I’ve completed the 5k previously but haven’t run in ages. Today is the first run day of my marathon training and I can’t even manage 2 minutes run at a time. After my third time having to walk I felt really disappointed in myself so just walked home and gave up. I felt really good before hand but it didn’t last.
I’m was supposed to run 20 minutes in total in one go. Has anyone else struggled moving onto longer runs and got any tips?
Thanks
I am afraid running is not like riding a bike.......use it or lose it is the unavoidable truth. If you don't run regularly then you will lose condition but you also lose the mental ability to apply yourself to the running.
When did you last run on a regular basis? Without that information it is difficult to advise you on how to overcome this setback.
On a brighter note, I have noticed that when I have had breaks in the past, pacing myself was a problem and I set off far too fast on several occasions. So have a rest day, prepare well for the next run by fuelling and hydrating appropriately and set off on your run much,much slower than today. Make sure it's an easy conversational pace from the outset by saying this sentence out loud to yourself "Am I going slow enough to enable me to speak this sentence in one out breath?" If you cannot, you are going too fast.
Last time I ran regularly was around April. I think that pacing is always an issue as I get out of breath really quickly. I feel like I look too slow so try to keep it up
Forget what you look like. If you want to sustain any run then you need to be at an easy conversational pace. Counterintuitively it is this pace that builds stamina and endurance....... running faster does not do that.
If you want to train for a marathon then that is the pace at which you will do the bulk of your training, especially longer runs.
Slow right down..........it is a marathon, not a sprint.
How long was it since your last run?
I've never had that long a break yet. From the experiences of people on here when they haven't run for a significant amount of time due to injury or unexpected life event, they would normally restart the program to get back into the habit of running.
After graduation they would normally consolidate and then start on a 10K plan or similar.
You might find it helpful to read the post again for those starting or returning to C25K after a break.
Training for a marathon is hard, but running and completing a marathon is a phenomenal experience.
However, in order to be able to run 42km you will need stamina/strength/fitness like never before. In order to follow any of the novice marathon programs you will need to have a certain level of experience. The main reason is the volume of physical stress that your body will have to tolerate, as well as mental resilience to help you sail through some rough patches. Hence most of the guys who I know were very confident with half marathons, let alone routine 10k and faster 5k runs before they started their marathon training. I ran HMs without stopping, drinking or walking and still found marathon training properly demanding. Yes, at times you can put your heart and mind into it, give it your best shot and crack the distance. (But) two things though - first you need to have an enviable level of fitness and second, you may be risking injuries. If you put your body through a grinder that is marathon training, let alone a whole marathon run, and you're not fully ready, your body will rebel and something will be likely to go (tendon/muscle/ligament) and you'll be back to square one.
Then again, you know better than anyone how and if you can do it (and I genuinely wish you the best of luck), but do try and see if you can get into regular running first and then prepare your body for such a mature task.
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Help! No motivation! 
