Celebratory W9R3 completed!: I dressed for the... - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

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Celebratory W9R3 completed!

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate
33 Replies

I dressed for the occasion, wearing my new Hoka 'now it's time to fly' trainers, and Graduate couch to 5k t-shirt!

Thought back over the last couple of months and am so pleased with the changes I've made.

I can run 5k (best time so far 38:10).

I've joined a local running club, which is really supportive and encouraging.

Met some lovely people in real life and virtually on this forum.

Completed a couple of parkruns, and will be doing my third on Saturday.

Entered some virtual races in October and December.

Making healthy eating choices, so slowly losing weight.

Been reading Penguin Chronicles (by John Bingham) and below is a bit he wrote that really resonated with me:

'I am a runner because I run. Not because I run fast. Not because I run far.

I am a runner because I say I am. And no one can tell me I'm not.'

Amazing what can change in a couple of months - I really am a runner!

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AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborah
Graduate
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33 Replies
poppypug profile image
poppypugGraduate

Brilliant Deb ! Lovely post and you are really rocking the Graduate T Shirt ! :-)

Yes, it truly is a life changing experience xxx

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to poppypug

*blushes* why thank you Poppypug :)

Toonlou24 profile image
Toonlou24Graduate in reply to poppypug

Liking the new picci poppy pug pet!!!!! ;) xx

poppypug profile image
poppypugGraduate in reply to Toonlou24

Thank you Toonie ! :-) xxx

AvatheGardener profile image
AvatheGardenerGraduate

Wow- well done you! That's so uplifting, and you look fab in the t shirt ! 😀👏🏻💥🎉 I have the same one, haven't worn it yet though 😕

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to AvatheGardener

Thanks Rainshine, sooo exciting to feel I've completed it. We can be t-shirt twins! It's in the wash so I can wear it on Saturday at parkrun :)

Toonlou24 profile image
Toonlou24Graduate

Well done you. Fantastic!! I've been meaning to get one if those tshirts for a year!!! maybe I should treat myself!!! Xx

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to Toonlou24

Go for it! I've been treating myself with running stuff quite a lot recently, but better for my waistline than chocolate :)

Toonlou24 profile image
Toonlou24Graduate in reply to AbracaDeborah

Very very true!!! I keep entering virtual races and telling hubby it's better than wasting it on wine on a night out!!! He can't complain at that can he?! Like the better than chocolate thought too!!! 😀 xx

Rhedwr profile image
RhedwrGraduate

Yes, you really are a runner!

Mahoosive congratulations! :)

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to Rhedwr

Thanks so much, it makes it seem more real seeing it in writing! :)

Ullyrunner profile image
UllyrunnerGraduate

Congratulations! Hope you feel really proud.

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to Ullyrunner

Thank you Ullyrunner, I do feel a real sense of achievement now :)

gary_bart profile image
gary_bart

Well done. The programme works, but it takes quite a bit to get to the point you've reached. I like your quote. It's dead right, isn't it? I remember reading a book years ago that I can hardly remember, apart from one thing. The main character worked as a teacher, but said he was an architect. His argument was that you Are what makes you tick, not what you do to survive. (So if the character had been a better teacher, his job and his description would've aligned - which would have ruined the story -- which I have forgotten). It's a good point. We often take the label that's handed out to us at wherever we work as the one to paste on our foreheads, but so often the true label would be completely different. (For instance I am actually a Great Tyrant, in spite of my never having found work in that line). An American friend of mine actually made the same point to me in a letter once. The world was calling him a fax machine salesman, but really he was a surfer. :-)

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to gary_bart

Thanks Gary! We are all good at labelling ourselves, and I tend to focus on the negative, that's why the quote helped me. Probably also a bit about finding out about myself now my children are both over 18, I'm not always labelled as somebody's Mum! I need to find some more positive labels for my forehead! :)

gary_bart profile image
gary_bart in reply to AbracaDeborah

I think part of the problem there is that in the overcorrection made in making the workplace open to women, the virtues of going off to wear some kind of harness every day were overrated, and some needless scorn was dumped on those who prefer not to risk outsourcing their parenting (which is just an exageration to simulate a lurch of overcorrection back in the other direction). To be more plain, full time mums don't get the respect they deserve, these days.

And there's the other side of all those labels. Half the time the value we attribute to the "good" ones is almost as bad a mistake as the way we undervalue the "bad" ones.

Probably what we should default to more is, "I like to X", where that can replace "I am an X". (And push identity as close as possible to Popeye's wise , "I yam what I am an that's all that I yam".) For cases where it's nice to wear a hat for a while, there's "I am what makes me tick", though.

laurav33 profile image
laurav33Graduate

Congratulations! It's such an achievement, well done you :-)

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to laurav33

Thank you Laura, I'm going to be basking in the glow of achiement today :)

Eastofthegate profile image
EastofthegateGraduate

Fabulous! Love the t-shirt, and you look great.

I'm just behind you ( graduation set for tomorrow). The last 9 weeks seem to have flown by and I'm constantly amazed by how well the programme works.

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to Eastofthegate

Yay! See you at the finish soon then :)

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor

Congratulations and welcome to the graduate club, fellow runner.

Keep running, keep smiling.

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to IannodaTruffe

Thank you, I'll be repeating that in my head at parkrun :)

ridingstar profile image
ridingstarGraduate

Congratulations love the T shirt I bet you had a big smile on your face for the whole run ;) Enjoy your graduation day and bask in the glory. Really well done and happy running :)

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to ridingstar

Might need to buy another in different colour! Had to wash it so I can wear to parkrun in the morning :)

hilbean profile image
hilbeanGraduate

Congratulations! :D

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to hilbean

Thank you :)

AncientMum profile image
AncientMumGraduate

Many congratulations Deborah, its a great achievement and one to feel justifiably proud of. You most certainly are a runner, and a runner who's looking particularly fine in that lovely blue graduate T-shirt. Well done :)

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to AncientMum

Thanks AM, I'll take that compliment gladly :)

Well done, AbracaDeborah!

Sorry I lost the way on our journey... but I'll be back!

Fantastic job! you must be thrilled!

Lucy x

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to

Thanks Lucy, hurry up and join me, it's just round the corner :) good luck x

richardvc profile image
richardvcGraduate

Brilliant effort, well done !

AbracaDeborah profile image
AbracaDeborahGraduate in reply to richardvc

Thanks Richard, did my third parkrun this morning and improved my time a bit again. Lovely sunny weekend, enjoy :)

Anaverageman profile image
AnaveragemanGraduate

well done to you

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