W7R3 why isn’t this getting any easier??

[Rrrrunning]

I’m about to finish week 7 - every single run has been a struggle to get to the end of; a real battle of wills. I’ve done every single run and completed them all and feel good afterwards- but any sense of feeling ‘settled’ while running or even enjoying it has yet to occur. Any advice?

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

The final few weeks of continuous running can seem a slog and this is primarily mental, in my opinion.

Firstly, be kind to yourself. Jog at a pace at which you can speak clear, ungasping sentences as you go. This enables you to have your head up and be able to appreciate your surroundings. I used to give myself a running commentary on everything that I could see, hear, smell and feel as I ran, in full florid language. Running somewhere beautiful helps.

Distract your mind from running.........think about anything other than time or running.

[Rrrrunning Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you - that’s great advice. I do get fixated on when the bell’s going to ring to tell me I’m half way through- which isn’t helpful!

[Hidden]

Great advice from Iannoda, try to let your running absorb you, from the ground up, where are you running, listen to the sound, look at your surroundings, don't be imprisoned by what's ahead, look at landscapes, listening to the sounds the wind in the trees and the birds, take in the scents especially now it's spring, everything's growing 👍

[Rrrrunning Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Thank you- I will. I actually live and run in a really beautiful rural location- I’ll try and pay more attention to it than the effort of running.

[Hidden in reply to Rrrrunning]

🙂👍

[Speedy60 Graduate]

I think maybe lots of graduates posting can make c25k seem easier than it actually is. I definitely found the first few weeks was a physical challenge, the last few weeks was a grueling mental one. I graduated in November. Like you, I was always happy after each run, but I had no feeling of 'settledness' until some time in January.

Just hang on in there, you're doing brilliantly 👏💪

[Rrrrunning Graduate in reply to Speedy60]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I read that you don't develop 'running legs' for around 6 months - that would tally with your experience.

The challenge is certainly more mental now however. I'm very determined to stick with it though, so will grit my teeth and try to enjoy the blossom!

[Oldman51 Graduate]

I was interested to read your post, as I was in that position in 2008 (I graduated in August 2008 at the age of 67). I found the later stages of C25K hellish, which was disappointing after finding weeks 1 and 2 OK. Sadly I never improved with "consolidation runs" and after 50 of these I still found 30 minutes quite unpleasant. Inevitably my jogging has dwindled to nearly nothing. You have received plenty of advice that it is "mental" but I would be wary of that. Firstly there is abundant evidence that muscle fatigue is genuine and is likely to be a biological variable. Secondly it is then only a small step to label us as lazy, which has certainly happened to me on this forum. I would like to know how you progress. Unfortunately failures like me tend not to contribute very often and when we do we are drowned out by tales of 5k PBs, etc.

Best wishes.

[Rrrrunning Graduate in reply to Oldman51]

Thanks for sharing your experience. My fear is that running simply isn't everyone's cup of tea- I'd hate to come so far only to discover I actually don't like it, as it sounds might have happened in your case. I guess you can only find out the hard way! Your achievements however are very impressive! I hope you found a more enjoyable exercise eventually.

[Oldman51 Graduate in reply to Rrrrunning]

I've just noticed the typo in my original post! I did C25K in 2018, when I was 67. I am now 69. I strongly suspect there are many more people who don't enjoy running, and consequently don't do it regularly. Why this difference from the self-confessed "addicts" here? I think there are two reasons. Firstly I'm no good at it. I never managed to cover more than 3.2k in 30 minutes. Second I've never experienced any endorphin "high" - just discomfort. Shame - because statistically it's good for one!

[backintime Graduate]

I would argue that it is getting easier - remember when 1 minute was hard? Now you run (if I remember w7r3 rightly) 25 of them in a row.

So it is getting much easier to run 1 minute - so you're not comparing like with like.

You are constantly pushing yourself, so it's not going to get easier right away - consolidation is the right time to get that feeling of "aquiring" the distance, or the time spent running, where you spend a few weeks doing the same distance and it does get a bit easier.

[Rrrrunning Graduate in reply to backintime]

Good point! Week 1 nearly killed me!

[backintime Graduate in reply to Rrrrunning]

I think it nearly killed many of us