W4R2 - Help please

[shakylegs]

Oh dear - run 1 of week 4 was not so bad on Monday but then got wayaid with turkey, christmas pud and family so missed run 2 on boxing day. I have just done it and it was not pleasant!! Lots of puffing and panting not to mention all those enthusiastic runners passing me at rate of knots. I honestly cannot believe that I will ever run 16 minutes non stop without keeling over let alone 30 - perhaps everyone that has graduated was fitter than me to start with! I know I have one more run this week which I will attempt on Sunday - should I repeat this week again as I am pretty sure that week 5 will be beyond me! Any suggestions warmly received and in the meantime will have a turkey sandwich!

[smhall Graduate]

CALM DOWN!!! Today was just one run!! Some runs don't go as well as others. I am sure that the Christmas feasting was responsible for many of us slowing down or missing a run, but that is no reason to panic!!!

Speaking for myself, R2 of every week was the worst one for me. I could never explain it and quit trying to. It simply was a tougher run. Maybe you are that way, also. Maybe it was just a rough running day. Either way, no matter what it was, YOU CAN DO THIS!! There is no need to repeat a week if you can complete the runs. If you just want to to be more comfortable, especially mentally, with how you are doing, then by all means do so. I have to suggest that at this point though, after one rough run, to try another. YOU CAN DO THIS!!

You will run 30 minutes!!! You are correct, W5 is beyond you right now...you are in W4!! Worry about W5 next week!!!

Now, work your mental game up a bit. Convince yourself that YOU WILL DO THIS RUN!! YOU CAN DO THIS RUN!! You are at a point in the program where mental strength is as important as physical ability. Your body is prepared...now prepare your mind!!!

YOU CAN DO THIS!!! I look forward to a great report on Sunday and a blog about how you are looking forward to W5!!!!!

Keep Running!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

Steve

P.S. Did I mention that YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!

[shakylegs in reply to smhall]

Thanks Steve for your great encouragement - not sure about my body being prepared so will work on mental aspect. OK, I can do this .....I am not usually a negative thinker but seems like I have reached a brick wall. I may go and buy myself some proper shoes as running currently in dreadful old unsupportive ones - that may well spur me to get going again. Lets hope that Sunday is a bit easier but W5 is only 1 run away so it is there at the back of my mind like a nasty gremlin!!

[smhall Graduate in reply to shakylegs]

Gremlins can only go where you allow them to go. Kick his butt out!!!!! You may have reached a brick wall...so run around it!!! Climb over it!!! Heck, take a different route!!! It doesn't matter how you get around it, you just have to DECIDE to get around it!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! Brick walls are just like gremlins...they only exist in your mind. Crush them!!!

I love the new shoe idea!! I know that when we, (Gayle, gdeann is my wife) got our new shoes in week 3 or 4 it was like a shot of adrenaline for us!! We had invested in our runs and more importantly, in ourselves!! Not only are proper running shoes better for you body, they are a boost to your mind as well!!

Run, Shaky, Run!!!!!!!!

Steve

[smhall Graduate in reply to smhall]

One more thing...when you pick the new shoes...get something with wild colors that you usually wouldn't wear!!! Make them special shoes...special RUNNER shoes. That is how us runners do it!!! Because guess what you are becoming...yep...that's right...A RUNNER!!!!!

[greenlegs Graduate]

Listen to the man!

I had a rubbish run 2 this week (although in week 2, not week 4) and run 3 was great.

Thinking about it, it does make sense, that run 2 would be the worst - muscle aches etc always seem to kick in about 48 hours after exertion, so day is when you're really feeling the impact of going up a level. By run 3, your body is beginning to adapt to that level, so the impact is less.

Anyway, you've got into week 4, which an achievement in itself!

[shakylegs]

OK - brick wall coming down and off to the shops straight away to find some really wild running shoes. Thanks so much and wll post a pic if I make a purchase!

[Cazvs Graduate]

I've had some crappy runs, it really knocks your confidence, doesn't it? I read in a running mag or somewhere that even bad runs are good for you so I always tell myself that if I've had a bad one. The next one will be better, keep going Hope the new shoes give you a boost.

[mdec Graduate]

"perhaps everyone that has graduated was fitter than me to start with!"

I think this a lot. But then, I read back to my blog and see I was failing the 60 second Week 1 runs by 10 or 15 seconds, and it doesn't seem at all bad if I now find it a struggle to get to the end of 3 minutes. I've been following your blog and it's the same: at the end of Week 1 you wondered whether you'd ever make the 90 seconds of Week 2, but now you're "struggling" with running more than three times as long! You're doing *so* much more now, you absolutely must be improving if you are anywhere near to completing the runs no matter how hard you are finding it.

Bear in mind also that Week 4 is actually the biggest step up in terms of total (rather than continuous) run time - from 9 minutes to 16 minutes! So just by completing these runs, with no matter what difficulty, is great.

[gdeann Graduate in reply to mdec]

I could not complete some of my 1 minutes sessions and I now run 45 minutes. I also KNOW I could push myself to do more! All of this in less then 5 months!!! I hate to exercise, I had never ran a day in my life and I will soon be 50, so basically, I was far from fit. The same as stepping up to week 5 level, you are at the point to step up mentally. No matter what that damn gremlin tries to whisper in your ear, KNOW if you have completed every single run, no matter how difficult, you are ready to move on and physically, your body will not fail you. I am Steve/smhalls wife and he is spot on with his comments. Best wishes to you!!! Gayle

[Cohii]

Bad runs can be very difficult to get through, but believe in yourself and in the programme, you can do it!

I was not fit to begin with. I nearly gave up in week 1 when I had to run for a whole minute at a time, it felt like torture, I was sure I was insane for trying such a thing. And when I got to week 4 all I had to do was think of the runs in weeks 5 and 6, I'd feel my heart pounding in my chest at the mere thought of running all that time in one go. But now here I am in week 7 and I now feel like nothing in the world can stop me. The other day I caught the sentence, "It's only a mile, let's just run it in one of our off days" in a conversation with my brother (who I coaxed into doing C25K with me) and could have done a jig in happiness.

Run week 5 with faith that you can do it, and if you really do struggle just repeat a run or two until you feel ready to move on. You can do it, if I can anyone can!