Hello to all the recent join-ers of this amazing forum. I've not dropped by here for a few weeks and it's been SO lovely to come on today and skim through lots of posts from people who've just started, or are in the middle of, or have newly graduated from the NHS's amazing Couch to 5k program. Well done everyone. 
And to anyone lurking and reading the forum who hasn't started the plan yet, can I encourage you to go for it! Take it from lots of us, it's much more doable than you might be thinking.
I did C25k in early 2016. I found every single run difficult, to be honest, never having done much in the way of exercise at all in the preceding 50 years. But I managed it, to my astonishment. No-one was more surprised than I was when I ran in my first 5k event (and that's saying something, because a lot of people were extremely surprised). I even managed a handful of 10ks and, amazingly, a 10 miler in spring 2017 - all of them slowly of course, but still...
But after that my running got worse and worse. After many months, and a number of medical tests, I was finally diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency. I am very happy to report that I am now on the mend. On Saturday I ran the whole of parkrun with no walking breaks. I think the last time I managed that was in July last year. I was happy for the rest of the day. I had forgotten the loveliness of post-run "runner's high".
I don't think I'm ever going to be a fast runner. But I'm happy to be a runner. And I'm very happy to regard all you C25k Forum Folk as my friends. It is an amazingly positive and supportive community. There is a lot of meanness and rudeness out there in cyberspace and I always think that this is a beautiful oasis of positivity and joy.
Just wanted to say \"hello\" 
Chubby running buddy slowed me down!
Hello! New to the forum.
Runners Runny nose - any advice?
