Week 3

[hworkman24]

This is my first post but I’m on week 3 and I’m starting to struggle with running for 3 minutes straight, I don’t know if it’s because i’m super unfit or because I have possible asthma. Does anyone have any tips? I really want to be able to get to the end goal of 30 minute runs!!

[Movegroove Graduate]

Hey well done on completing the last 2 weeks.

I started the plan 9wks and I’m about to do my last run tomorrow well actually today now, my asthma was exercise induced and I was having to puff at it so often for the first 4wks of the plan. I haven’t used my inhaler in 5 wks and haven’t felt like I’ve needed to at all. So keep with it take the runs really slow and you’ll do it.

You got this - stick with the plan and you’ll be graduating in a few weeks

🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏽‍♀️💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[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.

Follow the advice in the guide on pacing and it will all make sense.

Can you speak aloud, clear, ungasping sentences as you run?.........if not, you are going too fast.

Enjoy your journey.

[SamiaT Graduate]

Hi,

We're on the same week. I'm going out for my last run of this week in alittle while. Just wanted to say go really slow. Baby steps and also loosen up your arms. I find I tense up and the arm swings become more forceful propelling me to go faster. I shake them out during my runs now and focus on shortening my stride so I'm taking tiny steps. It's actually quite hard on your calves to run slow and I'm struggling with my gait as I find I lean more on one leg than the other but trying to focus and push through today.

You can do it. Focus on small steps, deep breathing, loosen your shoulders and relax your arms, distract yourself by music or thinking about something deep and meaningful and the time will fly by.

Let me know how you get on.

[Rilke]

Check out Japanese Slow Running in You tube. I almost gave up in week 2 because I was in so much pain and this video transformed my running. I don’t look very elegant and my running pace is super slow but I don’t care. Helps with your posture too. Good luck and don’t give up!

[Bloomsbury22 Graduate]

First of all, well done for getting out there. That is the hardest part of all of this. I have bad asthma, which was further complicated during this whole programme through crazy high pollen and hayfever. So am there with you in the struggle.

Here are a few things that have helped me. Run as early in the day as you can as it is cooler, and pollen tends to be more manageable, and before you can talk yourself out of it. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, then drink some more. I know everyone says that, but you need to be drinking at least 2.5 litres to 3 litres of water every single day, and the days before you run are the most important actually. Half a banana just before you head out gives you a little energy spike too, as can a cup of coffee. When you are out running you need distractions, be that a great playlist to listen to, or a good podcast. All of those can be run at the same time with the C25K app, which just cuts in and over whatever you are listening to as and when needed to give you your prompts. Music works best for me, really thumping, fast and super motivating songs that I sing along to in my head (and out loud!). Go ahead and delete all the slower songs from your playlist. They literally slow you down. Play games with yourself, trying to count how many red cars you see, or blue doors, anything to distract your brain from the time. Make lists in your head of things you need to do. Think of something nice you would like for a reward when you get to W5, for instance.

When I started this journey I was so unfit. I badly broke my ankle a few years back and spent over two years in casts, and three surgeries, so definitely did not think running was for me. Factor in bad asthma and hayfever and I was textbook not-a-runner. I really struggled with the first couple of weeks, and did not believe it was going to work, but forced myself out there, screaming in my head. But I promise you that you will get over this hurdle, and something does click in your head. So much of this, a good 90% of this, is in our heads. Every part of our brain is telling us to stop. But once you get past that, your brain registers you are not going to stop, readjusts everything and off you go. Honestly. It is called the Toxic Ten. There is some actual science behind this (worth searching in the search bar on this forum) for it. You will really notice this as you start running longer distances (which you will, honestly), that the stiffness, heavy legs, aches, and heavy breathing, suddenly starts easing off and you find yourself looser.

Oh! And swing your arms around! If you have breathing problems, you probably tend to tense up your upper body, and your shoulders are probably up around your ears and arms clenched. Well, mine are! So I regularly swing my arms around, do some shoulder rolls, all of this to loosen up. I also do upper body stretches, along with my leg stretches, both before and after each run. This really helps open up your chest.

Every single run you are doing right now is building strength and stamina. And the feeling you get after completing a run, and realising you can do it, does cement in your brain and make the next one easier. I promise! Do rely on this forum. We have all been there. You would be hard-pressed to find a scenario one of us has not been in. I certainly could never have got through this without this forum. You have this! x

[Sabrina77 Graduate]

Just slow down, stop running but light jog, leisurely jog.

[feeling-good Graduate]

Hello, I have asthma too and it's taken a while to get a plan. I've made sure I'm scrupulous taking my preventer inhaler morning and night and I always take 2 puffs of my blue inhaler just before I run. I've completed the plan now and run for 30 minutes x3 times a week BUT slowly. In my first 30 minute run I only ran 2.6k and now am up to 3.5k.

Please keep on but be safe, run slowly, if you're wheezing run more slowly - you can definitely do it. It took me 13 weeks to get there (I definitely found week 4 incredibly hard).

Good luck

[Dtay1978 Graduate]

Welcome 😊

[Sophiant]

Pace is key. You need to be able to talk whilst jogging. When I started the project the first time and running with my dog I used to say "run Dougie run" to prompt him to stop smelling the grass. This actually helped me realise I was starting the jog too fast because I couldn't aways say that comfortably twice. I second the Japanese slow running YouTube videos for visualising what a slow jog is. You'r not alone, we all have some runs that we struggle. I did week 4 run 1 this week and started the 1st 5min jog too fast and couldn't complete it, did 2 instead of 3 min on the second jog but managed all 5min on the third jog once I slowed down. so I lean more on pace rather than being unfit.

Repeat any runs you struggle with. I am repeating the program in fact myself now. In the weeks that I don't do all 3 runs in the week I tend to struggle and have to repeat runs. But better repeat and take longer than cause an injury. Listen to your body.

I also second the hydrate, hydrate hydrate. I get stitches when I haven't drank enough in the previous 24 hours.

And lastly, could it have been too hot for you? I run one evening when it was hot and had to stop a run mid-way, but managed it well the next time.

And music, find songs to your pace to help you keep to it. I have a few relatively upbeat but with a slower drums tempo and I follow the drums.

[Hidden]

Slow

Down, hydrate plenty the day before, electrolyte drinks. Chill!