Yesterday was my 3 year anniversary since graduating from C25K. It’s been a great 3 years which has changed my life. 73 parkruns and 22 of them in different parkrun courses. Several different 5K, 6K, 10K and 13K road races. I’m lighter, fitter and happier now in my mid 40’s than I was in my late 20’s and 30’s.
It is easy to remember my graduation day as it was the same day as my parkrun buddies birthday. Oisin was 8 then and is 11 now. I went to celebrate today by buying new running shoes. However when I got to the Run Hub shop there was a queue outside the door. It would have taken 30-40 minutes. And it was raining. So I’ll pop back next week. I’ll celebrate later running 5K in my 900 plus kilometre worn Brooks GTS19’s instead.
What have I learnt over 3 years? Keep running. It is so hard to gain endurance and fitness. But it is so easy to lose it. Even if your busy, get out for just 1 or 2 runs per week. Keep a base level of fitness. It is much easier to work on distance, pace, speed etc then. I’ve only missed 2 weeks in the last 18 months where I have not ran. I’m not as fast or fit as I was this time last year, but I’ll be working on that again over the next couple of months.
Damien
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Not sure I always love my running. But I’m always happy afterwards that I did it. I’m missing the post parkrun buzz and the post road race buzz. I’m looking forward to my 5K later.
Happy Runniversary! Great advice, too Damien! I ‘m taking a couple weeks (a week?) off after running my virtual HM event but then will be back at it, doing some shorter fun runs. I thought I might run today (3 days after my HM) but although my legs aren’t too sore, my body is so tired. Time to take a little break then get back at it!
Well done on your HM. That’s fantastic. The furthest I’ve run is 15K when I was training for a 13K mountain trail race last October. Absolutely right to be giving your body a rest.
Thanks Decker. Be patient you’ll have a parkrun close by some day soon. My brother lives in Saskatoon and they started parkrun last year. I don’t think my brother has bothered yet. But I’m sure he will. I’m looking forward to doing a Canadian parkrun someday.
Thanks Buddy. I’m delighted to be able to just run. Something I couldn’t do 4 years ago. I’ve me so many lovely people on this journey. Through this forum and through actually running.
Happy runniversary Damien! Great that running has remained such an important part of your life - I love that so many folk continue to support these forums after graduating. It's great to share each other's journeys. Hope you get back to your Parkruns soon! 🤞🙂
Thanks Sandra. I love this forum. I don’t visit any others. This place is full of like minded people. I’m never going to be an elite athlete. Being a 5K or 10K plodder is fine by me. I love how friendly, warm and encouraging this forum is.
Great Post from you Damien, happy runniversary to you, amazing how 3 years fly by, 73 parkrun and 900 kilometers ran in your shoes, now that we do those virtual 5K(not) parkruns you probably will need to get new running shoes.
Talking about shoes, this week sees my running shoes first birthday, tomorrow to celebrate I will run my 10th 10K in them, so far they are not showing any signs of wear or tare or leaking, I have ran about 350 Kilometres or more in them, 17 parkruns, 14 virtual 5K parkruns and by tomorrow ten 10Ks and many shorter 3 and 4k runs
Enjoy your 10th 10K. Really well done. I got my shoes last year towards the end of April. I’ve put up a little over 930 Km’s in them. I had 850 Km’s on my previous pair. I don’t know what to go for next. I’ve had 2 pairs of Brooks GTS which have served me well.
Ran my 10th 10K at 6.30am in a temperature of 13C, I ran it in a time of 73.38, one SECOND quicker than my 9th second year graduation run from C25K 10K last Thursday.
Not the least but tired which made me think that during July I am going to run 1K more a midweek run so that by the end of the month I maybe able to run for 10 miles, just over 16K.
Happy runniversary Damien and happy birthday Oisin! A great day all round. 🎉🎉
It was a pleasure to meet you both last year, and whenever PR starts back up and I visit our friends in Dublin I’ll make sure it includes a Saturday. I’d love to be a PR tourist in Ireland! 🇮🇪 🏃♀️
Enjoy your run and I hope you have celebrations planned for Oisin and you! 🏃♂️ 🏃♂️
Happy runniversary damienair 🏃♂️ great post and a perfect reminder there's no substitution to just getting out there and running consistently. Enjoy your new shoes shopping 😊
Winter running is the hardest. But it’s great when you can manage to kick yourself out the door. I wear shorts when running all through the year. At least I don’t look weird now in the summer.😂
Went out, thought I'd take it easy (31°c in UK), didn't check my pace/watch/etc. Just enjoyed the run. One of the fastest times I've ever run and felt effortless. Glad I went out! Thanks
Really inspiring post. I started c25k in April graduating in June, saying I’d always hated running. Here I am back from my 3rd run this week. I hope I’m in the same place as you 3 years from now.
Well done. I too started in April 3 years ago and finished in June. It has not been easy, I struggled a lot in my first year, but then after sticking with it running became an important part of my life. My main reason for continuing to run was parkrun. Last year I really got into it. So just continue to get out there 3 times per week. Enjoy your graduation run.
Happy belated Runniversary Damien and happy belated birthday to Oisin 🥳 Sorry only just catching up on yesterday, as I drove up to see my parents for the first time since lockdown. France has just announced that outdoor events of up to
5000 can now take place and they aren’t massively ahead of us, so 🤞for parkrun if we (and you!) follow
Thanks Sandie. Yes hopefully if all continues to go along as it is here parkruns might come back in 2 months or so. I’m guessing September. Fingers crossed 🤞
Thank you. I’m not sure what to do. I’ve been well served by Brooks GTS over the last 3 years but I am open to change. I will pop into my favourite independent running shop and will ask the team there for their advice and expertise. The staff there are all very good and passionate runners and are always visible at road races. So I would trust their advice.
Well done Damien and happy birthday Oisin. You've really packed it into those 3years. I'm at nearly 2.5 years since C25K and hope I can write a post as inspirational as yours. Well done.
Happy Graduation Anniversary Damien! Monday was 3 years for me too 🙂. I wasn’t able to run on Monday, but today is also my 3rd Parkruniversary, so I celebrated that instead with an early but slow 5k. I’m also glad I kept it up, although I’m probably still someone who feels great when a run is done, rather than during! Here’s to many more successful runs for us both. PS 86 Parkruns to date for me 🙂
Congratulations SueKen on your 3rd Anniversary for C25K graduation and parkrun. Really well done. Your 13 parkruns ahead of me. I didn’t really get into it in my first year, I missed loads of weeks. Hopefully I will get my 100 parkrun done in 2021. Looking forward to wearing that black T-Shirt.
Happy 3rd Runniversary Damienair. Doesn’t time fly? I’m one behind you on parkruns but your tourism record is brilliant. I’m not sure my GTS19s are going to last as long as yours - in fact replacements have been waiting in the wings for a few months now.
Happy late birthday to Oisin too - is he back at school now?
Thank you Dexy5 , no Oisin has a lovely long Summer Holiday. He will not be back in School until September. I’d love to say that he is being productive with his time, but that would be a lie. He is living the dream.
Hopefully we will be reaching our 100th parkrun around the same time. I know we were both hoping for 2020. I had worked it out that I’d be doing mine in around mid September, but 2021 will have to do now.
Yes I thought I would be getting my lilac T-shirt while on the IC and you would be steaming ahead to the 100 - but ended up we were both grounded after just one week. Hopefully, we can now reach 100 together again.
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well done 👍 
A Christmas miracle! I finally ran 5k in under 40 mins ha ha ha...🎅🎅
