I’ve completed Week 3, but I’m still struggling with the three minute run and *I know* I could/should repeat the week but I feel a bit deflated about it.
Does it get better?! Any tips for going from 3 minutes to 5 minutes? (Ignoring the fact it’ll be even longer after that 😂🥵 )
Thanks!
🍏You have done well to start the program and complete week 3. It gets a lot better!! Those first few weeks are always the hardest. Now you are through them you can start to relax and enjoy your runs. This is not a race but a personal journey. Whether you complete it in 9 weeks or 9 months is irrelevant. The important thing is that you are getting fit in the best way possible and having fun doing it!
Each new run has a teeny new challenge but is completely doable because of all the previous runs. Take them one at a time! Here is one way to tackle them.
Put your kit out the night before ready for your run.
Kit on and warm up inside. If you are nice and warm you won’t be tempted to run fast when it’s cold out there! Do your warm up walk briskly but the runs SLOWLY. Breathe normally and be able to hold a conversation! Running slowly helps those muscles tendons lungs etc to adjust to this new fun thing you are doing. It also helps you to conserve energy right to the end..
There are also days when every runner under the sun finds a run difficult. We learn more about ourselves and our running on those days. If you complete it in spite of struggling, good! Have a rest day and carry on. If you didn’t complete it, it becomes a practice run. You have a rest day and repeat it!!
Drinking water is essential to runners every day to avoid that heavy feeling in your legs.
Warm up and cool down exercises are encouraged to keep you flexible and help prevent injury. On non run days it’s helpful to walk or swim etc.
Keep posting and letting us know how it’s going and we will encourage you all the way!! Well done on getting to week 4!! 🙌👏
This is all tremendous advice. The water comment sounds trivial and throw-away, but THAT'S what I didn't do yesterday. I both stretched and warmed up, I ran, I did my post run exercises (I normally do them again later in the day, but never quite got round to it yesterday); what I did not do is drink enough. I am gradually pushing on to longer distances, but am more sore today than I'd expect. I read this and realised that I drank before my run and the glass afterwards; I had two coffees and ... was that it? Did I really forget to drink more water?
So - DON'T FORGET TO DRINK THE WATER! 🤣🤣🤣
Either you completed Week 3 (and thus you are ready to move onto week 4, even if Week 3 felt a struggle) or you didn't complete Week 3.
Did you maintain a running motion (however slow, however much you huffed and puffed, even if when desperate you were running on the spot) throughout the run sections? Did you maintain a walking motion (however etc etc) throughout the walking sections? Have you done this three times, with a minimum of one non-running day between each? You are ready - and if it felt really hard and you don't feel confident about Week 4... you have an advantage! You already know to start off slower than you did before!
Good reframe, thanks!
This is a brilliant reply. It's SO true. In the weeks leading up to week 1 I had barely been able to hobble down the garden. Before week 1 I could not run for a minute. No way, nuh-huh. Do the first run, with walks and warm ups etc and you can do the second; do Week 1 and you can do Week 2. It really is not a race and it matters not a jot whether you take 3 weeks do do each week, but don't psyche yourself out. Your Week 3 body will tell you if you are ready for Week 4. Tell your mind to mind its own business! 🤣
Well done for getting to week 3 and getting through week 3, even when it felt hard!
My top tip is to slow down. Even when we think we are already slow, I have found I have several gears even slower. It felt ridiculously slow at times - until I got to grips with those particular demons and realised there is nothing at all ridiculous about a human being getting out there and trying. We might be slow, but we aren’t ridiculous. When I found my slower gears, the running became easier, and the longer times became achievable and even sometimes enjoyable. That was impossible to imagine when I started, and hadn’t got to grips with my pacing. I remember someone saying running shouldn’t be this hard, and thinking maybe I was just biologically not built for running! There’s a bit of truth in that - I’ll never be fast, but I can run slowly for 30 minutes now, and I feel the benefits of it.
Good luck finding those slower gears! You’ll probably find you can shift up again as your runners legs strengthen and your cardiovascular fitness improves. Or not, just stay slow. It isn’t a race to the finish line… I think the real winners are those who go on, well past this program, to integrate running into their lives, finding enjoyment and health benefits along the way.
Well done again. Keep going, you’ll find a (your) way 😊
Thanks, I’ll try week 4 at a slower pace!
In what way are you struggling? What's going on ?
Out of puff and legs like they’re going to fall off 😂😅 I don’t feel like I’m going particularly fast either.
From all the other replies, looks like you've got all the advice you need.
Crack on!
You have had some great replies... So, may I ask... are you trying too hard and maybe pushing a little too hard?
Because, slow and steady really does work... and as GoogleMe suggests, if you do repeat this run... you know now to start slower... and stay slower.. and believe me, there is always slower
Have a read...
healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Bluebirdrunner 's reply says an awful lot about, how to run, when we begin this wonderful programme
Thanks a lot, I’ll take a look at the link and will def try a slower pace next time!
Hi Wobbly_mum,
I thought I would pop in to say hello. Well done for getting to Week 3 of the programme you are doing really well. I am re-doing the plan again after an injury, and have just completed R2 of W2. So this means I am doing 90 second runs with 2 minute walk breaks. Believe me, I am ready to stop and walk every time I reach that 90 seconds. But, this run as a whole felt better than R1. A lot depends on how you feel that day, and each run adds strength to your legs and lungs.
Those 3 minutes felt hard I know, but you did them. You may have felt puffed out and like your lungs were bursting, try to slow down your running and take longer slower breaths. Blow out to empty your lungs on walk breaks to allow more oxygen in. Its normal to feel puffed as your body takes on oxygen when you begin a run and it can take a while to get enough into your system. The longer the runs become you will feel the difference and begin to run in a more relaxed state. You do have to go through this 'toxic ten' (minutes) but the secret is to run slowly, give yourself a chance to breathe, puff out, count one, two, three, four to slow your pace down and most importantly, believe in yourself.
The plan works, so many of us can vouch for that. Try not to worry, take each run as it comes, you are building stamina.
Its up to you whether you repeat a Wk3 run until you feel ready to move on, but as the others have said, you will be able to do that W4 R1 because the plan works.. Its 3 5 3 5, I think so less runs which always feels like a bonus!
Take it slow and steady and see what happens.
Good luck. 🤞xxx
Thank you for this x
Hi, the 'toxic ten' you mention, are you referring to the first 10 mins of the run? I ask because when I first used to run decades ago (am just back to it after 2 decades break), I always found the beginnings of runs really hard - no matter how fit I was or how far I coukd run. I really didn't like the starts ever. I only used to do a 2 min walk at start. Am I right in thinking that with a 5 min walk and taking the initial run phase super slow, this may be more manageable? Or have I, as oft the case, misunderstood? Thanks 😊
Hi Gottamakechanges,Yes this will help you get over those first few minutes while your body takes on enough oxygen to cope with the exertion. It is explained well in this link
healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
On the c25k plan the walk breaks help your breathing with recovery time, but going slowly at the start of all runs will be more confortable.
Good luck getting back to your running.
🏃♀️🏃xx
You may find this a useful and informative read, towards the bottom of the post are good tips for breathing.
healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
This is great - thank you - it was enough to put me off in the past and I didn't understand the physiology of it. Thank you again!
thank you! I’ll definitely give W4 a go on Thursday and try a slower pace and focus on my breathing - thanks for the tips.
From one Wobble to another 😁. yes it does! Just take your time, there’s no rush. No pressure 🙂👍
Repeat as many runs or weeks as you need for your body this will help. The tortoise won the race after all . I know I did
well done for even starting - that’s a massive accomplishment in itself
Be kind to yourself - already you can run twice as far as you could three weeks ago. If you want just repeat the week: it’s not a race and everyone has their own pace. I think I repeated week 5 for about 3 weeks but who cares I got there in the end. I think once you get your head around the fact that this is your personal challenge and nobody else cares about your speed, time or mileage (my husband glazes over once I mention PB, splits or coach Bennett) you can just go your own way and every run is your own personal goal and journey. Believe you can do it and you will and I treated it a bit like pregnancy - not every baby is born on its due date - some things need a little longer in the oven. Good luck
Well done you for starting, getting out there and reaching week 3/4! We all come to this programme at different fitness and when I first did it I could walk but not run at all and repeated every single run and week, some more than once. This way I was more confident about my fitness to continue and even though I was a proper snail 🐌. So if you feel like repeating a run or week just do it! It won't do any harm. And be a 🐌. It will get easier and trust me, you will be hooked!
You have some really good advice here !! The advice I would give is just don't give up, it's not a race and you WILL get there. Drink plenty of water, throughout the day, and warm up and down after running. I drink about 5 mugs of plain hot water, 3 mugs of tea and 1 mug of coffee and 1 glass of water every day (that may sound a lot, but it works for me as I have IBS and need to keep hydrated). When I first started the C25K I looked at week 9 and thought there is absolutely no chance on earth I would be able to run non stop for that length of time - I stuck with it and now run Parkrun each Saturday and get round in about 30mins, non stop. You will get there, I promise - just don't give up !!👍😀
Thanks for everyone’s comments and encouragement - dropped my pace and completed W4R1. Absolutely delighted 🤩
Fantastic!! Slow and steady is the way to go, much more enjoyable, well done you
Fantastic news..go you 👌 (nice and steady)
So pleased for you!
Onwards and upwards.🏃♀️👏👏xx
Brilliant.... well done you... onwards and upward... slow and steady x
I RAN FOR 3 MINUTES STRAIGHT!
Struggling 3 minute run
OMG I ran for 3 minutes without stopping TWICE! 😵😵😵👍👍👍
Week 1 Run 3, over the first hurdle..
3 minute run fear!!
