I can't run without a football!

[sHAYM4N]

Hey all, started the program a month ago and so far have managed to keep to it. Have never enjoyed running, unless it was football, but really enjoying it now!

Finished Week 4R2 today, and this week is the first one I've found to be a real struggle so may have to repeat it a few times Always the last 5 minuter that kills me off! Manage half of it but need a minutes walk to complete the rest. Tend to get back pain at that point but fitness wise don't feel too bad. A little bit conscious about the 20 minute next week as well, so will have to crack this!

Seem to be averaging about 2 - 2.6 miles over the course of the podcast, so trying to pace myself still. (Last run strava.com/activities/66279...

Great to read all your posts, really helped to keep the motivation going. My girlfriend has joined a running club and is eager for me to join, but really want to crack this on my own first. Think being able to motivate myself to run alone first will be key for me to keep this up!

Also think I may struggle mentally a bit with it, the longer gaps until Laura speaks seem to get to me towards the end, I keep thinking oh it must be only another 30 seconds and then she tells me its another 2 and a half minutes! :D. Does anyone have any tips for keeping your mind occupied off of the run itself? I'm wondering because I morning run first thing without any breakfast or anything if I should get up an hour earlier for a snack, could be the energy levels dropping too?

[brightspice Graduate]

Don't look ahead to the 20 mins yet. By the time you reach that point you'll be ready for it. Instead look back at what you've achieved so far, from the humble beginnings of W1R1!

[Bluerockdragon Graduate]

Hi sHAYM4N, I just did W4R2 today too. I hate it when Laura says "just another two and a half minutes". A "one minute to go" would be fine.

When I used to go to the gym (2 years ago now) I used to get up earlier to have a snack and water but it became a barrier to me actually getting out the house. It was too easy to start thinking about work or emails or breakfast. Now I just get my hand-held bottle of water and go. Taking water with your on your run might help, just a sip or two once you get your breath back during the walking stages.

Good luck for w4d3, I'm aiming to do that on Friday.

[sHAYM4N Graduate in reply to Bluerockdragon]

Definitely thanks, and good luck to yourself! Are you running mon,wed,fri by any chance? Not sure if I should be trying Sunday too! Weekend seems a long break at the moment.

I work from home so definitely can relate to the distractions, though may try the stretches today to try and reduce the chances of any back niggles tomorrow

[Bluerockdragon Graduate in reply to sHAYM4N]

This is the first week I've done Mon, Wed and Friday. Although I work from home too, I travel a lot with work so plan my running around the days I'm away. This week I'm at home all week and out on Saturday and Sunday so it worked out really well

Good luck for tomorrow.

[McFitty Graduate]

Strangely I really struggled with week 3 and seemed to find week four slightly easier. Not sure why. I know exactly where you're coming from with the interminable 'wait' for Laura to tell you that you can stop. One day I was literally begging "please, please, it's got to be soon". All I can suggest, judging by the distance you're doing, is that you try and slow it down, and then slow down a bit more! Start as slow as you can. The distance right now is unimportant. It's building the stamina and endurance that will get you to running 30 minutes non stop. Take it slow. Make sure you're hydrated and you will find your body adapts to the extra effort that's being asked of it. Good luck with the next run

[Vanessa291 Graduate]

I think exactly what mcfatty has said. Good luck with the next one. I found week 4 the hardest. I'm on week 7 now, but I am super slow.

[OldPossum]

I always have half a banana and a glass of water before I go out, I'm also an early morning runner. All the top athletes seem to snack on bananas ! 😀

[Bluerockdragon Graduate in reply to OldPossum]

I tried your tip this morning. Felt a little like I was going to get a stitch so I'll pick a smaller banana next time! Thanks for the good idea.

[OldPossum in reply to Bluerockdragon]

Sure I read somewhere or maybe Laura said in the podcast that you need to drink water before you run to prevent stitch. I might be wrong but hopefully someone else will come along who remembers.

[AnnieW55]

What McFatty said 😀 . Although it probably doesn't seem possible, going r e e a a l l l y y slow (think I could walk faster than this) is the key. Straight forward running is different to playing football, in that you need to build stamina to run longer distances, not fitness for short bursts. Speed comes later.

I'm an early morning runner sometimes on a cup or two of tea before going out but usually, like this morning straight up an out (training for a half marathon and this morning was a fast - for me - 7km run) I needed to be back by a certain time so no time for anything but getting out there. Do you have the older c25k podcast/ap that plays Laura's wonderful 😄 Music? If not try downloading that as the music can be a distraction - it can be a marmite distraction but could help you learn to zone out 😉.

Good luck with the rest of the programme, don't forget to let us know how it's going.

[sHAYM4N Graduate in reply to AnnieW55]

By the sounds of it, think I have the old one yes! Music from week 1 was still my favourite hah, not so keen on this weeks (I'll blame it on that too!)

Great tip on the difference with running with football. Think the mental block for me is that, it's time based and not speed/distance based so will try to keep reminding myself of that!

Good luck with the 1/2 marathon & training!

[sHAYM4N Graduate]

Thanks all! Great advice, feel determined to crack it now tomorrow! If I manage it, think I'll still maybe repeat it once just to make sure. Run1 of week5 looks similar so hopefully should help me nail this one down too.

I've been taking a running water bottle with me and drink plenty during the walks but will try the banana and have another glass before I set off Will also try to slow it down a bit more too, I try to just jog at a rate momentum carries me! Weirdly slower I sometimes find harder work. Downhill or flat feel fine, uphills of any kind seem to wear me down a lot, especially at the end. Plan to end on a downhill this time to give me a bit of a morale boost!

I think the back pain I get later on may be from being straight out of bed too, so will try the stretches today and in the morning

I've been running Mon, Weds, Friday every week so far just to keep it simple, so have a double rest day at the weekend, but feel it may set me back a bit on the Monday too?

Just wondering if that's what most people have done, or whether I'd benefit from just making it every other day? I guess if I kept up to it I'd end up a little ahead of the programme, but would also give a few extra running days to repeat as needed. I'm going on holiday in 5 weeks too so even without repeats it will be a challenge to graduate before then. Going to be hot in the algarve (hopefully) but still hoping to get a few runs in whilst I'm down there.

[OldPossum in reply to sHAYM4N]

Everyone is different but if I struggle with a run I actually find a 2 day break helps me and I go back out refreshed and fighting.

[90ldfinch Graduate]

Hi sHAYM4N, regarding your rest days- just do what feels best for you. I started off doing the Mon/Wed/Fri & weekend off pattern.

After several weeks, I switched to the every other day pattern, because I felt it was a "wasted" day.

As OldPossum says, a double rest-day can certainly recharge the batteries.

Enjoy your running

[sHAYM4N Graduate in reply to 90ldfinch]

Excellent thanks, will see how I go tomorrow then see about Sunday. It may just give me that extra time to repeat a few that I struggle on

[sHAYM4N Graduate]

strava.com/activities/66508...

Cracked it! Totally different story today! Slowed down a little, kept a bit of energy for the last 5 minutes and even felt like I could go further (albeit after another bit of a walk hah!)

I altered my route a little earlier in the week which I don't think helped, there's a pretty steepish hill which falls on the first 5 minutes (and the first half of the run is a gradual incline), which I normally tackle but wimped out of it on Wednesday, and overshot my usual finishing point so needed a turn back (think this was also a mental block).

Today decided to attack the hill and it worked! Having the last 3 and 5 minutes being mostly downhill helped but still tried to keep it slow and steady to the end.

Feel a lot more confident about week 5 now, but plan on repeating this on a different route Sunday just to make sure.

Thanks all for your advice!

[Bluerockdragon Graduate in reply to sHAYM4N]

Well done! Hills in the wrong place are a killer. I discovered that a bulldozer had flattened one of mine this morning, which was nice. It was a tiny one though.