OK, so I'm on week 7 of couch to 5k and I was really enjoying it to start with. Now I'm onto these longer runs I feel like my enthusiasm has disappeared completely and its a complete slog to do. So much so I've onyl done 2 runs in 2 weeks, which isn't great at I'm only covering 3.2km and i have my first 5k run in 4 weeks time.
So at what point do you start enjoying it and stop thinking geeze my legs are gonna give way and I hate this???
I know your feeling. In my first few weeks i really suprised myself and enjoyed the feeling.
Now in on week 6 and my runs have bigger breaks inbetween than in earlier runs andnim finding them really hard.
I always manage to complete them very slowly but am feeling the same as you are.
Lets keep each other pushing forward to complete C25K 😀
i'm hoping as the weather breaks and the parks dry up i'll enjoy it a bit more, i'm fed up of running around the houses and by the time the kids are in bed its too dark to go running down the cycle track or along the beach on my own, not that anything would happen, but I'm a bit of a wimp. I tried to go through the park the other day and nearly ended up knee deep in the mud so cut the run short, so now I have to redo the run again lol.
I know. Ive started on a rural road but and really got comfortable but then the weather turned and thungs changed and i did a few around a local park in the eve. Not my best choice. When im back in my comfort zone on my rural road im not too bad but otherwise i feel up against it.
I know ive got to change my runnu g environment eventually but i guess im a creature of habit also.
I hoping the weather will get better and so will i 😀
i suppose when we look back to just 6 weeks ago, we've already come and very long way!! we must keep focusing on the positives. in another 6 weeks we may be running for 40+ minutes and thinking its hard and then realise 6 weeks before we were only doing 25 mins!
Once you graduate you can start mixing things up and experimenting with what you might enjoy. Short fast runs? Building up to longer slow runs? Run-walks? All of the above? The world will be your oyster, there is no wrong answer.
When I'm having a running slump I also like to try new songs, new running routes or jumping back to an early week of the program because I find it a great pick-me-up.
Happy running. Sometimes it's a slog, but fortunately it's temporary.
After the highs of Week 5, and Week 6 R3, its possible to feel a bit flat. Just running now...but these runs are when you can start relaxing and learning about pacing your runs. You know you can do 25 mins, but do you know that for the first 10 mins your body is trying to take on oxygen to cope with the exertion. Until there is enough oxygen in your bloodstream you will feel puffed, and it will be hard work...you may notice the difference once you push past this and your breathing relaxes.. This is a normal known phenomenon sometimes called the toxic ten.
I found that by starting my run very slowly, I didn't feel so puffed and by blowing out a few long breaths when things felt a bit tight, it helped me through that first phase. Knowing what was happening helped me.
Changing your route and some better weather will help too!😊
Keep going you are doing brilliantly and will soon be running for 30 mins, and I hope enjoying your running.😊x
Lowrie...don’t despair...not every run is enjoyable...but, we’re out there running & that is much more enjoyable than sitting on the couch...what 5k are you doing??? Can you not run/Walk????
I don’t do 5k when I’m out & I don’t always do 30 mins but whatever I do I enjoy...yes, sometimes I want to stop but I just remember the feeling I get when I’ve been out...there’s no pressure to do 5k or 30 mins....it took me ages to get my head around that & feeling like a failure...but I’m out there three times a week, I graduated in Oct and my legs are still learning...as are my lungs & head...please keep at it, you won’t always enjoy your runs but any run is better than no run...stay on here & read other people’s runs & you will see that you’re not alone x
Thank you! I very ambitiously signed myself up t a 5k run for a local childrens hospice just before i started the c25k course. Considering i couldnt rin for even 30 seconds at the time im now thinking maybe i was a bit ambitious as the run is in 4 weeks time so i should graduate just 2 weeks before the run! Ill give it a go and if i have to walk for a few mins so be it. It makes it even harder that its going to be on sand!
You will be fine by then honestly...don’t worry about it & don’t overthink your running...just run...it will come naturally before you know it & you’ll be running with a smile xx
Gosh Lowrie you are a Wonder Woman.🌟
I have been trying to catch up with your posts,replies and your story.Just amazing and I am in awe.🤔
I have been trying to empathise and wondering why I cannot.But I am glad I have found your story and probably have to re read it less I misunderstand and miss something.🙈🤔
Well here is what I am not and you are,
Very busy mother, with responsibilities and trying to satisfy your young daughters running interests also🤔 and probably much more.
A woman who has acheived an unbelievable success with your weight loss programme.🤔
A woman that was persuing🤔this programme initially and with your running friend c1air3🤔and enjoying it🤔
A woman with demands on her self about Parkrun ambitions🤔
A woman that is now asking this question with this post.Sympathy you do not need,🤔 my empathy you have but I am struggling to find and my admiration is a whole heartedly given.
Well here is my attempt as a novice runner, but a senior who is just beginning my running life and is pleased I found this forum.
Your opportunities,
Settle into the remainder of your runs🤔just take them one at a time, one foot at a time, and give yourself the space and time to do that.🤔
The weather, has been rubbish, and there will be many things against you, the programme is not ,trust it, and take it at your own pace.🤔
Do not bring other pressures on yourself about parkruns,times,pace, other goals and expectations.🤔.You have such passion, such achievement and no fear🤔, I am asking why is Lowrie asking and missing the enjoyment🤔
Your are building a running body and your running brain and you have already achieved huge body changes.You are going too fast.Be kind to yourself.🤔
All the advise from this wonderful forum in their replies🤔
Slow down, not just while you are doing your runs and getting your oxygen on board , also your programme and ambitions until you find that enjoyment switch again.🤔 This is there for you.Leave your tension behind when you go for your run🤔👏👏🏃♀️🌟
Bluebirdrunner’s toxic ten,🤔 it helps just to know that medical fact and delay and start slow and stay slow.🤔 until you feel this enjoyment.
Keep with it, and what you are achieving is inspiring.💫
I have tried to catch up with your story and the replies and sincerely I am trying to be constructive, to your already huge success, and it is public,🤔
But I do hope it helps you find your joy of running.🌟👏👏
I will follow your journey with great interest.👏👏.
As a person who maybe thinks ,if 1986 is the obvious,I am up there with your grandparents.🤔👏👏😂😂😂
Thank you so much for your reply. You are right. I need to take thinhs a bit slower amd remember why i started this journey in the first place. I plan to go for a run today so this time i will jisy relax, enjoy my music and try not to focus on how many minutes are left, more about what scenery i am passing 
Way to go Lowrie🌟👏👏
Keep bringing your gems and inspiring this forum.🌟👏👏
Enjoy.💫
I was so worried for you and trying to connect with your amazing story.🤔
Remember also as per this very understanding forum no pressure, other stuff, if running is not for you.I hope not and there I can empathise.🌟👏👏
What Tbae said 😄
The first time I tried running, my aim was to run 5K in under 35 mins so I would look good doing a Park Run. I achieved 5K but never got anywhere near 35 mins. Was miserable and the running just sort of petered out. This time, I found this forum and listened to the excellent advice. And I realised the importance of taking it slow, and to stop being obsessed with targets. Now I just enjoy the running 😄
When we were running 25 mins we were like you just above 3.2k and only just outside of the ‘Gosh this is tough now” zone. But now at 30 minutes you get past the dead legs bit and know that you can go for a bit longer if you wanted to. We are currently doing 4.1k ish so I am sure it is well within your reach too.
Probably when you just focus on the fact that you are running, just because you can. You have had some great replies, all helpful..
Take this steady and slow and relax.. the weather has challenged many of us.. , snowy, icy wet and muddy and you have had your fair share...I am in awe of the super Mamas like you, who have the energy and will-power to do this.. easy for me as a retired oldie
Just relax in to these longer runs and slow down...the weather is.. gradually ?? improving, the days are getting lighter...
Think what you have done.. and what you are surely going to do...you will get there... honestly!
Thank you oldfloss everyone has been so helpful and so supportive if really has given me that boost to keep going and fet out there agin today... even though it is snowing again! What is up with this weather?! I was in sandals 4 days ago!
I was in 16 degrees running on Friday... white over, here at the coast now and real feel Minus 9...
Go you... just go out and have a relaxed run... imagine all the houses are great brick giants...give them names, and characters.... it will soon be time for warmer runs.. and then we shall all be complaining about the heat
Absolutely true! I love the lottle game for the houses would certainly make time go quicker!
The majority of people have at least one run in Weeks 7-9 which is a thoroughly unenjoyable slog.
But you've piled some extra expectations onto C25K, plus it is clearly proving difficult to make room for running in your life, so you are trying to run carrying a heavier load...
Those of us who use the podcast presentation do have some interesting bits and bobs to motivate us, in sometimes strange ways, in the later weeks.
You are doing great, think how far you have already come!
Don’t worry about the 5k event, many people will do some walking. Run what you can and walk the rest. Enjoy 😃🏃🏼♀️
Lowrie I don’t think I can add much to the fantastic advice you’ve had already. But I do know that if you follow it and just keep going you’ll get over this blip and things will start to come together and you’ll be enjoying it. Take it slow and steady and hope you find your running mojo soon.
If you do a search in the forum you will find many posts where others (including myself) have gone through phases where we’ve lost our Mojo but if you keep going your mojo will return.
Each week on the plan you are increasing the demands by duration stepping up every three runs. After graduation we recommend that you do some consolidation runs just for fun. Run somewhere beautiful and inspiring, forget about pace and distance, look at your environment and relish it.
Not everybody does learn to love the effort of running, but in my opinion that is often because they are pushing too hard. Slow down.
Hey! I've only just started so might not be the best to give advice.....but my friend put me onto Strava. It's an App that tracks your run. I sync mine with my fitbit - but it's great, it analyses your run, your speed, your heart rate, effort and all sorts.
Watching myself get faster doing the same lap of the park and seeing the improvements I'm making even when I don't physically feel it has really motivated me! Also if others have done the same run you are placed on a leader board (you can set different levels of privacy if you don't want ppl to see your runs) but I've jumped up the leader board by almost 10 places doing laps of my local park.
Anyway - it's really motivated me as I love the feedback. Every run feels hard in the moment but then I come back and I can view my run and I think wow that's so great I am definitely getting better
Yes ive started using strava its fab tho no improvement pace or distance wise for me just yet but in time im sure there will be
That's great if it is working for you. I'd say though (assuming you are doing the NHS C25K programme which you may not be) the more common experience is for all the lovely apps to prove unhelpful during the programme itself... we get so many people coming on here saying they are not fast enough or not getting faster and being disheartened and distracted from the object of the programme which is to acquire the ability and habit of running continuously for 30 minutes on a regular basis.
Once you've got that achievement in the bag then yes, they can be jolly good fun and motivating.
It's all been said by the others that have responded. Just to say that I enjoyed it up to Week 6 and then found Week 7 a bit of a slog. However, have just done W8R1 and seem to have rediscovered my enthusiasm! So hopefully you will have some ups to balance the inevitable downs. Good luck with the running and especially the 5K run for the hospice. x 😀👍
It is a bit of a slog at times but hopefully you do get a bit of a buzz at the end when you feel good about having persevered. If there is any way you could buddy up with someone and run with company, it will make a big difference. Parkrun might be worth trying as it does give you a lift when you’re with other people. Hang in there.
I get most enjoyment from completing my runs and seeing the benefits physically and mentally. I'm sure better weather will help! 👍😁
please don't get disheartened. I remember feeling the same after failing the 20 minute run a couple of times! I just repeated it until I did it!! I graduated 2 weeks ago but I am very slow. I only cover 3k over 30 minutes! at the end of the day, we are running and improving all the time and the feeling after far out ways they slog some days! good luck, you can do it! xx
Well done on graduating thats amzing. I bet 9 or so weeks ago you couldnt have done what you do now! Im very slow to covering 3.2km with the warm up and down and the 25 mins run so pretty much the same as you! But like you say at the end of tje day we are running and i know 7 weeks ago i couldnt do what im doing now. I jist completed week 7 run 1 and i feel so much better after everyones support so thank you xx
I think it’s a case of perseverance which always pays off with most things in life. I found a lot of my early runs really hard but I knew I would improve. Now 5 years on and an everyday runner I will say that 90% of my runs I enjoy and the rest are hard but a means to an end. Keep persevering and you will get there.
So interesting ju ju, everyday runner🤔💫🏃♀️💫
Maybe we need to test your water supply.🤔😂😂
I need some of what your taking.🤔🙈
Five years is a bit of downer, for me.🙈😂😂
Much as we might like to, we are not around forever.🙈😂😂
Mentor gave a link on
something recently to do with the
NikoNiko technique and more.Japanese for smile🤔
That and my stamina I just might be able to be an every day runner and run forever.🤔👏👏🤔
When do you start to increase speed?
What do you listen to?
What running app do you use and why do you like it?
How do you set your pace when running outside?
At what point do you start finding the longer runs more enjoyable?
