Week 4 Run 1

[merideth.cohrs]

Good morning all. I just completed my week 4/run 1 and have to say that it was fairly good but also fairly difficult! I felt great through the first 2 runs (3 min and 5 min), had a tougher time with the third run and then a better time with the final run. It didn't occur to me until the end just what a huge jump it was from last week...from 9 mins total running to 16! I know that next week is the big kicker with the big 20 min run, but this one was tough! Can anyone else who has recently gone through this week let me know if the runs get easier this week or if its a bit of a struggle to acclimate to more continuous running?

Many thanks!
Merideth

[Jysmystry]

In my experience week 4 was definitely the toughest week. The 3 min runs i found easy but I really struggled with the 5 min runs especially the second one. I failed those last 5 min runs a few times so i repeated the week but they did get easier each time.

Like you say it is a big jump but an important one to prepare you for the big run at the end of week 5.

I would suggest slowing it down a bit maybe see if that helps. To cheer you up whilst i struggled with the week 4 runs agter that it gets much much easier in week 5 and the 8 and 10 min runs you do there were like a turning point for me.

I detailed each run in my thread which is called something like "20 minute run eek" which inthink i started in week 4.

[merideth.cohrs]

Thanks for the feedback - I certainly appreciate it! It really helps knowing that it gets better from someone who just got through it. I have to say that while encouraging to hang around runner's world, those really experienced runners are so far removed from where I am, its hard to believe them sometimes

[Jysmystry]

Yeah i know what you mean about experiences runners. A chap at my work told me i should enter the plymouth half marathon this year and that anyone my age could do it without any training. 13 miles is so far away from what im physically capable of right now. I think because its much easier to do once you can run for a few hours without problems that they forget how difficult it is when you first start and how prone to injury us new runners are.

[JoelGwood]

Wow, Jysmystry, I can't wait til you run the half marathon! Also, thanks for all the encouragement! I ran week 4 run 2 today, and had quite the tough time with it. I hope Friday's run goes a lot better! But if not, I'll at least look forward to week 5 and the (gasp) 20 minute run! Thanks!

[Lilacsarebest]

I just finished wk 4 run 1. I do it on a treadmill and took a picture of the display to show myself that I am up to 2 miles and am burning more than a Lean Cuisine meal in calories. my other motivation is my daughter is doing a half marathon this spring and I want to accomplish a 5k before my 54th birthday in May.

[Stephlperry76]

I just finished week 3 today. My 3 minute runs went pretty good! My breathing was fine and I had some serious calf burn. I'm highly motivated right now. I hope I have a good experience on Wednesday with the 5 minute runs. I'll be tuning in to you guys to see how you progress!!

[JoelGwood]

Woohoo! And to think that you were worried about the 3-minute increments at the start of this week! Way to go, Steph!

[SkiPixie]

I just did Week 4 Run 1 last night and to be honest I was a bit fearful thinking about it all day. I paced myself on the first run so it didnt all catch up with me and force me to stop later on. Once I'd done the second run, the first 5 minuter, I felt more confident, but it wasnt easy! The third (3 minute) run was ok, but I definitely didnt want to start the 4th run, and when I did, my pace was incredibly slow, not much quicker than a walk really. But I kept running, (it was the pride that made me keep going, my lungs didnt want to!), and I finished the full 16 minutes, feeling very pleased with myself at the end. To anyone doing this, I say, if I can do it, you definitely can, I always believed I couldnt run, and now I am slowly developing the confidence to believe that I can. Its empowering and quite exciting! No its not easy, but I think the App works well, slowly building on stamina and ability each week. Keep going, you're doing great!

[Stephlperry76]

I'm doing my W4R1 today as well! A tad bit nervous, but I can do a steady 3 minutes now without labor so I'm hoping it will go ok. Will let you guys know how it goes this evening.