Preparing (mentally)...

[Updcreative]

Which week (if any), is the one most people remember find the most mentally challenging?

[Sandraj39 Graduate]

Two and a half years post graduation and I still remember it being Week 6 for me! After cracking 20 mins continuous running in week 5, I didn't like the return to run/walk. However - the programme soon gets you back to continuous runs after that. I think the mental strategy is to believe in the programme and your ability to do it - one step at a time and drop your pace if it feels too hard. Good luck with your next run🙂

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Each week is a step up in demands and on paper most people look at W5 and think it is a huge increase........it is not. W5 workouts are all shorter than W4 workouts....... but many get hung up on the last run of W5, so this is probably the biggest step change in mental approach.

I found W7 tough as keeping going for the longer runs is hard, but I made the mistake of running the whole thing as fast as I could sustain. Running at a sensible, easy conversational pace, as recommended in the guide to the plan healthunlocked.com/couchto5... makes the whole thing so much easier.

Do not brace yourself for the challenges, but accept them. This post was written to address this very issue. healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Relax. Each run is hard if you push, easy if you jog gently.

[misswobble Graduate]

Six! 💪😃👍

[Fishypieface Graduate]

Ah now, asking that question could open up a whole world of hurt!! Don't let those gremlins sneak in and mess things up for you, mine love any opportunity to cause havoc!

What is hard for someone else might be easy-peasy for you. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason for my hard weeks. But a positive mental attitude on any run is what is going to see you through - this can take a bit of mastering! I learned that if I took control at the beginning and told the run I was in charge (!) and I can blinking well do it, that worked better than hoping I might struggle through it and approaching it with trepidation.

Because it will be hard at times..... but it won't be impossible. It may feel like you've just scraped through one week - but lots of us also have felt this way, carried on and still got to the end

IannodaTruffe's post are excellent and a must-read to put you on the right track.

Good luck, look forward to cheering you on at the end!

[BLEWI]

I remember each week bracing my self for R1 finding it easier than I’d dreaded. Going out for R2 feeling confident and struggling and then settling into it for R3 ready to go through the whole cycle again the next week 🤣 sadly it took ages for me to recognise the pattern!!

[Irishprincess Graduate]

The very first run physically and W5R3 mentally. I knew I could do it but the head could easily have taken over if I'd let it 🙂