W52 R??? Graduation Anniversary.

[Rignold]

Well, realised this morning that it is one year to the day since W9R3.

How time has flown, and how strange it all seems. I distinctly remember the trepidation I felt about starting the programme... about allowing myself to dare thinking seriously about even trying it. What a fraud I felt buying my first running shoes in Running Bath (I half expected the assistant to press a button under the counter and some burly Running Police to burst out of a back room shouting "You're not a Runner! You're busted!"). On W1R1 I had to lie down in the middle and the dog came over and licked my face, wrried I hade died. I didn't tell my wife or anyone I was doing it until W3 or so. I vry clearly recall about W2 or W3 thinking "well this is it, I'm not going to get any further than this, but I'll just carry on doing 90 second runs, that's better than nothing."

Of course I did get furtehr than 90 seconds, and indeed got to the end, because the programme works. It worked for me, it worked for all you other graduates and it will work for all of you lpt currently working through it. I think it took me 11 weeks in total as I had a couple of weeks off with cold/injury/life intervening.

I have gone on to run quite a bit since then, and I suppose I now take for granted that I can run, and as long as I am determined and consistent can achieve whatever I want. I have not forgotten however that Only a little over a year ago the ide of running 5k was a seemingly impossible dream for me.

Anyway, with all this in mind I went out today and did a gentle 5k on exactly the same route I ran for graduation last year. It was a little bit emotional, although I did not shed a little tear at the end, mainly because it was so hot and humid I think I had lost all the avilable moisture in my body by then.

I did slightly cheat in fact, as my 5k time is a good 9 minutes faster than it was last year, so I didn't run a full 30 minutes. not sure I will repeat that improvement next year.

Anyway, am going to raise a glass of something to C25k now, and celebrate the changes it has wrought in me. Hurrah for Laura!

[alarkin1979 Graduate]

Wow weldone. I love your visual board. Where did you get it from. How many medals do you have?

[Rignold in reply to alarkin1979]

Thanks. The board was on Ebay, about £15 I think, and it came with a dry wipe pen for altering the PB times, and a couple of big training plan drywipe wallcharts and a year race planner wallchart - quite unexpectedly, so was a v. good bargain.

[Rignold in reply to Rignold]

This is the very one - they do other styles too:

ebay.co.uk/itm/301651925555

[dagshar Graduate in reply to Rignold]

Ooh, I like that! If I can think of where to put it, I might get one. Don't think I'd be able to fill it up as quickly as you did though!

[AnnieW55]

congratulations Rignold. Happy (Run)Anniversary. It has been a busy year for you and an inspirational/entertaining one for us seeing your posts. Don't get housemaids elbow polishing all that bling

[Keep_on_going Graduate]

Love the board!

[dagshar Graduate]

Well done! You have certainly had a busy year! I wonder how you fit it all in. Did your kids do junior events even before or did you "infect" them. Will you have run a marathon this time next year or is that not part of the plan? Keep up the good work!

[Rainbowsmurf Graduate]

Thanks for the post. Really made me smile.

How many medals though???? Wow.

[ActonHighStreet]

Congratulations fella, that's a damn impressive year's work.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Well done Rigs......the first running year of many, I hope and predict.

Keep running, keep smiling.

[goonkeepgoing Graduate]

What a year! Fantastic, inspirational post. Keep running

[AncientMum Graduate]

Wow Rig looks at all those bloomin' medals!! No one but no one could doubt that this programme works when they see that little lot. Congratulations You've had a H*ll of a year: some amazing races, some quite spectacular health issues and some *really* hard training. You are indeed a c25k success story, a slightly nutty one, but definitely a success story. Hang on a minute and I'll toast your achievements with my cup of Yorkshire's finest. Well done m'dear xx

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

Well done Rig! What a huge difference a year makes! Love all the bling - you really have embraced a new lifestyle.

[runswithdogs Graduate]

Great post Rig - happy anniversary. Looks like you might need to reinforce that wall to hold up all those medals you're collecting.

[Sandraj39 Graduate]

Hi Rignold,

Have read a few of your posts on here (many of which, of course, advocate the importance of squats as part of everyone's life - squats that I now do, sir!) I have admired the bling and the muddy kids running in your wake and I always thought you had been running for years! What an inspiration to see what can be achieved in such a short time. I rediscovered running (following years of laziness) a few months ago. The C25K programme helped me discover a love for running that I had honestly never felt before, at just the time I needed it. Unfortunately I then ended up on the injury couch where I have been for the last 5 weeks following a muscle tear sustained at work running around our playground! My physiotherapist has given me the all clear to ease myself back into running next week, following my rehab. I cannot wait to be running again and hopefully complete the programme at last, although I will initially go right back to the beginning to see how my calf responds. Thank you for your lovely post - and here's to Laura!

[ju-ju- Graduate]

I am so impressed, I hadn't realised you have only been running a year...you are amazing!!! And flipping heck thats a lot of bling...all well deserved. You are a C25K star and I look forward to seeing what you achieve next.......

[GoogleMe Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

Absolutely, I was really shocked at one year.

[poppypug Graduate]

Whoa Rigs !

Only a year ?? Seems you have been around for way, way , longer

Look at all that bling ! So impressive !

You are a star, an inspiration, I love your " can do " attitude, nothing ever fazes you , and you have got determination in spades .

Its a joy reading your posts, and even though I think you are completely bonkers running around Glastonbury with bricks and logs you are a shining example of what this programme can lead to .......

Cheers Rig, here's to the next one and many more ! xxxx

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

Great post and wow what a load of shiny bling, looks fantastic. You have come such a long way from couch to squat meister in only a year. Well done.

[Lovefood1984 Graduate]

You must have signed up for a race a week with all that bling! (Very jealous, love a bit of bling and my last 2 races had none 😢) Saw the same board on Amazon and it's inspired me to make my own, will post a picture when I'm done and with my bling....won't be adding a marathon PB section (since I did the GNR last year I've sworn myself off anything further than 10k) so instead I'm having an 'other' section to record my 5.7mile blaydon race PB and it leaves it open just in case I do go crazy and want to add a marathon sometime in the future without the pressure of a missing PB on my board (it'd kill me mentally!) Happy running Rig! Here's to W53-104

[Northernspirit Graduate]

Great post Rig and so much achieved in one year - that Spurs me on and gives me confidence! C25K is a life changer in many ways

[millwalki8 Graduate]

Nice one Rig. Got some value in "Scrap Metal" there