Week 5 - Run 3

[Runner_P]

I was so glad that today was so much cooler for my first continuous 20 minutes run. It rained first thing, but was dry, cool and breezy when I arrived at the park.

I kept it slow and steady and was confident setting out that physically I could manage it, but being the first time at this duration I was a little nervous

The first 5 minutes flew by, and at that point I knew I had it. At the 10 minute mark I was still feeling good and knew that because I had just run for 10 minutes (so now a “doable” duration) I just had to do that 10 minute interval again (albeit with a walking break). At 15 minutes I hit my sweet spot. I was on a slight decline, my pace was great and the 20 minutes was in my grasp. When Laura announces the last two minutes I had started a slight incline and did get a bit excited, so be the end my breathing was a lot harder than it had been throughout, but I now feel incredible

For anyone coming up to week 5 , run 3. It’s fine to be nervous and excited. I was. But the feeling you will get when you complete it is so worth it 🥰

[Instructor57 Graduate]

Excellent !! 👏👏👏

Well done .

It's a great feeling 😬

Your run sounds like mine, a little nervous, sweet spot , and then the incline at the end !

You will probably be e smiling all day now !

Enjoy the feeling , I think it's a milestone run that one ! 😬👍

[Runner_P Graduate in reply to Instructor57]

I will definitely be smiling all day

[wobbles_when_runs Graduate]

Fantastic, well done! 👏🏻💃🏻👏🏻💃🏻

Please for you, you’ve got it sorted 😊

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Perfect conditions and perfect running! Great job out there... and those last two minutes just prove that you got this... you had enough in the tank to push a little.

Enjoy week 6... slow and steady in the intervals, and then you get to just run to the end of the plan.

[MontyMooDog Graduate]

Great job. Don't say I didn't say you'd smash it !!👍😀

[Runner_P Graduate in reply to MontyMooDog]

Thank you. Everyone’s positivity has really helped carry me along

[Chocoholic77]

Well done! Good day to do it. Inspiration for next week, I’m slightly freaking out about it!

[Runner_P Graduate in reply to Chocoholic77]

You will be great. I’m always a little nervous whenever the interval duration increases because I haven’t done it, so I don’t have proof I can.

I do have faith in the plan, so know that is just a mental hurdle. Now I have run for 20, I have the evidence I can can do all the intervals in the next two runs because I’ve exceeded those durations already. I expect I’ll be a little nervous when I increase to 25, 28, and 30, but I know those increments are smaller percentage wise than 60 to 90 seconds. 90 seconds to 3 mins etc. All that means is that I can rationalise to myself that actually, I’m already capable of doing it, I just need to be patient and let it happen.

I also became REALLY mindful of keeping a slow pace from week 3. It made everything so much easier.

[Chocoholic77 in reply to Runner_P]

Thank you 🤞🏽. You will be fine now you are right it’s small increases after running 20 mins

[Sandraj39 Graduate]

Brilliant- such a great run!🙂

[Tinytears60 Graduate]

Love the description... love reading posts about W5R3 ... I love reading all the posts of my little running family but that run really got in my head and I remember the euphoric feeling of beating it

Well done! 👏👏👏

[Runner_P Graduate]

Thank you. I love reading them too. I’m also posting so that I can look back on them in the future and see how far I’ve come.

Week 1 & 2 were far and away the most difficult for me. I was very proud, but thought I was going to keel over each and every run. So to now be really looking forward to each run was unthinkable before