week 5

[Susiekay16]

hi , I will be starting wk 5 next week and feel it’s a big jump to 20 mins from 5 and I’m struggling with running for 5 mins 😩

[TwoPoachedEggs Graduate]

I thought it was a big leap too but I managed to do it this afternoon albeit at a very slow pace. Hang in there.

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

Can you describe your struggle? In what way was it difficult?

Also ... in Week 4 you ran :

R1 - in total 3, 5, 3 and 5 minutes - a TOTAL of 16 minutes (ie, you didn't just run for 5 minutes - you spent 16 minutes running, with some small breaks)

R2 - the same - another 16 minutes

R3 - the same - another 16 minutes.

That's 48 minutes of running across the week.

And Week 5 looks like this:

W5R1 - 15 minutes in total

W5R2 - 16 minutes (you should be used to this by now)

W5R3 - 20 mins

It's NOT the length of any one segment that counts - it's the TOTAL amount of running (JOGGING!) that you do that builds your fitness.

By the time you come to W5R3, you'll have 157 minutes - over 2 and half HOURS - of running in your legs - that's running fitness that has ACCUMULATED - and it's THAT that will get you through the 20 minute W5R3 run - coupled with a bit of confidence and mental grit.

The trick is to start out nice and slowly and stay slow. Slow enough that you can chat easily while jogging - if you can't, then you're going too quickly. If that means going slower than your brisk walk, then so be it. Your breathing rate is like the canary in the coal mine - use it as an indicator of how hard you're working. Breathing too hard? Slow down. Breathing nice and easy? Keep going.

That 'jump' is actually a psychological one - a hurdle that needs jumping mentally. But in terms of time, believe it or not the 'jump' is actually bigger from Week 3 (total of 9 minutes) to Week 4 (16 minutes) .

C25K is a MENTAL challenge, NOT a physical one. Your BODY is (will be) more than ready for W5R3 - it's just that your BRAIN isn't convinced.

Week 5 is to be enjoyed and embraced - slow down and you'll be absolutely fine!

Enjoy!

cc     TwoPoachedEggs

[LeeU Graduate]

I found this was more psychological than anything else, after all, what does your body know about time?

All your body knows is that you're asking it to do something, nothing more.

The ONLY part of your body that knows anything about time is your head, and that's where all the positive AND negative things reside too.

The first time I ran the 20 minutes I did the following:

1. Make sure you don't clock watch

2. Make sure you sort your breathing out as quickly as you can (deep belly breathing in my case)

3. Slow and steady, remember, you're aiming for a TIMED run, NOT to see how far and fast you can go.

4. This is the most important one, LIE to yourself, if your head starts telling you that you must stop just tell yourself you'll stop in a minute, then in a minute and so on.

The time will go by quickly.

If there are any problems, don't worry, chalk it up to a practice run and try again.

I think the first time I ran W5R3 I was 25+ stone and I did struggle with my head telling me I HAD to stop and I just kept doing no. 4 above.

YOU CAN DO THIS!

[MrBassmanjazz Graduate]

You've got this. If you've followed the program, so far, you are prepared.

It's a mindset. Your mantra should be "I can do this".

Keep it slow and steady. Believe in yourself and go for it.

The buzz after is worth it and may go on for days.

[ktsok Graduate]

Lots of good advice here. W5R3 is a milestone run! Once you have done this, you realise it really is possible to run for longer. Like others have said, this is more of a psychological step up - your body is ready for it, your mind just needs to adjust.

Focus on your breathing, is my best advice. Try to keep it under control, which will probably mean slowing your pace right down. There’s no such thing as too slow when you are increasing your time/distance, particularly at the start of the run. Start slower than you would for shorter runs. Keep checking in with your breathing, rather than checking the time.

Oh, and try to enjoy! You can do this 😊

[Wobbly_mum Graduate]

I wrote a very similar post when I got to this point! Loads of great advice but I also found that listening to a podcast instead of music helped (consistency, not trying to speed up to tempo etc) and going slowwwly.

As others have said, it’s likely much more of a mental hurdle! Good luck!

[adnewg73 Graduate]

There is some excellent advice here. Trust me, you will and can do it. I thought it was a massive jump, but I'm not a quitter in anything (well I try not to be) ie I play video games (yes at the grand old age of 50, but they do provide escapism) and won't quit a game until every trophy or stone is unturned or won. The same thing in running, tell yourself you won't quit, take it steady and you will have completed it before you know it ..... oh, and the "high" runners feeling after is worth every step !! Good luck 👍🤗

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Read this... it will allay your fears Slow and steady as you go.

[Nitra Graduate]

I'm doing my W5r3 tomorrow, will really take on board all this excellent advice, thank you.