In the beginning there was an egg...well actually two fried eggs ,usually accompanied by three sausages, 2 rashers of bacon, mushrooms,plum tomatoes , baked beans a portion of toast and a black coffee..and then finish what the wife had left on hers. That’s what I would have on the local all you can eat fry up buffet , every time.
Confession no 1...I never actually started this with the intention of becoming “a runner”, it didn’t cross my mind actually 🤦🏻♂️. I started this whole thing to lose weight. I had just had a significant birthday that shall remain nameless ( I’m repeating my twenty’s again) and had put on so much weight I was beginning to feel uncomfortable in my own skin , clothes weren’t fitting , I felt ridiculous, stupid things like getting out from a low car or climbing the steps of a car park where beginning to feel difficult and then there was all the beer 😱..so during the past xmas holiday period I just decided that things had to change. Not having much money I was not keen to join a gym , needed something cheaper , a colleague at Work who is an absolute total runner nut ( the annoying sort who people stare at when they go on about running) mentioned her local park run (for the 100th time🤦🏻♂️) and it suddenly occurred to me that running was free. I “googled” running ( other search engines available) coz that’s what us humans do now instead of thinking , found this C25K thing and...💡
New Year’s Day in the rain was week one run one, and as I sweated and gasped my way through a minute all I focused on was if I could just run for 30 minutes , 3 times a week , It would help me loose weight and wouldn’t cost me much money..W1, became W2 and then at some point in Week 4 ...something happened and I’ll never know what..but ...it became about the running?!? ...and 5k?!?!...I can’t eloquently express how ridiculous this is... I’m not an runner or an exercise freak, I’m not known for sport ( unless I’m a pub with 8 pints etc)
But yet now I am. 🤪
Confession no 2..I hit the running for 30 minute mark in about the end of week 7..i didn’t say anything because I didn’t want it to sound like I was showing off or I didn’t want anyone else who was on a similar week to feel pressure or competition that they should be at that point too.
Doing the podcasts went from “ better do my run i suppose “ to “ I HAVE TO DO MY RUN!!!” I started planning when I could do them , I looked forward to it and when life chucks the inevitable curve ball and it all goes wrong and i have to delay or miss one ...it does my head in. Utterly .Totally.
I’m still slow and proud of it . 5k takes me between 35-40 minutes. I don’t care.
I very much DO care that I’ve lost nearly two stone in 9 weeks.
I , rightly or wrongly , now think running is 10% legs 10% lungs and 80% in your head.
Without a doubt , Couch to 5k has been one of the best ideas that ever stumbled into my head
This forum where I vent my spleen became part of that ritual as well , do a run then spew it out , i don’t really know how many people read these things I do it more as a cathartic thing
When I was struggling in the early weeks, one night I was trying to find some inspirational quote or something to keep me going ,I found this by Thomas Jefferson.
“If you want something you’ve never had , you need to do something you’ve never done.”
I have cursed, swore , sweated and spat that out on nearly every run I’ve ever done. I still do. It helps me.
The English breakfasts have gone. The beer is now Gin and slim line tonic
As for the annoying colleague who won’t shut up about running at work?..well, we’ve become as thick as thieves now, and I’m quite happy to admit there are now TWO annoying people in my work place who won’t shut up about running
Good luck on your run ,on whatever week your on, your amazing for trying to do this , repeat where you need too. Remember that the only person you ever need to beat on a run is self doubt , after all, Even us snails got on the ark, didn’t we 😉👍🏻💪🏻
9 weeks ago all I could run was a bath. I can now run for thirty minutes. That’s what C25K has done for me. It can do it for you
Thankyou
Apologies for length x
Written by
OlderThanDirt
Graduate
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Well done on graduating in style! That is so brilliant! I read your post with interest and it made me laugh as well. I know what you mean about having to do the run!! When I was snowed in I got very tetchy about not being able to run.
Have just completed Week 7 this morning, so I shall feel inspired by your post to carry on to graduation (and beyond).
what an amazing post that was xxx and so true of many who start I also started running to lose weight now I run because I love it and weight loss if a nice by product , its also dragged me out of anxiety and depression and I've never been so happy x keep up the great work .. Runner 🏃
Congratulations, your story will be an inspiration to others just getting off the couch. Hope you continue to enjoy your running and maintain your new healthy lifestyle. Well done!
Yes, yes, yes, yesssss!!!! 😃👍🏃♂️ Jumping up and down here as that post will certainly resonate with so many Folks! Me for Sure! I was same as you, and being skint, thought this was ticking all the boxes. It did and then some! Life changing for sure
Parkrun is fab as well. Also free so what’s not to like 🙂
I’m pleased you have a running work colleague! 😃 that’s handy. Having someone to shares ideas, hopes and aspirations with, compare blisters and black nail stories 😁
I wanted to run 5 k before my 50 th this month which I have now achieved. I just want to continue running now love the programme miss the podcasts. Well done great story
What an amazing post! Seems running has been truly life-changing for you. Congrats on your new life! I'm sure it will be a long one filled with more surprises along the way
...And the fruit pudding, the lorne sausage, the tattie scone. I'm not helping, am I?! Heck I've started seeing hash browns crop up in our full Scottish breakfasts now, we're just paragons of health over here... ROFL
Awesome, amazing post!!! Well done OlderThanDirt who has now become a runner!!! Whoohoo!!! Let's keep on annoying all our non-running colleagues until they too become runners 😂. Keep running, keep posting, keep inspiring! You're doing great!
Thanks for the post, today was tough, running in icy rain into a head wind, so reading this was inspiring, I too started this “journey” to lose weight and am now enjoying the “light jog” as Michael Johnson call it! Congrats on graduating. I’m looking forward to reward to Week5 R1 on Sunday 🤞🏽It’s not cold or windy!
What a brilliant post OlderThanDirt, I hope lots of the new runners read it😊..
Congratulations on completing the program, and for all the benefits that have come with becoming a runner.
Your story is honest, heartwarming and funny, I think it's great how you are now as 'thick as thieves' with your serious running coleague😆..of course you are...talking about running is so interesting!😉
Good luck carrying on with your running, I see you have your Graduate badge, and hope you will continue to post, it may help you stay motivated, to read how others are doing too.
Snort, don't apologise for length [considers re-phrasing that, but doesn't ], deserves a not short post! I *loved* reading this. It's great reading how your journey unfolded (and bloody funny along the way too! The free bit, I was crying at that. Lovely memories of my late brother-in-law, I could totally hear him saying that).
Awesome to hear how well the weight loss has gone. Seems such a healthier way to do and actually one that will stick because it's a habit changer.
Love this > "I’m still slow and proud of it . 5k takes me between 35-40 minutes. I don’t care."
Totally concur with this > "running is 10% legs 10% lungs and 80% in your head."
And a Jefferson quotation? Well Sir, I doth my cap to you!
As for the first bit, I'm probably going to have to go and make some bacon, eggs and toast now. (I'm the C25K freak who has ended up eating *more* thanks to the running. Shhhh. Sorry everyone )
So many congratulations, but you don't need them. You know how awesome you are to have gotten here!
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Heck I've started seeing hash browns crop up in our full Scottish breakfasts now, we're just paragons of health over here... ROFL 
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