Battled the negative and made it through

[schpanna]

Week 5 run 3

I ran for 20 minutes!! What a battle though!!

I felt really confident after the 8 minute runs and was really looking forward to the challenge, but this confidence started to disappear over the last day. Last night my legs felt quite tired, I was generally quite exhausted and I started wondering whether to bother getting up early because I just didn't feel in the right frame of mind to try the 20 mins for the first time. But I told myself not to be silly and got up super early this morning...

It was freezing!!! At first I was dying to start running just to warm up

I have to say, it wasn't easy but I kept going. I think I must have been going too fast at first. I ran my normal route and got to a point where I was further than I got on my 8 mins run, so I was there waiting for Laura to tell me I'd done ten minutes and then she eventually spoke and said "You've done FIVE minutes!!!!!!" FIVE!! I couldn't believe it.

Thankfully she did also remind me that if I was tired, I should slow down a bit to recover so I did and this really helped.

The middle ten minutes were a bit better. The shock of the length of the first 5 minutes made me try to switch off and stop thinking about the time, so that helped. My legs felt fine for about 15 mins, it was just my brain that wanted to stop so I kept telling myself this and kept going.

The last 5 mins was more of a battle, my legs were tiring a lot by that point and the final 2 mins seemed like an eternity but I did it! I ran the whole way.

I think I find it helps me to run in a line (i.e. 10 mins away from my house and 10 mins back) rather than a circular route. It helps me mentally on the more difficult second half to feel as though I've done the longest, hardest part, I've just got to get back home now. I don't know how anyone else feels about that.

Laura's encouragements really helped me mentally today. She reminded me that the programme so far HAS made me fit enough to do this so I trusted in that and kept at it. What a great feeling now though!

[poppysmate Graduate]

well done for sticking with it, i am going to do week 5 run 1 tomorrow and the thought of 20 mins is quite daunting

[schpanna in reply to poppysmate]

To be honest, i was fairly horrified when I read that I was going to have to do 20 mins this week. It sounded like a huge jump.

But I've done it... I think the programme has made anything do-able as long as I pace myself. Good luck with it!

[PastyMan Graduate]

Excellent schpanna.

I don't think any of us would say the 20 minute run was easy. It's a mental battle and your run sounds familiar! But seeing off that first heavy legged 5 minutes, finding your rhythm .... nearly comfortable (!) and then realising it's over and you CAN do it is such an achievment. It's definitely the breakthrough run so stick with it to graduation.

Well done

[Minuette Graduate]

I laughed out loud at the FIVE minutes!!!!!! bit you wrote as I sometimes feel like that and can't believe it's only been 5 minutes!

The plan is great as it really prepares your body to be able to cope with the distance, so just us who have to prepare our minds which is actually the harder part!!

Great achievement doing 20 mins!!

[schpanna in reply to Minuette]

It was seriously depressing at the time, but I made it through, so I guess I must be improving mentally

[Hidden]

Congratulation on such a great achievement! This plan works and we know it now!!

[Bxster Graduate]

congratulations I swear Laura has her own time zone...

[ChrisMcB Graduate]

Well done! Week six, bring it on