C25K encouragement continued continued

[redcandlelight]

all welcome

total beginners
re-starters
recent graduates
fell runners

lets keep running

randommother some days are just harder than others.
next one will be better

randomsabreuse
respect!

W7 finally done after a few extra rest days due to groin strain.
Wasn’t actually any slower despite too much wine and no sleep last night but I’m glad it’s done!

@Randommother

I'm so annoyed with myself, did W6 R1 earlier, but stopped halfway through and walked home. I haven't bailed on a run like that before, but I just felt like I couldn't carry on. I'm not sure what went wrong, especially after completing w5 r3 on Saturday. Has anyone else experienced similar?

I have to confess that I seriously thought about it during that run. I just kept telling myself that if I could run 20 minutes without stopping, that I could finish those runs.

It's a weird mind thing, isn't it?

But look at the positive side - you went out, and you ran. You didn't stay at home and veg out on the sofa.

@Randommother I think I found that the hardest run, you’re not alone!

@Randommother echoing what others have said - lots of people struggle with W6 - I hated it and found it the most difficult week by far. Don’t beat yourself up and try again when you’re ready

@Randommother psychologically that's a weirdly hard week. Give it another go tomorrow and don't worry about it.

We all have runs like that, @randommother. I ran a marathon at the weekend but today I can't bring myself to slog around 5k!

The thing to focus on, though, is what made you stop, and why you listened to that voice. The hardest thing to overcome in running, IME, is that voice. Building mental resilience is the main challenge in my view; physical fitness builds more naturally

That's good advice about working out what made you stop @fellrunner85.

I'm over the moon this morning because I've finally got under 6min/k. I started off with a 6 min 24 km and was really beating myself up about the fact I just can't seem to speed up but then without even realising I was going much faster, the next 4 km were all under 6min. The last km was 5min 34. I'm so chuffed.

That's amazing, @wherearewenow !! And also a great example of how the body reacts to the power of the mind ...although you would've been tireder at the end of the run compared to the beginning, you ran a 5:34km because by that point you were in the right headspace and your brain knew you could do it.
Instead of letting that annoying 6:24km put you off and give up altogether, you doubled down, got stuck in, and overcame the hurdle. In a few months' time you'll be averaging less than 5min km and it won't feel any harder than a 6min one does now.

It's the same thing that happens at the end of a big race. At 22/23 miles of a marathon, many runners fall apart...but at 25 miles the brain then realises there's only a mile to go, and pulls a fast finish out of the bag.
This sounds really cheesy, but during my last "important" race I chanted "you've got this, you've got this" to myself in those horrible last couple of miles, after reading on a runners blog somewhere that it worked. And it did. Consciously telling yourself you can do it is often enough to make your body do it, whereas if you give in to "it hurts, I can't do this today, I'm not feeling it" etc, your body responds to that by stopping.

I completely misread your post @WhereAreWeNow and thought you'd been running 24km!

I think I'm never going back to continuous running. I've been doing interval training and my overall times are faster even though I do a fair bit of walking and i find it more interesting. I'm trying to decide what my next target should be, if I'm averaging 5:45 per km at the moment?

How far are you running when you average that 5:45km, @tizwozliz?

Between 5 and 6 km usually.

My targets so far that I've completed are

• run 5k
• run 5k in less than 30 mins
• run 10k in less than 60 mins
• run 5k averaging 5:45 per km

I don't really enjoy running so i need a target to keep me motivated. Running longer isn't something I'm that interested in. I'm fine when I'm running but my body really doesn't like running that distance and then sitting at a desk all day.

Ok, that's a great base to start from
The next obvious one would be a 55min 10k, and then after that, a 25min 5k. Once you're comfortable with regularly running a 25min 5k, you may also find you're happier to up the distance, as a 10 miler would take you less than 90 mins...

Completed W7R3 this morning. I'm feeling pleased - the people on weeks 7/8/9 seemed so far ahead when I first started reading these threads! Also pleased that I've done it whilst away because I know previously I would have used the excuse of being away from home and then probably not gone back to it!

Some of you runners on here are amazing! I will be immensely proud if I can run for 30 mins given where I started from. On to week 8 - after a rest!!

Snap to all of that @teaandbiscuitsforme!

(Not away sadly, but hungover & really had to push myself out the door!)

25 min 5k sounds like a big jump up, i think i need to look for reasonably flat route where I can work on some consistent pacing. I currently have a choice of half uphill followed by half downhill or vice versa so my splits are quite variable
e.g.
5:30
6:24
6:02
5:25
5:35

It'll sound like a big jump up now, but after cracking the 55min 10k it'll come a lot easier. I also wouldn't worry too much about flat routes at this stage; as you can make up a lot of time on the downhills if you push it.

My overall 5k PB (flat as a pancake course) is only 10secs faster than my PB on my local hilly parkrun.

It's so nice to see people carrying on and getting through the program
I "tried" week 5 run 2 today but really struggled with that first 8minutes. I think because I left 3 days between runs due to a sore knee. Will try again tomorrow.
Looking forward to the shops opening up to go and get properly fitted trainers 🙂

Couldn’t agree more @teaandbiscuitsforme and congratulations on completing W7!

Well done @PleaseGoToSleeep - no shame in having to repeat/try again. Some days/runs are just better than others. Good luck for tomorrow!

Thanks to everyone who gave me a kick up the bum yesterday. I didn’t go out in the end as I stepped outside and it was so ridiculously windy I just couldn’t bring myself to do it... I do live in a particularly windy part of Yorkshire so I feel used to running when it’s windy but this was next level! And yes I do realise I am just making more excuses

Anyway, I digress. I did go out today for W7R2 and despite the fact it was still very windy and sunny one minute, snowing the next, I did managed the full 25 mins and even shaved a whole 6 seconds (yes, SIX!) off my fastest 1km.

I had a horrendous experience towards the end where I had no choice but to sprint to overtake someone on a narrow, uphill path by venturing onto the road and I was huffing and puffing for a good five minutes after but I didn’t stop!

Good for you!

@BIWI

I completely misread your post *@WhereAreWeNow* and thought you'd been running 24km!

Ha! Fat chance @BIWI

Well done everyone sounds like there's been lots of good running going on.
I went out for a slow 2 miles this morning, ended up putting one faster section in as I was heading for home mainly cos I was bored!
Re the mental battle, my old running group leader always used to day 'Its the miles that feel the hardest that mean the most" or something similar to that, I always hear that in my head when I feel like giving in!
@tiz your area sounds like mine. All my routes are hilly and it gets a bit tiresome 🙄 Weirdly I'm fine with uphill and actually dislike downhill more as I kind of have to hold myself back so my legs don't run away with me. Am very clumsy generally so fear falling if going too fast downhill