5x50 Challenge Team - we made the front page!!! - Couch to 5K

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5x50 Challenge Team - we made the front page!!!

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate
52 Replies

nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/...

As promised, here is the finished article resulting from my telephone interview with Steven from the NHS site. At last, recognition for our wonderful Team and what we achieved due to the C25K program and forum! :)

I wanted him to give more details about what we have all gone on to achieve since then - PB’s galore, 10K’s, HM’s – but hey ho, hopefully it will inspire others from the forum, both new and old, to join us again on 30th March 2014 for the new challenge and create an even bigger Team representing this forum!

If anyone is interested in reading some of my blogs from the last challenge then feel free to check them out and get caught up in the enthusiasm of it all; it really is catching! As other members of the 2013 Team reply to this post then check out their blogs too and see what an amazing time we all had. A lot of new friends were made and still keep in touch which is really nice too!

It is my first anniversary at the end of this month for starting this program, along with a number of others from the Team, and what a great way to celebrate! Well done Team Mates! We rocked it and continue to rock! 8-)

Sue

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SBG356 profile image
SBG356
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52 Replies
christian1 profile image
christian1Graduate

Woo hoo! I did not take part in the challenge but read lots of blogs and posts from all you brave, fit 50*50 ers. This is a really good article which I'm sure will inspire others to take part next year. Well done to all concerned. :-D

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to christian1

Thank you! Not brave, just mad I think but it was great fun! :)

DeliaItaly profile image
DeliaItalyGraduate

Sue thank you so much! You have really got the spirit of the challenge across so well in the interview. And I look forward to next year's challenge although we have lots of hot weather, ice and snow to run through before that. I am so proud to be part of this! Three cheers for Sue and the team ... hip-hip-hooray :-) And, of course, all the majorettes out there with the pom-poms -- we have not forgotten you by any means! (((Delia)))

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to DeliaItaly

Thanks Delia!! I decided on my run yesterday that I will never complain about running in the cold and rain ever again as running in heat and humidity is soooo much harder! I dont know how you manage it when you have it all the time in the summer, compared to us when its just a few days or weeks at the most, though I know you go out early.....

Yes, we must not forget out cheerleaders and especially Annie!! :)

Anniemurph profile image
AnniemurphGraduate in reply to SBG356

Awww, thanks, Sue - hopefully I'll be part of the team next year!

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to Anniemurph

I really hope so too Annie!! Your continued support and encouragement was superb and if you can bring that to the Team as a participant then we will be very very happy indeed and will more than rock it for 2014!! Just think of the party we could have?! x

in reply to Anniemurph

I think we all hope you will next year :-)

Anniemurph profile image
AnniemurphGraduate in reply to

Thanks, Phil :) Not doing so well at the moment, so need to get back into it!

OlsBean profile image
OlsBean

Excellent, bring on the next one, I've got a bike now for none run days, so watch out lol :D

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to OlsBean

Wow, excellent! You will certainly be clocking up the kms this time then!! ;)

rockchick69 profile image
rockchick69Graduate

It's a great article Sue.....finally the recognition the team deserved. Really looking forward to next years challenge and to try and get a better average per day....always looking for a goal...lol. I'm going to try and do some other activities a

rockchick69 profile image
rockchick69Graduate

Pressed submit...duh!! Anyway as I was saying....going to try some other activities next time to add a bit of variety. Even though it finished in May I'm still trying to do something at least 5 days a week....its such a change from a year ago. Have to say I'm looking forward to running in the winter again....it beats the heat of summer :) :) :)

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to rockchick69

Haha! Still getting used to the new site then like me Andrea?! ;)

Great going on keeping it up, very impressed! I do walk more and keep up my exercise DVD along with the running but cant say it is every day but yes, a real change from before so am pleased with that.

See my reply to Delia above re winter running; same as you! :) x

Oldgirl profile image
OldgirlGraduate

Smashing team effort with wonderful reading every day, it was like a darn good book you just couldn't put down and almost didn't want it to end too. However what an ending you had, all sprinting to the finish line so to speak. Riveting stuff, I'm keeping fingers, toes, eyes crossed that I'm not nursing any injuries come March next year, I so want to be a part of the next one. Well done 5 x 50'ers we were very proud of each and every one of you. :)

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to Oldgirl

Thanks Liz, it was such a fun time and especially that last day with the virtual party that Annie organised!! It was all so real.....with the music, the drinks, the hot tub ;)

I hope you can join us in March too, it will be great to have you on the team!

TJFlute profile image
TJFlute

I loved the team spirit and really can't wait until next year. Well done on a great article and blog Sue :)

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to TJFlute

Thanks Theresa! Cant wait either! I hope we can recreate it and that we can get the original team back too, that would be great!

OldNed profile image
OldNedGraduate

Great article Sue; I'm kicking myself that wasn't part of it last year. Next year....definitely! And 30th March is precisely a week after my [64th] birthday so I could even regard it as a belated birthday activity! I watched the posts about the virtual party and really wanted to be part of it. Well done.

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to OldNed

That would be brilliant if you can join us Ned, you will be a great addition to the Team! :) So, 23rd March is a day for us to note then?! We will throw you a virtual birthday party and then you have a week to recover!! ;)

DeliaItaly profile image
DeliaItalyGraduate in reply to SBG356

But I'm still trying to find out who the kayaker was :-) :-) :-) Whoever s/he is, well done!

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to DeliaItaly

I bet it was that Malcolm!! God of hell fire. .......and kayaking!!!! ;)

AliB1 profile image
AliB1Graduate in reply to SBG356

23 march I will be doing Hastings Half Marsthin (al, being well).. I am going to get involved next year

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to AliB1

Good on ya Ali!!

DeliaItaly profile image
DeliaItalyGraduate in reply to SBG356

Well, Scotland certainly has the rivers and the fords for kayaking!

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to DeliaItaly

Indeed! Come on Malcy where are you?? We miss you!! ;)

Malcy profile image
MalcyGraduate in reply to SBG356

Hi y'all

I'm still here or hereabouts. 03:00 and just checking up on you all!

As you might recall, I had threatened to give up academia & return to commercial activities. I took the plunged and left the Uni for the last time a week ago. Off on holiday at the end of the week before getting down to finding a replacement income(!). Started by demolishing the inside of my dining room to make a workplace. Plasterer is coming in the morning - at 5pm I had three walls framed up ... and that was all. Since then have built the remaining wall, insulated everything, done a partial rewire & rhen put up all the plasterboard. Thankfully my beautiful daughter helped me out, otherwise I'd have been paying a plasterer to twiddle his thumbs tomorrow.

You'll gather that time for running is short. But looking forward to some nice routes while on holiday. Th Great North Run is only 6 weeks away and despite Phil'a reassurances I don't think I'm doing enough prep.

Great to see the old gang still enjoying the glory days of 5x50. And also good to see we're already recruiting more for next year!

All the best - I'll be back to full engagement with the community as soon as I hang up my Bob The Builder hat!

OldNed profile image
OldNedGraduate in reply to SBG356

23rd March it is; looking forward to it already!!

magster profile image
magsterGraduate

A really great article Sue you all deserve the recognition. Put me down for next year as I missed the last one due to illness. Maggie

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to magster

You are very welcome Maggie! Glad to have you on board! :)

tor41 profile image
tor41Graduate

I think it was DeliaItaly who I first heard about the fivers from, I looked into it was very interested, to see it was held next year so I have signed up for it but will be doing it straight after completing the C25K as I think it is a great idea for a fit and healthy lifestyle so after completing 9 weeks of C25K, I will do the 10 weeks of fivers and then move on to B210K after that I don't know what I will do, but I have the running community and I am sure something will turn up, I hope so, I need all the support and encouragement I can get:-)

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to tor41

Support and encouragement always here Tracey, that's how we all got this far without giving up and so will you too! Happy running!!

wilmacgh profile image
wilmacghGraduate

Great article. I miss the team spirit .

I was tempted to leave a comment that the website and the blogs were a key part of making it work for us. However I think they have got the message and things do seem to be improving.

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to wilmacgh

I do too Wilma :( But yes it does seem to be improving slowly so hopefully we will all be back blogging, oops I meant posting, soon! (old habits....!) I'm still not completely at ease with how it looks but I'm sure I will get used to it the more I am back on here.

I have got a new laptop now too which is making it a lot easier as my old one was sooooo slow which just added to the frustration. Onwards and upwards eh?!

greenlegs profile image
greenlegsGraduate

Great interview Sue!

(The kayaker was a woman, as far as I remember, from trawling through the data to find out - so it wasn't Malcy!)

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to greenlegs

Haha Di! I was joking about Malcy ;) It was the thought of him kayaking in his kilt and hoping I would hear from him that made me mention him!!

Hope you are well and ready for the 2014 challenge?! A long time to go but I already feel that team spirit arising from the ashes!!!! x

greenlegs profile image
greenlegsGraduate in reply to SBG356

Maybe next year we could all try and fit in some kayaking somehow, as an extra challenge?! In kilts or not. I know where my nearest kayak-hire is, so I'm all set!

Although I did brave swimming in the North Sea (well, off the coast of Norfolk) on holiday last week, I've done very little running since the weather warmed up. I have huge respect for everyone that's kept running right through it all. I do intend to get back to it as it cools down a bit though - just so I don't feel such a fraud reading the posts on here!

Malcy profile image
MalcyGraduate in reply to SBG356

What? Kayak in a kilt? Not me. If I was to kayak It would have to be eau natural. I'll let you decide his to interpret that!

But no - the kayaker wasn't me

swanscot profile image
swanscotGraduate in reply to greenlegs

Great interview indeed! Was it RollerToaster who went kayaking? I have a kayak and fully intended to add '5K kayaking' to my 5x50 total, but never managed to fit it in during the 50 days.

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to swanscot

Sounds fun Sheila!

DeliaItaly profile image
DeliaItalyGraduate

It wasn't Roller as she has assured me in a blog (I mean post) somewhere in the entrails of this webiste. But hats off to anyone who tries kayaking Sheila :-)

in reply to DeliaItaly

Hi Delia I refuse to stop blogging :-) I will resist change of language

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to

Here here!

DeliaItaly profile image
DeliaItalyGraduate in reply to

Resist, resist, resist!

LMS2110 profile image
LMS2110Graduate in reply to

Stick to blogging ... YAY.. Derived from 'web log' so entirely appropriate! Posts are for holding fences up LOL

Oh, and I'm definitely gearing up for the 5x50 challenge next year - was only a month into C25K this year and had zippo confidence that I'd finish. So glad I did though :) - feeling fitter than 2 or 3 decades ago now!

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to LMS2110

Haha! Love it Linda :) That was me too when I started and Sheila and George were doing the first ever challenge. We look forward to having you in the team x

PastyMan profile image
PastyManGraduate

Nice work Sue

5x50 was great fun .... but I was glad when it ended! After a month or so back to 3 runs a week I've got back to running nearly every day ... I guess it did become a habit after 50 days :-)

greenlegs profile image
greenlegsGraduate in reply to PastyMan

You are amazing Rob! I think you ran more than anyone else? Hardly surprising that you were glad when it ended after all those 10ks in the last week or so!

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to PastyMan

Cheers Rob! That's brilliant running ever day wish I had the energy to do that. .....

Great article and can't wait for the next challenge, it will be a nice slow down following my marathon on 6/4/14 eek. But seriously loved it this year...who knows how many participants this time

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate in reply to

Eek indeed! Hope we get as good a team next time round...It will be hard to beat!

getsetgo profile image
getsetgoGraduate

Great to see the article Sue, well done! It brings back memories of a (mostly) enjoyable and challenging time pre ankle fracture! I'm now at the beginning of a very slow return to activity. The cast was removed last week and I'm able to limp around without crutches some of the time. I am still reading everyone's blogs (not posts!) and intend to be a part of the next 5x50 challenge in some way - don't know how long it will take to be able to run but there's always walking, swimming etc. Enjoy your running everyone!

Poppy2010 profile image
Poppy2010Graduate

I'm looking forward to March next year already! Missing the push to have to get up and do something every day, especially now the Olympic Anniversary run is over - need a new goal to aim for! (Although I am still far more active than pre C25K; like parking my car today at the furthest free spot from the station so a longer walk to the station and back this morning when I finish my night shift!) It was so infectious reading everyone's blogs, and being inspired by their activities... get those pom poms ready; go team c25k! :-)

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