I must keep going , I must keep going ...

[Lisakcm]

Don't know what the hell is going on got to week 7 and it all went Pete tong !! Went back and did week 6 twice , then negotiated with myself 3 X 20 mins a week up till it was okay as I just couldn't face the 25 mins , tried it twice and just couldn't do it . Went out on my new negotiated plan twice and couldn't do that either . What's going on I've already ran for 20 mins ages ago !!! Tonight was going to end it (jogging not my life😁) . Re-re negotiated that I would do run 10 walk 3 run 10 . So that's still ok ish , I'm going to do this 3 times a week for a while before I can even think of moving on . So pleased I actually went out and didn't end it 👍🏼

[heavyhorse Graduate]

That's the gremlins negotiating with you, to make you doubt you can do it! Have faith in yourself and in c25k and you will manage your 25 min runs,if you have made it this far you will be ready just go really slow, pay attention to breathing in and out and maybe try a different place to run, that can confuse the gremlins too. If it helps run for 10 minutes, then tell yourself you will just run on to the next tree/corner/junction etc. and when you get there try to get to a slightly further marker and just keep going. I found as soon as I thought I was ' allowed' to stop soon the Gremlins buggered off and I could keep on going! Good luck and keep at it!

[bulgarianlily Graduate]

This might sound crazy but why not think about doing a parkrun?  You could easily run part of it, and walk the rest? It might get you over this hump. 

[Lisakcm in reply to bulgarianlily]

😳 a little alarming but good idea thanks 

[rich_wolves Graduate]

Chill out. Same happened for me. Don't get hung up over it. Just move on when your body is ready. It's not a competition . You'll do it

[Lisakcm in reply to rich_wolves]

Just so disappointing but yeah your right 👍🏼

[jill2304]

you must keep going...you must keep going lol....a huge well done for not giving up, xx

[Toomy]

Hi there - you know I'm struggling with w7, but I've come to the conclusion what the hell does it matter and I'm still getting out for 20 mins! Just keep it slow, steady build up stamina and keep going! The important thing is you are still going out and not giving up....may just take a it longer and that's OK. I've started doing strength and flex on other days, this could help a bit?  Don't give it up you've come too far and even 2x 10 mins is an achievement 😊👊👊

[Lisakcm in reply to Toomy]

That's what I think now too at least I'm actually out and off the couch even if it was all walking it's more than I did previously 

[VikkiHigg Graduate]

I graduated last year but have never done the whole 5k in one run, the thing is to push yourself that little bit further each time - not by a km but like heavyhorse said, when you think you just cant go any further, make yourself do 5 more steps or go to the next tree. As long as you're still moving it still counts so dont get too hung up on it! Weeks 6 onwards were a huge jump just take it at your own pace (plus 5 steps!)

[Newtrainers Graduate]

Don't worry I hated week 7, felt I had stepped backwards I managed to complete the 3 runs but thought I was dying😫 Posted on here for advice should I repeat the advice back was a renouncing NO, so moved to 8  without too much of a problem although still very hard!  It doesn't matter how long it takes you will get there in the end.  I've been at it since 2nd week in Jan and I'm only just stating week 9.  Good luck for your next run, think about that feeling after you've had a doable run. Xxx

[Anniemurph Graduate]

You're doing brilliantly, so don't sweat it!  There's some good advice already on here, but you could also try leaving an extra day or so to make sure that your muscles are well-rested.  As you extend your running you might find that you need the rest days more.  Sorry, I don't know how fit you are - I was terribly unfit when I started and needed two and sometimes three or four days between the runs towards the end of the programme.  Make sure also that you are well-hydrated and have eaten well (but not too well ) before you start.  Then it is just the mind-games, so try a different route, run your normal route backwards, go 'just' to the next lamp post/junction/tree, run to the end of this song etc.  Or turn all the electronics off and just run.

You can do it!

[Lisakcm in reply to Anniemurph]

Think you may right regarding the rest days I'm very unfit other than doing c25k I go everywhere in the car . Plus due to shifts have to go out 2 nights in a row 

Thanks for the reply 

[yatesco Graduate]

Hey - you are doing really well! It is really hard to keep going when you don't get it first time - let alone the second and third time! Seriously - well done.

The best thing I read was to just slow down even more. If you end up running slower than you would walk - that's fine. The important thing to do is to just keep moving.

Regarding your renegotiation, I wonder whether that is actually holding you back. I read a really good article which concluded that the distance you set yourself is the distance which you will probably make and no more. Close to that distance is when the body will start telling the brain to stop.

I experienced this myself - my week 9 runs were all about 3.7k after 30 minutes, and I was _done_. My first post-graduate run was 5K - I was aiming for 5k regardless of the time (41 minutes I think?). I just went out, really slowly and just kept moving. 30 minutes passed without me even noticing it, where previously I would have been ready to stop. The 5K didn't feel any harder than the 3.7k even though it was a 33% longer run. 

The gem - it turns out, is that I was actually running pretty much the same speed on both my 3.7k graduation run and my 5k post-graduation run. Had you told me on my graduation run that I would hit a 5k a few days later, I would have chuckled politely and thought 'get a grip' :-).

In other words, I wonder if you are fighting the mental gremlins rather than the physical ones.

My advice is to stop giving yourself permission to fail :-), get back on the week 7 plan and go really really slowly. Yep, even slower than before. Make sure you relax into it - if you are anxious it tightens up everything/restricts breathing etc. and just makes everything much worse. To help, why not give yourself permission to take a 30 second walk break whenever you need it, but then to continue running for the full duration (with as many 30 second walk breaks as you need)? You could structure it so you take a 30 second walk break IF you need it every 10 minutes?

Above all - you CAN do it - you have already run far more than week 7 requires (albeit in different bits).

Just my advice that wiser people than me might argue with :-).

Regardless - you are doing really well, please don't see any of this as failure or indications that you should give up - quite the opposite - your determination proves you ARE a runner :-).

[jt24 Graduate in reply to yatesco]

 No arguments with yatesco  

Gremlins sound like the cause. 

If you want to run you need to run through them all, like a bowling ball trundling along and knocking skittles aside. It doesn't have to be fast and it doesn't have to pretty, just a forward momentum until the end.

It sounds like you want to do it so go and smash them! Bit violent, sorry, but they are devastating wee blighters that are getting the upper hand here.

I agree with the restructure and short walk breaks to the end, don't let yourself 'cut short' the time and feel defeated.

You've done it before and with no imminent injury or illness you will do it again- got to turn your mind set around and get believing again.

Good luck

[Lisakcm in reply to yatesco]

I really don't think I could go any slower and I'm not exaggerating ! But you do give very good advice even if I don't like the sound of it (the negotiating). 

Thanks for taking the time out to reply I will keep you posted 👍🏼

[Lisakcm in reply to yatesco]

Hmmm think you may be right regarding the negotiating didn't realise it was the gremlins butting in ! I really really couldn't go any slower but some good advice there👍🏼 . I must say I'm quite surprised at my determination I may just well be a runner in the making 😊

[Icanrun Graduate]

There were two weeks that I repeated.  One was Week 5, which Laura said you could, and then I also got stuck at not being able to run for 25 mins.  I did manage it after an additional week, so just persevere and you will be fine. You will look back on this as a temporary blip, which I can now.

[runswithdogs Graduate]

Never give up.  Even if you did week six for the rest of your life, that's great.  Try a new route, new tunes. Or keep on modifying things for how you want to run them.  There are no rules.  Lots of us go back to walking intervals after graduating, it's all good stuff.  You're doing great.