Failed hard at W5R3

[publife]

Hi, I started the programme at 114kg and 6'1" and not having done anything more strenuous than run up a flight of stairs for many years. I got through weeks 1 to 3 with a lot of sweating and groaning but never failed to achieve a run. I was feeling great - 4kg lost (also doing 5:2 diet at same time), and becoming increasingly aware of my improved fitness in daily life. Then I got to week 4.

W4R1 took me three attempts but I kept trying - and once I finally achieved it, I got through to W5R2 without repeating a run. I tried W5R3 today - the first 20 minute run - and I failed hard. I only made it about 13 minutes before I had to stop.

I don't know if it's a mental or physical failure, but I'm feeling pretty crap about things now. First big step up in the programme, and I'm nowhere near where I need to be.

Anyone have any advice about how to go forward from here? Current plan is just keep repeating W5R3 until I get it, but it feels like that's going to be a long way off, so maybe I should go back to W5R1 again.

[Debell Graduate]

I would say go to where you last felt comfortable (you will know where) and build on that success -don't beat yourself up about it. We all have set backs just put it down to experience and look forward. I managed to graduate aged 61 and hadn't run since I was at school so the programme WORKS... have faith in it and yourself ...how long it takes is individual don't let it put you off.

[publife in reply to Debell]

Thanks Debell. I don't think I've ever felt really 'comfortable' - there have been very few occasions where I've not spent the last 5-10 minutes of a run drenched in sweat and feeling like I'm moments away from collapsing. Maybe I need to go back a week or two and have a good 'run up' at getting past W5R3?

[Megatoothster Graduate]

Hi Publife, I’m 6’1” and 107kg and I promise you that you CAN do it. I was miserable during W5R1 and even though a pal who runs much longer distances offered to run with me on Friday, I procrastinated and postponed. Then I woke up on Friday after a day of aching calves and sore everything and it was cool temperature-wise. I drank a pint and half of water about an hour and half before I ran, stretched my calf muscles and most importantly of all, I ran slower than I have ever run before. I was running, but I swear that fossils would have overtaken me. Anyway, not only did I run 20 minutes, but I ran 30 minutes and 5 seconds before arriving back at my front door. The point is, it really doesn’t matter how slowly you go, it is how long you go for. I promise that you can not just do this, but do it with a big smile if you start out SLOW. Cheers and good luck. 👍

[Dexy5 Graduate]

Hi publife, There is a bit of a mental block on this run. The programme has prepared your body for it though. It might not work for everyone but I did it by running for 5 mins turning around and doing 5 mins repeating until I got to 20. It broke the time into achievable chunks and gave a visible target to run to.

[ancientrunner Graduate]

Don't be down, think about where you have come from. It is very hot and humid at the moment. I've been at this a lot longer than you, I have done a couple of half marathons but am struggling with 5k at the moment. Try and go early next time and really slow it right down. If you have got to wk5 r2 you can do r3 - honest. Good luck.

[publife]

Thanks everyone for your encouragement - I know I'm getting somewhere, it's just that right now that destination feels further away than it's ever been.

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to publife]

A lot if it is mental. We have a tendancy to give up way too soon. Did you know that your mind will tell you to give up when you've only expended 40% of your actually energy?

Also the programme is teaching you stamina, and you can really only learn that by pacing yourself slow enough to achieve the time.

Don't let it* get you down... especially when it* is usually actually our gremlins just waiting for an excuse to pounce and say 'see! You can't do this... why did you try!?' Show them who's really in charge! 👍💪😉😁✊

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

When it’s impossible work until it isn’t. 13 minutes? You couldn’t do that just a month ago, so well done.

Nobody got big success without tasting failure, embrace it and then kick its ass.

[Hidden]

My guess is you are going too fast. Slow down to find your sustainable pace; that is the speed that you can keep up for 20 minutes. Don’t go backwards to previous weeks. You had a good practice (not a fail) and now you can try it again. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, lots of positive thinking and a nice sloooww jog.

You’ve got this 😊👍

[Hotheels Graduate]

Slow is the way forward, mate! If you cracked W5R2....then you're ready for W5R3....just take it slow.......sedated snail pace.....fossil pace......run like a tortoise!!!

🐌🐢

You got this!! 💪👊

[PaulaGullett Graduate]

If I was you I’d slow down a little and slow down your walking to save some energy. It’s definately mental because you’ve ran the distance just not together. Don’t be hard on yourself , think how far you’ve come and all those that have achieved the plan. If they’ve done it so can you. Don’t give up !

[Hidden]

I am curious as to why you had to stop. Was it physical (pain/exhaustion/nausea or was it a mental "I can't go any further"?)

I try not to look at the timer while running so I can only guess that about the eight-ish minute mark of that run I felt almost like I was going to have a panic attack. I just had this overwhelming awareness of how long an expanse of time twenty minutes was, and that I was just going to run in it. I remember distinctly thinking that a sitcom, minus commercials, is about twenty two minutes. Am I going to run for the entire duration of a television show? (Note: don't think this way. This is not helpful!)

I just didn't stop. I have no other advice or explanation than to say I observed the observation, felt the defeat and panic rising....and just kept on. It helps that I go sloooow.

I think you can do this, too. Just don't stop.

It needs to be acknowledged, by the way, that thirteen minutes is a really really really long time to run without stopping. It is a huge victory. You have not been asked yet, in this program, to run that far without stopping. And you did it. That's almost overwhelming to think of.

Strangely, once you conquer this day, you'll hit week six and even then won't be asked just yet to run thirteen straight minutes. So. You are ahead of that week almost already!

[KN25 Graduate]

I think of it as x number of songs on my Spotify and as I run along the canal I use each bridge as a target to break up the run. I try not to think about how long I have left to run or I would cry lol. Don’t see stopping after 13 minutes as a failure though see it as a success as before you started this programme if you are like a lot of us running for 3 minutes was challenging