This whole thing started fairly quietly, on a straight road near my house.......

..... that was where I first met Laura.

She has been there with me on every week, every few minutes telling me how well I am doing... there right alongside me on every one of my runs.

and tonight it was special for the both of us - tonight was run 28 or W9R3+1 - this was my graduation run & it went off without a hitch.

I went out & I did it - I ran for 30 mins for the 3rd time... I have officially graduated and it feels so so so - well it just feels fine to be honest.

Thanks you lot.

Thanks to Laura too.

Happy Running everyone

[Poppy2010 Graduate]

Congratulations, now to get that lovely shiny green grad badge, and continue your blogs about the post grad journey!

[Hidden in reply to Poppy2010]

mmmm they do look very very shiny don't they

[Crismatlotta Graduate]

Congratulations! Well done! Knew you'd do it on the second go, see...It must have been the bananas!

I have yet to go out since I graduated last Friday. Have both girls ill with ear infections and feeling terrible myself. I'm gutted, I was driving home from the supermarket in the rain last night and drove past a runner. I was actually jealous that she was out running and I was in the car!

Food luck for your post grad runs!

[Hidden in reply to Crismatlotta]

definitely the bananas - 4 each day (plus a massive bowl of Pasta & garlic bread on Monday to top the energy tank up).

although I so know what you mean when you pass other runners when your driving - makes me want to wave and shout something encouraging at them... but then they're not as mad as we are on here!

[Pat184 Graduate]

Well done you, been following your blogs with interest. I meet up with Laura every so often just to keep me motivated. Good luck with the rest of your journey Pat.

[Hidden in reply to Pat184]

Thanks Pat - & well done for you too for keeping going post grad. Yes I think Laura will be a lifelong friend now - and W7 & W9 will be permanently on my phone for those days where I just want to run for the love of running.

[Lynds Graduate]

well done!

[Hidden in reply to Lynds]

Thank you.....

[SarahP0003 Graduate]

Well done!!

[Hidden in reply to SarahP0003]

And thank you too

[LMS2110 Graduate]

Brilliant Congratulations new graduate!!! Get your badge and celebrate.

Hope you are thinking of continuing? Lots of different new targets for you now... Well done, cheers, Linda x

[Hidden in reply to LMS2110]

Got it already (I emailed them very late last night)... and celebrated with Fish&Chips & white wine for a late tea last night

definitely continuing - first park run will be on Saturday, then the Great Yorkshire Run 10k with OldNed (he doesnt know yet) in Sheffield at the end of Sept.

Thanks for all your support Linda - Happy running

[lizfish]

A lovely heartfelt blog Matthew. Congratulations on your graduation! She is lovely isn't she, our Laura? Shame the music is a bit naff....

Enjoy your acheivement. Onwards to beyond c25k.

[Hidden in reply to lizfish]

Thanks Liz - and yes she is very lovely our Laura.... even my girls say are you running with Laura.

I know the music is a bit pants - but then if they did main stream artists there would be royalties and everything so it probably wouldn't be available for free.

onwards indeed - 10k later this year & half marathon in 2014, full marathons in 2015....

[bikergirl Graduate]

A huge congratulations Matthew. You did great completing the programme, becoming a runner and also doing all they great runs. You deserve your graduate badge. I've enjoyed reading your blogs and always looked out for them. Im so pleased for you. Wear that badge with pride x

[Hidden in reply to bikergirl]

look look - here it is, my very own grad badge

and I am still not convinced that I am a real runner, because last night on my cool down I was thinking of you and your hills - so far I have only ever run on the flat - think that is going to be my next challenge. learning hills.

but for now - I've passed - am so so pleased.... achy, but pleased.

Thanks for your support all the way through this.

Happy running

[lizfish in reply to Hidden]

Hills are an acquired taste. Ask me how I know. I think I might do my new route instead if the speed podcast's intervals.

[bikergirl Graduate in reply to Hidden]

What a lovely looking badge you've got there. Hills are totally overrated ! Lol

If it had been up to me I would of blasted tunnels everywhere when they built the roads. But then I grew up in a town built on a hill so no matter where you went you always ended up walking up a bloomin hill. Im in Scotland everywheres hilly. Stupid hills. lol

[Hidden]

Well done I've read you're blogs along the way and I will continue to read them post graduation.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Just got to say I love you're picture, I want to find somewhere to get it onto a tshirt - maybe on the back of my c25k runners Tshirt.

I think writing the blogs has probably helped me keep focused - and certainly during the last couple of weeks I have been mentally planning what I want to type whilst I've been running to take my mind off my boring route.

So - I can now look forward to writing some more too - new adventures & targets yet to come.

[Joanne37 Graduate]

Congratulations! You have done amazingly well. Hopefully it will be mine tomorrow

[Hidden in reply to Joanne37]

Oh I hope you will tomorrow - will be great if we both get through in the same week....

.... and just remember that if them gremlins even think of making an appearance, you had better warn them that I have still got a roll of gaffa tape & we will use it to tape up their mouths!!... evil little things!

Enjoy it - it feels pretty amazing

[Joanne37 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

We have just moved offices so i still have spare gaffa tape. I will use it in abundance. Definately running tomorrow morning and hope to be blogging as soon as I log on in the morning

[Hidden]

Congratulations on graduating. I hope you enjoy whatever programme you choose as a follow up.

[lycranotlikely Graduate]

Congratulations...so pleased for you Enjoy being a real graduate and moving on with confidence after laura.

[Katiepie1810 Graduate]

Brilliant, enjoyed the blog! Well done

[Clueless]

Well done - bet you couldn't stop smiling!

I lost Laura for a while last week as my music stick thing died and ended up running to the radio on my phone! The Archers was distracting but not good enough!

Got Laura back for Week 9 now with a new MP3 player thing (I'm not very techy) and determined to get those three longest runs done at last and graduate!

Feel so much fitter since starting this and losing weight is a bonus. Now only a pound off my first target weight!

Keep going and find your new challenge!

[ju-ju- Graduate]

Big well done MatthewW......This is just the start remember. I can recommend 5k+ especially stamina, that got me going nicely. After that I have bought 2 hours of Audiofuel ( I call the man silky steve), hes' nice but not 'nice and fluffy' which I prefer as I don't do fluffy. The beats are great to run to and you get a flavour of them on stamina....well done