I graduated tonight!!! Hip hip hooray!! Can't believe it.i started the journey in the new year and I have such vivid memories of thinking how can anyone ever run 3 minutes. Now I can run 35! Amazing. I know I shouldn't track distance but I did 4.2k in 35 mins. My goal is to get to 5, then get this down to 30mins if I can. Then I'm going to start on 10k. I'm so proud that I did this. I never stopped, I never aborted a run, I never didn't go when I had planned to go. Just keep going!!
Some tips for people just starting out...
1- aches and pains usually go away with time. I had really sore knees to start. They hurt when I walked downstairs. This went after about week 4/5. I still have a sore hip but I've started yoga as well, and a couple of weeks in I'm feeling much more flexible and not as sore. Try it!
2 - food. I'm dieting too, and I have a really slow metabolism so need to be really strict to lose weight. I wasn't eating carbs, but then realised I absolutely needed the energy. So I found carbs before a run and protein after worked well for me.
3 - a double espresso just before you head out the door puts a spring in your step! I mentioned this to a few cycling friends who let me into this secret. Always wondered why they stopped in so many coffee shops on their routes!
4- get the right gear/listen to music. I wasn't going to invest in anything new until I graduated. Then I realised that I needed to not have to worry about my trousers falling diwn/jumper riding up. I got a pretty cheap outfit from m&s and have lived in it since. I also downloaded Spotify to listen to dance music! The beat really helped me keep a rhythm.
So guys, thank you for everything. This has been such a fantastic experience. I'm a runner!!
W9R3 - Graduation 👨🎓😜💨👟
Post graduation... ups and downs... why does this happen?
Strange first post graduation run
Graduation (and 5k!)
