How do you sort your mind out week 6 run 3 25 mins

[KJMG]

Hi everyone! Well I am struggling more with my mind than my body. Admittedly my legs feel tired and I am breathless but I cannot seem to run for 25 mins at all even though I did 20 mins in week 5. My Brain just keeps telling me I can’t do it and I feel so deflated as when jo says your half way there and I feel like I have run a marathon my Brain says that’s it you can’t possibly do another 12.5 mins! I really believe it is my brain that is stopping to completing this run and so I just don’t know how I am ever going to be able to run this amount of time non stop

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

"Admittedly my legs feel tired and I am breathless but I cannot seem to run for 25 mins at all even though I did 20 mins in week 5"

You've answered your own post The clue is right there... S L OW ... D O W N.

There is a pace, everyone has it, that feels very comfortable, very easy and means you could go on for much longer if you had to. We call it conversational or chatty pace. But it means slowing down to find it. Once you find it, you'll be fine and have a much more enjoyable experience.

Yes, C25K is primarily a mental test, because as long as you are going at the right pace (jogging!) then the program is achievable by almost anyone.

Watch this and look at how easily they can talk whilst jogging:

youtube.com/watch?v=9L2b2kh...(Not working as expected?)

[Ch89692 Graduate]

Hi KJMG - I feel your pain on this, C25K is as much a mental challenge as a physical one and if you’re completed every run so far, you should physically be able to do this.

Having a good playlist really helps, plan it so that when you reach the point that you feel “I can’t do this” you have something really motivating on ( don’t stop me now by Queen is my vote 👍) and you also need to change that messaging to I CAN do this. Try and eliminate the physical elements - Can you run slower ? It sounds like maybe you’re going to fast ? Are you hydrated enough ? Drink plenty of water the day before your run, and then get those gremlins OUT of your head, you CAN do it, slow down, smile (don’t underestimate this !!) snd take your mind of the run, look around you, let your mind drift away from what your legs are doing.. but my main advice is SLOW down...

[sharpel]

I had this as well! I completed the last day of week 6 and then moved onto week 7. Even though I had already ran 25 mins in week 6, I got to 12.5 mins on the first day of week 7 and my brain just told me I couldn’t do it. So I stopped. The next time I went out, I just said right I am going to complete it no matter how slow I have to go. So I made it as comfortable as possible and just got through it. I found it so much easier, but I still completed the run which is the most important part. Now I’m on last run of week 7 and finding I’m able to go slightly faster.

[sTrongFuse Graduate]

I made a playlist of 7×5 minutes songs. Walked the first on, then just counted down the songs and walked the last one. Stopped thinking about the time and took it from there.

Used the same technique for the remainder of programme.

[Sh53202 Graduate in reply to sTrongFuse]

I did something like this too. It really helped. I had my playlist in 2 halves.

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I have just switched to using audio books. I had found my running times for the same distance very erratic when listening to music but are much more consistent now. Maybe set a timer on your phone so that you do not get the "encouraging" countdown to the finish and listen to a book. In that way you wont have any idea on the time left until you finish.