Apologies. I have just read this post through and it sounds like a sermon... you can tell I am a school teacher!
Can I start by saying that the aim of this post is to give encouragement to anyone who is starting C25k or thinking about doing a Parkrun.
I graduated C25k on my 51st Birthday last April and since then I have tried to keep up with my running.
Well, this morning I have had my best ever Parkrun.
This fat 51 year old, red faced, muttering to himself (I have this habit of saying "come on fat boy run" when I start to flag), sweaty bloke has just /just about managed a sub 35 min 5k, by 6 seconds... 34:54 min. My second PB was my fastest 1k of 6:33 which I am even happier about as my previous pb of 6:48 was back in Sept when I set out to run 1k as fast as I could.
OK....ok.... I know its not going to worry the Olympic selectors but just under a year ago I was starting the C25K program and found running a couple of minutes hard. I was out of breath going up the stairs at work. I got to the stage of not weighing myself anymore because I was pushing 19 stone... and I'm not exactly tall (I am now 16 stone 4 ... so still a way to go weight wise but...)
After today's run I sought out the chap wearing the "organisers bib" and thanked him and the volunteers. He seemed surprised... perhaps the world would be a better place if we said "thank you" more often!
My family made the right sort of noises about my "achievement" but I know that they don't really get it. They don't really get how C25K and parkrun have changed my life ... I suspect that you, reader, might.
I've still a way to go and age isn't on my side. As many have posted the C25K program is fantastic but its biggest problem is the name. It should be "C2runningfor30minutes" which while more accurate isn't very snappy. For me 5k in 30mins is a long way off and I need to remember I will be slower than today in future Parkruns.
Enough of this waffle...
If you are starting C25k well done and keep going.
If you are thinking about stating it... do it ASAP.
If you are wondering about Parkrun do what I did... go along for a look so you know whats what and then have ago. Today, as usual, I was towards the back, though I am SLOWLY moving up the field, and was lapped by many many people. But when I rang the "personal best bell" my local Parkrun has people I don't know were genuine in the congratulations they offered.
If I can do it anyone can. As another poster has written (its sounds like the sort of thing oldfloss would say) ... as soon as you start you are already ahead of those people sitting at home doing nothing.
Happy running!
1st Parkrun done - can I have a cake now?? :-) 
Week 7 and Parkrun PB! 
Graduate C25k - if I can, you can
