Struggling with the long runs
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kennethmgreen
Posts: 1,759 Member
I don't know if I'm mentally blocked or just not physically ready, but I have yet to complete a long run. I've been doing C25K for a couple months now, and have repeated some weeks (either because I didn't comfortably finish, or I went on vacation and want to redo a week). Since week 5's 20 minute run on day 3, I have stopped during each attempt at the long run. I did week 6 fine until the long run, and wasn't able to finish without stopping. I'm still doing the time for the run, or close to it, but breaking up the long run with walking.
Anyone else experiencing this? Struggling with the long runs? It's frustrating because I felt pretty good doing the intervals for weeks 5 and 6.
I should be on week 7 this week, but have opted instead to do a hybrid week 6 approach. I plan to run at least 10 minutes (try to do more), then walk, then run some more to achieve 25 minutes of running. Last night, I ran 11 minutes, walked 3:30, then ran 8:30.
This *seems* like a good approach for me, working up to a long run over the next few weeks. I wanted to hear from others.
Anyone else experiencing this? Struggling with the long runs? It's frustrating because I felt pretty good doing the intervals for weeks 5 and 6.
I should be on week 7 this week, but have opted instead to do a hybrid week 6 approach. I plan to run at least 10 minutes (try to do more), then walk, then run some more to achieve 25 minutes of running. Last night, I ran 11 minutes, walked 3:30, then ran 8:30.
This *seems* like a good approach for me, working up to a long run over the next few weeks. I wanted to hear from others.
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Replies
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How's your pace? The first time I did C25K, I found that the long runs went better if I consciously slowed myself down during the first 5-7 minutes. Maybe you're starting at too fast a pace and burning out early. Just a thought.0
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Slow down. MORE. Embarrasingly slow. On sunday I ran my last long run at 4.4 mph. My boyfriend thinks that's hilarious because that's a walk for him (its a very BRISK walk for me - painfully brisk - but he's 6'2" so). But I did the whole half mile - took me like 8 minutes and normally I couldn't make it that long but I mean, i was going SLOW.
(I want you to dps very very slow and when I say slow I mean *%*^&$#% slow).0 -
Just so you know, I'm having the same exact problem with week 7.0
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Slow down. MORE. Embarrasingly slow. On sunday I ran my last long run at 4.4 mph. My boyfriend thinks that's hilarious because that's a walk for him (its a very BRISK walk for me - painfully brisk - but he's 6'2" so). But I did the whole half mile - took me like 8 minutes and normally I couldn't make it that long but I mean, i was going SLOW.
(I want you to dps very very slow and when I say slow I mean *%*^&$#% slow).
I'm with you - I consistently keep my runs at 4.5 on the treadmill. I don't care really that it is super slow b/c I plan on redoing the C25K once I get this completed but instead of walking the walk intervals I will run at 4.5 and increase my speed for the runs. Right now I don't want to be a FAST runner I just want to run!0 -
I don't know if this makes sense... or really how to word it... I just don't LET myself stop. Mentally, I keep saying I can't, I can't, I can't, and if my brain wants to say it, that's cool, but I tune it out and just move. I keep hearing that it's all mental, so I distract myself - music, TV, the rhythm of my breathing. By minute 12 or 13, you're home free. You just have to get there! That being said, I'm about to W6D3 - 22 minutes - and I'm terrified.0
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I just did W7D1 today and it was a piece of cake. My approach is to figure out how many songs I will have to listen to on the old ipod before the run is over with an average of 3minutes per song. So today I promised myself that I would not stop or look at the clock until after 8 songs and guess what? during song #7 the timer went off!0
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i just keep telling my slef "i can do it, it to easy this is easy" I used ot say it was hard and my son ran withme one day he is a great runner and i even told him i cant this is hard and he told me that. He said it is really a mental thing if you keep saying i cant then it will be hard. but relax into the run and say oh man i can do this this is so easy and believ it or not it came right after that i kept saying it. amazing what you talk yourself out of doing!! Good luck!0
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also the first 10 minutes for me har the hardest!!! Once i get it out of the way i go faster even and i can get it it is like i have to get into a rythem and it takes me that long to get it ... I just DONT STOP0
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Like what's already been mentioned:
1. Go really really really slow. A power walker should be able to over take you.
2. You're about to give up and at the very last nano second DON'T STOP! Jog in place if you have to but do not stop. Push through the discomfort! **
** That being said if you think you're about to tear something then DO STOP!! But you'll get cramps for a while before you get to that level.0 -
oh hell, i started week 5 this week and hadn't looked at each work out, i'm glad i spotted this, not sure if i'm ready for a 20 minute run yet, in theory i should be i was running 20 mins before starting c2k5 (was trying to stop myself going too far too fast), but now i'm scared lol0
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If it makes you feel better, I was dying on W2D2.
My son wouldn't let me quit. 0 -
I found that for me, if I looked at my run prior to starting then I was already thinking "I cant do it" Slow down and just think : I CAN DO IT!!!! These 20 mins run are not a piece of cake for me but man when I'm done, I feel like I won! lol I repeated week 4 TWICE because I thought that I couldnt move on until I squashed week 4...wrong! each run prepares you for the next. I believe you may be going too fast, decrease your speed and try it again. endurance is what is important here, speed will come later. Good luck! I know you can do it!!!0
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I took a break for two weeks over Christmas, due to lack of time, *ahem* laziness, etc. at quite possibly the worst time to take a break from C25K....I left off having finished W5D2, and figured oh I'll have no problem jumping in where I left off on w5d3...you know the first 20 minute run!? Ohhh how wrong I was!! I've been *trying* to pick up on W5D3, but am really struggelling, mentally moreso I think than physically to break that barrier and complete a full 20 minutes of running straight...
My approach is to just keep trying to pick up there, I go in and give it my all and run for as long as I think I can and then break for as little as I think I need....my last run I managed to run 6 minutes, then walked 2:30 and ran the rest of the 20 minutes. I'm finding that for the longer run intervals slowing my pace down seems to help my stamina in a HUGE way, but only just figured that out over the past week!
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