I’m deflated in both an emotional and a physical sense. I’m on w7r3 but it has suddenly become near impossible for me to get past the 10 min (of running) mark. I had no trouble with r2&3, aside from those that you would expect. This is my 3rd attempt of r3 now and I just cannot do it.
Has anyone else hit this brick wall before? What did you do to climb over it? I run on a treadmill, should I venture outside?
Do not worry marshmallowfluff, this is quite normal and something we all experience now the runs are continous..when you start to run your body needs to take on extra oxygen to cope with the exertion, and this takes a while to get into your bloodstream. So you can feel really puffed out at the first 8 to 10 minutes.
Its really helpful to make sure you have done a proper warm up walk, then start nice and slowly, relax into your run, I found blowing out a couple of long slow breaths helped settle things down, push through those first few mins, then your breathing settles and the rest of the run is fine. Its sometimes referred to as the toxic ten. Knowing about this helped me a lot. There is an older post about it here...
healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
So next time, start slower and be kind to yourself 😊x
Running outside will be more interesting...you will still need to start slowly.
Whether in or out, 🤔 sounds as if you are not going slow enough to allow you to get through the sticky phase initially.🤔
Must start slow and steady until you settle into your comfortable posture and breathing run.🤔
Your on the continuous runs now so think slow first and second half.🤔
You have got this, whether you choose to do it inside or out.
Have you changed incline or belt speed on your treadmill.🤔
Or are you being influenced by other users,if in a gym.🤔
If you choose to go outside take it slower somewhere on level forgiving ground , field, park , etc.
You will love it, providing you stay Slow and steady until you ease yourself into your comfort mode.🌟👏👏
I’ve just completed W7R3 and feel the same I did them all but struggled more than I think I should have and sooo slow! I just asked almost the same question 
“Is there a mental block at W7?”
I currently can’t imagine doing 5K in 30 mins when I’m only managing ~3K in 25 
I know the program works as I never thought I’d be running at all after struggling at week 1 so I’m going to just keep going...
I do all my running on a treadmill at home apart from W6 as we were away and I did enjoy it more actually but still feel too shy to run where I might see people I know 😱
You can do it - sometimes we can be affected by a mental block as much as a physical one. I would take your pace right down - as slow as possible. Try and breathe slow and steady. Make sure you drink plenty of water the day before your run. Maybe you need a distraction to get over this hump, too? Do you listen to podcasts or music when you run? I remember some struggles during week 7, and I got through them by pep talking myself through the runs! “Come on! You can do this! You are doing this! Slow and steady pace, Sadie, slow and steady!” All in my head, mind you - would have looked a bit unhinged shouting this out on my run route!
Go outside and run slowly Look around, take it gently...and breathe... Bluebirdrunner has given you some super advice...
You are going to come through this... the longer runs are made for relaxing and letting our newly found running legs begin to find their happy pace
If there is a brick wall there... just believe in yourself... and know you are stronger that that brick wall...you can do it
Try this - forget about hitting the time mark.
Just go out for your next run and see how slowly you can actually run without breaking into a "walking step". You will be enjoyably surprised by just how difficult that is to do.
It will also help you get your "just right for you" speed into perspective.
Main thing is - graduation is a goal, not a reason to run and less than ten percent of the Graduates in a survey here last year did it "on time/with distance"
Slow and steady, every other day...that's what works
Wishing you many happy miles in your future ☺
Yes John, what a Brillant suggestion and pace perspective taking.🌟👏👏
That’s experience talking.👏👏💫🏃♂️💫
Most of us have the T-shirts from the various stages where we thought we 'just cannot DO this!"
Thank goodness for this Forum or i wouldn't have made it
I still sometimes find that first 10 minutes a challenge. I remember IannodaTruffe coaching me pretty much through the same thing you're struggling with now by explaining the toxic ten to me.
Now I promise myself that so long as I run beyond 10 minutes I can stop if I still feel terrible - and apart from one occasion when my asthma played up I've always been able to reach the end of a planned run. I think know I g that everybody feels terrible early on I a ru helps - that and starting off slowly as everyone else has said.
Don't allow it to become a barrier It's just an irritating gremlin and you're much stronger!
The toxic ten is real, it's a biological "thing" search on here or google it. Some of us even have longer times than that for our bodies to catch up - mine is often twenty. It's a case of knowledge is power, once you understand it you can do something about it. This is one of the reasons starting off slowly is a very good thing and why people are advised to start slowly when doing their organised runs.
You really can sort this out and still be marshmallowfluff instead of marshmallowflat 👍
WOW! I didn’t expect to get so many replies on this post. I’m guessing you have all been there before.
What a kind, informative community this is. I took a 2 day break from all exercise to allow my body to recover from overdoing it a bit last week. That, combined with the advice you guys have given, was enough to get me through w7r3! I am not as tired as I was after trying last week - just a bit sweaty and red lol.
Thank you so much. I could hug each one of you!
Pleased but a bit deflated too 🤔
I’m so frustrated & deflated 
W9 R3 - a little deflated
First run... feeling deflated 
Feeling deflated
