W5R3 Nailed it!: I was really dreading this one... - Couch to 5K

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W5R3 Nailed it!

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate
24 Replies

I was really dreading this one, so decided to go out early so I didn’t overthink it. It’s definitely all about believing you can do it and in the end I LOVED it! It felt so liberating, my lungs opened up and legs just kept going. What an amazing feeling to have completed it 🤛🏻💪🏻😆🎉

Bring on Week 6! And good luck to all running today - enjoy!

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Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609
Graduate
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24 Replies
IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor

Congratulations, it is a mental milestone, but it is actually the next run, W6R1, that catches out more people than any other run in the programme, so stay nice and slow.

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe

Will do Ian, thanks 🙏🏻

It’s having faith in the program and in your ability. Very well done. 👋👋👋

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate in reply to

Thanks Dave! 😊

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah

Yayyyy! Good for u.

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate in reply to Hepsibah

Thanks lovely! 😊

PollyGray profile image
PollyGrayGraduate

Well done Dee2609 keep on going its great 👍 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate in reply to PollyGray

Thanks PollyGray 👍🏼

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate

Congratulations on completing that milestone run 😁👍You will probably be smiling all day now !

Be mindfull of week 6 runs 1 and 2 as they often catch people out who are still on a high from week 5 run 3 😁

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate in reply to Instructor57

Thanks Instructor57, will bear that in mind and try to keep a steady pace 🤞🏼

John_W profile image
John_WAmbassador

You were 'really dreading' it (why???) but in the end you 'loved' it !

If there's another post that better illustrates that W5R3 , nay the whole of the C25K, is NOT a physical but a mental test, then you'd be hard-pressed to find it.

Well done! NOTHING else in the program should faze you now.

Crack on!

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate in reply to John_W

Thanks John_W. Haha I know I’m a numpty prone to exaggeration! Dreading it because 8 mins to 20 mins seemed impossible and was afraid I’d not manage it and give up. But I did it! And loved it. Hopefully others will be inspired by my numptiness 🤣😆

John_W profile image
John_WAmbassador in reply to Dee2609

A reminder: it's NOT 8 mins to 20 mins.

W4R1 - 16 mins

W4R2 - 16 mins

W4R3 - 16 mins

W5R1 - 15 mins

W5R2 - 16 mins

W5R3 - 20 mins

You didnt realise it, but you already had 157 mins (over 2.5 hours) of running in your legs before yesterday. Your body was MORE than ready for it :-) More so than your brain!

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to John_W

I can’t go back and check on the app but I think w5r2 (16mins) has 3 or 5 mins walk between the 8 mins x2. The 20 min run is solid. I think that’s why 8 to 20 mins feels a big leap.

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate in reply to Hepsibah

Yes it’s 8 run, 5 walk, 8 run

John_W profile image
John_WAmbassador in reply to Hepsibah

The 'leap' from 8 (SIXTEEN!) to 20 mins is intimidating on first glance, but when you understand that '8 minutes' is not really 8 minutes then it becomes easier to understand.

The point is to look at the TOTAL running time (in fact, the total workout time) to what you're subjecting your body to. By running for 2x 8 mins (W5R2) or 3+5+3+5 mins in Week 4, you're subjecting the body to 16 minutes of running every time - just broken up differently. The walking break really only helps you mentally.

Let's look at the total workout times, excluding warm-up and cool-down walks:

Week 1 - 20 mins (8x 1 run, 8x 1.5 walk)

Week 2 - 21 mins (6x 1.5 run, 6x 2 walk

Week 3 - 18 mins (2x 1.5 run, 2x 3 run, 2x 1.5 walk, 2x 3 walk)

Week 4 - 21.5 mins (2x 3 run, 2x 5 run, 2x 3 walk, 2x 5 walk)

Week 5.1 - 21 mins (3x 5 run, 2x 3 walk)

Week 5.2 - 21 mins (2x 8 run, 1x 5 walk)

Week 5.3 - 20 mins (1x 20 run)

So you can see that the program has been getting you used to being on your feet for 20-21 mins from the very start, just with different levels of run/walk ratios. Clever eh?

By the time you come to W5R3, your body is more than ready.

But the brain ... well... that's a different matter.

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to John_W

John, 8 minutes is 8 minutes. Yep 8 + 8 is 16. Not disputing that. Basic arithmetic is not a mystery to me, I said before it’s the lack of walk. Anyhoo let’s leave it at that shall we. It’s done now, moving onward. 🙏

John_W profile image
John_WAmbassador in reply to Hepsibah

I wasn't disputing your arithmetic.

My final word(s):

(1) by the time of W5R3, the *body* is a lot more ready (as it is for every run on the program) than the mind. It's only when you look at the numbers involved in a different way that you can see that all is not as it first looks.

(2) Week 4 is actually the big leap in the program - not many realise that. A leap from a total of 9 minutes of running (3 times of course) in Week 3 to a total of 16 minutes in Week4 - that's a 75% increase.

(3) I made a post about this a while back. You may wish to read or avoid it here:

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

and healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Ciao.

Hepsibah profile image
Hepsibah in reply to John_W

Hey John, I must confess I’m not takin this really really scientifically or technically, I appreciate that your graphs and breakdowns are probably very informative. I’m just a gal who is tryin to be a bit more active. I guess we all do it in our own way. Au revoir.

John_W profile image
John_WAmbassador in reply to Hepsibah

And I'm here to help where I can and shed a different light on those runs that appear intimidating to beginners who are feeling anxious, nervous etc.

Good luck!

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate

It has been over 5 and a half years since I did this run (yep, I’m still running!😀🏃🏽‍♀️) and I still remember the buzz I felt from completing it!😊 Well done - and best of luck with the rest of the programme!🙂

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate in reply to Sandraj39

Thanks Sandraj39, still buzzing 😁

backintime profile image
backintimeGraduate

Another one here who thought "Yeah, that's not going to happen", but did it anyway. I had more faith in the programme than I did in my self (luckily).

Congrats, over half way through now!

Dee2609 profile image
Dee2609Graduate in reply to backintime

Yay, thanks! ☺️

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