Couch To 5K: The End Is Near, Week 8

With just two weeks left to go, I upped my game and started week 8 feeling fairly confident and positive…

Week 7 almost broke me, but instead of letting all of the hard work go to waste I got back on the horse (well, road) and resumed my running journey.

I made sure that I was well rested and my knee was strapped up properly to protect it from any further injury. I also completed a few gentle stretches before heading out.

Week 8 consisted of the following routines:

Run 1
Warm-up – 5 minute walk
Run – 28 mins
Cool down – 5 minutes

Run 2
Warm-up – 5 minute walk
Run – 28 mins
Cool down – 5 minutes

Run 3
Warm-up – 5 minute walk
Run – 28 mins
Cool down – 5 minutes

Run 1

If I can run for 25 minutes, I can definitely run for 28 minutes – what’s 3 more minutes? Turns out actually not that much. The additional time seemed to regulate my breathing and pace, which in turn allowed me to run for a little bit longer and further than week 7. I was half expecting to feel exhausted by the 25 minute mark but I would even go as far to say that I felt like I could have gone on a bit longer. A very successful start to week 8.

Run 2

Despite feeling like the universe was tempting me to skip my run for the day (falling asleep on the train home, Domino’s flyer through the door, rain outside, Dr Foster on TV) I ignored the devil on my shoulder and laced up my trainers ready for run 2. I didn’t find it any harder than run 1 but I certainly didn’t find it any easier. For the last two minutes I gained some speed and got myself about a road further than I had on run 1.

Run 3

I was away for a few days so had a 3 day gap in-between runs, which sadly showed as I started run 3. I felt sluggish and tired in no time and genuinely thought about stopping and bailing on the run. But then I realised that this is all part of it; the sweat, tears, blisters and cold ears – all of it meant that I was doing something to improve my health. I needed to stop being so hard on myself and take a moment to address the fact that 7 weeks ago I couldn’t even run for 5 minutes without getting out of breath. So I put the thoughts into a box and just kept on running. I didn’t speed up at the end but I still got quite far. My recovery time was a lot faster and I felt happier with myself for pushing on.

Week 8 outcome

I still found the runs hard but I found them doable. As I enter my last week of the Couch to 5K programme that’s what I need to remind myself: it’s all about the journey. Each bad run makes a good run feel 10 times better, each time I get a stitch I’ll remember that time I ran 28 minutes without one. Every single time I put on my trainers and head out the door I should feel proud that I got up from the sofa and left the comforts of my home to go and run in the rain.

For more information about the Couch to 5k challenge visit the dedicated BBC page here.

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