Why do I still struggle. Just about to start w9 r1

[Lil_c]

Having completed w8r3

I still fell like I’m at the being. Which I know I’m not!! It just doesn’t seem to get better or I’m getting any faster. Still running under 4K even though I’m just about to start w9.

Anybody got any advice on how to move forward and feel more positive!! ??

[tony_a Graduate]

Try not to be so hard on yourself - focus on what you’ve achieved. You’re running for 28 minutes - which is probably 28 minutes more than you thought you could when you started. It’s an amazing achievement.

Your body is adapting to this new running you - speed will come later as you consolidate. Very few people run 5k in 30 mins when they graduate from C25K. That can be a positive - it gives you a new goal to work on next 😀

Three more runs and you get your graduate badge and the many congratulations that will be well deserved for what you’ve achieved.

[Bluebirdrunner Graduate]

I agree with tony_a, now the runs are getting longer its time to start thinking about how you feel during your run. Start really slowly, the first few minutes are going to be the hardest, so be kind to yourself and ease into it..

Nice slow steady running, extra rest days are a good idea too..

Keep going you are doing brilliantly 😊x

[RainbowC Graduate]

You are definitely getting better - it's just that it doesn't always feel like it as the programme gets harder each week. But think how easy week 1 would be now! Your speed is utterly unimportant at the moment - very few people get to 5k in 30 mins in just 9 weeks from the couch (it just makes a better name than 'Couch to 30 mins non-stop running'). There's plenty of time in the future to work on speed or distance - for now it's all about the duration. That's all. And you're now running 28 times as long in one go as you were in week 1, so that's HUGE progress!

[Dan32]

You’re so close to the end now, you’ve done 3 runs for 28 minutes, the last ones are only 2 minutes more and then you’ll have done what you set out to do in the first place. I’ve just finished w4 and I’m genuinely thrilled to have built up from 1 minute running to 5 in such a short space of time, even though it's knackering, so don’t feel disheartened now. Try to notice how much healthier you feel in the hours after the run since you started the program as your motivation. As others have said your improvement over the last 8 weeks has been to increase the time you are running, if you keep up running after next week instead of increasing the time, distance or speed you’re running you could just let the improvement be for the runs to feel easier each week. One final thought, for your next run you could try repeating a run from week 4 or 5 and see just how easy that is for you now!

[Avagbel Graduate]

Fab advice from you all. I’ve just done my final run of wk 9 but with mixed emotions which I wasn’t expecting. I am thrilled at completing the program but also felt a bit deflated that the distance was off. In your replies you’ve given me the encouragement that I needed. I don’t want to stop now that I’ve finally got to that goal. On to the next step of working on the strength and distance. Keep going Lil_c. I struggled with my final run , think mainly I didn’t want the journey to be over. .. so I kept putting it off. Now You’ve made me realise what an accomplishment it is and I should focus on the next step and not the end. Keep going be proud. We’ll all get there together.