I failed on W6R3 on Mon - so depressing - managed the 20 mins last week. Shall I try again tomorrow or do W6R2 again? I'm 51 and feeling it!

PS until this morning I was rather proud of myself!

[AliB1 Graduate]

You haven't failed you've just had a bad run and we all have them sometimes. You should still be proud of yourself, think back 6 weeks and remember how far you've come.

I'd give r3 a go or even move on to w7r1 depending on how you feel. Remember slow your pace down so that you can last the distance. Good luck. Let us know how you get on

[Hidden in reply to AliB1]

Steady on! But thank you - you have inspired me to give it another crack. 6.30am I'll be there.

[CaroleC Graduate]

Yes, I agree with AliB1,

We do all have bad runs sometimes, even, believe it or not, those of us who have graduated and gone on many months from there! Repeat your run if you feel you need to, but I just have to ask, in what way did you fail? Did you have to stop and walk? Were you on a hill when you did so?

A major mistake lots of people on here make is in, after successfully doing their twenty minutes in W5R3, think that they can go out too fast on subsequent runs. Either try W6R2 or R3 but get yourself out there, take your time, and try not to build in anything hard incline wise at the end. It takes a long time to build speed and stamina and you are still a very new runner...also, don't think that age is any excuse; I am also 51, 52 in August and I know of at least one other runner who is more than a decade older, and one who is almost two decades older than us.

I will repeat, get out there, make sure you are hydrated (it's warm out there now) and have had a snack an hour before, and take your time.

Good luck!

CaroleC

[Grammadog1947 Graduate]

River, any time you are out there...no matter how far you go, how fast you go, or anything else for that matter...you are NOT a failure. It isn't important how many times you get knocked down, what matters is how many times you get back up.

Yes...there are very few who make it through the 9 weeks without a bad run...myself included.

Hang in there...give yourself some slack...and enjoy this new life of being a runner!

(By the way, if you're wondering, I'm 64)

[bizzyb Graduate]

vintage 1958 here, welcome to the group of us who have had the legendary "bad run" I had one this week, struggled to get past 5 minutes and it was heavy going all the way but I made it through 30 in the end and felt every one of my considerable years, second run this week was a peach! Flying heels and a really good vibe so get out there and give it another go, let us know how you got on

[Hidden]

t h a n k y o u a l l for the incredibly encouraging answers! and yes... I did it this morning (see my separate blog)!

BizzyB... I'm not sure 'flying heels' is how I'd describe it! fees more like lead boots!