Finishing Week 4
Ok, first, what is the Couch to 5K? This is a running program made for new runners and is promoted by the UK's NHS. It's designed to have 3 runs per week before moving on to the next progression. Beginning with an interval of running and walking, it ends up with a full 30-minute run on the last week.
I've been doing this program every spring since 2021. I got started on this when I needed something to get through during the pandemic. Until now, I've never really finished the 9 weeks because it's either I start late, or there are just so many things in between, that I end up repeating some of the weeks, and then before I know it, it has started getting cold for me to run 😅
This spring I started late due to the long winter. Despite that, I actually managed to made good progress up until my supposedly last run for Week 4. The run goes like this
- brisk five-minute walk
- three minutes of running
- one-and-a-half minutes of walking
- five minutes of running
- two-and-a-half minutes of walking
- three minutes of running
- one-and-a-half minutes of walking
- five minutes of running
Pretty simple, right?
First off, it was really warm that Sunday afternoon. I think it was around 23C, and has been sunny since morning so the warmth has lingered on since then. The wind wasn't blowing, nothing to keep me cool, despite my shorts on.
I pushed on and tried to run faster, hoping to beat my distance last run, which I suspected led to the side stitch I had on the third run. I could barely walk after, even if I slowed down and tried to regulate my breathing. I sort of cheated on that walk, where I extended the one-and-a-half minutes of walking to almost two minutes.
As Laura suggested, side stitch can be a result of dehydration. So I decided to pause my last run for a quick water break, (another cheat!) only to find my water bottle gone 😱 I left it on the tree stump by the entrance to the track, and it wasn't there anymore 😭 After that, everything fell apart.
I was so pissed someone took my water bottle. I mean, how dare they, right? I went to look under the bush, behind the trees. Nada. I think I spent around 10 minutes walking back and forth trying to find it. I was so put off by my missing bottle, I went home very angry and frustrated.
Looking back, what made me fail my run? I guess the conditions weren't optimal, I pushed too hard, and I mentally gave up trying to finish my run as soon as the going got tough.
Sometimes in life, we experience these kinds of setbacks.
We try and push hard, and we end up getting ourselves hurt. There are instances where the timing isn't right, either. It just wasn't the right time, plain and simple. But also, when our mind is not ready for the challenge, we just mentally give up. And it's so amazing how our brain works. When we give up mentally, our physical and emotional strength gives up, as well. It's a mix of anything and everything.
There are just moments when we need to take it slow. There are times when we can push ourselves beyond our boundaries. There's just the perfect time for everything.
And if it isn't the right time, we pick ourselves up and try again. Try and try.
Yesterday, I did my Week 5 Run 2. It was two runs with eight minutes each and a five minute walk in between. I was so proud because I paced myself, and was able to finish the run. This Saturday, I'll try to do a full 20-minute run 🤞
If you've never run before, try this program. I highly recommend it 😍 You'll never know, you might enjoy running after all.
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