Another run/walk in the bag! I found it ok but worrying about the next one. 8 minute sections on run 2 to 20 minutes on run 3 seems a bit steep! How did everyone find the big jump? I will be giving it a go either friday evening or saturday morning 😖
I'm really happy to have managed to get this far without repeating a run so if i have to repeat run 3 a few times before i can manage it then that's ok. I will give it my best shot! 🏃♀️
We're at the same point in the programme - I have W5R2 tonight (halfway through, how is that possible?). I have been re-reading the very reassuring Week 5 post in the FAQ and looking forward to grinning for a week.
Well done for getting this far. I think the 20 minute run is the run most of us dreaded the most (tho I remember laughing / crying at the thought of 3 and 5 minutes!!)
Remember that with W5R2 you covered 21 minutes. Yes you had a 5 minute walk break but you were still on the move. This run just turns that walk break into a run. Slow it down from the start and you will be fine.
Congrats on getting this far! 🥳 I’m on W7 and when i started W5 I was terrified of the 8min runs and then the final 20mins, I genuinely didn’t think it was possible....... but guess what? It is totally doable- trust in the programme, you are more prepared than you realise. I actually enjoyed the 8 minute runs and found it easier than I thought I would, and yes I won’t lie, the 20 min was a real push, but I made sure I set off at a really gentle jog. The runners high you will feel afterwards will be wonderful and will spur you on to week 6. You’ve got this!! 👍🏻
"8 minute sections on run 2 to 20 minutes on run 3 seems a bit steep!"
Honestly, it might seem it, but it really isn't. I promise. You're showing a classic case of how the body is ready but the mind is not.
Yours is a very typical reaction of a C25K first timer. However... if you look a bit closer at the program, you'll realise that W5R3 (it's probably the most posted-about run here) is actually a mental test, rather than a physical one. Why? 'Cos your body has been prepared for it by the preceding 14 runs you done - that's 157 minutes of running in your legs, which is more than enough to give you the fitness to last 20 minutes, provided you start slow enough.
Yes, your body is actually ready for it, but your head hasn't worked that out yet. Read your post ... you've managed W5R2 perfectly fine and I assume you've managed all the other runs fine too. So... it's very useful to look at the TOTAL amount of running you do each time you're out. It's a very important factor than helps builds your stamina. Look at what you've done recently:
W4R1, W4R2, W4R3 - each was 16 minutes
W5R1 - 15 minutes
W5R2 - 16 minutes
Week 4 was actually the biggest increase in running time in the whole program (from 9 minutes in Week 3 to a whopping 16 minutes in W4), but it isn't obvious cos of the walking breaks.
And remember... this is a 9 week program in which you run for 30 minutes, 3 times in Week 9. If you work backwards from that, you'll see that a 20 minute run in Week 5 makes perfect sense.
2 mantras for you
Mantra #1: every run you've done prepares you for the next one (i.e. your body is ready!
Mantra #2: the body is ready but the mind less so (i.e. ignore the gremlins, the fear!)
You're ready.
Do it. 
And read this:
healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
and this
healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Pardon me for butting in!! I'm doing w5 run 2 tomorrow, a little apprehensive so was reading through the forum for some confidence to take with me in the morning and found your lovely post
Just wanted to say how nice it was to read, the break down of minutes and comparing of weeks is really useful
Thank you so much for breaking it down! It makes so much more sense to think i ran for 16 minutes today and 21 minutes total moving time rather than just thinking i only ran for 8 minutes at a time.
I'm going to go into thinking if i just go slow i can do it 😊
I found it great as I found that stopping and starting was harder than settling into a pace and keeping going just trust the programme if u have completed all the other runs then you will be able to do it.
It's natural to feel the way you do (I also had a little voice on my shoulder saying 'I'm not so sure about this one' despite all my attempts to quieten it!)..... but you won't need to repeat it, instead you'll be brimming with excitement over acheiving it. Just pace yourself and you'll be absolutely fine. Enjoy!
I'm on the same run w5r2 tomorrow and I'm quite nervous for Saturdays 20 minute run I'm not going to lie, but all this encouragement really helps 😊 I can't believe how far I've come from week one struggling to run for one minute! Good luck with your runs.
W5 R2 ✅ 
W5/R2
W5 R2
W5:R2
W5, R2 nailed... feeling chuffed!
