Week 6 run 2- a killer!: Wow I really struggled... - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

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Week 6 run 2- a killer!

Emma2812 profile image
14 Replies

Wow I really struggled with this one! Since my week 5 run 3 of twenty min run I thought any runs shorter than this will be a doddle! WRONG!! Towards the end of my first ten minute run I was really struggling. I finished and thought how the hell am I going to do another ten minutes? It doesn't help that I always hit this uphill slope at the end of my run every time. I managed it but i had to talk myself out of giving up. Thinking how good I would feel to do it and how upset I would feel if I had to repeat it. The next four runs are twenty five mins. I'm going to have to dig deep but will be interesting if I manage to increase my distance over the four runs. I feel like the finishing line is in sight but not sure if I'll manage the 5k. Does anyone else feel the same? I am very slow...

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Emma2812 profile image
Emma2812
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14 Replies
UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate

Great work. Week 6 looks likes it starts easy, but it doesn’t and it catches many people out... not you though, you completed the runs... be very proud of yourself.

Run the 25 like you ran the 20... slow and steady at least to start... you can do it.

5k either will or won’t come in the plan... it doesn’t matter. You’ll run 5k, maybe in 30, 35, 40, 45 minutes... it’s still 5k... 5k more than you ran in the summer.

Emma2812 profile image
Emma2812 in reply toUnfitNoMore

Very true! I really struggle to be proud of myself, instead comparing myself with others and being negative. It's definitely something I need to work on. I find it hard to realise how far I've come. We all struggled in week one and still I'm struggling in week six so feel I haven't come far. Thanks for your encouraging words

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate in reply toEmma2812

Yeah... you struggled on week 5 with a 20 minute run... just 4 weeks after 60 seconds was hard! This is the one place in life where it’s better to look back... see the victories you’ve had getting to where you are now. Only compete with yourself, and even then not every run. You’re doing really well, you’re amazing yourself... all you gotta do in life is that. Happy running.

l3grj profile image
l3grj

Hello Emma, they say slow is good and that you will get quicker over time.

That to me was frustrating as I wanted to be fast from the off.

Unfortunately it is going to be frustrating for a while but only until your body catches up with your mind!

Going slow is a bit boring so make sure have enough good music to listen to.

Be patient.

Emma2812 profile image
Emma2812 in reply tol3grj

Music is my saviour. I lose myself in the song and try not to think about how tired I am and drown out my panting haa

ArthurJG profile image
ArthurJGGraduate

But W6 R2 isn't shorter than W5 R3. It's a mistake to look at the length of the individual sections: you still had to run for 20 minutes and that's why it wasn't a doddle. What you learn from this run is that the walking breaks no longer make much difference: which is exactly why you won't see them again. Caveat: the walking breaks DO make a difference IF you're running too fast - but the solution to that is to run slower, not to walk. And remember the objective of this programme is to run for 30 minutes non stop: most people don't get to 5k in 30 minutes in week 9. My PB for my lovely flat parkrun is still a bit over 30 minutes and I graduated C25K in July. Go as slowly as you need to to complete each run: distance doesn't matter at this point, you can start to build distance after you graduate.

Emma2812 profile image
Emma2812 in reply toArthurJG

This is a very good point and didn't think to look at it that way. Thank you very much for your encouraging words I feel a lot better!

Runawaytrainer profile image
RunawaytrainerGraduate

Me too!

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate

Forget the 5K... you are doing fine...now slow down, take it gently and simply let the legs do what they have been and are still, building up to do.

Let them find their happy pace... this week is different, as is next week. But, you are ready for reach and every single run.

Slow is fantastic... it has got me on the way to my first HM in March.

I am the original Grey Snail.. ( not grey any more) Shiny and coloured snail... but snail still :)

It gets us where we want to be, safely and having had fun,, so Go You!!! Well done:)

Emma2812 profile image
Emma2812 in reply toOldfloss

Thank you very much and half marathon?! Wow go you!

GoHelen profile image
GoHelenGraduate

I felt exactly the same and was really disappointed how hard I found W6R2. I did manage the third run yesterday ok though

Emma2812 profile image
Emma2812

That's great that you've completed week six!

Knittingrunner profile image
Knittingrunner

I felt a bit the same today after the same run! But I decided to just trust the program and if I did 20 minutes last week I can do the same on Wednesday. Slowly wins in the end I think. 🙂

Diamondshoes profile image
DiamondshoesGraduate

I felt the same on this run. Sounds great though that you manage a hill on the last section. Very impressive!

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