20 Minutes.....Check!

[IcanandIwill]

I did it. I ran the dreaded 20 minutes without stopping. The last 2 minutes were hell for me. I felt disorientated and struggled to pull in mental strength but I did it. Looking forward to week 6 runs 1 & 2. Run 3? Ahhhhhhhhh

[sparky66 Graduate]

Hiya. Just posted a reply on the post you left for me woopeee who cares how bloody hard it was.. you beat it.. you done it! Your amazing.. congratulations.. come on.. we will get through week six together bring it on.. lol how's your legs now? I've just been to work and back its another couple of km,s walk and mine are let's say numb and glad of the sitting here replying to posts.. I run sat for w6r1 you ? Still can't believe we've come this far.. now I'm AM GOING TO BELIEVE IN FINISHING THIS PROGRAMME X Again huge well done!

[IcanandIwill Graduate in reply to sparky66]

You know what, my legs are fine. They were strong through the run so no worries there. It;s from the chest up! Breathing and mind space. I can control it to a point but I know that I ran past my fitness level to-day so it was really, really hard. I listened to my own music rather than listen to Laura. I'm going to a wedding to-morrow so will run on Sunday but check in with me please and let me know how you get on. Some say week 6 is hard. Wonder why as I thought what we just did was hard. What do you think?

[sparky66 Graduate in reply to IcanandIwill]

Hi I will let you know how I get on... see I have the opposite problems..my breathing is fine ..my legs feel sore and heavy on most runs.. advice for breathing I know it sounds silly but try practicing..maybe when you do other forms of exercise..deep breaths and cocentrate on that for a few weeks... no d set.. I have found if I say to myself."I've not failed a run yet..I'm not going to fail the next" and the biggest help.. reading the posts on here..always someone with the same problems and ways to overcome them lovely a wedding to look forward to.. enjoy! I know a lot of people say it's a tough week.. but I'm just going into it the same as always.. I ran the last run..I can do the next.. be positive and be proud of what you've done so far xxx good luck x. Oh and I never have listened to Laura's music.. love my old disco tunes while running.. keeps me motivated x

[secan Graduate in reply to IcanandIwill]

If the problem is the breathing, the solution is simple: slow down.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

You could and you did...new name there?

Brilliant.. go you! Onwards and upwards. We amaze ourselves don't we?

[Steve_L Graduate]

Well done you! That's the most important run of the programme. Now, don't be surprised if you find W6D1&2 hard going, even though you get the walking breaks! D3 will seem a breeze

[IcanandIwill Graduate in reply to Steve_L]

Hey Steve,

Wha is week 6 hard? I was looking forward to something easier than today.....

[secan Graduate in reply to IcanandIwill]

That depends on how you tackle it.

Many of us begun W6 still on a high for the successful W5R3 and ended up running at a slightly over-optimistic pace.

So W6 can be hard if you don't pay extra attention to your pace.

[JHutch Graduate in reply to secan]

I think you nailed it there secan - after running 20 minutes, there is a tendency to get overconfident and push too hard for the first runs of week 6. Slow and steady!!

[Steve_L Graduate in reply to IcanandIwill]

I think it's the intervals that do it. Stopping running, and starting again, can be hard! Like secan said, too, you're still on a bit of a high after W5d3, and it can be a surprise to find it hard work. However, you've done the breakthrough run now, and you know you can keep going!

Good luck with it!

[Irishprincess Graduate]

Brilliant! That's a biggie and you should feel very proud of yourself, so very well done. Be a bit careful of the next run as a lot of people get caught out on it, just take it slowly and you will be fine.

[IcanandIwill Graduate in reply to Irishprincess]

Same question to you as I sent to Steve - why is week 6 so hard? I was hoping for something easier!

[jt24 Graduate in reply to IcanandIwill]

I've just done week6 runs 1&2. My take is that they feel harder because you have that euphoric feeling of cracking 20 minutes on week 5 and you think that because you ran 20 minutes straight that going back to intervals would feel 'easy' on your body and that you should cope mentally.

Wasn't like that for me! Run 1 seemed hard, run 2 was ok but the feeling of dread of knowing that 25 minutes is next and then that's me- 25 minutes and increasing for the rest of time(!) is playing right into my gremlins' twisted psyche!

Run 3 is 2mo... eeek!!

[Irishprincess Graduate in reply to IcanandIwill]

Because W6 is back to interval running and after the euphoria of the W5R3 run a lot of people struggle with it and find it hard. Strangely enough continuous running seems easier! But take it very slow and you will be ok.

[JoolieB1 Graduate]

Well done, it is a real breakthrough run, fantastic and you to,d yourself to keep going when u wanted to stop! Week 6 is great but a little challenging too but slow and steady, u will do it!! 😀

[B0bP Graduate]

Congratulations, it's the run that shows you that you are a runner 😀

Bob

[IcanandIwill Graduate in reply to B0bP]

oh.....I like the sound of that.....I'm a runner. Yippee

[yamiskoi Graduate]

Yay! Well done. This was a big run for everyone who's done it, and you did it! You managed those last 2 minutes and that sets you up really well for the challenges ahead. Congratulations!

[Butchdingle Graduate]

I agree this is a hard run 20 mins non stop is hard but you have done it and should be very proud of yourself I was last week.As others have said week 6 run 1 & 2 were harder than I thought but looking forward to run 3.

[PumpKim Graduate]

Well done. The most significant run of the programme in the bag!