Get Running Forums

Hi, everyone! I am new to the forum but have been using Get Running since 7/11. Until recently, it has been wonderful and I have really enjoyed getting into shape.

I did my W5 20 minute run on 8/20. It was really, really tough, but I somehow lived through it. The next workout (W6R1)was fine, but then I almost died again trying W6R2. That's the one where you go 10 minutes, walk 3, and do another 10. I kept trying to tell myself that I made it through 20 minutes nonstop, so I should be able to do this, but it was a real struggle. I survived, but it was so hard that I felt like I could never live through 25 minutes nonstop, so I tried repeating it until I felt like I could move on. I did this about 3 more times before trying W6R3, which is the 25 minute nonstop run. Each time, it felt like my lungs were going to explode, but I started to get used to that level of pain, so I thought that maybe I should go ahead and try to move on. I didn't want to be stuck at that level for too long.

The W6R3 25 minute run was exactly as horrible as I thought it would be, but I kept pushing myself and pushing myself and barely made it to the end, at which time I promptly threw up and collapsed in a heap. I rested 2 days and tried it again, but only made it through 21:49. I am trying to console myself with the fact that this is still more than the 20 minute run I did in Week 5, but I'm still terribly disappointed.

It has been so hard motivating myself through these last couple of weeks. The first 5 weeks were terrific. I felt great all the time and I really felt like I was making progress. The running was challenging on some days, but it got easier as I went along. But the past 2 weeks have been hell. Every run is a struggle to survive, and it only seems to be getting harder. Even when I repeated the W6R2 runs, they never got any easier. I feel like I'm worse off than I was before I did the big 20 minute run in Week 5. Is anyone else going through this? Should I go back and keep repeating week 6 until I feel better? What if that never happens? What if I just can't make it through more than 20 minutes of uninterrupted running, and that's just the way it is? I suppose that's not a disaster - after all, I could barely run for 1 minute uninterrupted when I started! But I really had my heart set on finishing this program, and right now just the idea of attempting another 25 minute run makes me want to cry.

Hope you all are having a better time with this than I am!

starbuckmoxie,
I am sorry you are struggling.
Maybe spending a week, or so, doing 20 minute runs and increasing minute by minute until 25 minutes becomes more comfortable? Kind of like a mini-program within the program.
Week 7's 25 minute runs were the most difficult for me too, thought I would collapse each time. However, I finished the program today, ran 38 minutes for W9R3... when two weeks ago running 25 minutes was torture. Must be some kind of internal endurance barrier we have to break through....
Good luck. You can do it!

Hi star
This exactly what is happening to me and I mean exactly! But finally I know what the problem is. I asked my professional runner friend who does like 42k marathons. He said that the body is now fighting back. It is simply trying to maintain equilibrium. People can get this feeling anytime and the mind makes it worse. If the body is being pulled out of it's comfort zone it firsts follows promptly but then reaches a point where it tries to return to the couch. He said if you keep ignoring this however it will pass ( might take 3-4 weeks) and simply accept running. Now I do not understand why it happens but he reinforced that the controlling the mind is in our hands and if you can keep a positive attitude the mind will help the body get along. I hope this helps.
Cheers

Thanks for the moral support! I am hoping that you all are right and that if I keep pushing myself through this, my body will eventually figure out that running 25 minutes (or at least 20+ minutes) without stopping is the new normal. It makes me feel better knowing that this is common. I had been making such good progress before, but I guess everyone hits a plateau.

I spent a couple hours this afternoon making myself a new workout playlist, and I'm actually looking forward to playing it tomorrow for my run. Maybe that'll help a little, too.