So proud - Week 5 Run 3

[Villagegreen]

We all know the one. Casually browsing through your upcoming runs and BAM! 20 minutes?! Is this wrong?! What?! Proceed to Google. Find this forum. Psych yourself up.

So, off I went. I had done a mile run earlier this week so I knew if I pushed myself I could probably do the 20 minutes. I decided not to play the app and just use landmarks in the village so I wasn’t concentrating on time or getting updates.

34 minutes and 4.77k later I arrived back home. I hadn’t stopped once! (Aside from about 20 seconds to cross the road.)

I’m thrilled. I also know some days I may not be feeling it and I may not manage that distance. But I did it!

5 weeks ago I couldn’t run to the end of the road. Trust in yourselves and don’t let the 20 minutes scare you!

[Hidden]

Well done Villagegreen, I can hear how proud you feel.

Just a note of caution- as a new runner you at greater risk from injury if you over do things. The programme teaches much about discipline and about yourself. There is no rush and better to arrive in one piece rather than ending up broken.

Good luck!

[Villagegreen in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou for the advice. I’m definitely not going to over do it and will fall back in line with the plan to keep training but it was just so brilliant to know that I can do it! X

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum and well done on your progress.

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

and includes advice on minimising impact, stretching after every run, hydration and strengthening exercises, all of which will help.

We are all capable of doing way more than our bodies are conditioned to do, but not without increasing our injury risk. Sticking to gently progressive training plans is the safest way to push our limits, whilst gently increasing our resistance to injury.

Take care.

Enjoy your journey.

[Villagegreen in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thankyou for the link. I plan to keep in line with the programme but it has really motivated me to know that if I can achieve that now then when I’ve finished the programme i’ll feel even better! X

[Bloomsbury22 Graduate]

Well done! I just did my W5R3 yesterday and likewise, could not believe the leap from 8 mins to 20 minutes. But yup, we got there, and all that training has obviously done its job. Like the others said though, I would try and stick to the plan though, rather than risk injury, which would be so gutting having got so far. For instance, I took a look at W6R1 and was puzzled, as it seemed a bit backwards after what we just did. But then someone broke it down for me, and it is as much about training our brains as it is our legs. I know this is true as 90% of running is in my head. If I can distract myself, if I can push past those first difficult five to ten minutes of every session, once Jo tells me I am half way done, seeing my neighbours who have been cheering me on, remembering how good it feels after I complete a run, that all motivates me on. As well as having massively switched up my running playlist.

[Comfortnotspeed]

👏🤩👣🎼Such A Good Feeling!!!

You smashed it!