Please explain w6r1

[marie0711]

Please someone explain why this run was so tough??? After last week I was really looking forward to progress but feel I've slipped back...Was looking forward to putting a smiley face at the end of this run 😩

[runningnearbeirut Graduate]

It's completely normal to find W6R1 tough. Tougher than W5R3 which seems completely wrong, but it happens.

I think it's psychological. You have a high from thinking, "yes I did it!" when you finish W5R3. And rightly so. You expected it to be terrible and very hard work. But then you look at W6R1 and think - "easy". Surprisingly enough, it's not. If it was, you could have done it in W2.

Keep going, it is worth it!!

[DawnRun]

You haven't slipped back. The course was designed that way. There are many reasons why W6 R1 is a bit of a surprise. It's a good idea to go back to walk/running after W5 R3. Each stage is a new challenge. In most cases this means run slower and enjoy it. You don't say why exactly you found it tough but if you do find it tough during the run, slow down.

[marie0711 in reply to DawnRun]

I don't know really,I kept telling myself you did 20 mins last run just keep it slow and steady and it's "only" short runs you got 3 mins recovery but the runs seemed to last forever and I was struggling when the last 60 secs came up I was chanting in 10 second bursts,plus I only got about an hours sleep last night and my anxiety has been really high the past few days so mentally and physically I was already feeling drained...anyway I did it,it was another run completed,closer to my goal and even though I am not feeling euphoric I'm still going and still determined to pursue my changes for a better life.

[iain-strachan Graduate in reply to marie0711]

I expect the lack of sleep took its toll on you. Very sorry to hear about the anxiety you're suffering. Might be a good idea to postpone doing a run till you can do it feeling refreshed and relaxed. I'm sure I wouldn't even get through it if I'd only had an hour's sleep. I do volunteer night shifts for a charity, and after one of those I'm absolute rubbish the next day!

[DawnRun in reply to marie0711]

Yes, well you answered your own question yourself there maybe. It surely will affect you worrying about the run or other things the night before. You have done probably, in my view, the hardest two runs (they are all hard/easy in their own way), and you are still there, so we are defeating all the negative things that before we started the course we might have allowed to defeat us. Getting through those two runs was the best achievement of the couch25K plan for me, and I didn't worry about runs after that stage. In any case, there is no harm in redoing these runs.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

I think week six is always harder and sometimes I think it is a mental thing. We are so bowled over and happy after completing our first 20min run our brains forget that it was hard as well, so you go out thinking you can conquer any run and week six tend to bring you back down to earth with a bump. The good news is that it does help to keep you mindful of not overdoing it too soon, so it does have a purpose. It will just get better from now 😀.

[iain-strachan Graduate]

Michael Johnston said at the start that W6R1 was to "consolidate" the progress you'd made so far.

Sorry to hear you found it a struggle. For what it's worth, I found W5R1 to be a struggle. I think maybe I had the pace too high, like you thinking it was going to be easier than the W4 runs as the total amount of running is 15 minutes compared to 16 minutes for the W4 runs. So I found myself getting out of breath towards the end of the 5 minute stretches.

However, I treated W5R2 with MUCH more respect (and it was on the hottest day of the year! I waited till 9pm by which time the temperature had dropped to a "mere" 28 degrees C). I must have paced myself better and found I finished it quite easily. R3 was a challenge but I also completed it relatively easily.

I wonder if the same thing happened to you when you did W6R1? Again, the time required to run drops from 20 mins to 18 mins. This morning I took it very steadily for the first two segments, but speeded up for the last 5 minute segment by lengthening my stride, and finished it without a struggle (whereas I would have said W5R1 was a struggle). Don't forget also it's a longer time workout as there is an extra 6 minutes brisk walking between sessions.

I think the moral is to treat all the runs with respect, and not to think of any of them as easy. If you want to try speeding up, save it for the end of the run, and not wear yourself out at the beginning.

Good luck for W6R2! I'm probably going to do it on Wednesday - I think it'll be quite a challenge, so I'll be treating it with respect!

[marie0711 in reply to iain-strachan]

Thank you for your insight I agree with you completely upon reflection and I think this forum gives good support for reflecting and taking on board others experiences...run 2 for me will be on Wednesday too so we shall see how it goes...I've just watched hidden gems vlog on week 6 that was interesting and good to know that it wasn't just me finding week 6 a bit tough and hopeful those longer runs give more time to pace steadier. Good luck for Wednesdays run 🏃

[iain-strachan Graduate in reply to marie0711]

Thanks - just watched it too! I'll treat Run 2 with extra respect. Interesting that the continuous runs seem easier than the ones with walk breaks.

[marie0711 in reply to iain-strachan]

Hope your run was a success today!! Mine was I thoroughly took on board your words of "respect" for each run,thank you!

[iain-strachan Graduate in reply to marie0711]

So glad I was able to help, and very pleased it went well. Yes, mine went fine - have just done it in the lunch break. Thought there might be a problem having been out drinking the night before with a relative ( a "double second-cousin" - see if you can work that one out!), but the 3 pints indulgence seemed to have worn off by lunchtime, and fuelled with a banana consumed 15 minutes before it seemed to go pretty well.

I've also invented a "mantra" for myself to tell myself I'm doing fine. Instead of "strong and stable", it's "calm and confident". I figure if I tell myself that often enough that I am then I will be!

[Whatsapp Graduate]

A lot of people caught out on this one. On paper W5R3 looks terrifying, but isn't. W6 in comparison looks like an easy week, but isn't.

Its harder partly because you may have been expecting something easy after your triumph of W5R3, so it catches you off guard. And its harder because, it is a longer session, you are running/ walking for longer - you will find you cover more ground during this week than you did last week.

It will all be worth it though!