So surprisingly and rather amazingly I actually managed to go from 5 to 8 mins on run 2 of wk5 but the jump to 20mins on r3 seems non achievable as 8 mins took everything out of me? Im not a natural runner and struggle with cardio so my running is an effort although I really enjoy it.
For you that struggle running can you tell me your experiences with your first 20min run please 😉 and what did you do to achieve it and if you couldn’t manage it initially did you just repeat it until you did?
Many Thanks
Shelley x
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Whizzy23
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Well done you... read this and worry no more.... steady and slow and you are going to be just fine. Trust the programme and have confidence on yourself
That’s a fantastic read! I’m not so much scared as excited but knowing how difficult it is for me to run I’ll just be so, so gutted even if I have to break for a second !
Believe me, there are so many of us who worried about this and other runs... that is why as you say the forum is so fantastic. We can empathise and support each other all the way, no matter what level we are at
I did this run last week and I must say I struggled the first time and had to keep stopping (I’m now calling this my practice run!) But for the redo, I chose a flatter route, and although the first 5-10 mins were quite tough, after 10 mins the whole thing because easier! Just keep it slow. You’ve got this! 💪
I'm at the same place as you. Tried it yesterday afternoon and failed miserably at around the 12 minute point. It wasn't helped by the fact I kept seeing people I know, the dog (who always comes with me) was being a pest and it was sunny and humid.
However, I woke up at 6:15 this morning and decided to give it another try - was a completely different experience. Much cooler so could wear my baggy hoodie and no-one else around to see me wobble, plus the dog could go off lead.
I broke the run up into music tracks and decided I was going to run for seven songs worth. This really helped and gave me something to focus on, rather than just waiting to hear the 5,10,15, two minutes left announcements on the app.
Take it slower than you usually would and just keep going. My goal is to have done it by the end of May, which allows for a couple of similar wobbles!
The seven music tracks is a blinding idea! I’m definitely going to try that ..
I always run 06.30 in the morning as it’s cooler and dread the thought of seeing anyone else 😫
I did try it with my dogs to start with but they were such a hindrance I just go now, hat on, head down and focus (and can’t help it but I speed up when I see a proper runner until they’ve gone past 🤣)
Well tomorrow is the day so bring it on!
Good luck with your journey too, I’ll let you know how the first attempt goes and keep me posted on yours I’d love to know how you get on x
I was the same, my legs were close to collapse as I finished my second eight minutes, and I didn’t believe I could possibly run for twenty, then I did.
I made a change to my route. Previously I had done laps of the block, up the slope and back down three or four times. I decided I did not want to be running up a slope when I was at my most tired, so I aimed to run uphill for ten minutes then turn around. As a back up plan I thought that if ten minutes of uphill wasn’t sustainable then I could turn around early, get my breath back treating a couple of minutes of slow downhill run as a recovery, and then do the remainder of the uphill when I was up to it.
When it came to the run itself I made a real effort to begin slowly, and to keep my pace really slow. Running up the hill was hard, but I was focused on the 7min mark. I figured that if I could get that far then I’d broken the back of the uphill run and had the option of turning back for a bit without making the rest of the run too difficult.
I tried not to increase my pace on the downhill bit. I could probably have gone faster than I did, but my aim was maximising my chance of success rather than going fast. I finished less tired after W5R3 than I’d been after W5R2.
I don’t know if that is any help to you. But remember you’ve just done 16 minutes of running, this is just a little extra and the walking bit cut out. You have prepared for this, you have it in you to do 20 minutes.
Thank you, luckily we have a flat route so I’m going to stick with it. I’ll be thinking of all this advice especially about slowing the pace down whilst I’m running which I know will help !
as a guide, at no point should any of the running bits be a 'struggle'. Pay attention to your breathing, cos it's the best indicator of the how hard you're working... you should aim to *JOG* (forget 'run') the whole program at a 'conversational pace', i.e. one where you can comfortably talk at. Call it a 'chatty pace' if you like. Another target it is to finish each running bit (including the 20 mins!) feeling like you could carry on . It's also called 'easy' pace - for a very good reason - it's literally easy!
C25K (not just W5R3) is a mental test, *not* a physical one. Your body is capable of so much more than you think ... it's the mental side that lets us down frequently. Your post illustrates that ... saying how W5R3 is 'non achievable'. It absolutely *IS* achievable. If it wasn't, millions around the world, wouldn't have completed C24K Just do a search for the all the W5R3 posts here
So, 2 mantras for you:
- every run you do prepares you for the next one (You have 157 minutes of running behind you by the time you get W5R3- more than enough to prepare you for a 20 minute jog)
- the body is ready but the mind is less so (see above!)
Well done! I completed W5 R3 on Saturday with my son. I actually found W5 R2 harder for some reason.
R3 was tough but not as bad as I expected (after struggling a little with W5 R2).When I felt tired or that I wanted to stop I slowed my pace down and just kept saying to myself that I can do it!
Well done in getting so far- you can do this, just trust the programme and adjust your pace as you need to
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