I'm not entirely sure what the problem is but I'm really struggling with week 8. I've had 5 or 6 attempts now and I've only managed 28 minutes without stopping once. I know I *can* do it because I ran for 29 minutes for W6R3 (the app crashed so I guesstimated).
Week 7 was fine but then with bad weather and other commitments I had a whole week break before W8R1. I had to abandon that run after 10 minutes due to feeling really nauseous - too many snacks eaten in the couple of hours before I ran. Next attempt I managed 28 minutes non-stop but it wasn't pretty. Same for W8R2. But since then I just can't find the stamina. I'm completing 28 minutes but with 2 or 3 short walking breaks.
I've gone off the rails with my eating over the last couple of weeks - lots of stress at work = lots of emotional eating and all the wrong things - pizza, crisps, ice cream, chocolate. Unsurprisingly I've gained a few pounds too, but I'm refocused, have cut out the rubbish and gone back to logging everything on MFP.
Do I keep plugging away at Week 8 until I hit that 28 minutes or do I move onto Week 9 and hope that flips the switch in my head?
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Knittingwithcustard
Graduate
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Hi lovely...not experienced enough to give you advice as I"m only on week 6 myself... but my go to advice would be chill, don't beat yourself up.... everyone has times like this... and keep on with week 8 until you ready to move on - its not a race.... your individual journey so go at your pace.... Best of luck and Bloody well done to get where you are!... Not there myself yet so i know the effort and commitment required to get there and i applaud you
Thank you! I know I've come such a long way since Week 1 and this is the only attempt at C25K where I've ever got past week 3 so that's even more of a reason to be proud of myself! I'm not about to give up on it when I've got this close! definitely taking it at my own pace, I started before lockdown and sometimes have only been able to fit in 2 runs in a week. Hopefully it won't be too long before I graduate but if it takes a few more weeks to get there then so be it!
that's it!.... you will do it with an attitude like that!.... and if you got as far as week 3 last time then this is fab progress! Be proud at how far you've come.... You will be graduating before you know it!
Thanks for replying! Aside from hayfever, which has been pretty consistent for most of my C25K journey, I'm feeling perfectly well physically. I've been under a lot more mental pressure at work in the last 3-4 weeks including some incredibly stressful days. It's possible that's playing a part.
Why am I taking the walk breaks? I think it just feels like too much effort to keep moving my legs! I'm not experiencing any pain or cramps or anything during or between runs but my legs feel heavy. I'm conscious that I'm tempted to use crossing the road as an excuse to walk so have planned my route to avoid crossing the road other than at the start and finish.
Maybe a new route and music playlist might help. I've had exactly the same playlist since at least Week 6 and my route has been pretty similar since then too, with a couple of tweaks to account for the extra time. Perhaps I'm so familiar with them that I'm subconsciously thinking about how much is still left to go.
And that list of wrong things? At least one day last week I had all of them in the one day. Not my finest hour but it's been and gone!
We have those days... I’d argue we need them occasionally... it’s a journey and sometimes a break is needed. I make my own pizza now, for a really thin base, I eat halo top ice cream (about the calories of a 5k run, higher in protein) and dark less sugar chocolate, which allowed to melt in the mouth tastes quite sweet... not solved the crisp issue yet though 🤣. Like running, one day will not define your journey.
Sometimes when I’m running all is comfortable and I zone out... then I start to come back into the zone and think I can’t carry on... not out of breath, legs feel like they can’t carry on... used to be a big issue and then I did a guided run where exactly what was happening to me was explained... and the solution was to go from 4/10 comfortable pace up to 6 for a minute or two, back to 5 and then back to comfortable... woke my brain up, legs got a reboot, and I got in the zone rather than zoning out. I’ve used this trick a few times now, and the opposite when I’m on a tempo run... back off the pace, hold, ease back up. Could be worth a go.
Also hydration can be easy to get a little wrong with the weather being up and down in temperature and humidity. This week I’ll be drinking a glass before my run, which is very unusual for me.
I’m also with IannodaTruffe’s idea of take the pressure off and just go run... have a fun, relaxed, no expectations run... don’t even time it as such, set an alarm for 28 minutes after the start so you don’t over run though.
What you said about varying the pace makes sense, thank you for that, I'll bear it in mind and try to put it into practice. As you and Iannoda have suggested I'll try the 'no expectations' run too, combined with an unfamiliar playlist and perhaps a different route too so I don't have those fixed milestones looming ahead all the way through.
And thank you for the food suggestions. I'm one of those weird people who would rather have no ice cream than halo top but generally do prefer just a little amount of a good dark chocolate. Crisps I've realised is about the crunch as much as the taste so usually substitute a handful of raw cashew nuts or a couple of oatcakes. I'm planning my whole day's food ahead on MFP this week to help me break those bad habits of the last couple of weeks.
Hope you enjoy mixing up the running a little... if speeding up, keep it short, if slowing then ease back up when you’re ready... I’m pretty sure it’s just a mental reset... like the brain is saying “whatever is chasing us must have given up by now” and whichever part you speed up again suggests that it hasn’t! I dunno, but it works for me.
I graduated in March and have struggled since, then got a plan and made some real progress, then I hit a week like you have had and almost gave up but when I went back I planned in a couple of walk breaks so they were ‘permitted’ and lo and behold the next run I managed to keep going. I think what I am saying is give yourself permission to have an ‘off’ week, we are human beings not robots. You have done amazingly well to get this far and you will get over that final hurdle, just be kind to yourself.
Everything going on in our lives can impact on our performance as a runner. Restedness, hydration and nutrition are at the top of my list of variables that need to be optimised to enable enjoyable running.
If you can't run for 28 minutes you won't be able to run for 30 minutes.
Why not put the plan aside for a few days and just run, without worrying about for how long.
Make sure you prepare for your runs by eating good nutritious food, drinking 2.5-3 litres of fluids daily and hopefully getting a goodnight's sleep.
Thank you! I have a lot on my plate at work at the moment which has meant I've not been looking after non-working me as much as I normally would and sleep is definitely a problem area right now. That plus the terrible diet over the last couple of weeks sounds like more than enough to throw me off course. I was going to say at least I've been properly hydrated but thinking about all of the added salt & sugar I've been consuming then my usual fluid intake probably wasn't enough either.
My next run is on Thursday. By then I should be a lot better nourished and I'll up the fluids a little too. Hopefully the sleep will improve too.
Hello there, you can do it, I think that this is perhaps more of a mental struggle than a physical one. If you get to that point where you think you have to stop, maybe slow down some more for those last few minutes. When Laura gave me the choice to step it up or slow it down I ALWAYS slowed it down. 🙂😉
I have every confidence that you will graduate, but if I were you I wouldn't move on to the next week until I've completed all the runs fully (I've been there, done that and yep it took a bit longer), but hey you've gone from sitting on a couch to running over 20 odd mins. Well done you 👍
It does feel more like a mental problem than physical. I'm thinking a change of scenery and different music on my playlist might help.
My next run is planned for Thursday. I think another attempt at 28 minutes is the right thing to do but if I get to 28 and feel I've got it in me I'll try to do the extra 2 minutes.
Hopefully it won't be too long before I'm posting that I've made it to week 9!
Yeh, that sounds like a good plan👍, it definitely won't be long before you get that badge. I ran my 3rd consolidation run today, still had to slow it down, but it enabled me to keep going.
Mixing your runs up with different routes really does help. I find running on dirt/woodland tracks easier (softer impact) than roads, plus I can't keep track of where I am so I really can't judge time, until I'm told or my timer buzzes.
Maybe eat a little healthier, but don't give up the good stuff completely 🥺, we all need to have our treats...... a good reason to run really 😉👍
I know that 3 years on from when I did the plan I still struggle at times and it tends to be in places I struggled at the start. I think my mind remembers sections I found difficult (uphill 🤣) and to this day I dread them. It’s all mental. I’ve walked these hills and they’re neither steep nor long!! Try a different route so that you don’t think “I stopped here once” or “I’ll never do this bit”. You’ve trained your legs, heart and lungs and as I’ve said to many - it’s time to invite your brain to the party. Good luck. You CAN and will do this.
Hi there. The thing that made most difference to me was increasing fluids. Maybe if you’re neglecting what you’re eating you aren’t taking enough fluids either, particularly since the weather is warmer. I’ve also found it more difficult due to hay fever as my blocked runny nose is making deep breaths more difficult. Have a few days rest and then try again. I’m sure you’ll manage next time
Thank you! Yes I've realised that although I've been drinking the same amount of fluids I should probably have upped them when I was eating the junk! And as you said, with the warmer weather.
The hayfever does make my breathing a little more challenging but on the whole that's been unchanged since I started. I can usually breathe through my nose when at rest but have to breathe through my mouth when exercising.
It’s very easy to underestimate the strength your mental game needs to be for long distance running. The more pressure you put on yourself the harder it will be.
My advice would be, break it down. For example tell yourself you just going for a run for 10 mins, easy right, 10 mins is nothing now at you level, so no pressure.
So go about your run, get into your stride, and when you approach 10 mins, assess yourself.
For example, How’s my breathing? Am I gasping? If yes, slow your pace, if no, excellent.
So how’s my body? Am I hurting unexpectedly? Sharp pains etc. If yes then there is likely a problem and you should stop, if no, just dull aches, this is normal.
So if at this point you are still running, just say to yourself, my body is fine my breathing is ok, I’m gonna try an extra 5 mins.
As you approach the end of that 5 mins just rinse and repeat the previous steps 😊
You’re doing great having got to Week 8! Dtay has said exactly what I was going to say. Go for a shorter run and if feeling good, then keep going. It takes the pressure off and you may enjoy it!
I felt a bit stuck at Week 8 too, wasn’t sure I had the extra 2 mins in me, but on a good run day I just carried on and did it. But could not have moved on to Week 9 if I couldn’t do the 28 mins.
You know you can do 20 min - why not go out and do that - you’ll feel better for completing what you set out to do too. And if you feel up to it you can keep on a bit longer. Set a timer so you don’t go too long though!
Make sure you’re having plenty of water on your rest days too. In this hot weather it’s easy not to have enough.
You’ve got this! Not long til the end and then it’s your choice of runs.
I had a similar experience in week 7, I'm now on week 8 and finding it much easier mentally (still tough physically!).
I'd second all the recommendations around just going out for a run, but not aiming for 28 minutes. If you make it that far, great, but if you only get to 20 minutes then that's still a good workout.
I also found that switching from music to a good podcast really helped me last week, it distracted me from all the thoughts I was having of giving up and got me through to the end.
Just got through week 8 which was horrendous. I don’t know why. I hated every second of it. Week 9 has been better so far. Changed my route and started listening to podcasts which has helped. I think it’s also just soooo loooooong. It’s hard not to listen to whatever bits of you are telling you to just stop and give up and that you can’t go on. My head was not in it in week 8 and for me it’s more crucial than anything else. You’ve come so far! You’re amazing! You can do it!!!
You are going through the exact same dilemma that I had with week 8. I knew it was a mental block issue rather than a physical problem. So I talked to couple runners for advice similar what others already have given you. Don’t be so hard on yourself - acknowledge all the accomplishments you have done so far. Try run the 30min and when you are about to walk , think to yourself “do I really need to walk? Let’s try running a bit longer . It’s ok to walk if I really need to.” Switching my brain to positive thinking helped me overcome the need to walk. I have graduated now and still using that method when I know I am getting tired
Hi there .. I think that advise is good .. don’t beat yourself up.. keep telling yourself you can do it ( as you already have!).. and just keep going... I am at the same stage as you .. I struggled at week 5 kept stopping and my friend suggested a ‘gentle ‘ jog together.. she suggested ‘Japanese Slow Jogging’ at nico nico pace meaning smile! Google it it’s amazing I can now just keep going and when it’s too hot I slow down even further...
This training and long distance running I s all about endurance not speed... so I don’t worry that at week 9 I won’t be running 5 k in 30 mins as in time my speed will improve. So for example my last run of 28 mins ( Wk 8 run 1) was at an average speed of 16 minute per mile ( 9.94 km/ min) as it was so hot .. some days it’s quicker depending on how I feel the temp etc .. the quickest at this new pace has been 12.35 min/ mile (7.70 km/m) increasing to 14 /15 min/m (8/9 km/m) .. The biggest difference in this technique is the ease at which I just keep going I just keep checking in now and again to how I’m feeling, Posture , relaxing, how my feet hit the ground .. I am usually smiling .. I can sing along to the songs I listen to, look around, chat, plan etc in other words I never think negative thoughts now about struggling with jogging/ running .. try it it’s revolutionary! .... hope this in some way helps 😊
I’m totally with you on the psychological hurdles. I’m struggling with week 8 physically, but for me the psychological barrier hit in week 5 - I just couldn’t do that third run of the week, the full 20 minutes without stopping. So I repeated and repeated it until I got so sick of it I moved on to week 6 just for the variety, and found the runs were really good until I got to the last one which was 25 minutes. So again I repeated the week a few times, then thought “blow this for a game of cricket” and tried week 7, and rand for the full 25 minutes without stopping!
My advice? Never go backwards, but it’s ok to repeat. However what worked for me were two changes. Firstly, I tried a new playlist on Spotify instead of listening to my old familiar tunes; this distracted me as I was discovering a load of songs I wasn’t familiar with and I was trying to figure out who was singing (most of them I didn’t know at all, lol). The second change was simply reminding myself to relax. I tend to hunch forward which causes tension in my body and naturally that makes everything much harder. So instead I I consciously lifted my head and started looking around at the scenery, I brought my shoulders back and down a bit to open up my lungs, and that naturally positioned my hips centrally over my feet as I ran. Every couple of minutes I’d have to remind myself, even whispering to myself to relax, but it made all the difference.
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