Week 8 R2 but…

[lucypc25k]

Yesterday I completed W8R2! However it was quite a struggle even though I kept my pace the same as the first run of the week which I found quite comfortable to do. Is it normal for progress to still feel up and down at this point? I also experienced tingling/numbness in both arms towards the end of the run which panicked me a bit…any advice appreciated! Thank you

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate]

It’s absolutely normal to have up and down runs! How your run goes can depend on so many things. I’ve been running almost a year now and sometimes 10k is super easy and on other days, ten minutes is like running through treacle. There are lots of things you can control to give yourself the best chance of having a good run (hydration, nutrition, stretching, rest, route planning, kit etc) but sometimes it’s just one of those days and your run feels like a slog. Those runs aren’t always fun but they’re brilliant for building mental toughness!

When you say your pace was the same, do you mean how fast you were running or how your breathing felt? Some runs just require you to go a bit slower to maintain your conversational pace. That’s absolutely normal and a sensible thing to do.

It’s also common for doubts and gremlins about whether you are a proper runner, or doing well enough, or running fast enough etc to surface as you get towards the end of the programme. Ignore them. You’re doing brilliantly. Just keep going and you’ll get to where to want to be. Really good luck for your next run. 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♀️

[Annieapple Administrator Graduate]

You are doing so well & getting through a run that felt tough adds to your mental fitness.. the tingly feelings often happen to me if I am too tense … loosen up your arms and shoulders before going out & consciously keep them loose as you run..slow deep breaths before also helps a lot.. every run is different…no matter how long you have been running.. keep it slow and relaxed & enjoy the next one! X

[Instructor57 Graduate]

Very well done with your progress!Although we cannot give definitive answers about these things, numbness in arms and hands while running can often be related to posture or tension.

Or perhaps carrying things like phones or water bottles when running .

Also warming up sufficiently can help

[lucypc25k]

Thank you all for the support really helpful x

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

Oh progress is a funny thing and as others have said it's perfectly normal to run better on some days, an example from me is I did a 30 minute run last weekend and didn't enjoy one step of it, came home moaning and wondered if it was worth me carrying on running, today we are away and I went for a run, ended up running over an hour, the hills here are brutal but I enjoyed every step and grinned most the way round I'm sure your next run will be great

[Cmoi Graduate]

Hi lucypc25k , yes, it's absolutely normal for some runs to be more difficult than others!

Don't worry about pacing by numbers at this point (if ever...) During C25K, and indeed for the majority of your runs afterwards, you need to be running at whatever pace you find easy and comfortable. What that actually means in terms of numbers can vary widely, even during the same run. During my run yesterday my fastest pace was roughly twice as fast as my slowest.

I've experienced the arm tingling thing, and for me it's usually been related to tension, often at the start or end of a run. Waving and wiggling my arms about like a doofus usually sorts it!

Happy running!

[lucypc25k]

Update for anyone who cares or if this helps anyone else! Today I did the final run of week 8 and it was such a different experience to last time. I made sure to stretch and hydrate more and shook out my arms whilst running here and there. I kept my pace steady and found the run quite comfortable/enjoyable yay! Perhaps it was lack of hydration and tiredness on the second run. Thanks all

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate in reply to lucypc25k]

That’s brilliant news! Thanks for the update ❤️