Couch To 5K: I’m Starting To Enjoy Myself, Week 3

I was feeling optimistic for week 3 – I felt more positive in general and found that the routine was starting to become more enjoyable.

My confidence and optimism soon shrunk as I tied my laces and strapped my iPhone to my arm, as I realised week 3 would have me running for a whole minute longer than week 2. How on earth was I going to manage?

Week 3 consisted of the following routine:
Warmup – 5 minute walk
Run – 90 seconds
Walk – 90 seconds
Run – 3 minutes
Walk – 3 minutes
Run – 90 seconds
Walk – 90 Seconds
Run – 3 minutes
Cool down – 3 minute walk
Week 3

Run 1

My expectations had become too high and I was mentally punishing myself before I had even finished the warmup. I was telling myself that there was no way I’d be able to run for 3 minutes, 3 times – it’s just wasn’t going to happen. I’d convinced myself that I wasn’t fit enough and that I’d have to start the whole programme again. But to my surprise, after noticing that I wasn’t gasping for air or sweating buckets after the second 3 minutes run, I realised that hey – maybe I could do this after all. I was tired after this session but my mood had certainly lifted.

Run 2

Feeling slightly better than I had before run 1, I decided to do run 2 the day after – which may or may not have been the reason I found this run a hell of a lot harder. I was in a better frame of mind for sure but physically I found that I was really struggling which left me feeling frustrated and disappointed by the end of the session.

Run 3

After shaking off my negativity and giving myself a good talking-to, I bounced out of the door feeling lighter and more prepared for run 3. I took things a little slower and focused on my breathing, which meant that I was able to run for longer without getting a stitch or feeling out of breath. I noticed that I’d even gone slightly further in distance, which was a good sign as it showed that steadying myself had me covering more ground.

Week 3 outcome

Week 3 was the pinnacle for me. I spent 2 out of the 3 runs moody and demotivated which had visible repercussions on my physical ability. I seriously considered deleting the app from my phone and giving up on running altogether. But then I thought no – next week I would be more focused and less demanding on myself. Next week I would enjoy running again.

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

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