As per the title, I am struggling to complete the 25 minute runs on week 7. The first time I tried I just about managed the week 6 run 3, but I am struggling to repeat this... I am sure it's just a mental block.
Did anyone else struggle? If so how did you overcome this mental block / brick wall?
I repeated week 6 run 2 a couple of times, but still failed on run 3. It is getting me down now 
Thanks for any advice you can give me x
Hi Netty,
Sorry to hear that you are struggling.
It might be helpful to let us know how close you are managing to get to the 25 mins target.
H.
Hi H,
It seems that I can just about get past the half-way point, probably about 15 minutes. When Laura tells me I am half-way through I seem to stall. I have no idea why?
The devil on my shoulder takes over and I end up grinding to a halt... It's very strange!
Hi netty, perhaps you are starting out too fast. Try slowing down to begin with and slowly get into your stride, try and relax and don't think too much about how far you have to go but how far you already have run. The longer runs without an interval break are often harder to accomplish but just remember you have done all the hard work so far, you are ready to move on and tell yourself you really can do it. Another suggestion is try a different route, sometimes we get it into out heads that a certain point is our brick wall which we stumble and stop at. Change of route will take your mind off time and distance. Good luck, you can do it I'm sure.
It might help to get rid of the podcast completely?
I know that sounds strange, but it worked for me. I made my own playlist that was 30 minutes long. I chose a mellow 5 minute song for my warm up, and then it goes into Eye of the Tiger, some Guns and Roses, and a mix of Bowie and a few others..then ends on Gonna Fly Now. Major cliche, but I worked out the running time is exactly 25 minutes. The songs really help, and because I know the order I'm like "just one more song!" then Gonna Fly Now comes on and I feel like the biggest cliche ever, but I finish! Also changing your route might help? When I run laps around the park my time is slower than when I run along the canal near where I live...a more interesting route might help, as sometimes it can get very monotonous.
Best of luck, you've done it once so you can definitely do it again!
A 30 minute playlist is a brilliant idea. I think I will adjust mine to that length. Eye of the Tiger seems a good choice too. I was listening to Classic FM today and they played the Dambusters March. I think that might do it for me!
As you say, it has become a mental block rather than a physical problem - you've already run past this point several times. You have some good suggestions from others already to try.
I remember my nemesis was about 17 minutes into the run and I just tried to push through and tell myself to do another 5 minutes, then another - and by then you are nearly done so you won't want to give up.
You can do it - just stick with it!
Thank goodness - I was just about to post the same thing! I have tried and failed with Week 7, Run One twice now. I said to my husband this evening that as soon as Laura tells me I am halfway through, I think 'sod it, I can't be bothered with another half'.
He has suggested making my own playlist that lasts 25 minutes and not worrying about Laura this week so I'm going to try that. I feel like I was progressing so well and now I have hit a brick wall. Xx
Oh gosh thank you all for your replies. I think I am going to ditch Laura, sorry Laura!
I can't remember the exact wording, but at the beginning of week 7 Laura says something like "today you'll be running for 25 minutes non-stop, you might find these longer runs a bit more difficult". When I hear that I think "OMG this IS going to be difficult", and when I get half-way through I give up!
Right, off to make a playlist for 25 min...
Thanks x
Hi Netty,
You've received some great advise in the above posts.
I found that my own performance has improved considerably when I chose my own music playlist.
Sometimes I'll say myself that I will just finish a track before I stop - then I keep going to the next track because it's a favourite!
All the best
Hoppy
what great advice from everyone, like you i have such mental blocks its not funny, will also try the playlist thing but i can see myself spending hours doing a playlist....
I'm at exactly the same place -just struggled to-complete 25 mins in week 6 , which I did but now 3runs into week 7and have only completed it once -the other two attempts I stalled at 20mins -but took a friend with me today who was brill and just keep pushing me on with encouragement(she was able to speak and run as she's fantastic and was going at my slow speed) while I was struggling and gasping for air with a bright red face! .
Some fantastic advise already on here. I also struggled on the longer runs. Like the suggestions, I used my own music to overcome it, also for me it was a matter of slowing down. I bought myself a really cheap heart rate monitor. That helps me to realise I was running at a pace I wasn't fit enough to sustain. After I realised that and slowed down I managed to finish every run just by slowing down every time I felt like quitting. It was mental in one way but it was my brain letting me know I need more time to run at that sort of speed. As everyone says on this lovely forum. It's not a race. I am happily working on my speed now that I have graduated. But have better runs since I have started to be nicer to myself.
Made my playlist last night - third time lucky with W7R1 tomorrow night! Got some Alice Cooper on there lol!
Hi, this may not work for everyone but I went with audiobook rather than music. I find it a lot more distracting and so the time goes quicker!! With music I still found myself counting and working out how long I had left etc but with the audiobook I didn't look at the timer until about 18 minutes in. I set a timer on my phone at the same time so it buzzes when I get to 25 minutes.
This is a 7 year old post 👍🏽
Week 6 - struggling
Big jump from week 4 to week 5!
Week 5, the big jump
Week 7 struggling
