Tomorrow I have to do it. I've got a 5k race on October 21st, which is scaring the life out of me. I just don't want to fail. The trouble is that this podcast seems to be defeating me. I managed it once, but where I felt like I was actually going to die everything went down hill after that. I know I can do 20 minutes, which I have done many times before. I can even do 22. But 25 seems to elude me. Has anyone got any good tips for the psychological battle you need to have with yourself sometimes?
Fingers crossed for tomorrow anyway. Hopefully I'll get in a good run and be cheering on here tomorrow and over this final hurdle to my 5k race.
Wish me luck!
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tashazara
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I'm afraid I can't help with the psychological battles because I've really only just started... Is it worth forgetting the programme for this one, and slow your pace even a little to focus on the distance rather than the time? I've often heard that making the distance should come before time...
People further along the road should be better placed to help you. Good luck!
There might be several reasons why you can't run for a bit longer, I'm wondering are you going too fast to start with?
I have various "tricks" I use to keep going. If I start to feel tired I check my posture, make myself smile and repeat my mantra "strong legs, strong lungs" (obviously under my breath as I couldn't talk out loud at this point lol!). I also ask myself "what would Fran do?" (Fran is my sister who took up running aged 47 and is training for her 8th marathon so she is my personal heroine, please feel free to use her, or of course you can pick your own!)
Assuming you are running outside, how about setting yourself targets to aim at - to the next gate/the 4th lampost/once more round the block - whatever? Or (Paula Radcliffe trick) when you feel you want to stop tell yourself you have to count to 50 before you stop. Then do it again - etc!
And
You don't have to be "afraid" of your 5k but it is natural to have concerns over how you will be if it is your first event. Remember YOU have chosen to do this, and you CAN do it!
Is it a big/charity run?
Will you have company at the start? That's a great help on your first race (where is it by the way? I might join you if you havent already got company, lol!)
Remember that loads of people do a 5k race, especially the charity events, with very little/no preparation so you are way ahead of a lot of people. If your race is an annual event, you can often look on the race website at last year's results which can be reassuring
Just remember on the day to go at YOUR pace and dont feel you have to keep up with anyone else.
You can do 5k even if you havent done 5k all in one go beforehand! You have lots of miles in your legs after all the runs you will have done. Marathon runners dont run 26.2 miles in one go before the marathon.
And it isnt a crime to take walk breaks at any point in your running career!
Thank you. I think that is the best feedback I have received from anyone. I like the idea of making myself count before stopping. I was already using a similar method to keep me going by counting my breaths so that I didn't concentrate on achey legs or my brain..
It's not a charity run. It's just at Stourhead, a National Trust property, in Wiltshire. So that will be nice and scenic anyway. My boyfriend is doing it too. He's much better usually than me but hasn't had too much practice recently so maybe there will be less of a time difference between us!
I will take your advice and just try to slow down a little bit. I was proud on my last run as my tracker told me I had a new one mile PB but slow and steady runs the 25 minutes I suppose!
Thank you for your advice. I'll do an update on how it goes tomorrow morning!
Deryn answered all of your questions amazingly well! I just wanted to jump in and ask if you remembered the huge jump of the week 5-20 minute run? You wrote you also knew you could do 22 minutes...you only need 3 minutes more to make 25. YOU CAN DO THIS!
Deryn, is spot on!!!!! I would especially consider the pace that you are running at. If you can't finish, you are going to fast. Slow down just a bit.
The only thing that I can add otherwise and I am sorry if it sounds harsh, is this. Your mind is far stronger than your body. Your mind controls your body and YOU control your mind. Your body is ready...now prepare your mind.
I have to concur with Deryn too. Speed was the main thing that got me. I made the mistake of thinking that after W5R3 that everything would be easy. And it actually is from a physical stand point. Your body is probably capable of doing the 30 mins/5k right now, but your head isn't, you start off too fast and bam, you hit the wall. Try this. Setup a playlist with the W6R3 followed by a 5ish minute 150bmp ish track. When laura tells you that you only have 2 minutes left, switch to the next track, run to the beat, concentrate on the music and aim to get to the end of the track. Sometimes you just need a change to take your mind off it.
My point about your body being capable I can say from experience. I only graduated about 6 weeks ago. I've not run for a couple of weeks because of a combination of new job and a knee injury. I ran back from the shops on Saturday and mapped it for a laugh. 1km... So I hopped in my joggers and armed with c25k+ stamina I went out and popped in 7.5k. So I walked 1k and ran a total of 7.5k that day. That's a good 2k further than my previous. My point being that your body.
Another suggestion might be trying the C25K+ Stepping Stone podcast. The plus podcasts get you to run to the beat of the music and it starts at 150bpm for 10 mins, then 155 for 13, then 158 for 5. I found that the 150bpm starter was way below where I had been starting when fresh and it allowed me to get to 10mins without even breaking a sweat.
Just keep going though. 5k is in your grasp and you have plenty enough time between now and the 21st to get up onto that step.
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W6R3 done!
W6r3 and my first race! 
If I did it before, I can do it again...
9K again :-)
W6R3 done and dusted!
