Week 5 run 2 done - now for the big one...

[achydunlin]

Well I did Week 5 run 2 - twice. First time I tried it without Laura. Used my own music for the first 8 minute run and went too fast, although the time seemed to whizz past. So was totally knackered for the second 8 minute run - barely finished. So just completed it again today. Was hard but manageable - I find once I've got 5/6 minutes under my belt and my pace right I'm okay. I think, psychologically, I wanted extra time to get ready for run 3 which I'm dreading.

I still can't get my head round going from 8 minutes running to 20 minutes. I've read all the blogs on here, most of them reassuring that it is doable, yet it still seems a huge step up. And yet in week 6 it's back to interval running??? Oh well, trust in Laura.... Will report back.

[Stubbyp Graduate]

Keep the faith and you'll be fine and will amaze yourself. I've just run for 37 mins on an extra run in week 8, 9 mins longer than my previous runs and 37 times longer than the week 1 run that I soooo struggled with! It's all about getting past the first few minutes and settling into a rhythm, and then just keep plodding on. I remember that run at the end of week 5, the first half was definitely the hardest, but once I was through that it was fine and I felt so elated at the end of the 20 mins. Keep up the good work and you'll be on 3x25min runs before you know it.

[achydunlin]

Thanks for that, Stubbyp - I just figure if I can get through the first five minutes (usually the hardest for me - getting into a pace etc) and not go too fast I'll do it.

[plodalong Graduate]

I am on W8 R3 and still find the first five minutes really hard but once past that point the rhythm seems to sort itself out .

The 20 minutes is definitely doable you just need to keep a steady pace and slow down if necessary.Like you I dreaded the jump to 20 mins but as you say all the blogs are so positive you just have to believe you can do it.

Good luck... keep the faith

[serenlas Graduate]

I'm doing week 5 run 2 tomorrow. It is a very daunting week. The jump from 5 minutes to 8 and then from 8 to 20 just seems so big. But other people have done it, and I keep asking myself what's the worst that can happen? If I don't manage it at the first attempt I'll just keep trying.

Good luck with the big one, and can't wait to hear how you get on.

[achydunlin]

Serenias - exactly! I'm doing it tomorrow and I refuse to get worked up about it, if I do it - great. If not, I'll try again in two days' time. No-one's going to machine-gun me down if I can't do it!