Just completed week 3 run 3 and I am loving it but it’s so hard !
40 years old slightly overweight and can’t remember the last time I ran.
Started the app and even the one minute jog was so hard. My calves where killing me. I am just about doing the 3 minute jogs but the last 30 seconds of it is a real push.
I guess I am just feeling a little over whelmed now. I have week 4 coming up and need to move up to 5 mins and I just can’t see myself every being able to do a 5k jog. Which is scared considering I have entered a park run at the end of October which I am raising sponsorship for
Despite this I am really enjoying it and I can’t believe I am actually looking forward to getting out running every other day! But please someone give me some hope as I am starting to doubt if I can do this
Written by
Pete14
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Huge well done.... now...relax... you are on the way. Just slow right down... and then more so
Warm up really well and make sure you stretch after each and every run... did you check the post for Newbies out...lots of useful advice there, to help you on the way
Thank you ! Been on a bit of a high last 3 weeks as I seem to have found some excercise I love. But looking at the routine for week 4 I am just thinking “oh my god how am I going to do 5 minutes when this week has been such a push”
Are you perhaps going at too fast a pace? It's all about duration, not pace or distance. A light jog for the specified time is all that it needs. Forget seeing 5k as a target. Instead, concentrate on "running". I'm 59 and haven't run for hundreds of years. I'm now at the end of W5. I've literally jogged it at a pace that I can maintain. It can work for you. Just slow down. Pace and distance can come much later.
Thanks for the reply. I am going really slow! Just so unfit I guess and the pain in my calves is the worst bit. Used to get pain in my shins in week one but that has gone now thankfully. I did week 1 on a treadmill as I was too nervous to run outdoors. My first run outdoors though was amazing and gave me a real high and now I can’t get enough of it ! I shouldn’t have looked at the training regimes for the upcoming weeks I guess it just seems daunting
Warm up thoroughly to avoid muscle pain and drink lots of water every day.
Try to not look at the coming weeks or even think about them. The programme is designed to be progressive. Each run feeds into the next. Instead, think back at how much further you're going now compared to W1.
You're doing great - but keep slow and steady - Take one run at a time and don't think about the next one til you do it. It's easy to let your mind over complicate things and let the gremlins in. The aches and pains are just your body adjusting to a new routine. Make sure you always warm up n down and stretch out afterwards.
I never thought I could do this (being a lady of mature years and plenty of excess baggage 😁) but I'm almost at end of wk6 and doing a parkrun tomorrow.
It's not about stats or times - it's the joy from saying "I did it" that keeps me going - and a new found love of running.
I felt the same, couldn’t see how I was possibly going to do 5 mins but did W4 R1 yesterday and, although my shins were crying by the end, I did it and so can you
There's a mountain of hope here in this community. Just take a look around at some posts about graduation and beyond.
Running is hard which is why the vast majority of people don't do it. But as you get fitter and stronger then it feels easier. You've made the decision to start this amazing programme and you've done the hardest run IMO, the very first one so a big well done to you.
You will do it I have no doubt and what you're feeling at the minute is fairly normal. Stick with it, the benefits are life changing and huge. I thought I was going to have a heart attack on my first run but I didn't! This programme has changed my life and turned me into a fitness bunny and I'm still here five years on and still loving it 😘
Good luck, enjoy and be prepared to become a member of the RAC (Running Addicted Club) 🙂
You can do it, the program definitely works, when I did it I found from week4 onwards it’s your mindset that really helps, believe in your self & goal.
Having done C25K at aged 65 I am off to a Big Funrun 5K this morning so that shows you will certainly be able to do the program, I used Michael Johnson as my voice mentor on the runs, and as he said ‘the only person who can beat me is me’.
I have either posted on here about or thought every thing you’ve mentioned in your post.
I am 44, more than slightly overweught, haven’t done exercise of more than a brisk walk for probably 20 years ... and I have just finished Week 6 successfully.
The plan is hard, but it pushes you at a pace it has prepared you for. Every time I would look at a run which doubled my previous run times I would think ‘I could barely run for x mins last week, no way can I run for y mins!’ But I always could - not easily, not without thinking I wasn’t going to be able to do it, but I did it.
Some pointers which may help:
* Make sure you’re drinking enough, both on run days and non-run days.
* Stretch before you start (only gently, working each area at a time, until your legs start to feel warm from the inside). This may help with the shin ache.
* Don’t go too fast! Most of us begin at too fast a pace. My running pace now is not much faster than my brisk walking pace, but I can run for 25mins straight!
*There’s no shame in repeating a week - if you finish all the runs in a week (even if you found it really hard) then move on; if however you can’t finish one of the runs you can repeat that session, or that whole week, instead of moving on. Pace and distance don’t matter in the beginning, being able to run non-stop for the run times are what count.
* Don’t look ahead to what’s coming up! I used to do this, and would fret about how I wasn’t going to be able to do it. It makes you start your runs from a place of negativity.
I would just mention that most people here aren’t able to run a 5k distance at graduation, but you’ll find people walking at every park run, it’s very common. So you may not be able to run the entire 5k after 9 weeks, but there’s a good chance you’ll be running for 30 minutes of it - i’ll bet that didn’t feel possible on Week 1!
Lastly - enjoy yourself! Just do what you can do and try not to worry about what’s coming up.
Hi everyone. Just an update. You may remember 11 days ago I was nervous and daunted at starting week 4 with the 5 minute runs as the 3 minute runs has wiped me out. Thanks to you all for your support !
I decided to repeat week 3 and did 2 more of the week 3 runs. I then decided to man up and get on with week 4 !
I have now just completed my third run of week 4. As I am running every other day the weeks are not really weeks if that makes sense !
Week 5 awaits me on Thursday and I can’t wait !
The joy of completing a run you really thought you couldn’t do is just mind blowing !
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Please tell me it gets better!
Please tell me it gets easier!
I'm walking because Laura tells me to.
Please don’t tell me off
