Is run 3 meant to be the hardest ?: Hi everyone... - Couch to 5K

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Is run 3 meant to be the hardest ?

susie_bourne profile image
susie_bourneGraduate
5 Replies

Hi everyone, a question I've been pondering for a while, should the 3rd run of the week be the easiest or the hardest? I have just completed run3 of wk 7 but found it the hardest. On run 1 of this week when Laura said for the final minute, up your pace if you can, I had loads of energy. Today, I was willing her to let me know when it was my last five minutes. Surely I should be finding the last run easier not harder ???

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susie_bourne profile image
susie_bourne
Graduate
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5 Replies
Lauraeliza30 profile image
Lauraeliza30

Unfortunately, 1 run might be easy the next one hard. I have heard if a run is really hard it means you are about to see great improvement (not sure if it is true or not). Many factors can go into a bad run. Maybe lack of sleep, maybe what you have been eating, etc. I wouldn't get too bummed out, because more than likely your next run or your next one will seem easy again. It is just the nature of the sport! Congrats on completing another week.

gary_bart profile image
gary_bart

If your rest hasn't been enough to be restorative/ constructive, you can find that things get harder. (Not the only reason, obviously). It can definitely get harder. Sometimes your body puts the brakes on you for a while, for its own reasons. Think about the opposite effect you get during a run, where it gets easier as you run more; these things don't work in an entirely simple or intuitive manner. If the problem persists, you might want to try an additional rest day at some point in time, even.

can be many reasons for a particular run feeling hard as already suggested it is just how it is sometimes , don't dwell on it , you have completed another week that is the important factor .

Enjoy your rest day or days and then the start of the next week :)

Noaky12 profile image
Noaky12Graduate

Oddly I always found run 2 of the week the hardest. I think its because for run 1 I didn't know what was coming then run 2 was like "ohoh not again" lol.

There will be times you find runs more difficult than others. I just think its more noticable right now because of how structured the programme is.

Not long to go now though. Good luck!

Thomson3 profile image
Thomson3 in reply to Noaky12

Ditto this ^^

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