Week 3 done and dusted !: After my trepidation... - Couch to 5K

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Week 3 done and dusted !

ā€¢12 Replies

After my trepidation of upping to 3 mins last week I only went and did it šŸ’ŖšŸ»

Run 1 was hard but doable, and it did get easier. Run 3 on Friday almost skipped by as we are having a kitchen fitted this week and my stress levels were up and at it. By the time Iā€™d ranted in my head over the run, it was over and I felt calmer šŸ˜Š

A couple of people passed me when I was on my warm down walk, and I thought they were looking at me oddly until I realised I had a massive grin on my face and probably looked like a nutter but I was so very proud of myself.

Bring on week 4

Mizzog

12 Replies
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Roadrunner65 profile image
Roadrunner65Graduate

Well done Mizzog. My other half badgering me for a new kitchen, my stressful thoughts similar, but running, like you, calms themšŸ˜‰. I just finished W3R3 too (see post) so will follow you, for inspiration. Good luck on W4R1, though it will be a few days until I can do W4R1.

Wenderwoo profile image
WenderwooGraduate

Fabulous, well done!

Redvic97 profile image
Redvic97Graduate

Well done. Onwards and upwards šŸ‘šŸ»

RunningMigster profile image
RunningMigsterGraduate

Another week down, good for you.

Nothing beats that feeling of achievement when you finish a week. Except maybe the excitement of starting the next!

Really well done

DrEdFullyunfit profile image
DrEdFullyunfit

Hi Mizzog :)

Weā€™re at the same stage, Iā€™m a little concerned for my w4/r1 tomorrow morning, hoping I just push through it all!

I had a peek at your bio, weā€™re about the same age, have similar weight loss goals and Iā€™ve been through the citalopram thing. Iā€™ve been off for just over a year having previously been on 60mg. A large part of my reason for running is to help me mentally.

I wish you the absolute best of luck with it all - definitely onwards and upwards :)

in reply to DrEdFullyunfit

DrEd

Let me know how tomorrow goes, mines in the evening šŸ˜Š am down to 20mg now but would really like to be off it.

Iā€™ve decided I am never dieting again, Iā€™m trying to make small changes and running is definitely toning me up. Weight loss is another stress which I can build up massively in my head. I am working on the mindset that I feel better than I ever have, and that needs to be enough for now.

Good luck xxx

DrEdFullyunfit profile image
DrEdFullyunfit in reply to

Mizzog,

How has your W4 been so far?

in reply to DrEdFullyunfit

Honestly? Brutal....I only have 3 routes from home that are safe in the dark, they all have hills, some worse than others. Monday I fell short on the first 5min run by a minute as it was a hill. Wednesday I went a different direction where I thought the hill wasnā€™t as steep but it was longer and came during the 2nd 5min run so I was already shattered, fell short by almost a minute again. Both times felt sick with effort however, I wonā€™t give in. As I was only a minute short, I am going to try the third route today and see what happens. I think though I will repeat week 4 until I can do it hills and all before I move to week 5. I donā€™t have any other routes until the light nights come. First week I havenā€™t really enjoyed BUT am proud anyway that I was only a little short... hope your went better?

DrEdFullyunfit profile image
DrEdFullyunfit in reply to

Noooo... Iā€™m struggling with it too, though Iā€™m on a treadmill so donā€™t have the hill excuse :( Same as you, itā€™s the first week I havenā€™t really enjoyed either.

First run was a ā€˜practice runā€™. I was hopeful my new running shoes would push me on, but no. Stopped short at 4 mins on the first five minute run, exhausted and unready to start the next 3 minute shortly after but made it, then the next 5 minute was a disaster. Ended up finishing at about 3.5/ 4 mins absolutely shattered and in tears šŸ˜³ - not like me at all šŸ™. I was so angry and frustrated. Then I came on here and saw how many others had succeeded and felt worse šŸ˜‚.

After much soul searching and pep talks I dragged myself out for R2 nevertheless, new playlist and had decided to slow down a bit - something I really didnā€™t want to do as I feel Iā€™m slow enough! Bit easier, but not as much as Iā€™d like. Really started to flag two mins into the last 5 min run then realised I had the wrong playlist on and got very stroppy about that (again, not like me), but kept running while I tried to change to the right playlist, suddenly I had one minute to go, a good song came on and I was done. I didnā€™t feel good about it though, didnā€™t even feel like I had succeeded, even though I had. Iā€™m about to set off on R3 now.

I very strongly suspect the depression is affecting me, my responses arenā€™t ā€˜normalā€™ for me and I have a constant very loud dialogue of what a useless person I am which I currently canā€™t seem to tune out of.

Do you know what? I think youā€™re doing great! Facing a hill when you already feel like you canā€™t take any more, even if you had to slow down or stop, you still faced the hill - I reckon thatā€™s more than half the battle and like you said, you ran much more than last week and you have the fighting spirit - yaaaay!!

Iā€™m not sure what Iā€™ll do next, depends on how this run goes, but I may well stick with w4 for more than three runs too.

Good luck with your third route today, let me know how you get on, Iā€™ll send you out some good hill climbing vibes through the day so get your flag ready for when you reach the top because thatā€™s where youā€™re heading šŸ˜€ x

Redvic97 profile image
Redvic97Graduate in reply to DrEdFullyunfit

Please do slow down if youā€™re struggling... it gets you to the end of the runs. You donā€™t say why you think you are going slow enough but the only one judging that is yourself. We often hold images of runners who have been doing it for years and are trained athletes and think that we should look the same šŸ˜‚.

Many of us on here will say that you can never go too slow. Youā€™re running and thatā€™s what counts. Keep going and good luck. Youā€™re doing great getting out there šŸ˜Š

DrEdFullyunfit profile image
DrEdFullyunfit in reply to Redvic97

Thanks Redvic,

Slowing down definitely helped.

Itā€™s easier to get hung up on speed on a treadmill I guess - nothing to look at but the time ticking and a big speed readout, itā€™s as though speed and time is everything!

A few years ago I was running at 7.5km/hr in intervals of 2 min walk / 2 min run for 20 or 25 mins.

On C25K I started at 7km/hr and have just slowed from 6.3 to running at 6km/h. Iā€™m OK with that, Iā€™m coming round to the idea that itā€™s better to run slower and finish than run too fast and not gain true fitness. Iā€™m sure I can crank the speed up again a bit once the fitness is there, but I accept that for now, Iā€™m doing the right thing (hopefully! šŸ˜‚šŸ¤£)

in reply to DrEdFullyunfit

Right then...so we both have enjoyed it and then didnā€™t enjoy it! And felt brutalised and a bit of a failure, and we are too slow, or not fit enough! We will not be upset by this. We will not be upset by the wrong playlists, trainers or hills in all their glory šŸ˜Š

We have got this and because we are going to repeat the week we will be immense after it. There are no prizes here for first place or fastest time, for such as us peeps with our anxieties and depression itā€™s much more important to recapture the enjoyment and rush from doing well xxxxx hugs to you and Iā€™ll let you know how the 3rd run goes tonight x

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