hi, just shouting into the void to see if anyone else has experienced anything similar and to vent my frustrations!
5 days ago now i attempted W6R3 and failed it (quite considerably). up until W6 i'd been loving the program, and had been amazed at myself when i managed to run for 20 minutes straight! then week 6 started. R1 was harder than i expected, but i managed, R2 was possibly the worst run of the entire program and i very very nearly didn't make it to the end, and during R3 i stopped to walk about 3 times.
i think the terrible R3 was due to a number of things: expecting week 6 to be easy after finishing the 20 minute run in week 5, almost not finishing R2, increasing work and uni stress and the cold dark days putting me in the wrong headspace, and a pain in the arch of my right foot. i think all of these just combined to make a very unfortunate run, but it's completely killed my motivation, hence why i haven't been out in 5 days.
has anyone else been here? if so, how did you get out of the rut? i really don't want to lose this fitness i'm building up, but the thought of getting back out there and failing another run is making me avoid it altogether. do i try and repeat the whole week? thank you!
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stillamystery
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I know exactly what your going through. I amazed myself when I completed the 20 minute run on W5R3 and was really looking forward to W6. R1 I managed no problem but R2 I struggled ended up walking and ended up feeling really deflated. The thought of running for a solid 25 minutes for R3 just felt like and impossible task after I couldn’t manage to run for 10 minutes. So much so I put my usual run day off with negative thoughts, no way could I do R3 and didn’t want to go out again with the thoughts of failing again. The next day I decided to start W6 again as I didn’t want to loose motivation and I have to say it was the best thing I did. I got through the whole week this time without stopping. I won’t say R3 was easy but managed to keep going and felt great from the achievement.
Please don’t give up hope, start the week 6 again it may help. I’m more than sure I’m not the only one that has done this. If it keeps you running without loosing motivation then why not.
good to know that everyone feels a bit like this sometimes! i made sure to get back out there again today and just about managed R3 this time! i guess we all just have 'one of those days' sometimes
Two things that work for me, 1 focus on the process not the goal. So in your case the task is to complete W6R3. don't worry about what came before or is to come.
Assuming the program works (and it does) then just trust in the process and keep doing the task in front of you. Just go do it. First you get dressed, then you do the walk then you do the run, etc. No motivation required, just start down the process and let that take over.
Once you get your shoes on, once you leave the house etc the momentum takes over.
The other one is "I don't stop when I am tired, I stop when I am done" There are lots of reasons to stop, ignore them and keep going.
So sorry you had that experience! Remember you have come further than people who never even make the attempt - and you're further along than you were a few weeks ago.
Might I suggest you consider backing up and doing week 5 again? There is no harm in being where you need to be and repeating what you know you are successful at. Once you remind yourself you CAN do this, perhaps tackling week 6 again will be a bit easier.
Something I'll share with you is that when I am having a difficult run I focus on what I think of as "The 3 Bs" - Body, Breath, and Brain.
What this means is I check-in with those 3 things to see what is really making the run challenging.
If it's my breath - I can slow down and even walk for a minute or two if I really need it. One way I can be sure is I talk aloud for a minute. If I have enough air to chat, I'm good. I may need to steady my breath and count in and out as I breathe just to calm my nerves.
If it's my body, I focus on figuring out if it's real pain - the kind I need to stop for - or if it's the pain of weakness leaving my body. Am I merely building muscle and that's the challenge? If I'm sore, I can slow down or shorten my gait and those things sometimes help.
If it's my brain, I talk to myself. I like to say things like, "Just because it's challenging doesn't mean I can't do it." or "I did the last run, I can do this one!" Or "If I was just walking somewhere and was tired on my way back, I would just finish and not give up. I still need to get where I'm going."
I hope something in there is helpful for you and I encourage you to recognize the gains you've made already. It's perfectly okay to suffer a setback for any reason and it's part of the process.
that's some really good advice! usually for me it seems to just be a combination of all 3 B's, but i definitely think trying to pay closer attention to your body is a good idea - can help you over that mental hurdle!
Definitely a combination of 2 or all 3 sometimes - even when it's that, I feel like breaking it up into smaller parts makes it easier for me to address. I think it gives me some control over the elements in play so I can make choices.
Not every run can be a good one, but there's something good in every run.
We all have bad days; my last run was a real struggle for the last section, but I stopped, had a word with myself and a snack and carried on. I was glad I finished my intended distance in the end.
So many factors, were you well hydrated, had you eaten enough. Stress we can usually run off but if the run itself is frustrating, it makes it harder.
Personally I would say just get out there. Do a fun 10 or 15 min run with a 5 min warm up and down. Then decide if you'd rather restart W6 or carry on to R3 again.
There is no failure, only failure to try. You tried so that's not a fail. 👍🏻
very true! it was just one of those days, i suppose everyone has them. i forced myself to get back out there today though, and it went a lot better! and you're right, the last one wasn't really a fail because it just helped me to be better prepared for this one!
Yes most of us feel like this at some point. You can read my Week 7 Run 2 post and see lots of similar themes!
I have to ask you about this word 'failed' though.... what exactly does that mean? You competed run 2, and you stopped during your first try of run 3, but you'd still got out of the house, got your trainers on, done some running and walking, pushed yourself. That sounds like great success to me. There's no-one sitting with a scorecard putting ticks and crosses next to our names, there's just us, and the road and (in my case) Jo Whiley who I really ought to stop running with considering I graduated months ago... 😜
You've spooked yourself, and that's ok. It's good to learn you're not invincible. You have all the answers yourself. So, check your hydration, plan your route, do everything you know you need to and get out there. I'd go for W6 R3 - if you completed run two there's no need to go back to it, and if your legs have had a bit of extra rest you'll be ok. Don't forget your stretches at the end.
And SLOW DOWN! You think you're running slowly enough, but you're not!
You're a star, and you secretly know it, just don't start to over think it all. Let us know how you get on. Sending loads of fellow runner positive vibes x
thanks so much! and you're right, getting out there and doing anything is better than staying at home. thanks to all of these lovely comments i pushed myself to go out and try R3 again today and managed it! there are probably multiple reasons why it went better today, but honestly i think the main one was that i forced myself to really slow down again! almost felt slower than walking at first but i was still huffing and puffing at the end which makes me wonder how fast i was going last time!
Brilliant, well done you. Slow is key, it's all about building strength and stamina. And mental strength too, which you've just done! Really great. Made up for you xxx
Yes, I failed Week 4 Run 1. I went back to Week 2. I should complete Week 3 Run 3 again this evening, so the second attempt at Week 4 Run 1 will be Monday. I have to say I am not feeling confident but all I can say is that the best thing in my opinion is to step back a few runs or weeks, whatever you feel appropriate, and continue from there.
yes definitely! unfortunately the only thing that's going to increase our confidence is getting back out there and trying it again, but we can do it!
We all have a run like this at some point or have times when our motivation dips. @GoGo_JoJo has given you great advice.
Hard runs are the ones that make us better runners. No runs are failures as each run teaches us something, especially the tough ones.
If you remember all the good runs, the progress you have made so far and the reason why you started C25k, that should be enough motivation to get you back out the door.
Go out and do an off-plan fun run, just for you and enjoy it. You have made great progress. You can do this. 😊
thank you - you are so right! the 'failed' one definitely ended up helping me, as when i got back out there today i realised i'd probably started running too fast again, and this time i completed it! thanks for your comment <3
There are *no* failures...only extra training runs.
If you read around on here, you will spot that a lot of people have problems with W6 after the high of running non stop for 20 minutes on W5R3.
Please trust the programme. Have a look at some of the “headology” posts. It’s not just about training your body...a lot of people discuss here about fighting their gremlins 👹
You’ve had some rest days, make sure you’re well hydrated and get out there and run W6R3...keep it slow, really slow.
thanks for your lovely comment! it's so true, sometimes your head is your own worst enemy! i tried to get myself in the zone before going back out there yesterday and managed it this time!
Hi, W6r3 nearly clattered me (I just about made it). And it certainly knocked me off my perch, especially afterwards when I ached in ways I’ve never ached and fretted about my ability.
You’ve spotted several factors recently that have pushed you, sapped your energies and left you feeling off. That’s already very insightful, and a key step towards recognising what has crushed your motivation and then towards recovering it. You can see there are reasons; it’s not some inner failing, but some hurdles in both your wider life experience and in c25k w6.
The advice from others is spot-on, and gives you options, from press on with r3 to stepping back a week. I don’t think it matters much which you think is right for you. What does matter is that you get back into the process and build on what you’re learning.
Some people I know like to keep a diary/ reflective journal to help spot patterns, ups and downs, rhythms, and the interplay of mind-body-life... not just for running, but also for uni work, for dissertations, to overcome writing blocks or procrastination, for self-development, etc, etc. It’s just one tool to help learn about yourself. (What you’ve written above would be very much like that. The very act of writing can itself help work through the problems.)
i get you! R3 definitely knocked my confidence more than i expected. i managed to push through it yesterday and finally managed to complete it! thanks for your lovely comment
This was me.... I really struggle to run... so... I can only say what I did was take a week off. Go back a week ... don’t feel pressured to keep up with anyone... this is your journey. .... do not beat yourself up!!! Xx
Lots of great responses to you here, but I wonder if you have unconsciously speeded up. It's easy for this to happen once the running sections get longer. Perhaps try to very deliberately stay slow. That might help
honestly, i have a feeling that this was the main issue! i got back out there today and re-attempted R3. i watched the 'slow jogging' video beforehand, and when i started running it felt ridiculously slow - barely faster than a walk - but i only just made it by the end i was still so tired! it made me wonder how fast i'd been subconsciously running last time. it's strange what our bodies do
thank you so much for your comment though, i definitely needed this reminder and i reckon it helped me a lot!
Err, yeah, twice actually. I injured myself both times in week 6 and took 6 months to come crawling back. The first one was on W6R3 and although I’ve convinced myself I aborted due to injury, I think there’s more than a little masking going on there, I was blowing out of every orifice after about 12 minutes and found it equally as demotivating. I never got in the mindset to pick it back up until the point that I knew I had to backtrack and eventually restart, which made it harder to get back out on that first run.
You’re 5 days in, you can avoid all that. Just take the dose of humility, take the wet reality slap around the chops and go again. Your body isn’t like a car, where you can stick the keys in any time your like and it’s good to go, there was probably quite a few things off. Could’ve been a combination of fatigue, lack of hydration, lack of sleep and niggling injuries that just demanded a few days off.
Pick tomorrow to get back out, tell yourself you’re dragging yourself out by the curlies, spend today drinking plenty of fluids and staying loose and then go gentle, slow and relaxed with a completely decimated expectation level.
honestly week 6 seems to be a tough one for so many people! i hope you're feeling better now!
i forced myself out yesterday with no expectations - told myself that even doing the 5 minute warm-up would be better than nothing - and finally managed it! thank you for your comment
You didn't fail stillamystery , runs like that aren't failures, they're practice runs! They don't define you. What defines you is being able to put a bad run behind you , or, as someone else on here memorably said, "Chuck it in the f**k-it bucket!"
It doesn't matter whether your next run is just a few minutes or back to Week 6 - or perhaps Week 5 run 3 - it only matters that there is a next run.
Make sure you're properly warmed-up and well hydrated, and go slow. And most of all, tell yourself you can do it. Because you can!
The only way to get out of a rut (in running, or any other endeavour) is to take the initiative in ignoring what's keeping you in that rut and making that step to do the thing you are wanting to do.
Every run is a learning experience.
The others here have already said most of what I'd have said.
We’ve all been there on many occasions. I find questioning myself when running really helps. Am I really that tired that I need to stop? Am I gasping for breath? Am I really hating this? Am I really in real discomfort? And so on. The answer pretty much always comes to a resounding no. Don’t beat yourself up. Just get back out there and run (very slow) and I promise you’ll get your mojo back.
Congratulations on getting to week 6 you are nearly 2/3 of the way through and if you made it this far you can get all the way.
Make sure you are running slowly enough to manage the extra minutes. If you have a pain stretch it out and rest it then get back to running. You are so close you can do it. Sometimes you might need a week off. Get yourself out there, listen to a good book while you run. It helps keep the pace slower and distracts you from the time. Don’t forget you are already a runner.
Good luck with your next run.
I flopped at W5 R3 and took 3 weeks to get back into my trainers and pick up W6 R1. Now I've just smashed W7 R3. You'll be back and remember, mind over matter!!!
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Run FAIL and loss of motivation 
Lost motivation☹
W6/R3 - Got on with it..
Now I have just lost all confidence!
I gave W6 R3 a shot earlier. Failed. 😞
