I was planning on giving myself two test days between run 1 and 2 of this week but I woke early and decided to get it boxed off...what a tough run it was!
Imm not sure if it was the takeout pizza I ate last night, or the fact a did a 15k bike ride yesterday, but something had turned my legs to lead.
Completed it (just!), probably the first run since the very beginning that I thought I wasn’t going to complete.
Feels like I’m going backwards!
Everything going on in our lives can impact on our performance as a runner. Restedness, hydration and nutrition are at the top of my list of variables that need to be optimised to enable enjoyable running.
This post expands on the theme. healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
If it is tough, just slow down. You are in control.
Completing it "just" is good enough.I finished C25k last year and remember how tough I found week 7 -its when I discovered this forum-hence the name. Take IT's advice above - for me slowing down and hydration was the key.
I still have runs I find really tough for no apparent reason but the more posts I read the more I realise that it's just the normal ups and downs of life as "a runner" .Keep going !!!
Thanks for that, it’s just tough to swallow a even tougher run sometimes..when even the good ones are hard.
Definitely going to give myself 2 days off now and concentrate on water consumption today and tomorrow. I’m terrible for that, imm pretty sure I’m in a constant state of dehydration as I probably only drink around 3 glasses of liquids a day. I used to drink a lot more (in the form of coffee and Diet Coke but I cut down on coffee/gave up Diet Coke a few months ago and just forget to drink.
Out of interest, were are you with your running now? Did you stick to a 30 minute run or did you move onto a 10k program?
Just wondering how to keep motivation high after week 9 and a natural next goal. X
I ,like you, reduced coffee (but not for long in my case) and failed to drink enough water. Now the idea of a dehydrated run makes me drink lots of water n both run and non run days.(for some reason it makes my legs feelheavy)I have continued to run since I graduated last July. After a few weeks of 30 minutes and 5 k runs and using the Stepping-stones podcasts I start on a 60 minute followed by a 10k plan-(information on the Bridge to 10k forum ).I have taken each step slowly and I am currently working my way through a half marathon training plan-there is a whole world of running apps and plans for you to explore so please whatever you do, don't be discouraged by a few bad runs , just keep going....
Wow, half marathon! That’s really inspirational.
Not sure my back and knees could handle all that running in one session but I’m inspired to What my final destination is with my running Journey now ♥️
Good luck and thanks again
Don't know if mine will either but I will plod through the plan and see how far I get. One step at a time and never say never!
Riding 15k the day before can’t have helped - it may just have been exhaustion. I’m giving myself at least a day off between week 7 runs.
It’s actually been the first day I’ve done exercise other than walking on my rest days. After run 1 of Wk7 i thought cycling for leg strength might help me to get though the upcoming weeks.
No cycling for me tomorrow though, going to take a full test day and see how Tuesday’s run feels x
I’m at week 7 too and missed a run due to difficult week.
Challenging week, I may repeat it.
I tell my self “the poor run I am doing (or did) is better than the fantastic run I only thought about”
Keep going!
You are so right, I do need to keep reminding myself of this.
Today I actually did I route I haven’t done since week 3 and I remembered all the stopping and starting that I needed to do.
♥️♥️
Hi Oilandwater. I found week 7 pretty tough going, I have to say. It kind of just sits there between the jubilation of W5R3 and getting closer to the final runs. One of my week 7 runs was the hardest I’d had up to that point and since if I’m honest. You still managed to crack it though! So well done 👏🏼 and the next one will be amazing 🤩.
I’ve just graduated and week 7 was so tough I repeated 3 times. But you get there in the end I definitely couldn’t cycle 15k then run the next day so don’t give yourself a hard time
Definitely take at least a one day break between runs. It’ll take a couple of years to build up your running legs so take it easy and try to stay injury free by allowing your body time to recover.
Wk7 R2...today was a good day 😀
WK7 R2!! 
Wk7/R2 3rd attempt and FINALLY did it!
W1 R2 harder than I thought!
