On the morning of Sunday 2nd April 2017 I started C25k. I had not run for many years. I had gone from an active job to a sedentary one over the years and had gradually become overweight and unfit.
When I started W1R1 I had spent the past 3 months doing 15-25mins of HIIT exercises 3-4 times a week, So I had lost a lot of fat and was beginning to look more toned. I had not however, built up my cardio-fitness, so although I could exercise for short bursts, I had no stamina. Also, HIIT is pretty brutal and I needed a change.
I found C25k by accident, but I liked the fact that it offered up to 30mins running. This would be nice and manageable in any busy lifestyle. I signed up prepared to commit to 9 weeks of running x3 per week, fully expecting to move on to something else when I had 'graduated'.
In the end the programme took me eleven weeks as I had managed to injure my knee, which cost me some time back on the couch, or the IC as I had taken to calling it from my time on here. This forum, by-the-way is just as important as the programme itself. The advice, guidance and general support got me through so many of those runs.
Graduation was nice, but it wasn't the great satisfaction I had expected. Mainly because within this time something more special had happened. I had become a runner. This wasn't the end, it was just another running week. I had experienced the highs and some of the lows of life as a runner, and it had just become part of me and what I do.
I joined Park run. I signed up for a race, but mostly I ran alone. Running in groups is great fun, but running on your own is the best. Just you and the road/track in front.
I was adamant for a long time that 5k was my limit. All I had time for was 30mins of running, and I had never got to the end of 5k and felt that I wanted to (or even could) run more.
However, my daughters both started running. They joined the local junior parkrun, and have both joined me (and I them) on man runs since. So other than improving my health and fitness it has had a knock-on effect of improving theirs too.
Unfortunately, last Autumn my knee injury made a return visit. My GP told me that I would need to stop running for at least a month. I was gutted. It made me re-evaluate a few things. I decided that when I got back to running I was going to take the opportunity to prove something to myself. I decided to run a HM!!
Well yesterday I did it, less than a year after taking up running, I ran a HM. It has be a wonderful life affirming experience taking up running. I don't always have good runs, I certainly have plenty of days when I'd rather stay indoor than go out and run, but I never regretted running, not once. The HM was the most demanding physical experience I have ever had, but also one of the best. I will be back next year. I never thought I would say that; I never thought I would feel this way about running. But thank you C25K plan and forum - I owe you more than my limited vocabulary can possibly express.
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Wonderful story. A fantastic achievement and extremely motivational. What next... a full marathon? You can do it. May you enjoy continued success with your running journey 🏃🏽♀️🏃🏽♀️🏃🏽♀️
Thanks! Part of me wants to rush through them but I'm going to consiously savour them. I never really thought I'd get this far or have so much fun on the way! 😁
Thank you. it was nothing like I thought it would be, and for the first 10 miles or so it was just brilliant. There were lots of people cheering us on all round, a few bands and drummers playing, even a lone bagpiper. Such a lovely community feel.
Thanks Oldfloss . 'one of the team'. Thats what the HM felt like. There were so many people out in the lousy weather just to support. In times like these when it feels that there is so much bad stuff happening, it was such a wonderful surprise to see the community feel is still out there. Even if I didn't run it, I would support it next year. Wonderful atmosphere!
What a great way to celebrate your Runniversary! Congratulations on your HM and a wonderful year. And to get your daughters into running is such a great gift too. I am still trying to get my kids interested 🙂
Fab story and I love that quotation. HM is in my plan this year, but I am a little way from it just now, but I now know from people like you, that anything in running is now possible.
I have one in Italy to do which I’ve pre-registered for ( I live half and half here and there) in the summer. I have yet to hear if I am in - it is not quite so organised there as here! if that fails - I will have a look for another in the Uk in the Winter, when I’m back.
Excellent. I imagine running in Italy during the summer would be a vastly different experience to running in the UK in Winter. We are going on holiday to Italy in August, but it didn't occur to me to pack my trainers, now you've got me thinking...
The rules are - wet your vest, hair and add conditioner to it wet to stop it going like straw, take loads of water, sunscreen, and anti-mossie spray - run early or late...
Oh and if you run out of water - most cemeteries/churches have free water fountains...
How lovely - or running by the lido is also good, as you get what little breeze there is. It’s not too bad in the heat, there are just somethings to remember - your body has to work twice as hard in summer to cool you down as well as run, so your ‘speediness’ really suffers and that is normal. I used to scope out my runs first at the time day I intended running, so I could see where the shade was, - those pools of shade can be life savers. In fairness last year Italy got Lucifer the heatwave and had many weeks of 40 degrees heat. We all hope it won’t be as hot this year. And anyway near the lido you can always cool down with the gelato!
What a great year - some highs, some lows, but capped off with a HM! What will next year bring 🤔? Congrats on all your achievements and being such a strong role model for your kids.
What a wonderful change to your life running has made? Congratulations on your HM that is not something I can see myself doing, like you, I’m thinking that 5k is my limit...what an achievement in just under a year?! You should be extremely proud of yourself & I bet your Daughters are proud of their Mum too...lovely, heart-warming, inspirational post xx
However, their Mum has been through a lot and we are all very proud of her too! We will try and make her Mothers day special not least because she spent most of yesterday morning standing in the rain. Hope you get spoilt too!!
Gosh, what a lovely and life affirming post. Congratulations on all your running achievements and especially the HM! I agree with you that the forum and the programme go hand in hand. The programme/app is absoultely brilliantly worked out (and seems to work!), but I am doing this entirely on my own, so the encouragement and advice I've had from mentors, administrators and members has made a vital difference to my ability to stick with it.
What a great story! Thank-you! I have just graduated but running a half marathon I think would be a good goal to have! Hearing stories like this are real inspiration!
I have run a couple of times with friends and am going to do park run in Shrewsbury next Saturday. I am also doing a 6k run following weekend. Looking forward to both!
A wonderful post thanks. I'm so very pleased for you, thank you for sharing your journey with us.... and running with your daughters - a lovely bonus. 😄
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