Scared to start week 4

[Allstar1975]

Hi guys, anyone else had this feeling about starting the next week? I did with week 3 and repeated the run twice now. I have had two rest days, and am wondering if I should give week a go in the morning or just stick with week 3! I have managed to get through week 3 ok, it’s just the thought of having to run for 3 minutes that’s scary.

[B14v Graduate]

Go for it . Had all those doubts but I stuck to it and believe it you will be pleasantly surprised 😮👍🏻

[Allstar1975 Graduate in reply to B14v]

Thanks, I think it’s the fear of not knowing. I won’t know I’m ready till I try I suppose. I will try and get up early and give it ago in the morning.

[B14v Graduate in reply to Allstar1975]

When I started I couldn’t even run for a minute the only way I got over those voices in my head was to up the volume and say I Can Do This . So drink loads of water set a steady pace and go for it 🤗👍🏻

[TenaciousDeb Graduate]

This was me this morning .... and I did it!! Week 4 run 1 this morning. I surprised myself and so can you. Just go slow and don’t be put off by the thought of longer runs ... I’m 54 and had to do week one run one twice so if I can do it you definitely can! Like everyone says it’s as much a mental battle as a physical one. I have written down ‘Trust the Programme’ as a mantra to remind me. Good luck x

[Allstar1975 Graduate in reply to TenaciousDeb]

Thanks for your reply. This forum is really great to get us all motivated. I will give it a go in the morning, and hopefully be ok.

[Lula375 Graduate]

The only way you’ll find out is if you actually give it a go! If you can’t manage 3 mins 🤷🏻‍♀️, try a gain another day. (But yeah, trust the programme and trust your body - it can do it!)

[Allstar1975 Graduate in reply to Lula375]

Thanks, I’m going to give it ago tomorrow and if I can’t manage it then I will just repeat week 3 again.

[Lula375 Graduate in reply to Allstar1975]

If you can’t manage it, try W4 R1 again - you already know you can do Week 3, and you’ll probably just build up more anxiety about Week 4. I remember the night before my W4R1 thinking i probably wouldn’t make it, but I hydrated the day before, quick coffee shot and stretches before I left and then a slow jog to the end of each interval.

I look forward to hearing how you get on 🙂

[Allstar1975 Graduate in reply to Lula375]

Thanks. I WILL try in the morning and let you all know how it went. X

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

What happens if you run for longer than in this week, but don’t quite make the target time? For some that’s an issue, for others it’s progress... and of course the second group of people are correct. Every run that you do will make you a better runner, that’s how this works, and your muscles can’t read the plan, so they won’t stop building just because you were a little short.

What does this mean? It means you can relax... take the pressure off yourself... and trust the plan to do its job. While you’re at that, believe in yourself... you can do more that you think you can... positivity helps. On the run, become your own coach... remind yourself to run at your conversational pace, slow down if it’s getting hard, and also tell yourself that you can do this. Shut the negative voice in your head out by replying positively to it. Sure, sometimes you have to dig deep to keep going, but other times it comes quite easily.

Take the next week on... you have nothing to lose, and you’ll gain a lot however it goes. That all said... YOU CAN DO IT!

Happy running.

[Allstar1975 Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Thanks so much. I always try and stay focused on every run I do and always encourage myself in my runs telling myself that I can do this. Just need to focus on not setting out too quickly. If I’m slower and I achieve it, it doesn’t matter. My problem is I think I look at my pace too much and think I’m going too slow. I have to stop doing this and just concentrate on achieving the week I am on.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to Allstar1975]

There’s a reason that the C25K app doesn’t show your pace you know! I tracked all my runs... didn’t look at most of them for months... then I could clearly see that all my conversational paces running was paying off, my slow was getting faster!

I sometimes use guided runs on Nike Run Club... their global head coach is brilliant, and he takes time to point out on the timed runs that no matter how fast you go it won’t end sooner... and so a timed run should be run at an easy effort to give. It’s only when running by distance that speed sometimes matters... he has runs for training at a distance, where it’s still mostly easy, but he has you play with pace... and then there’s race day ones where pace becomes a little more important. Right now, every run is a timed run... and every run is also your long run... they’re about getting miles in your legs... relax and let it happen!

[Allstar1975 Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Thanks

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

You are doing great but why get stuck on a run?

What is the worst that can happen?

Read this healthunlocked.com/couchto5... believe in yourself and give it a go.

You can do this.

[Allstar1975 Graduate]

Thanks, I know it’s all in the mind. I am going to go out in the morning and tell myself ‘I can do this’

[DWW0511 Graduate]

Has it happened ? 💪🏼

[Allstar1975 Graduate in reply to DWW0511]

Yes, so proud of myself. I was out at 5this morning. Onto run two on Sunday.

[Ojojodee Graduate]

Good luck you can do it!!!

[Alvor Graduate]

Go for it. I managed it and it’s tough, but you’ll surprise yourself with just a little push

[LVLady]

Well done for doing it, I’m only slightly ahead and like you worry about the next run, but so far so good, never thought I would get this far and now looking forward to my Sunday morning run, week 5 run 3!

[Bonnybanks]

Hi, I am going to suggest that you find the Japanese slow jogging video that many folk have found to be great in tackling the programme when your mind is feeling more cautious than it should. I only recently found it (wk7) but like you, struggled with weeks 3 and 4 for a few weeks. Might be worth a look. Best of luck, you can do this!

[Menopausalrunner Graduate]

Hi,

I did my first run of week 4 this morning and I'm still buzzing!

I really felt as if I had achieved something and it wasn't half ad bad ad I thought it was going to be! I actually enjoyed it 😀

It probably helped that I had running music on my ear pods and definitely with the motivation from C25K

Good luck 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

[Irish-John Graduate]

I first graduated in 2016 It wasn't until about week 5 I started to believe I just might make it all the way - and week 5 had taken me about 12 weeks to get to

Each weekly increment up to then filled me with dread - I honestly thought the 'dream' would come to a crashing halt. However - the programme WAS working, slowly to be sure but steadily. I had gone from wishing I could run one tenth of a mile - the distance between markers at the Park - to where I was surpassing that AND in good shape

The programme works - the hardest distance is to get out the front door and start the run. The next biggest hurdle is our own minds telling us 'You are not, not will you ever be, a Runner'

But, look at this forum and all the Runners on it We all started on Day One, we all had huge doubts about if we could run - after all, why would we feel the need of a programme otherwise? - and we all made it by going steadily, slowly and within the parameters of the programme and our own capabilities

I always say that if there was a category here for 'Most Unlikely to Run' there would be stiff competition for entrance to it Yet - we do run, and while less than ten percent graduate with 5K in 30 minutes we do graduate with the 30 minutes under our belt, that is what the programme is really about. You build up stamina and confidence and running becomes 'better' - maybe not 'easy' if like me you have screwed lungs, footbones and are built more like a bulldog than greyhound -but you do absolutely get to where you truly, genuinely, enjoy the runs

Don't let your head affect your feet So much of this running lark is mental - hard to understand that at the beginning, but trust me and the thousands who have gone through it, if you trust the programme and take into account all the great advice and 'real world' experience on the Forum you will see 'Graduate' beside your name here : )

Wishing you many happy miles in your future