Week 4 Run 2 (i.e. halfway to Graduation!!)

[ra220]

Haven't posted for a while now! Completed week 3, which was just as satisfying as completing Weeks 1 and 2! Laura was right; I really do feel as though my fitness is coming along nicely!

This week I wasn't entirely sure I was capable of running for 5 minutes, but now I managed it (and it wasn't as hard as I thought). Yesterday I did Run 2 and it was much worse! I know we all have our bad days, but my legs felt heavy, my breathing went all out of sync and the pains in my shins when I came home were back! I struggled to climb the stairs to our 2nd floor apartment as my legs did not want to move (though I'm proud I didn't wimp-out and take the lift!)

Despite this, my motivation is stronger than ever after realising that Week 4 Run 2 marks the halfway point of the plan! Which makes the pain from yesterday's run seem worth it, somehow! Anyone else at the same point as me - well done! Halfway is a big achievement! March 14th is my projected graduation date (provided I stick to the plan of running every Mon, Wed, Fri), which doesn't seem so far away - excited!!!! Keep up the good work everyone

[misswobble Graduate]

Good stuff Ra! Good on you for not wimping out. Never do that, it's not allowed. If you feel even slightly inclined not to turn out cos it's raining or whatever come on here and ask us what we think you should do ........

Good luck with your next run, and if you maintain that positive attitude, you'll nail it. No probs

[ra220 Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Thanks Miss Wobble I'm surprised how motivated I've remained. Long may this continue!! How did you find life after graduation? I finished the programme once and then just stopped. Usual excuses of changing jobs, moving house and being 'too busy' to exercise! As a result, my weight spiralled out of control. I'm determined NOT to let this happen again. Any tips for keeping going? I've seen that there are some post-C25K plans; have you used them and are they any good?

[misswobble Graduate]

I have done the post C25k runs yes, lots of times. They are still podcasted by good old Laura so they'll feel familiar from the off. They are called Stepping Stones, Stamina and Speed. Speed is a devil! It starts off really slowly and you're lulled into thinking it's lame but stick with it, it's not! I do them regularly as a change from Bridge to 10 k with Sami Murphy (another download free on here). You should definitely do them as soon as you Graduate. Rest for a day of course. I am 56, never ran in my life, ever, but a lady at WeightWatchers class told me about it so I gave it a go. I had lost nearly four stones by then and felt much lighter on my feet so thought I'd like to increase my fitness levels. It's cheap too as I run outdoors, so no gym fees. I say it's cheap but I just bought new shoes today. Erk!

[ra220 Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Amazing stuff It's great that you're keeping going! Definitely got the running bug! New shoes - very exciting! I think I might buy a pair when I graduate!! Ok, I'll look our for those podcasts when I finish! Only halfway, so shouldn't get too head of myself!! Keep up the amazing work! Weight loss is certainly one of my goals, as well as improving fitness and generally starting a healthier lifestyle! It's great to hear from others with similar goals

[almac30]

Well done Ra. Funnily enough I completed W4R2 myself today and was just thinking that I'm halfway there.

It was really tough today and more than once I did think that I wouldn't complete it, but made it to the end. My plan originally was to do the runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but sometimes thought I needed more than one rest day between runs. That said I'm more or less on track to complete this on March 15th.

I'm keeping a spreadsheet diary of runs and downloaded the C25K wallchart. After each run I highlight that row in green. It's amazing the small things that give you satisfaction and keeps the motivation going.

[ra220 Graduate in reply to almac30]

Nothing better than crossing something off a list!! It's so satisfying! I've written all my runs in my diary to encourage me not to bottle it before a run. The thought of having to cross out and rewrite the next 5 weeks of runs is enough to make me go out and stay on track!! Simple things!! Keep up the good work. We're at the same point in the plan, so I'll be keeping an eye out for posts on your progress

[misswobble Graduate]

Well done peeps.

Yes, it's not a good idea to look too far ahead while doing your C25k runs. Take each one as it comes and then move on to the next. Happy running

[ra220 Graduate]

Just come back from Run 3 and in the last 5 minutes realised that my Maths is terrible and that I'm not ACTUALLY halfway yet! Was a week out!! Still, have come inside from this run feeling really great

[Scarlett_K Graduate]

I just finished W4R2 and I also found it harder! I think I must have gotten over-confident having completed W4R1 on Friday as I went a lot faster on the first two runs today than I did on Fri. Got terrible stitch by the end. Oops.

Going to have to go slower next time but I'm trying to strike a balance between pushing myself and pacing myself - it's harder than I thought! I have a Forerunner arriving tomorrow though so I'm hoping that will provide me with the feedback I need to keep a steady pace yet push myself a bit harder each time.

[ra220 Graduate in reply to Scarlett_K]

Oooh, I keep seeing these Forerunners being talked about. You'll have to let me know how you get on with it. I'm intrigued, and tempted to put one on my birthday list...

Well done for getting this far in the plan. It's amazing how much positivity there is around this plan! I'm so pleased I'm giving it a go (all be it for the second time)!!

I agree with you. When I pace myself I feel like I'm not going fast enough, but when I speed up I run strong for about half of the time, then start to flag! I need a mid-point, but it's so hard to find! Week 5 tomorrow - pacing and not pushing is definitely my plan to succeed!!

[Scarlett_K Graduate in reply to ra220]

Will do, I'm quite excited about having a new toy and some graphs to look at (yeah, I like graphs okay :P). Hoping it'll assist me in finding the right pace but we shall see... very best of luck for tomorrow, hope it goes well!

[MissKDLC]

I am but didn’t realise we were halfway through! Go us 🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏽‍♀️