Adding more days

[Elizaber]

Has anyone done a week or part of a week a second time because they don’t feel ready to move on.... or is that just me ?

[Hidden]

I didn't, but I think it's really reasonable and see people saying they do this all the time.

I added an extra day to week 2, I think? I wanted to switch up my run days and strictly adhered to the two rest days. I think I was scared if I let myself have three rest days I'd never start up again!

[GoogleMe Graduate]

People do... but it is really not necessary *if* you've completed a session ie you've maintained a running motion during run sections and maintained a walking motion during all walk sections, however slowly, however much you gasped, however heavy your legs felt.

One of the key lessons from C25K is that running is not a linear process of improvement - some runs will feel good, some won't, some (many!) will be something of a roller coaster of emotions and sensations, more than you would think could legitimately arise from a 'simple' run. Learning to 'be with' those feelings and just get on with it is an important skill.

You won't do yourself any 'harm' from doing an extra run you don't need to - it's all building the habit of getting out there. There are worse ways of exhibiting a lack of confidence in yourself, and a lack of confidence in the programme, but that's all it is.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

As the guide to the plan explains healthunlocked.com/couchto5... you are in control so do as you please.

You are probably underestimating your body's amazing ability to adapt and the carefully calculated structure of the programme. Sure you can repeat a run if you wish, but why not maintain the impetus and try the next one. You only fail if you go back to the couch, not if you don't complete a run.

This might help healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[little-anne Graduate]

I repeated the first 4 weeks, ie two weeks on week one etc. I wanted to take things slowly and it worked for me.

I still re use the pod casts if I have a break from running for any reason, health or injury, as I like the structure.

Do what feels right and enjoy yourself.

[Sandy_Shoes Graduate]

I repeated each week until around week 5 when I found I knew the podcast off by heart (& had got bored) I felt that repeating the weeks made me feel stronger but I don't think I ever felt ready to move on! I did eventually complete the programme I have now run 10k

The beauty of the programme is that you decide on when/where and how often. Enjoy the journey

[Anniemurph Graduate]

It took me 50 runs, not 27, to graduate. Sometimes I just repeated a run, sometimes I repeated complete weeks. This was for my own comfort - there were times when I could probably have moved on, but at the time I was not in a good place mentally and had a real fear of failure and giving up, so I had to feel I was capable of completing a run before I started it. There were times when I didn't complete but I could rationalise it because I'd started out in a positive frame of mind

Now I would tackle it differently I would recommend that you try the next run! There are some days when we don't have a good run, and you might want to re-do for your own satisfaction, but that's up to you. We are capable of a lot more than we think we are. Slow down and have a go. Happy running

[GoogleMe Graduate]

Anniemurph 's perspective (ie that it is the fear of failure that cripples so many of us) is really useful on this... locate the issue you are having where it really is (and it may be with fear of failure for you too?) and you'll overcome it... I won't say quicker because that's really not the point, but more securely.

I was 'lucky': I got my 'failures' in early. I didn't have the luxury of choosing to repeat a session, I wasn't completing them so it had to be done... over and over and over... People often thing that 'moving on' means the challenge gets harder and harder, but your body and your mind is changing all the time. Nothing ever came close to how tough Week 1 was for me - my performance in Week 1 was no guide whatsoever to how the rest of the programme would be. (And conversely, those later weeks, where you are just adding what by then is a short period of time on the end of each run, still reliably throws up some tough challenges for many, perhaps most of us)

[Elizaber in reply to GoogleMe]

It was the third week that got me.. I trued it, but it jumps from a 90 second run to a 3 minute one which is actually quite a big jump.. I failed so went back and started week 2 again before moving on...

[GoogleMe Graduate in reply to Elizaber]

You're here on the forum now. We've got you. If a session doesn't go the way you hoped, you can just tell us about it.

And it is only a big jump if you set out at a pace you think you might just manage for 90 seconds instead of setting out at a pace you think you might just manage for 3 minutes... or ideally one you think you might just manage for 30 minutes (although most of us can't stretch our imaginations that far!)

[Mayanow]

I never felt ready for the next one in the first half of c25k! I just went out and tried my best. And i never failed.

Just. Believe in yourself more and expect less. You can do this! 😊

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

I did and we actually recommend that you do if you feel you will benefit from it. A positive run will give you so much more back I return rather than a bad one. Confidence is half the battle with learning to run.

[sallenson Graduate in reply to Realfoodieclub]

Top reply as always.

This is a mental game, not really a physical one. It's your body, your running journey, not a competition.

You can trust the programme to push you and stick with it if you can, but if you want to repeat a run or week, then do it. You'll be a better runner, you'll build your strength and confidence and all will be well with the world

[Corsica1958]

You are not alone and please don’t let this make you give up Elizaber!! I got through my 1st week and started the 2nd yesterday. I managed to run to the half way mark but just couldn’t run the second half. I felt so disappointed 😔! I couldn’t rest with it so there I was at midnight with my bright headlight looking a cross between Rab C Nesbit and a minor up from the pit and off I went. Amazingly I repeated it and it was fine. I felt so much happier. I 🤔 think I’m so self conscious of that I waste energy scurrying along too quickly (well quickly for me!) in the day time. At night no one could see me and it was cooler. Perhaps you might find the same? However. Get yourself a good and powerful head torch and I’d recommend no music unless you are running where no cars can go! Good luck! You’ll get there. I think I may also repeat the first week. It depends on how the second second week run goes tomorrow!!

[BarbieW Graduate]

I repeated one of the middle weeks because of a radical change to my medical situation (I had been fitted with an insulin pump (instead of multiple daily injections, yay), and was still trying to get to grips with how exercise was to be handled, so I did the runs I knew I could handle so it didn’t put that extra pressure on me when I was trying to work it (the pump) all out. I still haven’t got that right but at least I am more confident with it now).

But I think the ability to just do it at your own pace is one of the great things about the programme. Move on when you are ready, but remember to push yourself as well, or you’ll never get there!

I think it took me just over 10 weeks in the end but I wasn’t really counting that closely

B