Can't get past 40/45 mins running!

Siannah

I'm only a beginner really. Started Couch to 5k a few months' back, which went well and before I knew it I was running (well, let's be honest, jogging is a better word, I'm not very fast) for 30 minutes.
I expanded the runs a bit and a bit more, but for some reason I just cannot seem to go longer than about 40/45 minutes (7k approx). My heart rate seems fine, my lungs are keeping up nicely, my legs are fine, but I just have to stop.
What's going on, a mental block?

How can I work on this? I'm meant to do a 10k charity run in June, but I feel a little stuck at the moment.

Toddrific

I'd probably go the same route you did with 5k. Run, walk, run, walk.

LilRedRooster

Everyone has plateaus with running, even people who have been running a long time. I've been running since high school, and I still have weeks or months where I don't really feel like I'm getting to the goals I want to reach.

I've found that when I get frustrated, it's because I'm losing focus on enjoying running. So when that happens, I take a mental break from goals with distances, times, or any other numbers. I take a week where I go running somewhere I enjoy, and just go for the heck of it, and don't track how far I ran, or how long I went. I just go until I feel like stopping, and just focus on how awesome it is that I'm running, enjoying the scenery, and the feeling I get from just being out and doing something with myself.

DavidKBrewer

I agree with LilRedRooster. Switch it up for a week or so then go back to it.

Also, how are you timing your runs? Do you run to music? I'm about to jump up to 50 minutes (I did the C25K as well) and I can't run that long without music, so when I feel like it's getting stale I mix it up a bit and just enjoy the music while I run and don't focus on the time.

Yanicka1

Maybe if you add run/ walk intervals it would help you with the mental block. For me it help since I only have to run for one more minutes before walking for one minute. It make it manageable. That way I can run for 60+ minutes.

LilSomethin

U did C25K so I'd try bridge to 10K next. It's just a mental block. Do the app and it'll get u past it. Put some motivating music on and don't think about it. Let the app dictate what u need to do. U got this!!!

gersoco

Looks like your lungs and muscles are conditioned - for right now - to go about 7K.. I would go and run/walk or even just walk the remaining 3K.

I used the same principle when I started C25K. Back in Week 1, after finishing the 1 min run/walk intervals, I was still WAY WAY WAY short of 5K. So I walked the remaining distance 'til I reached 5K. Having run/walked the 5K distance for each of the prior 6 weeks has really helped me now that I'm in Week 7.

Siannah

Thanks a million, very helpful advice. I think Lilredrooster that you hit the nail on the head there. I run the same run over and over. I know one 4.5k route and one 7k route. I don't live in the nicest area, however I could jump in the car and go somewhere more interesting, just to get out of the rut.
I definitely have music on, couldn't do it without music, I'd be finished in 10 minutes! I also use Runkeeper, which gives me information every 5 minutes, it's good. Maybe Bridge to 10k would be an option alright, must look into it.

Thanks again!

jamlem75

my wife started running recently and downloaded a free program to her phone called c25k . It tells you when to start and stop running in intervals. I would guess that the more you get used to running the farther you will be able to run.

Lane1012

Thanks a million, very helpful advice. I think Lilredrooster that you hit the nail on the head there. I run the same run over and over. I know one 4.5k route and one 7k route. I don't live in the nicest area, however I could jump in the car and go somewhere more interesting, just to get out of the rut.
I definitely have music on, couldn't do it without music, I'd be finished in 10 minutes! I also use Runkeeper, which gives me information every 5 minutes, it's good. Maybe Bridge to 10k would be an option alright, must look into it.

Thanks again!

could also try running with a friend .. sometimes just having someone to talk to while you're out allows you not to think about the time and distance.

Awkward30

For me, I think it's because I'm relatively small, but I can feel the energy state of my body drop about 45 min in. An hour is my limit, so if I'm going longer, I need a Gu energy gel after about half an hour. You could try that and see if it helps. That would be expensive as an all the time solution, but if it is a food energy problem, you may be able to handle it by eating certain foods before you run or something.

Siannah

Mmm good point, I wonder if it is something to do with lack of energy at that stage. The more I think of it, the more it might just be a rut, boredom or something. Will try to find a new route, new music, something different to get me going again. I'm determined to make it to the 10k in June.

Macrocarpa

Hi,

I experienced the same thing when going from sedentary up to running - found that the threshold was at 7km, then 11km, now it's about 15km.

Other thing I found that helped was upping the intensity in the second half of the run. I use Endomondo as a run tracker, it gives me a km by km split so I set km targets for the first and second half, and stuck to that. When you have splits coming up every km it's easier to manage yourself during the run especially over the longer distances.

BlueBaron37

I was in the army and from experience it's all in your head.

With someone pushing you, you do more.

I remember I was the fittest in my platoon I boxed for many years before the army and was also in the army boxing team. I trained at least twice as hard as anyone else. BUT when it came to our morning run and exercise by our Sgt it was always hard or seemed hard. It was a 6 mile cross country with exercises in the middle of run the 3 mile point.

Then one day I said to myself I can easy do this. From that point on it wasn't an effort. Lots of things you thought you could never do before I was in the army. I was surprised on my own self.

Siannah

Thanks again, I'm actually glad I put up this thread, it's given me a bit of food for thought. I'm pretty sure now that it is a mental thing, I definitely should be fit enough to go beyond these stupid 7km's. I don't really like running with someone else, like to get myself "in the zone" but I suppose it is hard sometimes to push myself just that little bit harder.
I use Runkeeper and it tells me every ten minutes where I'm at, which definitely is helpful.

Rest day today for running, but will make a proper attempt tomorrow or Wednesday evening again.

KelliW_runner

Probably don't need to run longer than 45 min any more than 1x per week. Make sure you don't overtrain. I echo the comments on adding in walk intervals. Don't feel bad about doing that. Sometimes you need to give your muscles a quick break and the walk is the change-up you need. If you walk only 1 min your heart rate should stay up and your muscles warm to jump right back into the run.

Helloitsdan

I'd probably go the same route you did with 5k. Run, walk, run, walk.

This is better for muscle composition.

thebigcb

Run/walk 30minutes away from your house. And then turn around. You can either run/walk back the 30minutes, or not go home for ever more

babyblake11

SLOW YOUR PACE. thats the key to distance running. and dont be impatient. just enjoy your time.

BlueBaron37

Let us know how you get on.

A little mind trick when you get to 45 min say to yourself I do another 2 mins that's 47 and at 47 say I do 1 more min the your at 48 you have 2 mins then to run, say all I need is 2 mins more I can do that. You would have run 50 mins, it's a start.

scribb

I would slow your pace down, and if you have to walk it is ok. Try this. Run for 15 min's, walk for 2, and repeat.

Siannah

Well Scribb that's pretty much exactly what I did this evening.

I only got to run today again, weather has been terrible here!
So I did three blocks of 15 mins, with two 1.5 mins walks in between. And... it went great! Only "having" to walk 15 minutes definitely helped a lot and I managed to up my speed because of this and therefore a ran a further distance.

For the next run I'm planning four blocks of 13 minutes with 2-minute walks in between, if I manage that, I may have cracked the self-imposed barrier at last!

Siannah

Yay, done it! Four 13 minute runs with 2 minute walks in between, so an hour in total, total distance just under 9km. :bigsmile:

Going to keep this up for a while and hopefully my speed will improve with time as well. Five weeks from today I'll be doing a 10km charity run, would be nice if I could do that within 70 minutes.

amyindm

Woohoo! I started doing this for training for a 20k and I only really walk for like 30 seconds every mile but for some reason it makes a huge difference for me mentally. I think knowing that you always have a little break coming around the corner makes it seem easier. Your speed will improve over time, for now, it's awesome that you're getting out there and doing the mileage.

As for getting bored on long runs, a really great playlist of music works wonders for me as does downloaded mp3 audio books. Have fun with your race training!

Siannah

Thanks. And audio books is a fantastic idea! Why didn't I think of that before?

And it's exactly like you say, once you know there's a break coming up, it's so much easier to just keep going for another few minutes, the break only has to be minimal really. I will definitely keep doing it this way for a while, with the short intervals.

momof3and3

Everyone had given you great advice...running is really a mental game!

Don't worry about your race. On race day you will be so caught up in the all the excitment that you will just go out and run it without thinking.

On race day, just go and have fun, remember to RUN! and crossing the finish line is what is important, not how you did it...