Week 4 finished, now I need support and inspiration to get through the dreaded 5!!!!

[gdeann]

I just finished week 4 and can't believe I did it! I tried to go slow...remembering I am not winning a race, just trying to get through each session at this point. I STILL find the 3 minutes grueling, so I can't really believe I made it through the 5 minute sessions! I found this week, day 1 was just as difficult as day 3, other-than by day 3 I did pickup pace and distance. It is pretty amazing to go back and look at my earlier weeks/tracking pace and distance and see how I am improving, even when my mind is telling me I can't do this. Each week is a challenge, but I am keeping the faith of what others say here on the board: we can do it and it will get better. My cement legs and 49 year old body/mind needs all the support, encouragement/advice she can get right now to approach week 5.

[notbad Graduate]

Support & inspiration is in abundance here. I agree every week is a challenge, just in different ways, keep looking back as you are and remind yourself how much progress you have made. Well done for coming this far and sticking with it when it's not easy, you'll be gaining fitness all the time.

[nickinocki]

Wk4 r3 for me later today or maybe tomorrow. First 2 haven't been too bad, but I really do go slow! Week 5 is daunting- I can't imagine having the stamina to be running for 20 minutes in a weeks time! But, the stories on this website show it's possible so we'll see. You're right, every week has been a challenge and if I think where I am now compared with the big red puffing lump trying to move themselves forward for only a minute in week1 I've come a long way and so have you!

Good luck!

[AnnaDJ Graduate]

You can do it. Laura knows what's she's doing, honest.

[Mitts Graduate]

I finished week 5 yesterday.

Run 1 was fine, you know you have 3 5 min runs and you just have to pace yourself, in the end it was less tiring than W4 and the music's much nicer too. It was actually the best run I've had, I was so surprised! Run 2 I had a bit of a cold, finished it but only just and I was dreading run 3. But I took my own music and told myself if I had to walk a bit in the middle I would, but it's funny, you just kind of settle into the running, and I think it helped that I wasn't listening for Laura saying 'X minutes now'.

So don't worry, you'll be fine. I couldn't run for a bus 5 weeks ago either .

[KateMac Graduate]

I still find the first 5 minutes of any run the most difficult, after that I seem to settle into a rhythm & the next 10-15 mins are not so bad so you might find that week 5 is easier than you're expecting (I have to confess that the last 5 mins are still tough though!). Also, the next weeks are when you start to really feel as if you're progressing so you get a real sense of achievement. It can seem daunting & I remember thinking "You're joking, no way can I run for that long" everytime it increased. Listen to Laura, especially about keeping a steady pace & not trying to go too quickly, & you will get there. Good luck.

[Chewy]

I can't speak from experience but I can speak from observation. It looks to me as though this programme works, as hard as it seems, as impossible as it may look (my next week runs look impossible and I'm not as far as you) it does work.

Give it a go, you've got everything to gain and nothing to lose, no one can take away what you've already achieved.

[Hidden]

Hi gdeann, I remember commenting on your blog last week when you were worried about week 4...and look, you did it!!!! It'll be the same with week 5 and the sense of elation and disbelief will carry you on to week 6. I had a long break between week 4 and 5 so just did my first run of week 5 tonight and although tough in places, I did it and found my recovery times were MUCH quicker. Good luck, you can do this! Have confidence in yourself and be proud that no matter how slow you go, you're still lapping those people on the couch!

[Vivwestie Graduate]

TBH, I've just started W5 and got through R1 fine. I find it weird that when Laura says 'Well done, you're half-way through only 2 1/2 mins to go.' It's like 'oh, ok. And then she says - 'only 60 seconds to go' and those 60 seconds go on foreeeevvvveeeerrrr. Seems much longer than 5 mins! But it's actually not that bad. You just keep putting one foot in front of the over. It's not digging mines or living on the edge or nursing terminally ill people.... it's just putting one foot in front of the other and breathing in and breathing out. And it's fun and it means that you're always faster and fitter than you were the day before and certainly before you started! it's moving forward instead of standing still or regressing backwards into ill-health and couch-potato-ism!