Well guys I went out for my W5R3 this morning and came home with a bit fat fail. It beat me. I'm gutted. Have a big sulky bottom lip on me now!!!!
I knew it was a big ask but really wanted to prove to my self I could do it, but clearly not. I managed 10 mins without stopping but then just slowed to walking. From then on I was running and walking all the 2nd half of the run. This is the first podcast I've not completed as I should have. Don't know why I gave in so easily. It must be a mental battle as physically I wasn't out of breath and my legs weren't screaming at me to stop!!!!
Feel very disappointed in myself today but will try the run again. Has anyone failed at the first attempt???????
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lozziebish
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Hi lozziebish, firstly YOU DID NOT FAIL, OK you maybe didn't complete the run time you had hoped to do but we all have runs like that now and then. You just need to put it behind you and think positively the next time you go out. Ask yourself a few questions:- Had you eaten too recently? Was the weather very cold or perhaps windy? Had you had enough to drink, dehydration is a common reason for finding any exercise hard? Did you start too fast too soon, its a very common cause too.
Don't be too hard on yourself, its all a learning curve and the next time you go out you will probably fly through the run without any problems. Wishing you all the best, you can do it, believe in yourself and the programme, it really does work.
Oldgirl is right. It's NOT a fail. We all have bad runs. But don't beat yourself up over it; if you've got this far you CAN do it. When that monkey on your shoulder says you can't, give him a good slapping and run away from him!!
Put it down to experience. I wouldn't think you'd find many graduates who didn't have to break a run at some point. Just bottle your disappoint and next time - when you feel like walking- remember how naffed off you feel right now and keep plodding on! Maybe try running a bit slower too to start off with next time. I think better to run slow most the way and save a bit in the tank for the last few minutes! Well done for getting this far. Better luck on Monday, or when you next run.
It was just a bad run and it IS a mental thing...if you've managed all the runs to now then your body is totally ready for this. You said you knew it was a big ask, did you secretly think maybe you couldn't do it before you even started out? I find the first 10 minutes of most runs are awful and the gremlins sit on my shoulder and tell me I might as well walk because I'm not going to manage the whole run. If you can find some way of distracting yourself at that point you can usually power through and then it gets easier.
Take a few days off to recover, pick your favourite route or even a new one, somewhere nice and flat and pretty, I know Laura is lovely but I hated her music so once I got to the continuous runs I used to listen for the first run then just listen to the warm up for the next two and switched to my own playlist. Run as slowly as you can, speed and distance really don't matter yet, just the time that you are running continuously.
You WILL do this and we'll all be here waiting for your triumphant blog
Running is definitely more mental that physical. You can run one day for an hour and feel fantastic. 3 days later running for 20 minutes feels like hell with pretty much anything being a source of displeasure... The wind, an itchy bit of kit, a niggling ankle.
The most important thing is to rest and recover (both mentally and physically) and then try again. When you complete W5R3 you will feel great!
No such thing as a fail btw. By getting to W5R3 think of what you have already accomplished. You are also more active than 90% of people in the country. Don't be too hard on yourself!!!
I'm sorry to hear this but please don't let this defeat you, everyone runner has to fight that little voice in the back of their head many times and like you said, it can happen even when you are not that exhausted and therefor not ready for it.
I won't lie and say it's going to be easy to do after this because it won't be but I do know 100% even though I don't know you personally that you CAN do this, you really CAN, because I know the plan works and it works for even the most challenged of runners. You've now got to trust in the Plan more than ever and convince yourself that you CAN do this, 100% because you CAN do it! Just get your head into the zone and beat it!
I would wish you good luck but you don't need it because you CAN and will nail this!
I done exactly the same as you on Good Friday and blogged about it on here. As I beat myself up to I went out to try to get it behind me the very next day so set myself up again not to do it as my legs were weary. I then took on the advice that everyone gave me on my blog. I had a complete days rest, I took two ipods out one with Laura turned down low in one ear so I could just hear her and my motivating music in the other. I changed my route as I knew exactly where that ten minute mark was where I knew I would just stop and I decided that when I did get to that ten minutes I would go on as far as I could to better my last two attempts at it. I got to the ten minutes and went on, I didnt want to come back on here to say I hadn't done it again so pushed myself and I did it. It is a big mental challenge this run but your body is ready for it and it feels so good when you do it, so fight that demon you can do it!!! Good luck
Lozzie, this isn't a fail it's a little setback Come on girl, you got off the couch and you have done so much already! Bad days happen, but the good days happen more often. Brush yourself off, put your chin up and go out and kiss ass on your next run. You are doing so well.....don't give up Looking forward to hearing how it goes
It's not a fail it is a pause - everyone has bad runs and it is just a shame that yours co-included with the one everyone considers to be the "big one". Chin up, and try it again when you've had some rest.
Do you know everyone does think of this as the 'big one' the 'gateway' run, we build it up in our minds (I did) to be a big deal, scary scary 20 mins, but trust me (us) in a couple of weeks you'll be looking back thinking "oh that 20 min run was nothing"
What i did was start off really slow so you get nice and confident you can always speed it up a little when your passed that dreaded 10 mins, before you know it your at 15 then your there. Good luck you'll do it x
Yep, this exact same thing happened to me except that you ran for two minutes more than I did. I got to 8 minutes and couldn't do any more. I don't know why, but I gave it a couple of days' rest and went out there again, deciding to run for 10 minutes because that would have been better than the 8. And guess what - I did the 20 no problems.
Some runs are better than others. I won't repeat what everyone has said above because they are absolutely right. Just prepare for your next one and you'll be fine, I'm sure. Let us know how it goes.
That run is one of only two I've had to repeat and like you I wasn't exhausted either. Looking back I could have done it but some little demon got in the way. The next attempt I did it. As the runs get longer and our stamina is tested its going to be tougher. I've just done week 8 and from week 7 runs there's just 3 TINY minutes difference but 7 was ok, 8 I have struggled every single run. But hey, we're doing it!
I'm sorry to hear this.
The next time you go out, mentally know that you can do this, and you will.
Try not to head out too fast either.
Good luck, you'll be posting in no time how brilliant you feel completing it!
This happened to me last week too, but 2nd attempt I nailed it. So pick yourself up, dust yourself off and think how great it will feel to come back on here telling everyone you have done it ( I know cause it felt great)
Thanks so much for all your kind words. I went out again Monday evening and still didn't finish it!!!! I think I ran more this time though so am sure I will get there eventually. I'm having a rest til next week as my left shin is quite sore - I'll let you guys know how I do when trying for a third time!
Thanks again for your support. Really helped my sulking!!!!!!! x
Now stop feeling bad about one difficult run. You have not failed you attempted it and it didn't go to plan. Believe me we all have days like that. Just get out there again and try once more. Personally I find the bad runs are when I set off too fast so next time slow it down a pace YOU CAN AND WILL DO IT. Good luck for your next attempt
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Well done for getting this far. Better luck on Monday, or when you next run.
Looking forward to hearing how it goes 
yeah me!!! R1W1 and I did it!!
W5R3. I only went and did it first time!
W5R3 next and dreading it for some unknown reason 
W5R3 - I JUST WENT AND GONE AND DID IT!!!
W5R3 - I've only gone and flippin' done it!!
