Missed a Run, Should I Skip Over It?

[OliP]

I'm doing my runs so that the final run of the week is on a Sunday (Wed, Fri, Sun). I don't really want to get out of this pattern because Mon/Tue is currently the best place in my week for the larger rest.

Friday I had a lot on and the scheduled run (week 5 run 2) didn't happen, but I didn't worry about it, and just planned to run Sat/Mon and put myself back onto the schedule. But then Saturday was also hectic and there wasn't a chance to get out.

Today is Sunday, should I just jump straight to run 3 as originally scheduled and see what happens? Or or will missing out on hearing the advice in the 8/5/8 run ruin my chances at the 20?

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum and well done on getting started.

This guide to the plan is essential reading healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Don't miss out runs...........this is a training plan designed to progressively improve your stamina and reduce your risk of injury. It is not a tick box exercise............you do not become a better runner by ticking a box.

C25K weeks don't have to coincide with calendar weeks.

Take care

[Bouncyshoes Graduate]

Not advisable to miss any out - it's all part of the training programme. Just take each session as it comes , surely it doesn't matter if training straddles a calendar week. Good luck.

[Granspeed Graduate]

I concur with the others. 😊 Stay with the plan and don’t skip runs. Lots of us have had funny schedules and assorted blips -all comes out fine if you stay with the plan runs in order. You can still use Mon & Tues for the double rest day. From now on the patterns are different, no longer 3 runs the same, so when you take the extra rest day won’t matter. Enjoy your runs. 👍😄

[CAFC62 Graduate]

I would stick to the programme schedule and see how it goes for you. You can always step back to run 2 and do it again if you struggle.

I missed a few runs with a 3/4 day gaps for similar reasons to you and often found I ran better ! It’s when you have a break of 2 weeks or more that you would feel negative effects due to losing fitness.

[Buddy34 Graduate]

No , definitely don't miss out any runs as each run prepares you for the next 😊

[LittleSallyRacket Graduate]

Definitely don’t skip it. I know you’re keen to stick to your timetable but it’s definitely more important to do all the runs than to keep to a rigid schedule.

[OliP Graduate]

I know that you "all" told me to break my schedule and do 5.2 today, but I'd built up the 5.3 run in my head for this weekend, and I felt that I could do it.

I ignored all your advice and did 5.3.

I was wrong.

9.5 mins of running into the 5.3 audio track, I couldn't do any more, I really tried, but I couldn't hold out for for the 30 seconds I needed to get to Laura's "half way" motivation.

Leaving the 20min run audio playing, I figured I'd try and fall back to something close the the 8.2 run.

I walked for 3.5 mins, then started running again, but only lasted another 3 mins before I needed to walk again, I walked for 1 min, then ran for the final 3 (the last 30 seconds were particularly tough).

Guess I should have listened. Lesson learned!

On Wednesday (next scheduled run), should I go back to 5.1 and repeat the whole week? I'm clearly a little bit away from being able to manage 5.3.

Or should I give 5.2 a go? I might have managed 8/5/8 if I'd stopped the first run a bit earlier and given myself that extra time on the first walk.