Thank you all for your posts, I've added this because a couple of people had asked how W9R3 had gone and what I'd written got a bit lost in the Just Home post (although eagle eyed Sparky 66 spotted it!).
So, in honour of the late Ronnie Corbett, here's an end of show rambling monologue :o)
I ran my last four runs in "the foreign" (as my nan would have said). The 30 minute ones were killers and it took me 2 runs to realise I wasn't being beeped at because I was totally awesome, but because I was running on the wrong side of the road, doh!
For the first couple of runs I just looped around the village (it's a tiny place in southwest France, with a proper boulangerie, hotel de ville, boules area etc), and I was going out fairly early in the morning (ladies over 40 sporting lycra are NOT socially acceptable there and I feared being stoned to death for my leggings); but for my final run I wanted to see if I could get as far as the little harbour just outside of the village (which is my French equivalent of the rickety bridge ;o).
Went early evening and asked hubby to pick me up in 45 mins, but as usual I misjudged it and the damn run only took me 17 minutes so I had to keep looping around the grassy park area to fill my other 13 minutes! It was a weird feeling, knowing I'd completed the programme, honestly I felt a bit numb about it though...no wifi, who would understand?!
I wanted to stay at the harbour and have a glass of celebratory fizz, but we didn't have any money with us and try as he might best beloved just didn't get the enormity of me being able to complete the programme.
....so, get your hankies ready...
Thank you my dears for all your help, support and encouragement over the past 9 weeks or so. Only when I was unable to post about a run or read your posts did I realise how much this forum had kept me motivated. I don't want to put names, but everyone that's helped keep me going has already posted to say "well done". NOW I feel like a graduate!!
I'm back home to my beloved leafy lanes (photo above), I've already completed a rickety bridge run and Lady Floss has pointed me in the direction of the C25k+ podcasts. I have signed up for a race for life in June and will do a parkrun when I've built up a bit of speed (I'm thinking about 3 weeks or so).
That lane looks so inviting! Well done Pam, on completing and on a beautiful post! Check the results page of your local parkrun before you worry too much about timings!
I can't believe it is me saying that - I graduated at Christmas and what a fuss I made worrying about my performance prior to my first parkrun!!!
Thank you and I've given in! Have registered for a park run and planning to go this Saturday. I haven't actually managed to run 5k yet (but done 4.72 so not far off). Going to read about your "fuss" now in the hope it'll calm me down :o)
Good for you! The welcome reception as you cross the line is fab! I am beginning to find the whole thing inspirational. I was running behind (yes - behind) a 5 or 6 year old called Joe, runing for the first time with his Mum yesterday.
(I batted him out of the way to finish ahead of him though - the speedy little shrimp!)
Beautiful photo Pam. the quintessential English lane. Lovely.
Huge congratulations to you!
A wonderful running journey and an, ( almost) perfect final run... the champagne would have made it so!
I still have the hanky out, so... it has been a privilege to watch your journey from your first post, with no-one to run with, not even the dog...your beautiful lake view.... the Prosecco incident... ( least said)! The Buttermere Wi-fi wilderness and the wonderful Rickety bridge, to the graduation run in La belle France
Pam..very well done... keep posting... maybe even spot you alongside me on Bridge to 10K too, although we must never leave our friends here!
Congratulations friend! or should that be , Félicitations ami!!!
Thank you so much Lady Floss, you've kept me going every step of the way. You set the tone and lead the lovely supportive comments on this forum, you're a fab role model :o)
Congratulations! Probably as many of us as have triumphant graduation runs have slightly deflating experiences of the immediate aftermath but there's that inner satisfaction that never, ever goes away.
I really, really, really like someone who assumes that being beeped at means she is awesome and of course, she is!
This forum is the best. I came home from my graduation run in tears of joy ... to an empty house. Got on here and instantly there arrived so many lovely messages of congratulation it made me blub all over again! Congratulations x
A truly wonderful place to run 😊 big congrats on graduating 😊
Go try parkrun, don't wait , it is for all abilities , you will have a fab time 😊
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Thank you and I've given in! Have registered for a park run and planning to go this Saturday. I haven't actually managed to run 5k yet (but done 4.72 so not far off). Yikes!
congratulations on your graduation, your post made me laugh, your nan reminds me of my mother in law who when I asked her where one soldier grandchild was posted just said he's out foreign!
I think I may have told you before, but in case I haven't - YOU BLOODY ROCK!! Congratulations on graduating and not being stoned for the leggings Around my way, I'm more likely to get harpooned for mine! Lovely picture. It's fab to see all the people who were on the same(ish) week as my all getting to graduation. You should change your name to runner_Pam xxx
What's all this about waiting before you try a parkrun? Get along now! Speed really isn't important (really! it really isn't!). Try it - and let us know which one you will be going to, I'm sure there's likely to be someone on the forum who could show you the ropes if you wanted.
Thank you and I've given in! Have registered for a park run and planning to go this Saturday. I haven't actually managed to run 5k yet (but done 4.72 so not far off). Yikes!
Ha Pam you made me giggle with that, you are in London for the Marathon.... I would have trouble walking 26 miles never mind running it
Was a day of visiting touristy sights and shopping! Not greatly planned obviously as it was marathon weekend, FA Cup semi final with a Manchester team and Obama visiting but we survived.
Lovely post Pam and many congratulations on your graduation. Nice to see the new badge next to your name! Best of luck with the Parkrun - you will be brilliant I sure. Also well done for registering for a Race for Life, I am doing one in May - very exciting! Keep posting- particularly interested to see how your find the Couch to 5k+ podcasts, I like 'speed' and 'stamina' (found it hard to keep in time with stepping stones but need to try again!). All the best
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