End of week 7... or is it?

[Mazza3]

Have now done the week 7 run four times... struggled the first time and had to stop for a couple of minutes halfway through. Then I completed it successfully the second and third times, enjoying it and having no problems. Today I thought I'd get out and do it once more - but I had a stitch after about 15 minutes. I walked it off after about three minutes, so kept going for three minutes after Laura told me to stop, to make up for my lapse in the middle! I felt so good that I did a 'bonus' couple of minutes on top of that, just to make me feel a bit better about myself!

I'm now not sure whether to keep doing the week 7 runs until I truly master this level, or now move on to week 8. Any thoughts from all you experts out there?

[chusan51 Graduate]

Funnily enough I`ve had a few challenges this week though perhaps I have overdone it. I did the first wk7 run Saturday and it felt so good I kept running to the 5k mark and did that around the 28 minute and it felt great. I am off to the US this weekend and am determined to run for 30 minutes in Central Park, so I over did things this week and ran 25 minutes Monday, Tuesday and today, and that was too much. Today I had slight leg cramps & shin splints and my first twinge of a stich after about 7 minutes and although they passed I struggled so much to get through it. I was getting odd looks from my regular park walkers as I was shouting at myself "DON`T STOP" and one chap even asked if I was ok, but I was too tired to reply so just kept running. I got through it and was then having same thoughts as you. Should I go back, stay where I am or move on? I`ve not come this far to go back or stay put, so deleted the podcast for wk7. I will rest for two days and then I am moving to wk8. If we have got this far, even with a couple of bad runs, we are up to moving on. Just take it carefully, says the man who never sticks to the rules, and we will be fine. Graduate badge is just a few weeks away, and then the next challenge looms.

[smhall Graduate]

GO MAZZA, GO!!! I wish I could type it in BIGGER letters!!! Stop looking back and look FORWARD!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! YOU ARE IN WEEK 8!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[Spud Graduate]

Think I'd go for week 8 - sounds to me like you are ready.

Chusan51 - well jealous of Week 8 run in Central Park - enjoy!!!!

[Pearsey]

Mazza if I were you I would go back to week 6, then progress on. If you are struggling now it will be worse for you on week 8, and will demoralise you. It may be all you need and then you can master the runs

[gdeann Graduate]

I echo what smhall and spud wrote! I have struggled every single run, for me I know it is more challenging then for some others, I just keep it in the back of my head that I am still building stamina and endurance. Smhall and I agreed from the start that no matter how difficult the run, as long as we finished we would move on. That said, what works for us may not others. As far as the stitch, maybe try drinking some extra water on your run days? Good luck to you mazza and welcome to week 8!!!!!

[Mazza3]

Thanks all of you for your encouragement and advice - I appreciate it. Difficult to know what the best plan is!! Any more thoughts out there?

[Flyingred Graduate]

You've had one bad run and you can account for the reasons (overdoing it). In your shoes, I'd move on with the program to week 8 and go back to all the good habits that got you this far (like taking rest days, not overdoing it and slowing down if you find it difficult).