C25k get your encouragement here.

[StripyHorse]

As the last thread has been going so well, with graduates aplenty, here's a new thread for encouragement. Everyone is welcome!

Well done everyone on fantastic progress!

I had my first really bad run on Friday. Just not feeling it, dry mouth, stitch, heavy legs, boring podcast! Finished early and felt really dissatisfied with myself all day.

Then yesterday I went back to my old happy running playlist and ran 8k! So now I'm feeling like I could do 10... Beautiful autumn day, good music (Proud Mary came on again at the bottom of a hill so the slow bit got me to the top and then the fast bit down to the bottom feeling like a champ ), new interesting route, all combined to cheer me up.

W7 R1 done today. Had to divert in the middle of planned route as flooded! Felt awful before setting out, but plodded through and actually it was great, definitely easier than a few days ago.

W5R1 done this morning feeling really chuffed with myself! Honestly don't know if I can do R3 though

Well done to everybody in this thread, it's so motivating seeing others managing the later weeks and graduating! Determined to keep going with this.

@sleepyhead wow 8k! I'm definitely nowhere near ready for that, that's excellent.

@MutteringDarkly glad your first week 7 run went well, hopefully you'll find a nice balance now it's just running from here onwards

@Jujuball you can definitely do R3. Look at your total running time leading up to it, all R3 does is removes a little bit of the walking section. W5R1 = 15 minutes running, W5R2 = 16 minutes of running. Keep your pace steady and you'll get there (and if you're anything like me grin like a fool when 20 minutes is up!).

W5R2 done. @Jujuball we can do R3! I know we can (well, at least I hope I can!). I found R2 better than R1 but that may be the route I ran (it’s a bit hilly around here). I think I’ll go the same way for R3 later in the week.

@JustCallMeGriffin - that’s a helpful way of looking at R3. Thank you. I will keep that in mind. I second Jujuball’s sentiments- it’s very motivating to hear from others further along in the programme that it is actually achievable. I honestly will be truly amazed if I manage to run for 20 mins. Never been sporty or into running. Fingers crossed.

Well done @Talksunderwater! I'm planning R2 on Thursday and R3 on Saturday, when are you planning to tackle R3?

Thank you @JustCallMeGriffin that has actually really helped my confidence congratulations on how well you're doing, I hope I manage to run as far as you one day!

Good luck to everyone about to try a step up in timing. I went for a 30 minute run today which was my first proper one since graduating a couple of weeks ago. It was ok - I took it slow and felt fine, but I was nervous beforehand that maybe I wouldn’t make it to the end. I presume that at some point people start to feel comfortable and confident about running for the week 9 time/ distance but I realised I’m not there yet. I look around at other people out and about and think ‘I’m sure they just go for a run without all this fretting’! I plan to keep repeating this run until I leave home without wondering if I can do it. Then I will feel like I’ve actually graduated if you see what I mean?

Looking forward to being able to run for 30 mins like you @Cathpot. That must feel like such an achievement.

@Jujuball I’m planning to do R3 either Thursday or Friday depending on the weather (and my legs which are a bit stiff today).

talksunderwater - you will surprise yourself with R3 , trust the programme. It seems like a ridiculous jump but the runs you’ve done before will have set you up to succeed. I think they should put a surprised emoji on the system after that one!

Well done @sleepyhead, 8km is a massive jump!

The weather here has been awful for the past 2 days so I’ve not been out but I’m going to try and get out tomorrow. I may need to increase my tolerance for wind an rain if I want to keep this up over winter!

@sleepyhead ... 8k bloody hell! That's amazing.

@talksunderwater and @jujuball well done, half way through... good luck for run3, just take it steady and you will be fine. It really brings home how much progress you have made.

I did my first post graduation run today. I stuck to 30 mins running but I did manage to run a bit further.. but not the magic 5k yet. It was strange not having Sarah telling me when to run or how long is left, but I do have my fitbit set to buzz every 5 mins.

Good luck to all Run3ers. You will feel amazing afterwards- deservedly so! Like @JustCallMeGriffin I was grinning all day after, because I had amazed myself, and its those days when you realise just how far you've come from W1R1, in surprisingly short a time.

@sleepyhead 8k is absolutely amazing !! Happy playlists are the best. I used to use ELO's Mr Blue Sky at the gym, but that was on a bike, and I think the BPM are a little high for running 5K!

@Cathpot and @StripyHorse I know what you mean about post-programme running. When I repeated W9R3, it was fine, because there was structure, and a defined goal, but running to my own playlist, it's far too easy to think "well, I've run for 20minutes, so I've had a decent workout and I can stop now. Oh, and I need to make DC's lunch and yadda, yadda, yadda" and I just stopped early!
It's definitely a mental thing. I was fine getting up, dressed, and out, but then on my warmup walk I was sort of thinking "erm, what am I doing?"...and I think I really need to hone a mindset that says- "30mins running- DO IT!"

My son even said to me on Sunday incredulously "why are you going running? You've finished the programme!" and he was serious.
I can see that having a goal (completing C25K, training for a 10k race etc) is a necessity for me. I need to work on that!

Thanks @StripyHorse! Hadn't thought of it as being half way through

Week 2 run 2 done
Felt much harder today and couldn't figure out why until I got home - according to my fitbit and strava my pace was about 30s faster than on Monday but again I didn't collapse so I'm taking that as a victory :)

Well, blimey, I’ve gone and done it! W5R3. It doesn’t seem real (until I try to bend over and my hamstrings ache). I took it (really) slowly as I really wanted to finish it. After 4-5 mins I thought I wouldn’t make it to the end but then my breathing settled and I was fine. @Jujuball good luck for your run - I’m sure you’ll surprise yourself too.

talksunderwater well done!!

I’ve been a bit absent from here for a few weeks as I was poorly and stopped for a bit but I’ve been back on it this week. Was in 2 minds whether to repeat a run a few times but I just pressed on moving through the programme and was really surprised to find I was able to manage the runs. Did w5r2 this morning and went at a slower Pace but did both 8 minute runs without a problem. I could possibly speed up but I’m not going to worry about my speed until I’ve completed the whole thing.
I don’t want to out pace myself and not be able to keep it up!
Slightly apprehensive about the next run though as it’s a full on 20 minutes but I do feel like I have a newfound confidence. I run really early in the morning (leave my house at 5:30, partly because I feel quite self conscious about how slow I am, partly because I need to get back and shower etc before everyone else gets up and the bathrooms are all occupied but I’ve noticed this week how much busier the roads are even at that time!).
Fucking Hilly round here though, every single route I could possibly take involves at least 2 quite savage hills!
Well done @Talksunderwater - I’m hoping to be in your position on Saturday morning, it feels like such a big jump!!

Well done @Talksunderwater! I bet you feel great

@TheChosenTwo I think it's busier earlier too! Far more people around at 6am than a month ago. Who knows what they're all doing?

@IveSeenThings I’m glad someone agrees! Whereas a month ago I might have seen 4 cars and 3 people in half an hour, I’m now seeing about 50 cars and 20 people, some walking dogs, some walking (probably to work!) and a couple of runners.
Strange but I guess this is just people returning back to daily life post Covid (not that we are post Covid, maybe I meant post lockdown as we are in the medium tier!).

Well done all, the 20 min run does feel like a milestone.
I did W6 R2 this evening and was shocked to realise that was my last interval run
It's all 25+ mins from now on - yikes
It's still not easy and I really couldn't go any slower, other runners were flying past me and disappearing into the distance. Am hoping if I keep up the 2-3 x week half hour jogs I'll get fitter and faster eventually.
I still couldn't entertain a conversation luckily I run alone and literally couldn't go any slower but hopefully that'll improve too

Well done @LakeFlyPie
I've finished now, but I still couldn't talk while running! No idea how that could be possible.

Well done @Talksunderwater!!

I woke up with a stinking headache yesterday so couldn't face getting up for a cold, dark run at 6am. Just finished W5R2 today instead and I'll tackle the scary R3 tomorrow if I feel up to it, or Sunday

Hi all I'm a bit late to the party but I've been jogging on a treadmill doing this (definitely can't accuse me of running) 🤣and part of me feels like it's a cop out and I wouldn't be able to do it outside.
I have tried previously but my chest gives up on me and I feel like I can't breathe. This doesn't happen on the treadmill.
So of course being stubborn I want to see now I'm on week 8 whether that still applies.
Any tips ?
Do you all take water out with you ?
And is it really that different or is it psychological with me ?

I find it easier outside than on a treadmill - maybe that's because I can't see the numbers for how slow my pace is

Week 7 completed today - it seems like the end of the programme is scarily close now!

Loads of people are making great progress .
I’ve been a bit rubbish this week, only went out yesterday for 5K but I’m hoping to get one in tomorrow morning and then another on Sunday evening. I’m still pretty put off by the weather. Cold and dark are ok but not if it’s wet or windy too!