Thanks all.

[Jonny1]

I must apologise to you all on here as I rarely post anything. I have been running now for about 2 1/2 years and I, like so many on this forum, could never imagine myself running for the sort of distances that I do now. It's all down to Laura and the C25k podcasts, together with you all on here.

The podcasts were certainly responsible for getting me started, but you all have given me the motivation to carry on. Like so many of us i'm sure, I have had times of procrastination, injury, colds and such that have prevented me from running. I just read the daily posts on this forum and it gives me the kick up the a**e to get out there and just do it.

I now try and do 10k 3 times per week (mostly twice of late due to work etc) which I generally do in under an hour. I did my first half marathon in May this year - not very fast at 2.5 hours but I didn't train enough for the distance and ran out of steam in about the last 4-5k - but, as you all say, it isn't the time, it's the distance that really matters. As Bazza mentioned in a post a while ago, if you are looking at calories, you will burn the same amount over a set distance whether you walk or run it.

I have just invested in my 3rd pair of Brooks running shoes. They are a little expensive but, if you divide this up over a year, together with running gear, it is by no means an expensive way of keeping fit, plus, I actually love it. It gets me outside a lot and I see more than I ever did before running. One of my regular routes is through Bradgate Park in Leicestershire which is about a mile from home. It is full of wildlife, Deer in particular, and they don't seem at all phased by people early in the morning. It's a great feeling when you are having to avoid them rather than them running away from you!

To anyone out there who is thinking of embarking on the C25K programme, think no more, just do it. You will amaze yourself at what you can achieve.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone on this forum.

Happy running.

Jonny1

[c4ts Graduate]

Great post Jonny1 - entirely agree with the sentiments, keep on running.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

I agree great post, thanks for sharing. 10k 3 times a week that's a great achievement. well done and happy running

[Jonny1 Graduate]

Thanks c4ts and realfoodieclub.

[Hidden]

couldnt agree more , it is sucha great program and enabler in many aspects of your life ,best thing i have done

[Jonny1 Graduate]

You are so right Slow_Rob. Best thing I have done as well.

[Zev1963 Graduate]

Excellent post Jonny1. Very nice to hear about what is possible after completing C25K, and yes I agree totally that it is a wonderful program. So many people end up amazing themselves thinking "wow, I am actually enjoying this!"

As for the walking/running calories thing, I imagined this to be true also. Mass x distance moved and all that. I have read however that it isnt quite as simple as that. In fact, the physics of running is so different from that of running, that you burn a lot more calories running than walking, even if it is very slow running. The argument goes something along the lines of that, with walking you are just putting one foot in front of the other, and shifting your weight from one leg to the other, hereas, with running you are, with each stride, leaping from one leg to the other, and this uses substantially more energy. There have been studies made of this, but I'm afraid I cant remember the détails.

Your route sounds very nice. I've been running my C25K always along the same stretch of the Loire. This week, the first after completing C25K, was back in UK for a week, so I ran around Draycote water (well 5km Worth of the way round ). Then Saturdat morning, just before driving back to France, I did the Leamington ParkRun. It was really nice to run somewhere different for a change. Both Draycote and Leamington were much more hilly than what I had been used to. What surprised me was that I didnt find the hills half as bad as I'd expected. They do puff me out a bit at the time it's true, but I recover much quicker than I thought would be the case.

Yes running is great, and I hope you will post more of your expériences, because it's nice to see what we can expect to aim for after C25K. So many thanks for your post Jonny1.

[Jonny1 Graduate]

I think you have a point with the running/walking analogy. Put simply though, I suppose that we run roughly twice as quickly as we walk, therefore burning roughly twice as many calories in a given time.

Your route along the Loire sounds lovely too. My work tends to take me all over the UK so I get to run in lots of different locations. This is one reason why I started C25k in the first place as a gym membership would be a bit of a waste of money.

[Zev1963 Graduate in reply to Jonny1]

That's another thing that amazed me when I started running. Just how much more ground you cover than when walking.

[Burgdude Graduate]

Well said!

[Jonny1 Graduate]

Thanks Burgdude.

[Jonny1 Graduate]

Amazing that Zev

[Rob_and_his_westie Graduate]

I only wish that I could run 10k three times a week in under an hour!

Well done sir!

[Jonny1 Graduate]

Thanks Rob.

[PastyMan Graduate]

Good post Jonny. I graduated about the same time just over 2 1/2 years ago and regular running has just become a normal part of my life too .... not a half marathon though! Well done