Olympic fallout

[Austen304]

With the newspapers bemoaning the absence of an increase in participation in sport after the London Olympics, I wondered about the ways in which forum members had a) heard of C25K (and from which source if not NHS) and b) what persuaded them to have a go at it. I wish the programme had more prominence, since it has been so successful. 'I didn't do/avoided running at school' is almost a cliche on these pages.

[Jingle_berry]

My moment came from a combination of factors : 6 unsuccessful weeks on the bounce at slimming world. I failed to lose any weight and decided that dieting was clearly not for me! My dad was diagnosed with COPD and has struggled with his breathing for at least the last 20 yrs and my mum has been diagnosed with diabetes! I looked at my family and decided I would do something to try to stop me following the same path! My initial decision was 'I would be fit and fat' but have found the more I do this ( and read the forum), that I want to be fit and less fat! ( don't ever think I'm going to be thin, not unless I grow 4 inches taller!!!)

I started couch to 5k in secret, just in case I needed to quit. However, a couple of runs in, I decided I would succeed and mentioned I was doing it at work ( I work in a school), and by the end of the summer term I had a gang of 5! I have just completed w7r1.

I do fall into the 'couldn't/wouldnt/ avoided doing it at school' category, but have decided that come September I am starting a couch to 5k running club for the children. I see myself in so many of them and hope to give them the inspiration I never got at school, by someone who is not a natural athlete taking them to one side and saying - you can do this, and i'm going to do it with you!!! 😊

Think that reply is a whole lot longer than you may have anticipated - sorry 😂

[Jingle_berry in reply to Jingle_berry]

I googled it in a weak moment 😉

[McFitty Graduate in reply to Jingle_berry]

I'm another 'hated it at school' person. I was always up for the flat out 50 or 100 metres but thought anything over that was long distance! Never had any stamina or endurance. It's a shame that we were never 'taught' how to run at school in the progressive way c25k teaches us. At school you were labelled either 'good at it' or 'no good' and the labels stuck

[McFitty Graduate]

I heard about it from my son, then Googled it and came across the NHS c25k website. I had never heard of it before. Wish I had!

[Irish-John Graduate]

Got a new phone, idly checking Apps and saw programme, was fed up with boring/non-benificial walking so because W1D1 did not look like I would be totally out of my depth tried it. Did not believe in any way I would ever get beyond W2 or 3 at all though .😄

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

I stumbled across it on the web after my first self guided run made me realise I needed a plan. We do now have a poster that we can distribute. healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

+1 I had never heard of C25K nor had I ever Googled anything to do with running or exercise - but I started to do some exercise on some machines in a park which had a concrete track linking all the machines. Got bored with just the machines and tried to run between them ( about 100 metres) and remembered that I could never run!! So I asked Mr Google "Why can't I run" and BINGO!!!!

[Irishprincess Graduate]

I had a painful back and was very unfit and knew I needed to move more so I googled "how to run" and found this programme! I reckoned the NHS would offer a safe programme which it did. I almost didn't start because I looked at every single week ahead and nearly had kittens when I saw the W5R3 run! I just thought there was no way I would be able to do that!

[davelinks Graduate]

Met up with someone from where I worked, and he told me he couldn't run for a bus, and found c25k which he praised, this spurred me on after I had retired through I'll health and had put weight on due to lack of activity, he came out with me on some runs which gave me motivation and haven't looked back..😊

[Suebguineapig Graduate]

A friend at my school had done it the previous year. Then my son started training for the London Marathon, so I googled. And goggled in horror t the progressions. My son said that if I could do Body Combat for an hour then I could manage to run 5K ( not sure this is strictly true) so I started and soon just entrusted to the programme. It's a bit like joining some utterly benign cult. You believe in it and it looks after you and you get there. The bloke who devised it deserves a medal!

[MichaelH070862 Graduate]

I found out about the programme when trying to get in the reserves but sadly didn't do anything about it gave up the reserves but finally decided to do something about fitness as my preferred option is swimming but finding the right slots is impossible where as C25K you can do anytime you find convenient

[lightweightkate Graduate]

My doc recommended it to me and I laughed out loud.....but then I got a bit intrigued and looked it up and then quietly watched this forum for a while and it sounded like something I could have a go at so here I am just starting W8 all thanks to my Doc!

[Irish-John Graduate]

Ooops forgot to add that what made me even attempt to try it was a post by some lady describing how she thought her heart would burst, lungs collapse etc but 'I did it! I've graduated!" Made me realise for the first time ever - that probably NOBODY feels 'It's no problem at all' when they start running and that those people who make it look effortless probably started off wheezing and gasping too

[Hidden]

I Googled and got health unlocked. My healthy life plan was to quit smoking which I did 4 months ago and then start running which I have. So here I am going into week 2, unbelievably I might add 😄

[poppypug Graduate]

I had watched the Manchester Marathon and I was just inspired to give it a go .

I don't really know how I ended up here , I think I mustve googled it . I bless the day I did though, I am so happy I found running , it has changed my life xxx

[Aldlib Graduate]

I started running because my dogs needed more exercise and walking was taking too long (over 2 hrs a day). I am another one who totally hated running at school. I bought the Running Made Easy book (recommended by a group on the slimming world website), fell in love with how running made me feel and progressed through those programs to complete a half marathon. Started training for a marathon but 5 runs a week took its toll and I wrecked my achilles. This time round I wanted a program I could listen to whilst running and ended up here via google. About to start week 3 and enjoying it injury free so far.

[ancientrunner Graduate]

A newspaper article had mentioned C25K, then read about Parkrun but sitting around for days on end watching every minute of the London 2012 spurred me off the couch. Maybe I should write and let Seb Coe know it did have a legacy for someone.

[OldPossum]

I heard about it in radio 2 and BBC TV. I hated running in school and can be quoted as saying I'm not built for running! I needed to lose weight and get my blood pressure down (being really stubborn about medication). When I heard Sarah Millican was the app coach I decided I would have a go and I haven't looked back, hooked from day one have lost weight and lowered blood pressure but the best but is how much happier I feel. I now tell everyone who will listen about C25K in the hope that they will give it a go 😀

[Rosie958 Graduate]

I had thought about getting back into running for a while - every time I saw a marathon on tv or around town. I read about the programme online and thought it seemed manageable. I've had this germ of an idea to do a marathon the year I turn 40..... we'll see.

Alongside my work introduced a new staff benefit of corporate membership of the local council leisure centres, so I'm making use of that as well in an attempt to improve my overall fitness. I really need someone telling me what to do, so in that respect C25K suits me well

[boptillyoudrop49 Graduate]

I've always liked the idea of being a runner but never got anywhere when I tried heading out for a run, just couldn't do it. About 5 years ago (seriously!), I said the same to a couple of women runners and they recommended C25K. I didn't know what it was and didn't look it up, just shelved the idea alongside those other I-wish-I-coulds like play the cello and ride a motorbike. End of last year though I just decided to have another go at running, amazingly remembered the C25K tip, googled it and haven't looked back. I recommend it to lots of people.I don't know how you'd hear about unless you were googling for beginner running programmes.

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

Some of the ladies at Slimming World had started on the programme and I somehow found myself giving it a try. Still don't know quite how it happened!

[ajwyld Graduate]

I found out about it on the Rosemary Connley online diet site. One of the online coaches did the programme herself then recommended it to others. (Another one who hated running at school)

[ajwyld Graduate]

On the London legacy... I was at my fattest and unfittest when I spent a week at the Para games. I was definately one of those saying "my record in the 100m is about 50m"). But something definately shifted for me that week. I came back, joined an online diet programme, and got back in the pool and worked up so swimming 1km 3 times a week. When the pool shut for maintenance I thought I'd give c25k a go and here I still am.

So I'd say that there has been a bit of a London legacy for me... I definately watched Rio with different eyes.

(Have lost a stone and kept it off - but could stand to lose another - still a work in progress but I hope that half marathon training and taking more care what I eat over the coming months will shift it)

[Cianalas]

A friend mentioned she'd taken up running and asked me if I'd do a 10k with her. I just laughed - never ran in my life. But her suggestion stuck In the head and later that night I googled 'how to run', and found my way here. I bought running shoes the next morning and started the programme that afternoon. I'm a long way from the 10k.....yet!

[melly4012 Graduate]

I did W1R1 on the day of the London Marathon in April. I watch it all tearful every year, inspired by these incredible, amazing superhuman people. I wrote a facebook status about how inspiring I found watching the London Marathon each year and a friend wrote "not enough to run it though!". I saw C25k advertised on the marathon coverage and started that day (still with no belief I could ever run a marathon but I needed to get healthier and dieting never helped me lose the little bit of weight I need to shift - never imagined I would stick at it or fall in love with running!)!