Demoralised ☹️

[reindella]

Today was my third attempt at Week 5 Run 3 (20 minute run) and I still can’t get it. I run for 15 minutes then always am really struggling and can’t carry on.

I tried taking an extra rest day (two days between runs), and had pasta with spinach a few hours before for some long release energy.

I felt like I was making real progress around a week or so ago and finding the runs challenging but rewarding- and beginning to enjoy the process a lot more.

Now I’m just feeling like I’ll never get it ☹️ Any tips?

I'm 22, F, no health conditions and healthy weight (used to be severely underweight- not sure if this will affect it)

[MMP175 Graduate]

I’m no expert but wonder if you are going too fast. I felt at the start that I couldn’t run any slower but having read the advice on this forum I slowed even more but have managed to get to week 5 and am due run 3 on Monday. My Fitbit tells me that I’m not running at peak heat rate for the whole run anymore which is good. I’ve also started drinking a lot more fluids, not on the morning of the run!! And that had definitely helped with the aching legs at the start. Not sure how I’ll get on with 20minutes but am optimistic. I never thought I would get beyond 1minute running after week 1, and feel much better already.

Don’t give up as you’ve done so well so far, but try and take it even slower. Good luck

[reindella in reply to MMP175]

I feel the same- wondering if I'm going too slow already, but I'll give that a go. I'm currently doing about 7:10/km according to my tracking app- don't have a heart rate tracker but that's good advice, thank you

[MMP175 Graduate in reply to reindella]

You’re going a lot faster than me. I’ve been checking with Strava and I’m now between 9.5 and 10/km. I know I won’t be doing 5k at the end, but if I can run for 30mins I reckon that’ll be quite an active for a 63 year old who couldn’t run for a bus a few months ago!

[Tasha99 Graduate]

Slow down and slow down again. It’s also a mental battle.

[Kharina Graduate]

I'm new to the plan too and only just done Week 5 Run 3 myself, but I would second the advice to slow down. I started off at snail's pace for Week 5R3 and completed it OK but started a bit fast this morning with week 6 run 1 and was glad to walk after the first 5 min run, slowed it down a bit after that but wouldn't have been able to do 20 mins at that pace, so maybe you are starting too fast? I don't think my run is much, if at all faster than my brisk walk, and it seems to be working so far going that slowly!

[Hidden]

Mind over matter Reindella slow it down and section that 20 minute run its only 4x 5 minutes and you've already ran longer so you'll get this, rest up, let that last run be forgotten it's negative energy 👍

You'll smash it, just smash it slowly 👍👍

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

Your speed is very much faster than mine. I found that as the runs got longer we slowed down more and more I remember that 20 minute run the first half keep saying to Willow we must go really slow or we won’t be able to run the whole time and bellowing slow down every time he went off in front

Good luck next time

[Spartacus22 Graduate]

Alot of it is finding your own pace the idea is 5l but more the 30 mind at the end of the journey.

It could just be an off day. If you look through all the threads everyone has a day they particularly struggled with but it could be any range of factors. Hydration diet even mindset.

Run for you and if you complete it at any pace you've done it right

Keep it up

You've got it

[Quackquackquack Graduate]

Hi hope you have already run again and managed it but if not you can do it ! just go slower especially at the start