Week 6 done and dusted!

[sarah469]

Strangely I found Runs 1 & 2 of this week harder than Run 3... hmm... that doesn't sound right.

For Run 3 I was all but power-walking I think, and that's why, BUT I was going through the running motions! I found it... dare I say it... pretty easy?!?! No where near as mentally/physically tough as last week's 20 minute run... I only started really feeling it in the last 5 mins which was amazing!

I don't understand how I went from struggling with 10/3/10 two days ago to being able to run 25 mins fairly comfortably? I think it must have been slow pace.

Today's walk/run/walk was 4K - I know I shouldn't care about distance or pace yet, just time (...right?!) - but it's quite interesting. I think my aim is to finish the programme and get to 30 minutes, and then my next aim will be to be able to run 5K (in 30 mins? maybe).

Yesterday I exchanged contracts for buying a house (hooray! imminent poverty!), so over the final weeks of Couch to 5K I'll be packing, moving, and unpacking...! Determined to keep my running up though; I think it will be good for my stress levels! And I can't stop now!

Still loving this forum What a great bunch of people.

PS. I don't understand these graphs at all from Fitbit. Pace graph makes it look like I was stopping every 5 minutes! Calorie burn one usually correlates to running v. walking ok, but today's has a weird dip in the middle! Odd.

[jamsammich Graduate]

I can't help with your graphs but yaaaaay!

Well done for finishing week 6! Good luck for week 7 and congratulations on buying a house 😁

[gary_bart]

I think what happens is we tend to push it a bit in the shorter runs, now. You unwittingly tell yourself "10 minutes? Well I can run 20, now", and then you go faster. And the speed difference doesn't need to be that great to be significant. Energy goes up by the square of the speed, not just by the speed (it "doubles and redoubles" to put it in less mathlish terms for any phobes out there ... )

In any event, well done. That goal is well within sight, now. And you're a real runner! Laura says so, and I'm pretty sure she's right.

[Hidden]

Well done! You're in the last third of the programme, how is ace is that?! Would help with graphs, but have no idea!

[susie_bourne Graduate]

Its so great to follow your posts. I'm in week four currently, and its all going ok Please keep posting its really inspirational !

[sarah469 Graduate in reply to susie_bourne]

Thank you, that's really nice to hear I certainly will keep posting!

[Hidden]

I'm really encouraged to hear your comments about run 3 feeling a lot easier than run 1 in week 6. I set off to do week 6 run 1 today with great confidence, (having amazed myself by finishing the 20 mins last week with relative ease) and it was DIFFICULT! Getting started after each walk was a real mind over matter thing. I guess there's a sound reason- I trust Laura- for going back to shorter runs and I'll persevere over the rest of the week and see how I manage the 25 minute run.

Thanks for all the advice about stretching after each run. I'm doing it and feeling less stiff in the mornings.

[sarah469 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Great - glad to have reassured you! I felt the same, it's all about getting into a slow rhythm for the longer runs I think. Well done for getting the 20 minutes done!