I just realised that in using an app, my weeks/runs are slightly different to everyone else using Laura. I kind of wish I'd known about Laura earlier as I'd like to be on the same level as everyone else, but I also find my own songs really motivating and I use them to keep me going (i.e. I'm not allowed to look at the timer until a song has finished etc) so think this is the best route for me.
I don't think it's much different until next week, though I'm not really sure what the podcast timings are. My Week 4 is:
Warmup - 5 mins
Jog - 3 mins
Walk - 2 mins
Jog - 4 mins
Walk - 2 mins
Jog - 5 mins
Walk - 3 mins
Cool down - 5 mins
I've been adapting them to suit me a bit anyway so I'm not sure it matters too much. It's also a week shorter than Laura, but I don't do my first 20min run until Week 6, Run 3 rather than Week 5, Run 3. Weird.
Anyway, I set out to do W4R1 today at about 8pm, as it's been absolutely sweltering today, and the heat killed me throughout Week 3. Very glad I did, as it was the perfect temperature and I completed all the runs, so I'm very chuffed!
I struggled most with the 4 minute run, because I was running uphill and developed a stitch about 2.5mins in. I walked for 10 seconds to get rid of it, then completed the last minute (just about). To compensate for my walk, I jogged for an extra minute on top of the last 5 minutes (much easier going downhill. It's only a slight incline, but can really feel it going up), meaning that I only walked for 2 minutes at the end.
At the end of all of my runs so far, I've run for the 5 minute cool down period instead of walking, then walked around my street for a while to cool down instead. It all started in week 2, when I wanted to see how far I could run without looking at the clock, and taking it slowly managed to run the entire 5 minutes (helped along by a bit of Take That haha). I've been doing it ever since, partly to push myself, and partly because I walk an extra 5 minutes at the beginning to reduce the amount of running uphill I have to do, and so it gets me home faster!
I don't seem to be struggling with it at the moment, but as the runs get longer, it'll probably be something I have to stop. Because I did it today though, and will do it for the rest of the week, it means I'm officially running longer than I'm walking! This makes me unbelievably happy, considering that 3 weeks ago I could barely run for a minute at a time! Progress is being made, slowly but surely. I will run the entire 5k Race For Life in July!
Positive thinking