Well, I have completed week 7 - the 25 minuter - 6 times! Yes 6 times and I will be doing more! I don't feel I can move on until I can succeed in the 25 minuter properly (not having to finish a minute early as I have run out of steam, not having to walk for 15 seconds half way thru and not struggling on at nearly backwards speed)!!
I would have thought after 6 times I would find it easier - but oh no - it is just not getting any easier! I will be intrigued to see how my next attempt goes - there is no snow now and I think all my attempts have been on snow. So I am sneakily hoping I will be a bit better!
It might be useful to do perhaps one of the split weeks from w6 just to give your body a change (as well as give you a mental boost). This might then give you the ooomph to get pasf this block. Good luck.
If you are doing the same route each time you could try reversing it or going another way completely. Distract yourself, or your gremlins, with different views. PeaBea's advice us good too. Often it's the change, any change, that helps. Don't worry about speed though that will come with time, the main thing is to keep going.
Why not try wk8r1 as a 'look see'? It maybe better than you think and if it works you can count it, if it doesn't, it was just another run.
As you say, it may be better for you now the snow has gone, and you'll find your stride. (I'm not a great fan of running in the snow,).
I bet the snow is the reason. And maybe pushing a wee bit too hard?
I did week 7 run 2 today, and it wasn't easy - I couldn't speed up for the last minute, but I did manage to stumble on for an extra minute at the end, which is enough to convince me that one more go and I'll be ready to try week 8.
Anyway, what's wrong with 'struggling on at nearly backwards speed' - that's how I do all my runs! It's not a race... just endurance... so very very slow is just fine. Maybe doing the whole thing at very very slow would mean you'd get to the end and realise that you could do just a teeny bit more (which is all week 8 is, really).
Slow and steady, without snow, and you'll get there. Go on, see if you can do the next one really really slow to 25 minutes.
I wonder whether you are actually running a little faster without realising, therefore making it harder. Anyway, keep going, you are bound to improve in the end.
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