Don't give up. I actually struggled toward the end of the program and felt like I just couldn't push through but I did and you will too. I would not go back a week but stay on Week 4 until you can successfully complete it. When you hit the five min try to run as long as you can and then the next time push a little bit longer, etc. I remember many times just staring straight ahead saying desperately to myself "You can do this, you can do this" while my calves and lungs both burned. It was pretty pathetic if I do say so myself. I just wanted to badly to succeed that I made myself push. Whatever you have to do, do it. Maybe walk a bit longer in between if you have to, maybe run 4 min then walk, whatever you have to do to get through it.

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!

I have had times that I literally almost ran in place that I went so slow. You just need to go as slow as you can. During tough weeks I have went as slow as 16 minutes per mile. Now that I have graduated I am slowly gaining speed and I sometimes do 14 minutes per mile. And, as the other said, it really has a lot to do with talking yourself up. Start telling yourself before you start that you are going to make it through today and nothing is going to stop you. I tell my legs sometimes that if they want to lay down and quit that is fine, but I am going on, lol! I know some people don't like to watch their time but in those early weeks it really helped me. If I knew I had one minute left I would start at 60 and count down, it seemed like concentrating on counting took my mind off of how bad my legs hurt. Good luck, I know you can do it!

There will be days when you can't run the full requirement of the session. I suggest to not move a week back. Just keep repeating until you actually complete the session, then you move on to the next day.

During the first weeks of the c25k I kept repeating some weeks because I felt that I wasn't ready to progress. But what I have learned is that more often than not, your mind is just intimidated and you will see that your body can actually do it even if your mind says it can't. During the runs and I feel like I'm going to slow down to a walk, I just keep repeating to myself, one more step, one more step. Or, I wanna go home feeling good that I completed this one.

For what its worth - the 1.5 min runs used to kill me, but I just recently completed the W5D3 of 20 minute running. I surprised even myself. I'm sure you will surprise yourself along the way, we will be cheering for you!

There will be low days but no matter how delayed you get, just don't stop. You'll eventually get there.

Week 4 wasn't as bad for me because after day 1 I realized that I wouldn't be able to do the rest of the week as fast as I was doing it prior to week 4 so I slowed down! Just slow down a bit, you'll regain speed after you complete the program but you shouldn't worry about how fast you are going just yet! You can do it! Any run that is over 15 minutes for me (at this point, and I'm only a few weeks ahead of you!) I really have to push myself. So dig deep! And you will be surprised, in 2 weeks a 5 minute run is going to feel like a piece of cake

I'm totally with you. I'm on Week 4 Day 2 and have done it 4 times now and I seem to get worse rather than better. I'm just going to keep at it until I get there. Today my first 5 minute run was perfect but my second one I had to stop about 90 seconds in.

I have had times that I literally almost ran in place that I went so slow. You just need to go as slow as you can. During tough weeks I have went as slow as 16 minutes per mile. Now that I have graduated I am slowly gaining speed and I sometimes do 14 minutes per mile. And, as the other said, it really has a lot to do with talking yourself up. Start telling yourself before you start that you are going to make it through today and nothing is going to stop you. I tell my legs sometimes that if they want to lay down and quit that is fine, but I am going on, lol! I know some people don't like to watch their time but in those early weeks it really helped me. If I knew I had one minute left I would start at 60 and count down, it seemed like concentrating on counting took my mind off of how bad my legs hurt. Good luck, I know you can do it!

^^^this from me too.

Slow down. You need to be slow enough at the beginning of it to leave energy for the end, and yes you might feel like you're running in place but that's okay. I also used counting as a technique, except I wouldn't look at the timer and count down, I would just start counting up the second I felt like I couldn't go any longer to see how high I had to count until I was done. It kept my mind focused on something besides being tired. I also would repeat to myself "You are going to finish this run because you are NOT making it this far through this workout only to have to it repeat because you didn't finish the last two minutes of running."

I have had times that I literally almost ran in place that I went so slow.

:laugh: Me, too, and I kind of felt self-conscious bc others were around, but then I was like, "Oh, well. This is what I have to do to finish." LOL

I totally feel you. I felt the same way. but you have to keep pushing. Don't quit barbecue that then becomes your mind set. If you feel you are getting tired its time to slow down. even if you are going slower than what you would be going when walking, just keep shuffling those feet. you can do it don't feel ashamed about not getting it done yet.
its always good to keep going.. Never Give Up!!

And breathe deep breaths from your diaphragm/belly.