What a disaster!

Went out today (Thursday) intending to do run 2 of week 8 - started off with laura for five minutes then went to my own music ran for ten minutes. Had to stop and wallk. In fact this was the pattern for the entire session which ended up being almost an hour!

I thought that having four days withiout running would have given my legs a rest after a disastrous attempt at run 1 on saturday afternoon - no in fact it was worse almost like a beginner starting to learn to run.

The big question is do I go back and repeat week 6 and build back up to week 8 or do I try again on saturday with run 3 of week 8?

I dont want to give up but felt a bit of a failure as I had managed to run 25mins over a week ago albeit on the treadmill. My big mistake I think was not doing run 2 and 3 on monday and wednesday on the treadmill as I have done for the previous weeks - the weather was partly to blame and I was still feeling demollarised from failing to complete run 1 of week 8; feel even worse now.

[runfatboy81]

I think you need encouragement and positive energy and I found going back to a previous week where I know I can complete it works.. it builds up your confidence and helps move onwards from there. But don't get stuck in a loop either...keep pushing... and if you feel more comfortable on a treadmill then do it on one... done beat yourself up... you are out there doing it... just don't give up and keep doing what works for you.

[Mitts Graduate]

From what you said your run was good training so you don't need to feel bad at all, you were out for a long time running and walking, even if you didn't manage 28 mins in one chunk.

Maybe just a bad run to put behind you, or maybe you do need a bit more 'groundwork' to help you complete the longer runs successfully.

I'm not sure how you're counting your runs/weeks - most people here, if they don't manage to complete a run, repeat that run until they do (complete it). For instance, if you don't complete W8R1, then you repeat W8R1 until you manage it, and not till then do you move on to R2. So in week eight, you need 3 successfully completed runs before you move on to W9. If this takes you more than three attempts that's fine, and the 'incomplete' runs have helped build up your endurance etc to bring you further on the next time... or the next again.

If I've misunderstood your counting system sorry, never was good at maths!

And in winter I reckon it's a whole lot more comfortable on a treadmill, I'll be moving to one myself as soon as my knee lets me run again. If I were you I'd have a go on the treadmill for W8R1 and take it from there. But whatever you decide to do, make sure it's fun...

[mo-mentum Graduate]

I would enjoy a day off tomorrow (Friday) and see what the weather is like and how you feel on Saturday.

If the weather is good, and you feel like you can 'kick some a**' - go for it and knock week 8 on the head!

If the weather is good, but you don't feel quite so positive go back to week 7, just to build your confidence.

If the weather is bad go for w8r3 on the treadmill.

Don't let those bad runs get you down - they are there to make it an achievement to finish the course - just think how much more it will mean to graduate having push through those hard weeks.

And remember - we are with you every step of the way - just keep running!

[alliec Graduate]

In the stepping stones podcast Laura says something along the lines of 'a bad run is always better than no run'

If you feel you need to repeat wk7 run 3 then do or perhaps try wk8 once more and see how you get on.

Good luck what ever you decide. We were all non runners once, my little green badge is proof the progr works. Hang on in there you can do it.

[alliec Graduate in reply to alliec]

Sorry I meant program