Week 5 - Run 3.

[rochiebro]

Today I attempted the 20 minute run for the first time. I failed to be honest. Got to eight minutes and then my shins and quads started to ache. For me, running 8 minutes to then 20 minutes is too big a step. Going to repeat Week 5 Run 2 until I can get rid of this DAMNED leg pain. Surely after 5 weeks it should've improved. Anyways, I have lost 19 pounds since the start of the program. Always look on the bright side of life eh, as I am currently very deflated.

Hope you're all getting on well,

rochiebro.

[genevan Graduate]

I repeated lots of the runs, and there is nothing wrong with doing that. Keep going, you will get there!

[rochiebro in reply to genevan]

I wasn't keen on repeating weeks as I thought I wasn't making any progress. May have tor reconsider now - thanks for the reply!

[pinkus Graduate]

Hi rochiebro

You should be very pleased with yourself....losing 19 lbs thats excellent.....wish it were the same for me...my weight has not moved much on the scales but I seemed to have lost inches but it would be nice if the scales did catch up....so keep up the good work, I am suffering with tight calf muscles at the minute and have'nt been running for 3 days....

pinkus

[rochiebro in reply to pinkus]

I think of my weight loss is down to losing muscle tissue - not seeing much move from around my stomach! Tight calves are the bane of my runs at the minute - hope they get better for you soon! All the best

[Saruma Graduate]

You did right to stop rochie, so don't beat yourself up about it. Week 5 run 3 was a struggle for me, but I pushed through it and ended up injuring myself. It's taken me a month to get back on track and I'm just about to tackle the same run again sometime this week.

[rochiebro in reply to Saruma]

That's what I am wary of you see. Pulled my quad 2 weeks ago and I've just had to soldier on through the pain and awkwardness! Good luck for this week, hope you smash it!

[Treborstone Graduate]

Don't think of it as a jump from 8 to 20 as you previously did two 8 mins so its really a jump from 16 to 20 mins. Also don't be down hearted about repeating along the way. It more important to stick with it. Good luck, you can do it.

[rochiebro in reply to Treborstone]

It's such a mental wall though to think of running for 20 minutes! Thanks for the support, much appreciated.

[BigEd]

Hi Rochie like others have said dont worry too much, you will get there. What helps is having a goal. I try the Parkruns they are a great intro to running. They are 5k runs on sat mornings all over the UK, all abilities. Google Parkrun, register and go! Good luck and keep going, Ed

[rochiebro in reply to BigEd]

Cheers Ed. I thought I was more than capable of running for the 20 minutes but I just let my head get the better of me! And the fact that I am running on the treadmill so it gets very boring and I'm always clock-watching! Parkruns seem like a good idea - I'll have a look into them! All the best

[gaterunner Graduate]

Hey, rochiebro, five weeks ago you couldn't run for 8 minutes so look at what you have achieved so far. The programme is not a race it's a way of learning to run and you are learning. Take a rest and then go back. You will get there but it has to be in your time and no one elses. Good luck and well done for what you have achieved so far. Jan

[rochiebro in reply to gaterunner]

I suppose, that is good perspective! Thanks for the encouragement Jan, I was pretty deflated after my session at the gym yesterday and it was a really good idea to come on here and share my experience-all part of a learning curve I guess! All the best

[oona Graduate]

Have you considered taking a couple of days rest between runs, rochiebro? Once the runs got a bit longer I started leaving at least 2 days in order to give my knees a chance to recover. It just kept the niggles at bay and meant that I could keep going with the programme. Good luck!

[rochiebro in reply to oona]

I run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. So really I am only getting good rest after Saturday! Plus I'm a student so I have other commitments that keep me quite active rather than having the chance to rest! I will consider only doing two runs a week from now on and adding in a weights session to burn more body fat! Thanks for replying

[Mitts Graduate]

What kind of pain is it exactly? Shin splints? Wonky knees? (I can sing a song about knees too... ) Maybe you need to do something different there? I agree with Oona, an extra day between runs often works wonders in the second half of the programme.

Treborstone is right about W5R3 - you're really only adding in another 4 minutes running time. Don't think about the timing, maybe do it to your own music, that helps me a lot.

Good luck!

[rochiebro in reply to Mitts]

Tight calves and throbbing quads! Shins and knees aren't giving me any bother at the minute - here's a hoping that doesn't change! I broke my headphones last week so I am waiting for a new pair to arrive so I haven't had my own playlists for 2 runs now - maybe that's what might be affecting me! Thanks for the encouragement, good luck to you too!

[Mitts Graduate in reply to rochiebro]

That's good, tight calves and throbbing quads are easily fixed by stretching and training!

Shins and knees can take longer...

But I'm nearly there now

Keep us posted!

[sfb350 Graduate]

Really well done with your weight loss!

The "trick" with the jump to 20 minutes is to slow down to ensure you have the energy for the full 20 minutes. As slow as you can - you can always increase the speed later on.

If the leg pain is achy/sore muscles and you're doing your stretching post-run then you might find compression socks help. They don't have to cost a fortune - mine were about £6 a pair on ebay (MoreMile). I'm actually wearing mine now to help my calves feel better after an 8 mile run this morning. I live on a hill so the final stretch was quite a steep uphill and that made my calves really quite sore. Another tip is to use a foam roller - it can be quite hard work but it does give your muscles a good massage.

[rochiebro in reply to sfb350]

Thanks sfb! I am currently running at about 10-11 kmph! The socks and the roller sound like good ideas - I'll check them out! Grats on the 8 mile run, that's fantastic!

[eshaz14 Graduate]

Aaaw, you didn't fail, you just had a bad run. Listen to your body and don't overdo things. You have done really really well so far. Concentrate on the good things and put the bad things down to experience. You are doing so well and just have little set-backs.

[hermioneinc]

I just done W5R1 and to be honest I'm sh**ing myself about W5R3!!! ARGGHH