Four weeks ago I started the Couch to 5K and I shared with you how week one went. I thought I would give you an update on how its going four weeks later.
I still don’t enjoy running, and I don’t think that will change. As we moved through the weeks, and I increased how long I was running for I did start to find it easier. Running for longer, means doing less runs which I have found easier mentally. At the start having to do 8 short runs, I felt like the runs were never going to stop and I was running for ages. Now, I only have to run 3 times and it feels like the 30 minutes total time is over a lot quicker.
I listen to Rosie & Chris Ramsay’s podcast whilst I’m doing it and this has really helped. It takes my mind of it and I will get lost in what they are talking about and often laughing. I find that if I just listen to music, it doesn’t take my mind off running as it is songs that I’m familiar with and I don’t really have to listen. If that makes sense. Whereas with the podcast I am actively listening to what they are saying and I want to listen. Before I know it, the couch to 5K app, is telling me I only have 60 seconds left of a run and I push myself.
They say that you have to make it part of your life, to find a routine that works for you. I do my run while Andy is taking the girls to school. Which is obviously a big advantage of Coronavirus at the moment, having Andy at home. I tell myself this is extra time, as I would normally be doing the school run and I am done before Andy even gets home. It means I am still getting the girls ready for school, and I have the whole day ahead of me to work.
As I head into week five, the runs are getting more intense. By the end of this week I will run for 20 minutes in one go! Which right now, feels unachievable. But I know that its a mind set and I have to tell myself that I can do it. My main problem is not my legs aching, but I get breathless and my chest hurts. I have to push through it.
I will let you know how I get on!
