Its been a long Road

[COVEY2009]

So today i went for it having been well rested and coming pretty close to 5k last Wednesday. The weather was lashing down just how i like it, as it keeps the skinny’s off the route. I was completely in the zone and visualizing myself reaching the finish line. So off I went the 1st k niggles kicked in only to be ousted by a nice bit of downhill, then I just tucked into my pace (erosion moves faster than me!). 15,20,30 minutes went by and I felt confident that this would be my day. Then in over tears for fears head over heels comes “Ruth the runnkeeper” to tell me that I had ran for 35min and completed 4.8k so at this point I thought great nearly there only to realize id have to run until 40min to make sure I had completed…then it came “TIME 40min DISTANCE 5.2K”. Life was meant for these moments standing in the pouring rain knowing id done it.

I started the journey in Jul.. 18st 10lbs and really found it hard, couldn’t even run for more than a minute without dying. But little by little second turn into minutes and meters turned in to kilometres and every hill still is Everest. There were very dark days when I would feel I had made real progress only to be overcome by the gremlins to halt my progress…..that’s when I found this forum (Community).Each of us with our own personal struggle and goals experiencing every step together. I still can’t believe I’ve done it. To those of you wondering if this is for you..yes it is and yes you can do it. I have to say thanks to my Mum for minding the kids while I was off pounding paths and to all who supports us on your journey. The roads are always open.....

[gary_bart]

If you think about it, that's not a very long time in which to be making all that progress. It's more like a journey from one universe to another than from this end of the road to that, and if you look at how long you had to wait to get from the couch galaxy to the lovely rain galaxy, it's hardly anything at all. Not that you're going to do this, but you now know that if ever you end up couchbound again, you have it in you (you have it in you!) to restart c25k, persist, persist some more, deal with a bit of adversity, adapt, persist ... and before you can say Jack Robinson, you'll be back up on this "hill with a view", back where all sorts of new and exciting impossiblities are your again.

I'm not saying the journey from the one universe to the other is short, just that it's pretty quick. So maybe you should rather reflect on how Fast you are, on that grander scale? Well done.

[COVEY2009 Graduate in reply to gary_bart]

Thanks, yes it all came together nicely today

[LyndaM Graduate]

A lovely post - very evocative of the struggle to achieve your goal. But you did It! And today is one you can always remember with pride. Many many congratulations x

[RibbleLady Graduate]

Brilliant. Be really proud of yourself. I need someone to talk to me like you've got Ruth. I have to guess and that way trouble lies!

Now keep going .......

And God bless your mum!

[islandrunner Graduate]

Well done, it's a fantastic achievement, and that's a brilliant time !! My first 5k was 45 minutes !!

Well done.

[RunningForBroke Graduate]

This is so super! Congratulations!!!! I hope to join you at 5k soon. 😃 Good for you!

[Noaky12 Graduate]

Fabulous job well done. What a great post too. ☺

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

Your first 5K, that's a very special moment, bask and enjoy! That's a respectable time too, mine was somewhere near 48 minutes...

[Sharonb9999 Graduate]

What a great achievement. It's a fantastic feeling isn't it? I've lost 5 stone since I started C25K just over 15 months ago. I can honestly say that it has been 1 of the best things I've ever done. In a couple of weeks I'm going to be doing my first 10km race which is something I never in a million years thought I would be able to do a year ago. This forum is great for tips, encouragement & the odd kick up the backside when you think you need it ☺☺ Here's to non-skinny runners!!