At the end of W5R3 Laura a says something along the lines of " never mind if you didn't achieve it, you can always go back and try week 5 again". And that's me.
Perhaps blame the colder weather or maybe the season of over-indulgence, but it means going for take two - although I can't see either of those factors going away in the near future. I know I can do the 2 x8 minute runs with a walk in the middle, so it's on 'hold', practise them a bit and go for the big one in due course.
Congratulations to those going on to week 6. It's certainly not easy, but still a big improvement from when I was at week1.
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oxford_mike
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Have another go! 2 x 8 minute runs is a 16 minute run, so the Wk5 run is only another 4 minutes. Slow down - it doesn't matter if you are jogging at a walking pace (I know I was!) just get to the end. Laura says it is more of a mental barrier and I think she is right. I found it helpful to count breaths in and out, focus on getting to the next lamppost (or whatever). I think for me the most helpful was the 'slow down, then slow down some more'. I'm sure you'll make it.
I agree with Kellywillow. I'm on week 8 now and I found week 5 really hard. When I got to the final run I just went very very slowly and didn't look at the minutes ticking down - this was all great advice from other members of this group. Have another go - you can do it and will feel brilliant afterwards!
I found this run hard too but for me it was mostly to do with the mental gremlins rather than the physical ones. I flagged in the middle but kept repeating to myself: are you out of breath? No. Do your legs hurt? No. Then your mind is a liar. Plod on. Don't know if that will help you any? Whatever you decide to do... good luck
Sadly I was out of breath! Gulping lungfuls of cold air was quite uncomfortable, so I had a little walk somewhere around 8 minutes. I need to get a bit fitter - but that's the whole point!
Ah! Maybe a bit slower then but cold air really doesn't help. I've been really lucky in that respect as it's been unseasonably mild here. Only had one icy frosty morning to cope with so far. At least you know you can do the 2x8 min runs, so you're almost there. Probably no need to do the whole week again unless you really want to. Good luck and happy running
It's great that you're getting out and giving it a go in the cold (sometimes nice not to have the overheating issue, but bloomin' difficult to get warm all the same - in my case, anyway). I remember my mind giving me the, 'this is getting serious, eh?!" talk and the gremlins having a go at that stage. I know now, just a few months since graduating, that I was still trying to run way too fast at this stage, even though the snails were overtaking me... so, slow down and slow down some more, as Kellywillow says, is the way to beat your bogie week. YOU WILL DO IT
Sorry you had a hard time with it Mike I found it tough and there was a lot of shouting at myself to keep going happening inside my head. You can do it though!!
Do you use the podcasts or the app? I switched to the app from W5R1 and have definitely found it easier to complete the runs using my own music. The podcasts were good for learning to pace things though but the music is dull, so maybe give that a try too?
Ali, Well done for completing week 5 - I will be along soon! Sadly my smartphone isn't smart enough for the app, which only works on recent versions of Android.
Give it another go. Week 5 run 3 was the first one I had to repeat. Just take it slow, maybe pick a new running route, choose your own music. Physically you can probably do it, it's likely you mind playing tricks. Good luck - no harm in repeating it as many times as you need.
With previous weeks I usually felt totally knackered after run 1, less awful after run 2 and vaguely human after run 3. Repeat before moving on may be the answer.
Hopefully you didn't actually 'see' me! I'm still plodding in the dark while the young university types whizz by (or is that you!). Congratulations on graduation; sometime in 2015 for me.
Probably not, I jog north of Kidlington and I'm definitely not one of the young, fit looking ones. I have to move 14stone after all and i'm not exactly young either My jogging is more of a shuffle - I think it's better for my joints and I couldn't do it gazelle style anyway.
Actually I would really like to see some advice on how to speed up without doing damage to my joints from other heavier/biggger people.
Trust Laura, trust me, trust all the folks on here - you can do this! I bet it's not your lungs that are stopping you, it's not your legs either. It's probably your head. After all the runs ive done since graduation. I still get that moment when the mind-squirrels nibble away at me and say something like "that's enough, there's a nice cup of tea waiting for you at home". Stay strong, slow down find something in the mid distance in front of you and make it to that point. Then find another and make it to that. You've put in a lot of hard work already and you can do it. It's not easy, I know, but just think how incredible you're going to feel when you get there! Come on Mike!!
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I found it tough and there was a lot of shouting at myself to keep going happening inside my head. You can do it though!!
My jogging is more of a shuffle - I think it's better for my joints and I couldn't do it gazelle style anyway. 
That didn’t go so well wk8R1
All was going so well then I tripped! 
It was going so well. 
Going to miss week 4 - scared of week 5!
W4R1, It was all going so well...
