I'm after some advice please. I've completed weeks 1 to 3 OK having done an extra run on a couple of weeks, but I'm really struggling with week 4. I've tried three runs but have had to give up on each one. I just can't do it. 😥
Do you think it would be better for me to keep trying the wk 4 runs or to go back to week 3 until I begin to think they're a bit easy before moving on? I'm 62, 12st 7lbs, 5ft 4in so overweight which I guess isn't helping. Any advice welcome. Thank you!
You can repeat any runs or week's if you wish to, well done on getting to week 4, perhaps you are running a little too fast for those longer runs, drink plenty of water before you run, run a little slower than you have been running recently
Thanks. I'm not sure I can go any slower without dropping to a walk. However, the advice about hydration is a good one and I'll try that.
I wouldn't repeat a run that you're happy you've completed, but it's entirely up to you. Check out Japanese slow running on YouTube - that's the pace you need. It got a lot of us through couch to 5k. Good luck
Thanks for the tip on the Japanese slow running, I'd never heard of it before. I'm not sure I can run any slower than I already am, but I'll certainly check my foot placement and speed as there is no way that I could do anything but breathe and gasp let alone talk when I'm jogging at the moment.
Welcome to the forum and well done on your progress.
If you struggle with any run, you are going too fast for your current fitness level.
Can you speak aloud, clear, ungasping sentences as you run?.........if not, you are going too fast.
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 link in the guide to the post about mental approach.
Enjoy your journey.
Thanks for the link, there's lots of thing here that I hadn't considered. Hydration could be an issue for me, I didn't realise the need to hydrate on the rest day. I'll definitely give that a go. Thank you.
Having managed to put myself out of running for six weeks after my third run of W4. I'd be inclined to suggest go back to W3 for a few more runs rather than risk pushing too much to complete W4 now. After my six weeks out I went back to W2. I completed W3 last week but not yet confident enough about W4 yet. So I'm doing another W3 to consolidate it.
At 65, a little taller than you but also a tad too heavy.
Thanks. I might just take up your idea to maybe do one more week 3 run, even if just to restore my confidence that I will be able to do it, even if I can't just now. I must admit it has dented my confidence.
Don't worry about it. This is isn't a race. Its about getting fit again; we're not in our twenties anymore......it takes time.Good luck and keep runing.
How far are you getting in a week 4 run before it becomes too much?
Unfortunately, I can't even get through the first 3 minute run, let alone the 5 min run. I've had to stop running and go back to walking, but I have paused the tape until I've recovered enough to restart it and complete the run. I think I'll do another week 3 run just to prove to myself that I can at least do 3 minutes without stopping. I don't want to give up, but I am starting to doubt myself.
Yes, doing another week 3 run might be helpful.
And then you might like to do a Week 3½, perhaps?
Warm up walk of 5 minutes
3 minutes jog, 2 minute walk,
3 minutes jog, 2 minute walk,
3 minutes jog, 2 minute walk,
3 minutes jog
Cool down walk of 5 minutes
There's no app for it, but you can do it with a watch. Notice how each line apart from the last adds up to 5 minutes. If you start when the minutes are a multiple of 5, it would be reasonably easy to keep track.
That's a really good idea. Thanks, I'll give it a try.
It might be because of the weather, it's flipping freezing! I'm finding it a slog at the moment, my optimum running weather is about 10 degrees and drizzling.
Yes, it was a bit cold. Mind you I'm already worrying about how I'll cope as the temperature rises!
Yes, weather can have a great influence on it.
My W4R3 run was a great struggle. I was fitting it in during a drizzly interlude between downpours at the end of July. It was horribly humid.
The weather really gets to me, I find it so hard to breathe because the air is so cold 🥶 had a horrible run yesterday was very tempted to give up and just do it another day 🙃
Week 4 is hard - but it's a secret, so don't tell anyone! Maybe one more Week 3 run will give you the confidence. It is not a race - you have started to discover that running is just as much a mental thing as it is a physical thing - possibly more so. You said you did an extra run sometimes, that may have tired out your running muscles too. Your brain probably told you, you could do more, but maybe you shouldn't have done so. Conversely your brain can tell you, that you can't do a run, when you actually can. Stick to the programme from now and you will get there. Trust the programme and trust yourself.
I also found week 4 really hard! Now on week 6, I'd say repeat week 3 until you feel ready for week 4, well done for getting this far already! 🙂💪🏃
Hello I’m definitely no expert and new here myself I’ve scraped through to week 5. But my first thought when I read this was give yourself a break! You are doing well just to get up and out the door 3 times a week.! If you stick at week 3 for another month it doesn’t matter. Maybe I’m wrong but that’s what I wanted to say to you. We are not athletes or experienced runners we are starting something new. The hardest bit is going out the door ! My brisk walk is probably faster than my jog on some days so just pick a nice route, put ypur favourite music on and keep going on week 3 And enjoy the half an hour to yourself doing something positive
It is absolutely fine to do week 3 for as long as you need before moving on, don't be worried about repeating it for another week or even two if you need to. The c25k plan is written to be accessible to everyone but that doesn't mean everyone can jump from week to week at the same rate and that's totally fine
Hi OO. Have you recently felt that you are sleeping better? Taking your belt up a notch? Watching what you eat a bit more carefully?Or does that happen after next week?
As another older, heavier, out if condition starter, I too felt week 4 was tough, but I even repeated week 1 before I felt happy to go on a bit more.
I did this course some time ago, finished it feeling really great.
Running for half an hour reasonably comfortably.
OK, when I did a 5k park run, I only just finished in front of the tail walkers.
Then got ill and stopped.
Now I am back.
Starting again, a couple of weeks behind you.
I have to think of the hydration bit again. That really helped.
Do go and watch the little Japanese man, he has so much to teach us older folk, arms, breath, knee height, keep the head level. I watched him several times. JSR almost becomes a mantra.
It is the running action that helps, not the speed! !
The breath thing will sort itself out over the next few weeks. I found that all of a sudden, as I was doing longer runs, suddenly, I wasn't gasping. It was all easier. About now, if you haven't started properly yet. I found it really helped to do some proper warmup exercises. I found a YouTube ten minute guide that wasn't too much like 'pumping iron'.
As others have said, This is not a race! The kids who have no great experience of life will zip through this in nine weeks hardly breaking sweat.
When you are dragging a bit more if life baggage with you, it may take longer than nine weeks. That is fine. That is to be expected. Equally it is so much more worthwhile. I know the plan works, that Is why I am back on it.
Now go and read again, that stuff that Iannoda Troof told you about.
You know what! He does!
I'm EXACTLY the same. Age and ability and wt! Was quite chuffed I did weeks 1+3 with effort but week 4 was a step too far! I can't do the 5 mins at a stretch and when I pushed myself to extreme to.do one of the 5 Min runs - I felt horribly unwell for rest of day. Demoralised! I have gone back to week 3 and am on second repeat of this week. I, like you, run v slowly. In fact at moment I'm on running machine and I don't change the speed between walking and running (4km/hr) I just change my pace. What I AM trying which might help you is a slight diff to week 3 - a sort of step up to week 4. I'm doing 2 mins then 3.5 mins run twice (instead of 1.5 mins and 3 for week 3). Next week I'm going to try 2 mins then 4 and work it up 30secs at a time. Not sure if it will let me complete week 4 but I'm not giving up yet!!!!
Well Done jmozz. The only thing "letting" you finish wk 4 is YOU! You are nearly halfway. Keep up the good work. There are times when I envy folk on tread mills, timing things to 30 seconds. I am treading tarmac, mud and puddles listening to Laura for the timings, just hoping that she says "and back to a brisk walk" only just after I started walking again. I find that the views, the sight of a new flower, fragrance perhaps, quick wave from a fellow running person, are all encouraging. Makes up for the times when the tape stops, you're still a mile from home, its uphill and raining.
Yet you still enjoy it. Have fun!
I completed this in my 60's never having run before. My 9 weeks took about double that! I just repeated runs until I could still breathe at the end!! I also run as slowly as I walk. 2 years later still doing runs every week. Still slow🤣 but definitely fitter.
Hi there. Well done on completing weeks 1-3! There are differing views on here regarding repeating weeks but it was the only thing that worked for me. I repeated weeks many times over because I simply wasn’t fit enough to get through some weeks. At first I felt discouraged by this but then I realised any run is better than no run and that this was my race to do at my pace. I am now finally on week 7 but it took me a long time to get there due to injury and pushing too hard. Your body will let you know when it’s time to move on. And I’ll say it again, any run is better than sitting on the couch so take pride in what you have achieved and enjoy what you can do instead of focusing on what you can’t. Good luck. It will come and you’ll move forward xxx
Thank you. Sound advice. It's already taken me longer to get this far due to repeating some runs, but I'm not concerned about how long it takes as long as I can see so.e progress. It would be lovely to get to a point where it becomes enjoyable, so maybe doing some week3 runs again will work for me, maybe followed by the advice from nowster and jmozz. Plus upping the water intake!
Yes! Week 3 became one of my favourite running weeks. I remember it well. It’s taken me 6 months to complete the first 6 weeks of the programme. I probably could have done it more quickly but injured myself twice and was loathed to go through that pain again so just took my time. I’ve completed week 7 this week running 25mins at a time. There’s just no way I’d have managed that 7 weeks after starting the program. We’re all different. I absolutely love running now and look forward to each one. Keep going xxx
Hi, a bit late to the party, lots of great advice here which I hope helps you.
I do hope you can keep at it - and you will improve, even if slowly. Obviously the routine is set out at a certain pace and some will progress faster than others and some slower.
This is how I think of it: if you were swimming upstream in a river, the slow progress against the bank might be a bit disheartening, but remember how much further back you would be if you hadn't been swimming at all. The same with fitness and weight control, you might not improve as much as you'd like but you are so much better off than if you hadn't tried and just drifted backwards.
As you improve your fitness and/or weight you might find you get over that barrier and start to have a virtuous circle of improvement - as you start being able to do more, so you improve faster, so you get fitter so you can do more...
Good luck!
Thank you.
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