I’m trying so hard... but this was not good. I attempted week 4 Run 1 yesterday and I have fretted about my next run since.
I am 40 and over weight... I have not found any of this easy and I am new to running, but this was a washout. I couldn’t finish any of the runs, marked most of the time. I have no stamina! 
The thing is I have agreed to do a 3.9 mile leg of the Belfast Marathon in 5 weeks for a charity with work colleagues!
Advice please????
Just keep plodding along, we all have good and bad runs. As long as you get round that is all that really matters.
Maybe try training with someone else sometimes helps.
My advice is stick to the plan.
There are no quick fix shortcuts.
Have a rest day and repeat the session, but go slower, at the easy conversational pace described in the guide to the plan healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Thank you... if determination could give me through it I would have no problems.
Since you ask advice I'd offer two suggestions.
First, don't worry about a bad run: everybody has them. Take two days rest instead of one before your next one, hydrate properly on your rest days, go a bit slower, you'll be fine. We've all been there.
Second, don't put pressure on yourself. You are on week four and have five weeks to go after this. If all goes well you should be running for about 28 minutes by the time of the marathon. As a beginner you are NOT going to run 3.9 miles (6.2 k) in 28 minutes....so relax, accept now that you will be walking part of the way in the relay, maybe even make it one of your couch to 5k runs for week 8 or whatever week you are on at the time. Maybe you'll run 3 to 4k and walk 2 to 3k or thereabouts, nothing wrong with that. That way you'll enjoy it and you won't be under stress about it for the next five weeks.
Hi Tmm! Don’t beat yourself up - it didn’t work this time but next time will be different. You know what to do: stay hydrated, take it slow and keep smiling! Good luck!
The Only thing u can do is never stop always juat slow ur jog right down u have to push though the pain as most of it is you telling ur self u can't do it...when actually you can.. believe in urself
Hi fellow Belfastian! Slow and steady is my advise. If you don’t finish a run try it again next time. And take a couple of rest days between for your body to recover. I’m only starting week 6 so im right with ya! Good luck and keep that determination up!
Week 4 is hard. Slow right down, but don't stop. For me it's all about the music I'm listening to, try to run to music that always makes you want to dance. Chant I can do this over and over and over again in your head. I also make deals with myself - I'll just run to that tree up ahead and then that next tree, etc until the run is over. Good luck, you can do this.
I had a few bad runs as well and I recall not having the best of times with week 4. I m not much younger than you and last time I ran (before this program) was over 20 years ago so I can kind of relate. You can do it. Maybe you didn't find your pace yet. Maybe there s some adjustments to make in your personal life (I cut down beers and crisps to great effect!😂).
Maybe you re trying to follow someone?
What s the worst that can happen? 3.9miles can be walked.
Sending good vibes your way.
Hi . I’m on week 4 my run 2 is tomorrow. I think I would just do that run again after a rest day and just mark the first run down as having an off day. Do you run with music? I find that running to music is more enjoyable for me that just having Laura talking and then silence between the sessions. The sound of me grunting and feet and heart beating is not as enjoyable......
The fact is you are running, you have got off the couch and you are doing it. I am 66 and carrying the excess baggage, we can do this!
I had a DREADFUL week, week 4. It happens but you have to keep plodding on. Slow, slow, slower is the key. Please don’t give up. This plan works. I started in my 60’s, never been a runner , but I got there. Have just done my 6th consolidation run and still finding it tough but I know I will get there .... eventually. To get to week 4 is, in itself, a huge achievement. Well done. Keep going.
Don’t worry about it, the battle is as much in your mind as is your legs and lungs 🙂. No run is wasted, try again, and keep trying until you get there. We all have off days, and our bodies adjust at different speeds. You can do and you will do.
Hi Tmm2912. I'm so sorry you had a bad run which has left you feeling disheartened. There will be many people on this forum who understand how you feel. My low was W2R3......I'm now about to finish W8! The best piece of advice i got from this wonderful forum was to slow down. Even if you think you can't go any slower, you can
It really does help.
Trust the programme. It does work. You are at week 4. Almost half way through. Well done you!
You can do this, just keep going, put the bad run behind you and be positive about the next one. I found running to a pod cast better than running to music!
Thank you everyone for your support and advice. I won’t give up... I can’t. I’m just not enjoying it at the minute... but I will take on all this advice and keep going.
Thank you again.
I really struggled with r3 in wk4 on Saturday past but today I have just completed r1 wk5 today with no difficulty. I am 58, very overweight and new to this too. I took the advice of people on this forum and slowed down, even though I thought I couldn’t go much slower! It really helped. I found slowing my walk between runs seemed to be a solution for me. Like everyone else says you can do this - you will do this! Good luck and just know we all have bad days.
I just did my w4 run 1 yesterday and it was really hard. It feels like a real step up from w3. I slowed down to the point that my warm up walk was probably faster than my jog! Can you maybe try a different route, or run your normal route backwards? It might distract you a bit and give you something different to think about. Good luck!
Just put that run out of your mind. You can do it! Don’t listen to the doubting voice. As to the relay, it’s great to have a goal but don’t let it worry you.
hi, just echoing everyone else, we all have bad runs, just keep going, and slow down, don't worry about speed, each run, no matter how far you go helps build up stamina. You have done 3 weeks, you're a third of the way through! Have you looked up the Japanese Jogging video on You tube? I found it really useful. Good luck!
How about going back to week 3 and repeating it? Can you run a little slower? Then move on when you feel the stamina is better - which it will be. Sounds as if you need a bit more time to build up. I can hardly believe now how hard I found the first few weeks - (completed the programme last week.) Give yourself the time you need - I had to repeat a week before moving on.
Hi Tmm2912 don't push yourself so hard, but keep going and don't punish yourself for a bad run, we all have them, the most important thing is to keep going. Its psychological more than physical sometimes, just slow right down but don't stop. The charity run will appreciate your efforts no matter what you do- and so will your work colleagues if your honest with them
I’m going to agree with everyone about the speed. Just slow down. If you can brisk walk without wanting to give up but running at the speed you are is making you want to quit it’s simply a case of finding your pace in between and it really is your pace nobody else’s. I also found that listening to an audio book instead of music helped me as a) it made me actually have to listen and therefore took my mind off what I was doing and b) helped me slow down as I would find myself inadvertently running to the beat which was invariably too fast. Unless it’s actually causing you pain it’s almost certainly a mental barrier you have and you’ll find that once you deal with that you’ve cracked it. Good luck x
i recently tried audio books after using podcasts (i cant run to music) and loved them. Seriously thinking about getting the amazon audible subscription. Its also good motivation to go on the next run so you can find out what happens in the book 
the readers rhythm is good for keeping a consistent pace too.
Hello! My advice. I had to repeat several runs along the way. I would repeat them untill you finish them before passing to the next one. You are pressuring yourself a lot with the 3.9 miles. Dont worry, you can run/walk them.
I did Wk4 run1 a few weeks ago and found it hard, repeated it 2 days later and slowed down a bit and was fine, Keep going you’ll do it.
Slow down. Don’t ever move on from a run until you have completed all the requirements, because each one builds on the one before. Repeats are not failures ! I had to do nine weeks of repeats just to conquer week 1, so I know what I’m talking about here 😂 You’re asking a lot of changes from your body, and it’s telling you it needs a little more time to adjust - that’s fine. Repeat as necessary until it and you are ready to go on.
Volunteering to do the marathon leg is brilliant: well done you ⭐️ Try to look on it as a positive, not an extra source of pressure. Nobody will mind a scrap if you have to walk the whole way, (not that you will !), they’ll just be grateful that you stepped up for the challenge.
Lastly, always remember the First Rule of C25k: The only run you fail is the run you don’t go for ! Relax, be kind to yourself, enjoy your journey x
The only run you fail is the run you don't go for. Love it!!
Catchy and true 😄
Tell your colleagues “hey I plan to enjoy the 3.9 miles and use them to support me becoming a happy runner long term, so I’ll be walking them to take all the unnecessary pressure of myself. See you at the finish.”
Then build a running playlist of music you love. Don’t forget to include Beach Boys “Surfin’ USA” and Camera Obscura “French Navy” - total feel goods!
Finally, get your trainers back on, go super, super slow and know we all love your courage & we’re 100% with you. You can do it. It’s not a performance....it’s something caring you’re doing for your mind and body.
Sorry about long post - I just really feel for you xx
Don't stop keep going. You've done well already. You can redo things if it doesn't feel right. I just started week 4 again this morning. It went ok but it isn't easy. A few folk have said about the mental barriers. Remember the old advert. PMA. Positive Mental Attitude. You can do this!! Go slow. Go slower. Just don't stop!
No run is ever a bad run because you’ve run. Just keep repeating it and you’ll feel the difference. How did you feel about week1 run 1. Was it similar and also week 2 and week 3. I was dreading week 3 and now I’m on my last one tomorrow and then Saturday will be run 1 of week 4 which I am sceptical about. Scream Grunt shout and groan your way through as I have and keep going. You’ll do it and you’ll keep on doing it because that little thought in the back of your mind which is saying I’m rather looking forward to my run will keep on talking to you. You can do this because you’ve done in already. I believe in you as does everyone single person on this forum. 🏃♂️ 🏃♀️
My sister and i 52 and 56 graduated a week ago. Continuing to do 30 min runs - about 0.4 short if 5k still. Some runs are horrendous some are ok. At the end of all we always feel we have achieved something. 9 weeks ago we would never have dreamed we could do this. Keep on trying - if at all possible do it with someone else. I would not have achieved on my own. But above all cogratulate yourself on what you have done so far. This IS NOT easy- well done to you.
SLOW DOWN.........its not a race, its all about getting fit, and some people get fitter quicker than others, that's just a fact of life. None of us find it easy, that's why we are doing 2-5K, because we need to start at the lowest, very beginning and work up the ladder.
If we found it easy we wouldn't need to do it, same as you.
I am 69, have a heart problem, diabetes and hip issues, and so overweight...but...I found out if its too hard, your trying too hard.
Remember, if you cant hold a conversation easily, your too fast.
Try some music, something with a common beat, Dean Martin - Houston ,Hollies - long cool woman in a black dress, Bee Gees, what I call a plodding beat.
When you get into your foot strike, breathing, music beat zone rhythm suddenly it all clicks.
And it isn't fast......
My jogging for the 20mins on week 5 (Shock when I heard that after 8 mins session) was about a fast walk but in a jog style, (just :).
Even my dog looked at me as if to say whats the matter, are we parking.......but it was for me, and i got through it and know what? enjoyed it as well.
And whats more, when you slow down, you will enjoy it, even bizarrely think to yourself, I could have done a few more seconds, minutes...
Stick with it, even go back a week or so, the plan does work...and if your not ready, dump the HM...don't be embarrassed or beholding to others...this is all about YOUR well being, not ego;s and justifying to others....even they started and found it hard......
You can always do a HM when your really ready.
Go for it..........live it 24/7 , enjoy the rain, the cold, the hot baths, after.....its a great journey
Week 5. Run 1 disaster. 
Week 4 run 1 struggle?
😊😊 happy week 4 run 1
Week 4 Run 1 Completed 
Week 4 Run 1 - did it!
