Phew .. Struggling on 30 min runs

[rich_wolves]

Every 7 minutes or so i have to walk for 10 seconds to get my breath back and then i can carry on . Ive tried going slower but it doesnt seem to help . My legs are really tired too . Im supposed to be on the last week if this but just feel really deflated now , any advice anyone ?

[Hidden]

Hi Rich. Sorry to hear that. Have you tried changing your route? I found running a route I had previously struggled with quite draining for some reason. May be psychological?

[rich_wolves Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Hey thanks . Funnily enough i planned a new route tonight on google maps but bottled it on my run and went the same old route instead. Will try the new route thursday

[jenman1 Graduate]

Now, I had this problem, sometimes I still do. All you need to do is relax, don't think about how fast or slow you are going, I found the more I fought it the more out of breath I got. I shake my shoulders wiggle my fingers and relax, I go some where else in my mind and it does the trick, my breathing slows down and my muscles stop aching. If I am still not relaxed I take a couple of deep breaths and control my breathing and slow the breaths down. The first 10 minutes of a run are the worst, but it does settle down for me with the above techniques.

[rich_wolves Graduate in reply to jenman1]

Thanks for the reply . Ill try again thursday on my new route . This is my second run in a row that ive felt like this . Its hard when thd finish line is so close !

[vivh61 Graduate]

I think I did about 5 week 9 runs before I graduated, and in the end I just put some music on my mp3 player and just ran until I'd completed the run. I think I got put off by Laura saying something like "You're half way through" when I was beginning to feel tired, so instead I just made myself run slower and put some nice music on and went for it. I did try a new route too - and that seemed to help.

[rich_wolves Graduate in reply to vivh61]

mm I'm beginning to think I should forget the 5k and just run for enjoyment and to keep me fit without getting hung up over distances and times!

[Hidden]

Several possibilities come to mind. Perhaps you are not having enough, or had enough rest between runs. Also, last week's setback may be playing on your mind and you started out feeling anxious. Tiredness in your legs may mean that you are not physically at your best this week.

Do you always run at the same time of the day or do you mix it up a bit? I always think of myself as a morning person and believed this to be my best time to jog. It came as quite a shock to find I probably perform a little better jogging early evening.

Finally, do you do any other physical activity apart from running? I do other things, which to be honest I like better, and they have slowed down my progress through C25K - there are not enough hours in the day to do it all! I will finish in my own time - probably 3 months. Remember the app is just a one size, does not fit all guide.

Good luck with the new route on Thursday!

[rich_wolves Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Hi, you know, I think it might be that. Funnily enough, when I came back from my holiday I hadn;t run for nearly 2 weeks and my first run I felt like I could go on forever. My legs felt great and so did my breathing. So , maybe I am going to try running once every 3 or 4 days rather than every other day.

[magicdragon Graduate in reply to rich_wolves]

my schedule now is twice a week I'm happy with that it's better than not at all and find I run better and don't feel I'm sqeezing it in too my every day stuff.i look forward to my run days now

[Hidden in reply to magicdragon]

Me too, twice a week because otherwise i can't fit in the swimming!

[gary_bart]

If it persists, you might want to get your GP to do an ECG on you, just to make sure the ticker is still all right. Apparently fatigue can be a sign of heart trouble (this is just something the neurosurgeon was ticking off, talking to me the other day). I seem to remember he said it was "*Extreme* intolerance for exercise", so this is probably not something to worry about, unless it feels quite bad. Mind you, an ECG is quite cheap? It only takes maybe 20 minutes, and once you're done you have some feedback on the effects of your training, and some reassurance (probably). Might be worth doing, anyway?

[rich_wolves Graduate in reply to gary_bart]

Hi Gary, I did have an ECG a few years back and all was fine. I was saying to someone else, when I had nearly 2 weeks rest my first run back was the best I had ever had. I'm beginning to think because Im 50 I just need to give more time for my body to recover between runs,.

[gary_bart in reply to rich_wolves]

Agreed that this is just a worst case scenario. Yes, you probably just need to do something like rest longer, etc. It's just if nothing seems to help that you need to start thinking about looking at things like this.

My GP does an ECG every time I go for a checkup (not the full one any more, because that was fine). You could probably fit this in with the routine annual and half yearly checkup, along with the blood tests and all that stuff. That way, at regular intervals you get to eliminate that as a cause for concern.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

I struggled when I was going through the program and someone said to me count to 100. It takes your mind of the run and the stress and you often feel a lot calmer as you hit the 100 and have got over the stumbling block, I still use this on some of the longer runs just to help my brain get over the bad memories. Also I used psychology on myself. I had a terrible time with the first 20min run and the day I actually did It i hadn't thought about it or even if I was going running, I had just had a horrible week with a family member being rushed to hospital I was at a bit of a loss with myself and I just said I am going out to run myself happy. I just kept slowing down and slowing down and just focused on the happy I wanted to feel and I couldn't believe that it worked. We all have our little tricks that get us through difficult runs. Also if your body need more rest Inbetween take it, we are all different. I predominantly only run twice a week and cross train the rest.

[Hidden]

I really suffer with breathlessness and use an inhaler although am not strictly asthmatic. I still use my inhaler before each run, but a recent visit to the nurse revealed that my breathing has massively improved through doing c25k. Also my blood pressure has gone down to a low rate, whereas before it was slightly too high. So in the bigger picture try to believe that this running is helping your breathing, not hindering it. It is so good to have developed a new regular aerobic exercise habit.

To overcoming my breathlessness, I find I have to start my runs really really slow and only build up when I feel my rhythm, sort of my legs and lungs working together, not against each other. Also someone on here mentioned imagining you have a parasail attached to your shoulders so your shoulders are being pulled back and up as you run. I find this a really helpful thing to visualise, and it does help to open my lungs right out. So maybe try starting your runs really slow and concentrating on your shoulders/posture etc, and also just trust in your own fitness. Eventually you'll get all the way through the 30mins in one go and it will feel really amazing. Good luck

[misswobble Graduate]

It's anxiety! You are getting hung up because you're so close to finishing

Chill out! Relax and enjoy the runs. You know you shouldn't be worrying about times, speed and distance as you were told that all along

So, forget about that stuff and just run. Definitely find a new route. You should be looking for new routes all the times. That's part of the fun. PLus you get to know your local area like the back of your hand, with all the shortcuts and footpaths.

Good luck with those final few runs!

[AndyD Graduate]

Try running on the spot at home for 7 minutes without actually moving... if you can do this it shouldn't a be a problem to add a little forward momentum.

Best of luck... sure you'll be fine.