Hit 5k!

[Catchat21]

Finally did 5k! Second consolidation run and whilst it’s definitely harder without the direction of couch to 5k I do find it easier to zone out. I ran for 38 minutes which I’m happy with, I just wanted to hit 5k. However I still find the first 15-20 minutes really hard. Beyond that I feel ok and actually once I hit 5k I did feel I could keep doing (not for ages!) but it’s frustrating that half the run is still so hard.

[linda9389 Graduate]

Brilliant. I still remember that great feeling of hitting 5k for the first time! It's really common that the first part of a run feels tougher than the rest. There are physiological changes that the body is adapting to which can take a good 10 minutes when you move from walk to run, but there are also the mental aspects - the worry that we might run out if steam before the end. For the first, you could do a more dynamic warm up so your body is already more adapted when you start the run and/or try to run slow and easy to start and hraadually pick up the pace slightly as you go . For the second, just remember you actually felt you could go further at the end of this run - you were nowhere near out of steam! As your confidence grows, you will worry less and it will become less of an issue 😊

[Catchat21 Graduate in reply to linda9389]

Thank you!