Jumping from 8 to 20 minutes wk5 run 3

[Runrabbitrun1]

Does anyone have any tips for my next run? It seems really daunting jumping from 8 minutes to 20 minutes!

[Instructor57 Graduate]

Yes 3 !

Be fully hydrated.

Trust the program .

Keep it slow .

That's it , you are ready for it because you successfully completed the previous runs .

Oh, and enjoy it 😬

You will be smiling all day afterwards !

[Runrabbitrun1 in reply to Instructor57]

Good advice, thank you!

[Gememms Graduate]

Yes - it is a big jump but keep listening to your banging tunes and your coach - Michael was my man and focus on the next lamp post or tree or anything to get you to the next section of your run. You can do it I'm a 53 year old fatty and doing 10Ks so the increase up to 20 mins is crucial for stamina but you can do it. Drive on.

[John_W Graduate Ambassador in reply to Gememms]

It's a big jump *mentally* but not physically. That came in Week 4.

[Runrabbitrun1 in reply to Gememms]

Michael’s my man too! Thank you for the good advice!

[Jools2020 Graduate]

The programme has prepared you for this run! Even the brisk walking is working to build your stamina. The barrier is psychological. You are ready! Don’t listen to the inner voices telling you that you can’t do it. You really can, and when you have done it, you will feel amazing!

Keep it slow and steady. Slow down some more. You’ve got this! 👍😀

[Runrabbitrun1 in reply to Jools2020]

I will drown out my inner voice with music!!

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to Runrabbitrun1]

That sounds like a plan! 👍

[MeleB]

I did the third run of w5 this morning, I’m 55 and overweight!! If I can do it, anyone can! I don’t run fast at all, I just go at a pace I can cope with. I just listened to my music and said to myself that if the programme says I’m ready to run 20 mins, then I can!! You will be fine!! 😀👍

[Runrabbitrun1 in reply to MeleB]

Thank you x

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

This breakdown of W5 may help healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

There is no jump from 8 minutes to 20.

Relax and enjoy it.

[Runrabbitrun1 in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you, a very motivational read. X

[tihana75]

You can do it! I was so scared before it that I almost gave up... but... trust the program and here you have great advice ... hydrate well before, take it at a slower pace and just enjoy! The feeling afterwards is just so ... immensely proud of yourself...

That is the greatest step I can tell you, I run my 8we1 this morning and it was my second run outdoors.... so trust me, you can do it... we all can so can you... just breathe 🤗🤗

[Smile23 Graduate]

You can do it!

I think almost everyone seems to have 5/3 anxiety 😳

Go slow slow slow

Then celebrate when you have finished😁

I always smile at the halftime bell and say to myself

You got this. You have less time to run now than when you started and you managed that. This is now just a short run

I tried it as its only 2 x 10 mins🤣🤣

Worked for me.

Just enjoy it😁

[nowster Graduate]

As IannodaTruffe said, you're actually doing less on W5R3 than in the previous days.

[Ant50 Graduate]

Hi, I found that mentally it helped to just think of it as two 10 min runs, that way it’s easier to think of it as just a couple of minutes beyond your 8 mins, but doing it twice, back to back. If that make sense. Good luck.

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

Hi

"Does anyone have any tips for my next run?"

1. Change your thinking about it, your mindset - it's a mental test NOT a physical one.

2. Take it nice and easy.

"It seems really daunting jumping from 8 minutes to 20 minutes!"

WOAH! STOP. RIGHT. THERE.

Remember that you ran for 8 minutes in Week 1, 9 mins in Week 2 and Week 3 . Your last run was for a TOTAL of 16 minutes. 16 to 20 minutes? Don't fret.

Yours is a very typical reaction of so many C25K first timers.

Quite simply... it's a big mental hurdle but only that. Your body is actually ready for it, but your brain isn't hence your post. Do you know why your body is ready for it? Do you realise just how much running you've done in the last 4 and half weeks and the fitness you've gained from it? Your post would suggest you don't... so here goes:

Week 4 was actually the biggest jump in TOTAL running time whole program, from 9 minutes in Week 3 to 16 (SIXTEEN!) minutes - that's a 75% increase! Week 5 is only a 25% increase, so physically, you've done the hard bit already.

Your last 5 runs have looked like this:

W4R1 - 16 minutes of running time

W4R2 - 16 minutes of running time

W4R3 - 16 minutes of running time

W5R1 - 15 minutes of running time

W5R2 - 16 minutes of running time.

Yes, it's the TOTAL time that counts.

It's the amount of time that you're on your feet and active for that builds your fitness, NOT the length of any individual running segment. You've got 157 minutes of running under your belt from 14 outings... that's more than 2.5 hours (excluding all the warm-up/cool down walking time) - that's more than enough fitness to see you achieve a 20 minute JOG

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, and ask yourself what would be sensible progressions each week, then it all 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!)

To see it visually, have a look at these posts:

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

and

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

You're ready.

Do it.