I’ve done it, and I’m so, so pleased! :)

[Caledonia]

Week 9, run 3 done!

I first heard about C25K last August, when my marathon-running niece told me about it. For various reasons, I didn’t get round to start thinking about it until the end of February this year. I have never run in my life before.

I decided to get kitted-out before I began, at the beginning of March. I invested in a decent pair of Brooks trainers (after gait analysis in the shop) and various layers of running gear, including thermal leggings. I had chosen the coldest March for 50 years to embark on this adventure!

On my first short runs in the early weeks I wore 5 layers, gloves, earband plus hat as I struggled through biting winds and horizontal sleet. I soon got the idea of paying attention to the wind direction!! I cottoned-on to the fact I should run out into the wind, and back with it behind me, by which time I was getting tired and grateful for a bit of a push from behind!

In the middle weeks, and longer runs, I discovered a few other aids. My W5 R3 20 minute run was problematic only in that my nose ran, and so I learned to keep my man-sized tissue in the cuff of my jacket sleeve for easy access.

Week 6 run 2 and week 7 run 2 gave me podcast hitches. During w6 r2 my podcast stopped half way through and reverted back to the intro! I took RainbowC’s advice and scrubbed my podcasts and downloaded them again (as I had then discovered the following podcast was also corrupt). I made a mistake with w7 r2 and set off doing week 8’s podcast by mistake and didn’t notice until the end, by which time I thought it had been hard!! As a result of those two glitches I invested in a Garmin, as back-up initially but also because I wanted to know how far I was running and for the future. I'm in this for the 'long run'!!

Even as recently as Friday, I was running with 3 layers of clothing and my thermal leggings! Today, a lovely sunny day with finally a warmish breeze and not the bitingly cold wind, I ditched a layer and my thermal leggings were almost too hot!!

To celebrate my final run, I decided to run with my own music and to complete 5k, however long it took. I did it in 33.33 minutes. My next goal then is to reduce that to 30 minutes. I’m well chuffed.

Thank you so much to all of you for your inspiration. To those friends who are at the same stage as me (Justmole where are you, and how are you doing?), to those of you who have just started and remind me of where I began, and to the ‘graduates’ with their welcome advice and encouragement.

What an amazing concept this plan is. It is definitely SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bounded). I was cheeky enough to order a C25K Graduate shirt to arrive in time for my next run. I shall wear it with pride! As everyone else says, if I can do this, anyone can

[Poppy2010 Graduate]

Well done! Lovely blog for a great graduation run! very quick time for your 5k too!

[Caledonia Graduate in reply to Poppy2010]

Thank you! I really appreciate your support.

[Olliebollie Graduate]

well done! and yes very quick too, i love the graduation posts as it makes it seem achievable, have a well deserved bank holiday!

[Caledonia Graduate in reply to Olliebollie]

Thanks. It was everyone's graduation posts that kept me going, especially towards the end. It really is achievable! Hope you have a good bank holiday too!

[CouchCarrot Graduate]

Congratulations on your graduation!

[Caledonia Graduate in reply to CouchCarrot]

Many thanks. Your progress provided me with inspiration!

[Bilby Graduate]

Congratulations! What's next?

[Caledonia Graduate in reply to Bilby]

Thank you. Well, to get that 5k in 30 minutes for starters perhaps? Who knows after that. Maybe ditch my thermal leggings for capri's. That would be a significant milestone!!

[Bilby Graduate in reply to Caledonia]

Sounds good - I'm still trying to get to the milestone of ditching my jumper. One day

[karenmac70 Graduate]

Congratulations!!! lovely blog well done!

[Caledonia Graduate in reply to karenmac70]

It's thanks to you and your fellow 'graduates' who kept me going when things were bleak. Thank you!

[hutsa925]

Yay well done! Can't wait to be writing this kind of post in 6 weeks

[Caledonia Graduate in reply to hutsa925]

And you will!! If ever you go through a tough patch, that thought will spur you on! This site provides the most incredible inspiration.

[danzargo Graduate]

Bloomin heck, that's incredible. I am spurred on by your story. So.... many many congratulations (as Cliff sang) and good luck with your future runs!

[Caledonia Graduate in reply to danzargo]

Thank you so much. Good luck with your running too. The first few weeks were the hardest for me, then they get challenging, but in a nicer sort of way (if that makes sense!!)

The further on in the plan you go, the more the sense of achievement and that in itself spurs you on. Keep running!!

[greenlegs Graduate]

Congratulations (there's another one!) - that March weather really was an interesting challenge wasn't it? Though I'm now beginning to think maybe snow is easier to deal with than sunshine!

Brilliant running - may you have many more happy garmin runs!

[Caledonia Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

Many thanks. I know. At least I always knew what to wear before, but as the weather gets better, it's a difficult decision to know how much to discard. At least I have my nice new short- sleeved post grad t-shirt!!

[Anniemurph Graduate]

Congratulations on your graduation, and in such a good time too!

[Caledonia Graduate in reply to Anniemurph]

Thank you Anniemurph. Did my first post-grad run today and even managed to ditch the thermal gear for it. I wasn't quite as fast, but I actually enjoyed it more. I didn't feel under any pressure! And now I have my new 'graduate' badge. Thrilled!!

[backwardpossom]

Congrats on graduating! I spotted your post when I clicked on "runners near me" so thought I'd post to say well done Maybe see you out there one of these days!

[Caledonia Graduate in reply to backwardpossom]

Thank you! It's a small world