week 7 - only 5mins left 🤣

[Lozza52]

last time I posted was end of week five when I was flipping out about doing a full 20mins. At the time I never thought I’d b able to complete the programme and was realy finding it hard going! Each run up till then was always filled with fear, self doubt and anxiety about not being able to cope with the longer run times! However the last couple of weeks I have gone through some kind of epiphany! I absorbed all the advice and slowed down, my body feels stronger - I can now breathe and recover quickly when stopping. I have now just completed run 3 of week 7 and know I’m going to finish this. When I look back I laugh at myself for panicking about a 5min run - now when jo says I only have 5 mins left to go - i think to myself, ha only 5mins more - I’ve got this!! I wish I could go back in time and reassure my former self to trust in the programme and have a little faith. If I can do this (52yr old, menopausal sack of potatoes) anyone can. 💪🏃🏽‍♀️😁

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Huge congratulations to you... I think many of us have no idea where all this running will take us when we begin...we amaze ourselves...as you have found.

On you go. slow and steady and enjoy!

[ForeverYoung21 Graduate]

huge congratulations! This is also very reassuring for somebody who has just finished week 4 today and looked ahead at week 5. I was wondering on my run today whether it will always be this difficult, so I really enjoyed reading your post - thank you!

[Lozza52 Graduate in reply to ForeverYoung21]

hindsight is a wonderful thing - I wish I’d learned to slow down more in the beginning. Every time I tire, I slow down, whenever my breathing feels ragged, I slow down, legs ache - slooow down! I wouldn’t go as far to say that it makes my runs easy - but it certainly makes them less hard and enables me to finish. The biggest difference this has made to my running is that I’m not scared of failure anymore. I now feel in control. Iv also lost 5lbs so that’s a huge motivation when things get tough! Good luck going into week5. Be a tortoise, go slow and win your race! 🥰

[Strawb2000]

just started week 8 this 60 year old just signed up for race for life in June

[Lozza52 Graduate in reply to Strawb2000]

Ooh - it’s good to have a goal to work towards. Good luck x

[Week7 Graduate]

Brilliant post - you can't go back in time to reassure yourself but rest assured that there will be someone reading this who is where you were a few weeks ago who will be reassured by your post . Enjoy the rest of the plan and all the runs to follow!

[Lozza52 Graduate]

thank you - it was reading everyone else’s posts that got me through the last few weeks - it’s resssurring to know I’m not the only one who has struggled. Iv just got back from run 1 of week 8 and can’t believe iv got this far. I don’t want to tempt fate - but my runs seem easier now that there’s no breaks in between - think iv finally found ‘the zone’ - just wish I didn’t have to go through the horrible first 10 minutes to get there! 🤣