First 5 minutes SOOO hard...

I've just finished week 6 - just like everyone else I can't believe I've come this far. I can get to the end of the longer runs without dying, and can still speak and just about climb the step to my front door, so I'm delighted with my overall progress. I know all the biological reasons why the first 5 minutes of each run is so hard - painful calves and bursting lungs - and I KNOW it gets better once this first 5 is done. My question - will this always happen, or will I get past this stage? What do pro athletes do to get over this? I warm up exactly as instructed, but it feels like I need to warm up for the warm up, if that makes sense?

[Rammy75]

As far as I’m aware, the 5 minute warm up is enough - I reckon it’ll get easier as the runs go on and you build up your ‘running base’. Maybe try and go a little slower in the first 5 minutes to ease yourself into the run?

I’d forget about the pro athletes, they’re a different breed!!!

[Millsie-J Graduate]

I think you are talking about the toxic ten. If so then yes it will always happen, takes me 12 mins of running to get through it.

Professional athletes and serious runners warm up for longer. But it only needs that if you are after a pb or to win a race. Either way you will always have the same oxygen deficit period to get through each time you run.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

So many posts about this.. and usually it is ten minutes.. the famous Toxic ten... It sometimes takes me much longer

"This is just the process everyone’s body goes through (even elite athletes!) at the start of aerobic exercise. When you start exercising, your muscles need more oxygen, but your body isn’t ready to up the supply right away. So you develop what’s called an oxygen debt, as you use up more than your aerobic systems can supply.

Once oxygen in the blood becomes particularly low, your brain takes action to remedy this, making your breathing more heavy and your heart pump stronger...

f you push through the Toxic 10, you will find your breathing slows and you settle into a nice rhythm. Exercising will become fun, even relaxing and you’ll realise you are really quite good at it! So it really is worth defeating the initial discomfort to reap the rewards."

Just keep it steady and keep it slow...it will begin to feel easier... not always but sometimes

[SlowLoris]

Yes it will get better. You will run for longer. You'll get to recognise what's happening and adjust for it. If it gets to be a struggle slow down a bit.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Pro athletes go through it too, which is why they warm up. Increase your warm up to see if that helps.

[Fishypieface Graduate]

You will get used to it and in time it will become easier to manage. Breathing-wise sometimes I don't even really notice it and sometimes it's a b*tch, like today! Stretching your calves well first will help, heels dips do a nice job of that. Good luck with the rest of the plan. Not too long now!