Struggling with week 5 any tips or reassurance?

[HattieCooke]

I’m really struggling with week 5... I’m now on my 3rd time of trying. Did anyone else struggle with the jump with 20 mins of running? The only thing I can think of, that I may be doing round is not walking quick enough between runs... but I’m not sure... thanks Harriet

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate]

OK, so let's start at the beginning 🤔

Have you read and fully absorbed all the advice in the guide to the programme?

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Much of this programme, like a lot of life, is a mental battle. If you set out thinking you can't do it, or that W5 is a jump to 20 mins (instead of a gentle progression that the programme has prepared you for) then it is far easier to give up and think "no, I can't do this".

You plainly want to, or you wouldn't be trying again! You've got to get your head and heart on the same team as your body and get everything round together as one unit.

I'm going to add another FAQ link showing why it's really not as big a jump as your brain is telling you.

Think of it this way, your own gremlins don't want you to succeed, or you'll change, they won't be in control anymore, you will. So this is their attempt at saying "look, we told you you can't do this, give up!"

If you set out on week 5 again with the attitude "of course we can do this!" You are far more likely to succeed. It is far more likely you are trying to run the 20 too fast to maintain. It's not about speed, it's all about stamina, and you've got that (or you wouldn't be on your third W5!)

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate]

So check this out too

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

and remember, you've done the groundwork, you really can do this, you just need to believe it!

[Instructor57 Graduate]

Hi Hattie, what is it exactly you are struggling with ? Is it breathing , pains, tiredness ?

[John_W Graduate Ambassador in reply to Instructor57]

Ah... always the first question to ask!

[HattieCooke Graduate in reply to Instructor57]

Well... I was on holiday in st ives last week which is incredibly hilly so I think that put me off mentally, I’d already told myself I couldn’t do it.... it’s tiredness mainly, I managed run 1 and 2 the first time round but the 8 minutes felt like such a struggle...

[John_W Graduate Ambassador in reply to HattieCooke]

"mentally, I’d already told myself I couldn’t do it" - that's your problem right there. W5R3 is NOT a physical test - if you've got to W5R3 without no issue, your body is ready for it. W5R3 is a mental test - that is all. Go at the right pace and you'll be absolutely fine.

Watch this to help with your mindset: bbc.co.uk/ideas/videos/four...

[Instructor57 Graduate in reply to HattieCooke]

Ahh, well as John_W has said , that's the problem!

You had already told your subconscious that you couldn't do it !

So your conscious mind believed it !

This run is definitely a mental challenge as much as physical . run 3 workout session is actually 1 minute LESS than the run 1 and 2 workout sessions 😁

[John_W Graduate Ambassador in reply to Instructor57]

"This run is definitely a mental challenge as much as physical ."

Disagree - much much more mental than physical. The body is ready! It's just that the mind needs convincing. 157 minutes of running in the previous 14 runs is more than enough accumulated fitness to get you through a 20 minute jog,

[Instructor57 Graduate in reply to John_W]

Ok, of course , i could have chosen my words better 😂

[MontyMooDog Graduate]

It's not a jump at all. It's all in your head. Look at it as a challenge rather than an obstacle. Take your time and you will overcome. You've got this. 💪👍😁

[nowster Graduate]

The first thing to ask is what is the reason you're stopping.

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate]

and yes, almost everyone; big/small, slow/fast, fit/unfit, looks ahead to W5R3 and thinks "gosh, don't know if I'll be ready for that!"

I know I did! But when I did it, it really was the changing point when I thought "I really, maybe, sort of, can actually seem to do this!" It's a memorable victory and one you will achieve and you won't stop grinning for days👍🏻😁

[MontyMooDog Graduate in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

Agree. It's the game changer. The watershed run👍

[KimberlyAubree]

I’m on in wk 5R1 but I struggled with that so lord knows how il manage the next run hun I’m tempted to repeat R1 again x

[John_W Graduate Ambassador in reply to KimberlyAubree]

in what way did you struggle?

[KimberlyAubree in reply to John_W]

I struggled and had to walk for 20 seconds in the third run of 5 mins I just felt I could keep going even tho I run as slow as a snail I just didn’t have the energy to keep going ☹️ I always go first thing after a green tea water and banana but just felt exhausted!

Wouldn’t mind if I was fast but I’m not maybe my fitness isn’t great after having a baby , will change mind frame and head out on run 2 tomorrow x

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

Copy n paste job from similar posts:

""It seem like a big jump ... "

WOAH! STOP. RIGHT. THERE.

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.

[MontyMooDog Graduate in reply to John_W]

Spot on reply....👍

[ground_level in reply to John_W]

What an excellent reply. Shame there isn't a way to bookmark, save or link to thread replies as that was a cracker of a response to the W5R3 question.

[John_W Graduate Ambassador in reply to ground_level]

thank you! But have a look at the Pinned Posts sections - lots of resources there. In fact, GoGo_JoJo has linked to a few of them above.

[MontyMooDog Graduate in reply to ground_level]

You can save a post😁

[Couchphoenix Graduate]

You can do it HattieCooke, just don’t overthink it, the mantra I adopted was ‘Don’t quit when you’re tired, quit when you’re done’. When you start the running part try to get a steady rhythm going with your breathing, I take a deep breath in through my mouth and purse my lips slightly when I breath out. Also get a good playlist to listen to. The Rocky Story is good, especially the training montage. Next time you go out there forget any previous runs, clear your mind and go for it, be stubborn and determined..... Good luck, you’ve got this 👊🏃‍♀️

[shsoga Graduate]

Amazing advice from everyone as always but I am going to add my own anyway…

The aim of Couch to 5K is to get your running continuously for 30 minutes. This is what we all start out aiming for and most of us believe we will never do it at the start. But we do, the plan is brilliant and gets us there in the end if we want it enough. The only way to run continuously for 30 minutes is to run for 20 – and then another 10. So starting with 20 minutes of continuous running is an essential step in the process.

On top of all that, I, and I am sure many other people, actually found W5R3 EASIER than the interval runs, once you get your head around the fact that you can actually do it. It gives you a chance to settle into your rhythm and gets you closer to finding that running happy place. I tried to go back to intervals with a friend who was starting again and found it really hard.

This is the way forward, this is what will get you to running 30 minutes, and ultimately, to 5K if that is what you decide you want to do. You have done brilliantly to get here, you are physically ready to do this so go out there and smash it, we will all be at the finish line waiting for you!

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I found that having slightly slower tempo music in my playlist for the 20 minute run helped me set the right pace to allow me to finish it. Also, because I was running the same route as for the first two runs in week 5 I was able to fairly accurately estimate/visualise where I would be after 10 mins and 20 minutes and found this helped as well.