Week 5 - feeling good, but seems impossible!!

[MrsQ]

Hey, so I started the programme at the start of March, and after taking 2 weeks out with an ankle injury, I have made it to week 5! I'm amazed at how it's possible to go from running 60 seconds and feeling out of breath, to now completing 5 mins a few times in a row!

However, looking forwards-it seems as though there are some very big time jumps over this week...I thought it would be a lot more gradual...maybe a week working up to 8-10 mins, then 15 etc....didn't think that it would go straight from running for 5 mins last Sunday, to running 20 by this Sunday! Is this jump really as big as it seems??

W5R1 on Tuesday was good, doing the 2x8 mins of W5R2 tonight, but then to go straight to 20?? I'd have thought my head would convince me around 6/7mins that that's nearly done-not only half way through! Any advice for ignoring brain gremlins?ha!

EDIT: Tuesday (5r1) was great, Thursday (5r2) felt ok, although was ready for a break at 6-7mins but persevered. Sunday ran home from church (w5r3) so it was the big 20mins in a row...slowed my pace down to 6-7mins/km and made it through!! Lots of self doubt-but all for no reason!! It turns out my BODY knew what to do, and the challenge was ALL IN MY HEAD!! Thanks for advice!!!

[Carolinemcd Graduate]

Kick that gremlin into touch!! You are totally ready for this week. If you read the posts in the week 5 bit you'll see we all go through the same thing. And we all come out the other side, victorious. It's easier said than done but try focus on the run you are doing tonight and ignore run 3.

I got stuck on week 2 because I didn't think I could ever run 30 minutes and week 3 isn't even 30 minutes!! It's so easy to get caught up with expectations that you talk yourself out of the whole thing. Keep slow and you will be fine.

[MrsQ Graduate in reply to Carolinemcd]

After you posted that, I thought id have a quick look at similar posts-it appears everyone feels this way! So thank you!!

I'm actually looking forward to Run 2 tonight as I felt pretty good at the end of the 5mins on Tuesday so 8 should be a good increase. Plus, I'm running home from work so at least it means I HAVE to get through it, otherwise I'm stuck!

Maybe I shouldn't have looked ahead-I'll think about this one, and run3 can be tomorrows worry!! The distance isn't a concern, as I often have to walk another 1.5km to actually get home after Laura says I've finished, its the continuous run that's doing it!

Thanks for the advice!

[AnneDroid Graduate in reply to MrsQ]

Glad you've looked at other posts. I think you'll see that everyone feels apprehensive at the stage you've reached. But the program has, as Rignold says, been very thoroughly worked out by brainy scienty peeps who know what they're doing. It's designed to be hard enough to push us but not hard enough to injure us. I favour following it to the letter and believing in it. Apart from anything else, if I can do it anyone can!

You'll be totally buzzing at the end of Week 5, by the way.

[MrsQ Graduate in reply to AnneDroid]

Week 5 run 2

So I've just done w5r2 (2 x 8 min runs with a walk of 5mins in between). I found at the 6/7min stage of the 1st run I was about ready to walk-fortunately a set of traffic lights came up very handily and it meant I could pause for a second and wait for them to change...I found the same thing in the 2nd 8minute run too although I pushed past this one and kept going. At the end I've never done the cool down walk so slowly in my whole time!!

My question is-do I repeat this run again...as there's no way I can do the 20mins (w5r3) as I did today. Or am I overthinking it and just try the 20minute run and repeat both next week if necessary??

Thanks!!

[Rignold]

This leap is simultaneously as big as it seems, in the sense of being a giant leap for you as a runner, but one that is well within your grasp, and almost no leap at all because you have traied to get to this point.

Almost everyone questions 5/3 but almost everyone achieves it.

I questioned it when I did it and thought I wouldn't manage it because I had expecte a ore gradual linear change. But that was because I was nervous and insecure and had only been running for 5 weeks at that time, whereas the people wh worked out this programme are scientificnessists who know a thing or two about learning to running and progressive overload programming and so on. £ years, an awful lot of miles, many gallons of sweat (ugh!) and thousands of gym hours, a heap of studying books and courses later, I understand a bot more of the scientificnessisminess behind the seemingly random leaps and equally random looking tiny increments. Progression is not linear. The only thing that continues as a constant is the consistency you apply. There are times when we suddenly catapult forward - embrace these bits. there are other times when we grind away making progress inly in inches. Grit your teeth and get through these bits. It's all part of the journey.

Look forward to your your post 5/3 report. Just wait till 6/1. lol

[Catk]

If it becomes too much psychologically, just leave the app at home once or twice and just go for a casual run without worrying about time. One day, I just fancied a run without without having to commit to any length of time and I ran for 12 minutes before I had technically got to that stage on the programme. I stopped following the programme when I found I could run for longer because it made it feel worse some how. Now I run 5k not quite happily yet, but feeling strong!

[MrsQ Graduate]

Week 5 run 2

So I've just done w5r2 (2 x 8 min runs with a walk of 5mins in between). I found at the 6/7min stage of the 1st run I was about ready to walk-fortunately a set of traffic lights came up very handily and it meant I could pause for a second and wait for them to change...I found the same thing in the 2nd 8minute run too although I pushed past this one and kept going. At the end I've never done the cool down walk so slowly in my whole time!!

My question is-do I repeat this run again...as there's no way I can do the 20mins (w5r3) as I did today. Or am I overthinking it and just try the 20minute run and repeat both next week if necessary??

Thanks!!

[Jaxdreamer Graduate]

I have the 20 mins to face this week too and it does seem rather daunting but as there are so many people on here promising it's doable I am going to take that with me. You will do fantastic - believe in yourself!

[MrsQ Graduate in reply to Jaxdreamer]

You too!! Good luck on your run!