Looking for better app?

[Benno87]

I've felt running a bit more of a chore this week-that said I have still done 3 runs and finished w7 which I still recognise as an achievement.

I'm not sure if it's the routine-upset caused by Easter or the lovely warm weather. I have felt the warmth does sap your strength a bit. I have also been increasingly frustrated by the app which tends to reset or pause at intervals throughout my run which isn't what I want! And certainly doesn't help maintain a steady pace.

I have to admit I am struggling with the motivation and am seeing it through more to get to the end rather than because I love running.

So two questions for the group..

Q1 - any good app recommendations where I can have a voice but without it closing/pausing?

Q2 - is it ok to feel a bit demotivated, and any tips for getting me out of the obligated feeling to carry on?

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Nike+ Run Club has guided runs of the correct duration for week 7 and beyond. Coach Bennett is great and there are others to choose from... stay in short runs or running with headspace sections.

It’s fine to lose motivation sometimes. I’d recommend varied routes to spice it up a little. After graduation and some consolidation you don’t have to run the same way/distance/duration on every run, which I find helps a lot. The heat could be a factor, but that will be fine by Wednesday, hopefully.

Great job so far... close this out and set some goals for beyond, reward yourself for completing weeks too.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

The final weeks can seem like a slog, so keep the pace down and find distractions. It was around that stage that I started doing a running commentary of everything that I could see, hear and feel to take my mind off my body and the physical action of running........it was liberating.

Music and podcasts can provide distraction too.

If the app is too glitchy you could try the C25K podcasts for final weeks. You can find a link to them in the guide to the plan healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Stick with it and when you graduate the pressure is off to increase duration week on week and you will reap the benefits in so many areas of your life.

[ArthurJG Graduate]

Strictly speaking you don’t need an app for the last three weeks as they are all continuous runs so you can time them with your watch or by setting a timer on your phone: 25 minutes in week 7, 28 minutes in week 8 and 30 minutes in week 9, not forgetting the 5 minute warm up walks before and after every run. I did that out of necessity in weeks 8 and 9 because I was running in locations where I wanted to be aware of my surroundings for traffic etc so didn’t want to use headphones.

It’s not unusual at all to feel demotivated towards the end: it may actually just be tiredness and an extra rest day or even two can help.