Motivation

[Nicko67]

Did my first run of week 9 on Sunday. Those extra 2 minutes were a killer and I nearly gave up after 10 minutes. But I got through it. Now I need some motivation to do run 2 off week 9 in the cold grey rain off South Wales. Encouragement please!!😬

[OrigamiWolf Graduate]

That's brilliant!

I just did the second run of week 9 and it was so much easier than the first. I changed up my music a bit and got told about the toxic ten -- the first ten (or 15 or 20) minutes of a run where your body is adapting to the new state and complaining about it 😁

Not sure if that's helpful but it helped me. I keep thinking about how far we've come: a few weeks ago we were only running a minute at a time. Now look at us!

[Nicko67 Graduate in reply to OrigamiWolf]

I know it is incredible. Before this I hadn’t so much as run for a bus since I was 14!!

[OrigamiWolf Graduate in reply to Nicko67]

I definitely found the later weeks tougher. I reckon we've pushed ourselves and the next little while we can consolidate and start enjoying it more!

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Why did you start C25k?

Have those reasons and motivations been achieved?

Motivation is purely personal and has to come from the individual.

Perhaps you don't want the increase in health, fitness and well being that running will give you, statistically reducing your risk of a whole host of life limiting conditions that are associated with inactivity.

Perhaps you don't need motivation but you just need strategies to get you through.

If your runs are tough then it is highly likely that you are pushing too hard. Can you speak aloud, clear, ungasping sentences as you run?.........if not, you are going too fast.

Slowing down to the recommended easy conversational pace makes it more achievable and for most, more enjoyable.

Counterintuitively, it is an easy conversational pace running that builds your stamina and endurance, not fast running.

Perhaps you may find distraction helpful, so that the last things you think about are time and the physicality of running. If music doesn't do it, try podcasts or audiobooks. I used to give myself a running commentary on everything that I could see, hear, feel and smell as I ran, in full florid sentences.

You have got this far, so if you really want to do this, you will.

Relax and enjoy it.

[Cmoi Graduate]

Hi Nicko67 , first of all, I very much doubt that you're going to give up now, so close to completing the programme!

First in case of emergency break glass suggestion: when you get out there, if you find you're really not enjoying the run, tell yourself that completing it means you won't have to do it again. Last year that got me through several training runs I hated at the time.

Second apply as necessary suggestion, the one I constantly use and recommend: don't think about the whole duration of the run, or an extra two minutes. Count down instead of up, or even better, break the run down mentally into do-able chunks, e.g. 15 + 10 + 4 + 1. If you look at what you've already achieved, and then see the remaining time as a fraction of that, it can make it more manageable.

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate]

I’m looking out of the window and thinking I’m not up for this but I know once my trainers are on and I’m running it will be fine once the toxic ten is over. The worst bit is starting!

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

You need motivation to do W9R2 ? You mean because of the weather, don't you? Because, you shouldn't really need any motivation being so close the finish line ... You've come this far, no?

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Sounds like you feared the extra two minutes as you nearly gave up way before they arrived. Now you know you can do them you can relax.

This and autumn are my two favourite times of the year to get outside and run… the scenery constantly changes, the temperature makes for comfortable running and the birds start to return, so every run also sounds different for a while. Spring forward into the season… you got this, you’re awesome and can achieve anything you want to.

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

If those 2 extra minutes were 'a killer' then I'd suggest you are still going a bit too quick. Back off and slow down to a nice easy comfortable jog.

Once you've found that perfect pace whereby you finish feeling you could carry on for longer if you had to (think about that when you're about to start), then you won't have this same issue.