Oh wow!! I did it!

[Renka]

I just did Week 1 Run 1....now that might not seem a big deal but for someone my age who hasn't run for 40+ years, it's huge.

It wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined. At the third minute run my legs felt like lead, at the fourth minute I didn't think I could go on but I gritted my teeth and saying 'I-can-do-this' on each step I got to the end of the minute. After that it got slightly easier with each run minute. And I did all eight minutes!!! I am so pleased, I thought before I started that if I could run for 4 of the minutes I'd be happy for the first try......but I did it all!!

I've decided I'll do the week 1 runs twice next week and 3 times the next until my poor old body gets the message

[Legion Graduate]

Well done Renka. We've all been where you are and you've taken the first step on a journey that will probably change your life. I was in my forties, 5-6 stone overweight, never run since school, and the first run was so hard. I couldn't imagine how I could ever get from struggling to run for 1 minute to running for 30 minutes. But I did and it really has changed my life. I've still got 3-4 stone to lose but I ran 5K today (in just under 39 minutes) and burned over 900 calories between that and a bit of walking. Good luck and remember to enjoy the journey.

[lorary in reply to Legion]

Well done you,, I realise that my age and weight(7 stone overweight) are just excuses,

[Legion Graduate in reply to lorary]

They are the perfect excuses to get yourself healthier and feel fitter. You'll feed so good and be very glad you did.

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

Great start! Good luck with your future runs.

[Eebahgum Graduate]

Well done. Keep going, it is worth it.

[Mikejohnson89]

Awesome

[lorary]

U should be feeling really pleased with yourself, well done and keep up the hard work

[nextjenn Graduate]

Yey! Such a happy post! Well done, the first run takes incredible strength to get out there and do it. Congrats, keep us posted with your progress

[kathcooper2]

Hi Renka, I feel the same too! The first 3 minutes are the hardest for me and then every 60 second run I do just becomes something that is happening to my body while my mind wanders off into the clouds and the scenery Its really exhilarating being able to be out in the fresh air! Keep going, the next runs get easier as your body gets used to the runs in week 1

[Renka Graduate in reply to kathcooper2]

That's what I found - by the fifth minute I wasn't even thinking about what I was doing. My next run will be Monday and I expect the first one or two run minutes to be hard but I will definitely keep going. I intend to keep repeating week one until I can do it easily without any effort, then move on.

If I have to repeat each week several times then I'll do that. If it takes me 9 months instead of 9 weeks to get to the 'running 5k' stage then so be it. I have nearly 50 years of 'not running' to undo so 'slow and steady' will be my mantra.

[kathcooper2 in reply to Renka]

Thats a great way to look at it! We've all heard of the tortoise and the hare! Well done you for thinking of it like this You sound very determined so well done I have never run before, so if we look at this as positively as possible, fingers crossed we really get addicted to it .. good luck for your next run!

[Renka Graduate]

Well I have completed W1R1 3 times now - over 2 weeks. Next week I aim to do W1 again 3 times. Every time I do it , it gets easier but I'm not moving on until I feel happy to do that. I do believe though that my old body is beginning to get the message.