couch to 5k. when the runs get long.

(Read my original post on running here.)

Welp. I hit a rough spot with the Couch to 5k program that's actually got me fearing the workouts a little now. The part where you're suddenly running for 20+ minutes without stopping to walk. That happened. I attempted it a couple times and almost puked.

So instead of taking on week 7 (nothing but running), I cowered back and repeated week 6. And I'm even considering doing week 6 again. And then maybe again.
I still hit my C25K days with the same dedication, but the I rock at this attitude is starting to dwindle. Because I'm not really sure if I still do. 
Rock at this, I mean.
Besides the tiny bit of endurance I'm needing more time to build, here's my problem. When my walking breaks got eliminated, I didn't have anything to look forward to, and the entire entertainment factor kind of vanished. Stop, go, stop, go - it's got some amusement to it. 
Nonstop running feels a little hopeless because the time lapse doesn't feel like it will end, no matter how much I mix up the music. Without the walking as an entertainment value, I can't help but focus on the difficulty that's building minute by aching minute.
I was so big on following the running and walking time slots down to the exact second - but on my last run, I was supposed to run for 22 straight minutes. I stopped for a 30 second breather 12 minutes in, and then I ran straight to my front door before I'd even hit 21 minutes. The little guilt-ridden cheats are making me feel like I didn't even exercise at all. I want to be doing this right.
On weeks 1-5, I stopped myself from running beyond the allotted time even though I'd felt like I could do more. Week 6 and beyond, I have yet to hit a run beyond 20 minutes.
I really trusted the plan until the long runs started, because I was sure that with each step up, your body is ready for it. C25K wouldn't make me do anything I'm not prepared for. Right. Let's still pretend and trust that's true.
I made up a few modifications. Call them cheats if you want. Or brilliance, that works, too.♥ The day my period comes is a holiday. Always. Periods have to be good for something. ♥ If I want to run more than 3 days a week, I get to pick any day off the C25K plan that I want to repeat.♥ I try not to go more than two days without running - I kinda live in fear that the strength I worked for will suddenly vanish after 48 hours of idleness.
My long run tips:
Looking at the horizon instead of the ground helps time move faster. It makes me feel more like I'm getting somewhere. I have to remind myself to look up, though, because I habitually look down.
Get enough sleep and eat enough (healthy) food during the days that surround your runs. Your body doesn't joke around when you ask it for its stored energy. It either has it or it doesn't. If it doesn't, you'll feel a lot more difficulty in the run. Ahem. The same goes for parenting a small child.
Learn what parts of your route are uphill, and avoid them. Hills immediately suck out all my stamina. 
The jump from running 8 minute time periods to 20 minutes during week five is a little offensive. Just looking at the number 20 made me feel defeated. Pretend it's asking for 19:55, close your eyes, and do it.
Don't repeat the same route over and over. Boring.
I start slow and stay slow. If I have a decent amount of energy left in the last minute or so, I run faster.
Figure out a way to reward yourself after you're done. I need something to look forward to, even if it's just bragging about what I did. But it's usually a combination of telling Matt how I did and a strawberry Chobani yogurt.
Stop wasting time (and phone space) downloading music. I found some free workout music stations when I dug a little on the Pandora app. Tap: Genre, Workout, then pick a station.
Daydreaming up tips to give fellow beginning runners works as a decent entertainment piece to nix boredom. It also helps you pay closer attention to what your current obstacles are and figure out ways to push through them.
I decided there's no shame in my repetition of workouts. It's still a workout, and it's not causing regression in any way.There's no rule written that says you can't cheat. You're doing this for you, so push yourself to your limit, then try it again for as many days as it takes to get it done the way it was written.