I have just finished w2r3 and looking at w3 coming up I see the run is doubled from 90secs to 3 minutes. Seems a big hike after puffing and panting over 90secs today! I know 2 weeks ago I could not imagine jogging 90secs six times but it just seems a big leap.
Also think hearing about that poor young woman who died doing the London Marathon has scared me off running a bit.( I know doing a marathon is loads more than I'm doing, but what I'm doing is marathon-like to me.)
Help - I need to stop feeling negative.
Written by
christian1
Graduate
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I'm with you here, I still have wk2r3 to do on the weekend but I am a tad nervous about the 3 minutes next week already!! My stance on it is going to be to just get out and give it a go regardless - if I can't so it the first time i will just try again (and again if needed!).........I'm still overwhelmed by the fact that I haven't given up on this yet like I usually give up on everything - and even more so that I am enjoying it! So i owe it to myself to push on and try despite by fear of failing. It is nerve wracking, but I say go out and give it a go.....you don't know until you try! Good luck and I for one will want to know how it goes!! xx
Three minutes seems like a big jump but you will be surprised. I read in Women's Running this month that researchers at Canada's McMaster University have been using one minute bursts of bike riding at maximum effort (ie very high pulse rate) with cardiac patients. The bike sprint was followed by a minute of recovery. They kept this up for 20 minutes! This regime significantly improved the heart health of the caridac patients - I found this very reassuring!
Cto5K builds you up gradually but remember you can repeat runs (or even weeks in my case) until you feel happy. You can even do part of a run if it feels right . You are winning because you are not on the couch!
I felt exactly the same and do each week when I look at what is expected but just believe in the plan and yourself and you will be fine. I have found it better to try and run everyother day(rather than sometimes leaving 2 days between runs if I was busy) This seems to make it easier for some reason. Also try not to think too much about it - just plug your headphones in and do what Laura tells you!!!
Looking back I now see that doing the couch to 5k was/is about building body confidence too along the way..I learnt about pace/what I could manage and when to push myself, good luck! trust in Laura!! and listen to your body, you will be surprised when you look back at what you have acheived, promise!!
Keep reading the posts for reassurance that this plan works. As Laura will tell you it's all about distance not speed. The first increased run of the session slow down a bit until you have confidence and if you can run faster for the next interval, if you can't fine, run slowly again, there is no medal for speed.
Ps. I'm on W8R3 next and regularly surprise myself and no it's not easy but I do feel smug after every run even if I am shattered
Pacing is the hardest thing to learn, if you ever do! And that is really the problem usually. I suspect you would have no issue walking the time so you know its not fundamentally beyond you, just finding the right speed. The gains come from finishing the time not how fast you do it, that can be dealt with later.
Being a generally competitive bloke, I've always tried running faster than I could physically and mentally sustain and hence failed once or twice at the beginning of W1 so the past two weeks have effectively been trying to learn to pace myself. It isn't a race, there aren't other runners you're competing with.
I completed the first W3 run this morning and I have spent most of the weekend thinking about the running for 3 minutes but as long as you concentrate on the road, your breathing and your pace, you quickly forget how long you've been running before and before you know it, Laura is telling you to slow down to a walk as you've done it!
Oh, and that negative thought in your head? That shouldn't be there. Banish it to the corner and ignore it until it learns to behave itself
Trust in Laura And listen to her, she will tell u what u need to do and she's dragged us all through the programme puffing and panting so I'm sure she'll drag u through too!! For me pace is definately the key don't go to fast as I can't sustain it and then I get disheartened. Good luck and keep us posted on how u get on :o)
I agree pace is the answer, i ran with a friend but this resulted in me running too quickly in week three and as a result had to stop seconds before the end of the 3 minute runs, after 2 weeks of failing decided to try week 4 run 1 on my own and as i ran slower completed it! Looking forward to week 4 run 3 tomorrow.
Take it slowly and enjoy the run, dont worry about the increased times each week, just take one run at a time.
I have to report that I have been and done it this morning! Thanks so much to all who encouraged me. In fact I was so eager to get out there after reading all your advice that I was out of bed by 7.15 - unheard of for me! i concentrated on keeping my pace slow and even and probably went slower than I have since W1R1 but it paid off.
This community is so encouraging and supportive. Its great! Thanks again.
I have just done W3r1 and yes it does seem like a big hike and it I won't lie to you it was hard, but worth it. I slowed my pace down after listening to Laura telling you that if you were running along side a hedge and their was someone on the other side, they should not be able to see you head bobbing up and down.
By the way I'm not running outsie yet, I just imagined it ha ha! I'm on the treadmill in the gym not got the bottle to run outside yet!
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xx
First 5k any tips for beginners? Feel like I'm too slow
Should it feel like I'm dying?
Feel like I'm going backwards!
Feel like I'm back at the beginning 
Feeling like a failure already :(
