Sunday 24 February 10am: A quite hungover Woman A is having a greasy breakfast with two friends, after a night out on the wine. "So are you really going to start this running thing this morning?" They say with a bit of a laugh. After all this is not like Woman A at all. Running? We'll see how long this lasts, if it starts at all! After they have gone, Woman A rummages around in her wardrobe and finds an old pair of trainers and some gym gear she bought for a short stint at the gym about 12 years ago. I am going to start this! she thinks. I have lost weight and this is the next step! But she knows she is so unfit this is going to be hard. But the hardest bit is getting out the front door they say. So tentatively out she goes, hoping none of the neighbours will see. She has her husband's ancient iPod, just in case she drops it. Huff puff she goes, running for 1 minute is very tough! Her nose is running, she feels sick, was it the wine last night? Or the bacons and egg? Plus her pants are going up her bum and her jogging bottoms are falling down. And it is hilly. And it is muddy. She can't even manage to do some of the 1 minute runs properly. At home she collapses beetroot-like onto the sofa. This is going to take forever she thinks, I will have to repeat week 1 half a dozen times!
Picture the scene...
Tuesday 30 April 5.50am: Woman B's alarm clock goes off. She gets out of bed straight away because she's awake already. In fact she's been awake for ages, excited about this morning's run. She goes to the bathroom where her matching Karrimor running gear is laid out neatly reading for her. She gets dressed, puts on her stopwatch, moisturises, goes downstairs, has a drink of water, turns on her iPhone and goes to her bespoke running playlist (all her inspirational running tunes), sets up her Strava, clips it into her armband, folds up a tissue and tucks it into her tights, and goes out the door, locking it with her special running key that slips neatly into her tiny running tights pocket. Perfect running conditions! she thinks, lovely and cold, but sunny too (that's ok as she is wearing her special running glasses). She does her 5 minute walk and then starts her Strava and off she goes, not fast but very steady, on her favourite running route (flat, smooth, not many roads to cross) in the sunshine, pass the fields, says hello to a duck in the stream and a couple of other joggers, waving thanks to cars who pause to let her cross some roads. When she feels tired she slows down a bit, no need to stop, just take it steady. 36 minutes and 5K later she's done. She smiles and walks the 5 minutes home.
Woman A and Woman B are of course the same woman: me, Jonut. And I am proof that if I can do it, anyone can!
Thank you Laura, thank you all the lovely people on this forum who have given me so many tips and support, most of the things Woman B does are because of you!
Written by
jonut
Graduate
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Hi and many congratulations!! What a really encouraging blog! Woman A is about where I am at the mo, started week 2 on Sunday, couldn't believe how much difference another 30 secs running makes! But reading your message gives me the encouragement to carry on and who knows maybe I'll be like woman B soon too! Well done and keep at it!!
Jax1970 x
Wonderful blog - i'm currently Woman A hoping to one day be Woman B!
Plan is to keep doing 5K during my Tuesday and Thursday runs, and try to get a bit quicker, and then try to stretch out my Sunday runs to a longer distance. Might think about doing Bridge to 10K perhaps?
Congratulation Jonut! Brilliant blog. It's amazing what a difference just a few weeks can make to our lives. I'm due for my W9 R3 tomorrow. Love your shiny green Graduate badge. Claire. X
Fantastic! Brilliant blog. I (and I'm sure many others) can certainly relate to your transformation! It's life changing stuff Really well done graduate!
Woo-hoo! Congratulations on your graduation! And what a fantastic blog - I'm sure many people on here will relate to it and be inspired by it. You are amazing
A fantastic blog for all newbies and a good reminder for all us graduates.....that is where most of us started. Really well done for graduating and enjoy your success
I'm the opposite. If it were down to evenings I would never have done it - after work, sorting son out for bed, dinner, etc... Would never have had the motivation to leave the house again to go for a run!
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W9R3 - Two graduations in one week!
woop woop!!! a tale of two Fridays... wk9r3 ✔️ 5k ✔️
