Appreciation post: My plan to run a 5k in under 30 minutes after 3 months of training was a total bust because I tried to do too much too fast.

I went from running a comfortable 12-minute mile to being completely burnt out and skipping runs after just 6 weeks because I pushed for 5 days a week instead of building up slowly. Anyone else wreck a fitness goal by being too aggressive at the start?

3 comments

3 Comments

tylers721mo ago

Honestly used to think you had to go hard or go home with new goals. Seeing this post about the 5k plan falling apart because of too much running too soon really hit home. I did the same thing trying to get back into lifting last year, jumped right into heavy weights five days a week. Ended up so sore I couldn't move right for a week and just quit. It totally changed how I see starting anything new, slow builds are way better.

henderson.mason1mo ago

Go hard or go home" used to be my motto too, until I burned out the same way.

jason9585h ago

Wait, five days a week of heavy lifting right off the bat? That's crazy, man. I can't believe you didn't end up in the hospital or something. Your muscles must have been screaming at you for a whole week straight. I've done dumb stuff like that before too, but never that intense. It's like your body just shuts down and refuses to cooperate when you push it that hard. I'm glad you figured out the slow build thing, it's way smarter.