known, the weird way my legs curve.

Maybe because, being in advanced classes, I'm with a lot of people who are good at -everything-. Their grades are nearly as good as mine (though I'm top on my team right now, only thing going right for me atm), they're super-athletic without even trying (no natural ability here, everything I have is from practice, and I don't have much), they have some degree of musical aptitude (I don't...), they have social lives and such (not me...), and they seem happy. I don't know, I feel like a failure at everything. And I think it's effecting my workouts.

I need a major attitude makeover before I wind up back at square one.

Well think... why did you want to do it in the first place? Because it would be a great achievement? I remmeber running in a comp when I was a kid. Now I wasnt a *great* runner, but I had won a few awards. I had to run around most of my town and up hills... it was for all ages. I managed to get 4th overall, and the first girl the cross the finish line. So I managed to come home with this massive trophy.

Now when I look at my trohies, and look at myself I think "look at what I have become". I couldnt run like that again, ever. I dont know how I did it when I was younger (im 19).

Point is though, I was happy I ran in the race, I was happy I made it through. Perhaps thats why you chose to participate because it would be a great way to help get into shape and motivate you to train to do your best in the race.

It doesnt matter if you cant run that fast. Think of it this way, alot of people CANT run. They take a few steps and they get puffed out. Like I do now.

I started the couch to five k a few months ago, I went from not being able to jog 100 metres without collapsing, to being able to jog 20 minutes non-stop.

Don't worry about the way you look. If you want to be able to eat those foods your friends eat then you'll need to speed up your metabolism, and you do that by eating small meals throughout the day. So say one small meal every two hours. That way your metabolism has to keep working, and doesnt have a break between foods like it normally would. So you could probebly eat a little more then and it would digest faster.

About your running, try interval training like the couch-to-5k. It has helped alot of people. But if you don't wanna try it then I'd suggest just go slow. Practise, and then run slow. If you get tired, stop. Try again the next day and beat your previous day by just a few seconds or so... then stop. And keep doing it. Don't think about anyone else around you and how they are running, on the day you could probebly use that though as an initiative to go faster if you wish (that is if you want to be competitive).

As for the running when it's hot... do you have air conditioning? I know how you feel. I live in an aea of Australia which gets really hot and I don't like the summer as much .. or winter. I try to run in the afternoon or early in the morning. You should give it a try

I hope this helps

I'm on week six of couch-to-5k (I've been doing it for like 3 months, but I spent forever trying to do the 20 minute run, and now I'm working on my 25 minute run)

I've always wanted to be a runner. Even in sixth grade when I was getting like 9 minutes on a run that, looking back, I'm assuming was 3/4 of a mile at the absolute most, probably less, I wanted to do it. I just never did.

We have AC but my mother won't tell me how to turn it on (and I'm alone most of the day, blegh...so outside won't be much worse if she forgets to put it on).

And I eat a ton. Haha. More than most of my friends.

Hey, don't worry so much!
Everybody is different.

When I wrestled (the height of my athletic career) I couldn't eat before practice or a match. However, some kids on my team would eat whole boxes of little debbies brownies, which are literally gooey bricks of chocolate. And then they'd wrestle a whole six minute match! And win! But I could never eat. I'd always feel like throwing up if I did.

Anyway, maybe now that it's the summer, you should try running early in the morning. I'm gonna start that next week actually. Here is my reasoning
1) In the morning, the sun hasn't been out long enough and the air outside is completely cooled off from the night that just passed.
2) No one else is really up, which makes it less embarrasing (I don't like the idea of people watching me run. It's creepy)
3) You get to eat breakfast afterward. You'll burn a bit of the breakfast off from the run, and you get to have a decent meal without throwing up.
4) The rest of the day still stands. You can do something other than worry about running or throwing up or homework or anything. You've got your run in, now tackle the day.
5)Waking up early makes you manage your sleeping hours better. I get like... 9 hours some days, others 3. Once I start waking up early, I'll be tired earlier, and I'll probably get a nice round 8 hours every night.

You gotta be up early though. 6 AM early.
It's tough, but worth it.

And for the AC, your house should have a thermostat. Mine is round and tells the temp. in the house and has a dial. Set the dial to around 74.

You might have a digital one though. In that case, there should be little arrows. Push them down to 74. That is ideal for the summer because it'll keep the house cooler than outside, but won't overwork the system. My mom drops it to 70 and then it runs all day. Keep it on 74 and it'll kick on once and a while to bring the house back to normal

And really don't stress about your appearance.
Really.

Even when I was in really decent shape, I'd look in the mirror and think something isn't right with me. But go to a mall one day and watch people walk around. Really look at them. Think about their silhouette. 90% of them either seem to be shaped silly or they have the same figure imposed by the media, which is totally bogus anyway.

50 years ago, curvy was sexy. Damn, it still is. Marilyn Manson - crazy curves.

Now skinny is in. It all changes. It doesn't matter.
It's hard to get used to, but just walk around
and accept that you're BA - bad A**
and don't take crap from anyone.
I've seen people with no talent get more recognition than people with actual talent, simply based on charisma. And no one is really without talents. Everyone has a niche, and we all fall into it sooner or later.

And you really do fall into it. There is no gradual descent. You fall.
Flat on your face.
And the world just seems to work then.

It'll happen. Just keep on keepin' on.

I keep this in my wallet, and it really helps me when morale is low.

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging, seems all uphill,
When the funds are low, and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but can only sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must but don't you quit.

Success is failure, turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell, how close you are,
It may be near, When it seems so far,

So stick to the fight, when you're hardest hit.....
IT'S WHEN THINGS SEEM WORST THAT YOU MUST NOT QUIT!!


'Winners never quit, and quitters never win!'

'A thousand excuses but never a good reason!'

Stay with it and keep up that intensity!!

If you don't like running in the heat, then don't. Reserve running for fall, winter, and spring when it's fun to do it. Find some other kind of exercise for the summer (Swimming), or run on a treadmill indoors. Don't beat yourself up over hating the heat.

Thanks guys. You motivated me a lot.

And, Angie, I don't have a choice in the matter. Cross country starts in July. Ugghhhh.

It's easy to start running in the morning or late afternoon.

"It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can GET hit...how much you can TAKE and keep moving FORWARD. That's how WINNING is done!!!" - Rocky Balboa

I know it sounds a bit cheesy but Rocky always motivates me hehe

Don't give up Angie!!