Well this has been the most amazing journey of discovery! So much has been learned along the way about what you can do at any age if you decide you’ll try no matter what!
I am reminded by Maya Angelou’s quote “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” These 9 week’s have been a period of so many changes and so many new experiences. I remember the long distance runs at school that I hated so much and found a way not to do! So deciding to do this programme was like a touch of madness. But talking to my niece (daughter of my brother who passed away at 46) about family stuff she did not know. I felt sad that she would not hear these things from him. That’s why I decided I’m going to do everything I can to be around to fill in the gaps and give the love that he most certainly would have.
I’ve found a willfullness to continue no matter the obstacles that have seemed to stack up over and over. I’ve laughed at them and myself (a lot) too! When I went running outside for the first time, I had palpitations! Seriously, my heart was racing out of sheer fear! I fumbled to set the app, looking for keys, getting the music going with the app simultaneously. All while “just leave it for another time, you don’t need to do this” sounded in my head! But, I’ve had some choice words for the mind over the past 9 weeks! I am doing it! And I’ve only gone and done it!
I blubbered like a baby when I saw my son at the end! I have had the most amazing birthday present ever! The best thing is I gave it to myself! Even now I’m crying! 😱!
This forum and everyone on here, admin, mentors, graduates, runners at all stages have all given me so much support and encouragement! I cannot thank you all enough! I’ve done something I could once only dream of! Thank you! Big hugs to you all!
Happy running, runners! Wherever you are on the programme, enjoy! 😉😁😁😁😁❤️
Written by
Fabulous450
Graduate
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Aww what a lovely post, congratulations! your brother would be proud of you too and for doing this for his daughter.
I so recognise the fumbling to get out of the house - now I stick my headphones in, attach keys to belt and have phone in hand - must have forgotten something, it used to take me 10 mins to get out the door 😂
Happy birthday- hope your day continues to be wonderful you c25k graduate you! 🏃🏻♀️👩🏻🎓🏆🥂👏👏👏
It’s been fantastic watching you make your way through the programme and vicariously enjoying your island jaunts. Your attitude has been perfect to get through this programme and you have done it in style.
In my head many runners on here are animals or characters - you’ve been a gazelle. Everything has been done with grace and humility.
Enjoy your birthday. Celebrate well. And enjoy the runs to come.
Heartfelt congratulations to you, darling girl. What an amazing trip it has been and you have so generously shared yourself all the way through. How lovely to gave your son waiting at the finish line. And your niece is so lucky to have such a special aunt. You ARE fabulous.
Beautiful photo, beautiful person. Enjoy your celebrations xx
Thank you so much Dee! I’m very grateful for your support and inspiration along this journey! It’s been amazing you’ve all helped me to never fail to find the humour inside every obstacle experienced. ❤️
OMG, that post made me cry! So delighted for you, an amazing start to being 50. You seem like a wonderful person and you truly deserve this. Enjoy this moment, bottle it and have the most wonderful birthday. 👏🏃🏾♀️🏅🎂🍾🍾🍾
Thank you so much! You’re so kind! Off to the wildlife park now Dralimc! 50th next year, so phase 2 will be to lose some weight now I’m a runner! One thing at a time! There’s a bikini and a beach waiting for me somewhere next year!!! ❤️
Yay! Well done! So happy for you!! Enjoy your graduation day- make sure you celebrate what you've achieved! And happy birthday to you! Have a fabulous time!!!! 🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾😀😀😀😀😀😀😀🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾
Happy birthday Fabulous!!!! Well done! I'm just about to post my graduation run - go US! You've been posting encouragement to everyone else throughout your own journey and I've loved sharing it with you XXX
It has been an absolute pleasure Equi-geek! I am proud to have shared the journey with such amazing people! By now you will no doubt be celebrating too! I’m so pleased for you too! ❤️
Just brilliant! Great post, have loved seeing the support you have given to so many others on this forum. You are a lovely lady. Graduation so very well deserved. Happy Birthday and many, many more running miles to come. Party time whoo hoo! 🍾🍾
Oh Fabulous just brilliant!! You are amazing and your post is heartfelt and a joy to read.
Your birthday is now an amazing day and to share it with your son is truly magical. You are doing your brother proud and giving his daughter so much. You are absolutely fabulous!!
Thank you KazH01! Yes definitely consolidation is next! I’ve got the charity 5k in September and still another year until the 50th and I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do! Brilliant! ❤️
Crikey that's made me cry!! Huge Congratulations to you lovely lady ❤ and wishing you a very Happy Birthday! 🎉⭐️🏃♀️💪👊🙌😍 You continue to be a source of inspiration again and again and again 😊Now just one question, did you wear the shorts?? 😱
Hey Flara 👋🏽 👋🏽 ! Thank you so much. I did put the shorts on and they did ride up a bit! A bit wonky, so I decided that I didn’t want to be distracted or scupper myself by having to fiddle with them and so I have left them for another time! Capri’s today! The commitment has been made and I’ll do it! With photos! 😵! 🤣🤣❤️
Well done and huge congratulations to you, you really are fabulous!! I’ve enjoyed reading your posts so hope we hear from you again as a graduate. Enjoy your birthday, you deserve a great one. 🏃🏽♀️🍾🎂😀
Oh thank you MeandMam! I shall be here to give back and help others as much as I can. Besides, I’ve got much more to learn and a lot of running days ahead! 😁😁❤️
I’ve been looking out for you all morning! Congratulations you Fabulous woman 🌟😋🏆👏💖. It’s amazing what we can achieve & ive loved reading your posts along the way. Great photo😘
Thank you so much! Yes, it’s a big double celebration for me today! SendWine is quite fitting now I’ve just got back home from the wildlife park with my boys. 😁😁❤️
Oh thank you so much Blonde! And you will most definitely too! I’ll be cheering you on girl! Thank you for sharing the journey alongside me! All the encouragement and support! You’re brilliant! ❤️
Thank you Catbee! It’s been such a joy to have both come together! A strange but brilliant coincidence! I hadn’t realised until my mate Chelsea007 said when our graduation might be a couple of weeks ago! Then we both decided to set the date for celebrations. He did a brilliant park run graduation this morning too! 😁😁❤️
Oh thank you so much Jundal! Means a lot! I will carry on and you all know you always have my support too wherever you are on the journey, it’s so worth it! ❤️❤️
Thank you jennitricot! I absolutely loved the experience and the best thing there’s more to come! It’s doable and life changing! We can all do it! 😁😁❤️
Thank you so much Dee!! Whoooop whoooop! Oh yes, I can do that one! I’m certainly going to be helping to fix up the podium for those coming up. MJ has left me!! 😨 But I will continue with new experiences! 😁❤️
Thank you Kar!! I’m a graduate! I run! 😱😱! I told my mum today for the first time, she lives up North and had no idea. She was so shocked! 🤣 It was my own personal mission and somehow, I did it! ❤️
Congratulations and Happy Birthday to a fabulous graduate! I came on here today to see if you had done it and you've not only done today you've smashed the whole programme! Go celebrate in style 🏆🍸🏃🎂🎉🏆
Thank you so much SimonT! You’ve all inspired me and made me think it’s possible, when I myself wasn’t so sure, but knew I just had to get out there to find out! ❤️
Spectacular! Happy, happy birthday, indeed! Your words echoed truly for many of us. Your bright spirit and gritty determination have been inspirational. Enjoy the view from the graduation podium-and then get down and eat some cake! 🤣🤣🎉🎉🐌
Very well done and Happy Birthday! Thank you so much for telling us bout your experiences, you've been truly inspirational. Thank you too, for so much personal support. Keep running and keep enjoying it you fabulous woman!
Aah thank you DeborahJK! This is such a great experience, but it doesn’t come without some challenges along the way. You’ve all been so supportive to me too. A massive thank you!! ❤️❤️
What an amazing post Fabulous, and a wonderful quote too! What a way to celebrate your birthday!!! A very Happy Birthday to you and hope you have many happy years of running ahead of you. I think you deserve a very large piece of cake and something fizzy to go with it 🥂🥂🥂🍰🍰🍰🎉🎉🎉
Thank you so much TailChaser! I’m about to do just that! I couldn’t not say thank you to everyone on the forum! I shall sleep like a baby tonight! Smiling in my sleep! 🤣😁❤️
Happy birthday F450! Better late than never, just catching up on all my fab support! I hope you had a really great day. And well done. Love your post by the way 🥂
Yaaaaaaay well done fabulous449 😃😃😃😃 who knows what you’ll be running for 50 at least 10k you’ll be even more fabulous! And I hope you have had a fantastic birthday 🎂 🎁🎈🎉🎉🎉🎉 xxxx
Thank you Marvo69! 😁😁 It’s been a brilliant day! 😁😁❤️
Absolutely wonderful!! We've all been waiting for this day - you did it! You. Perfect, amazing, wonderful you! I've loved every minute of your journey and remember the post of your first outing very well. Look how far you've come. Look at what you've achieved and think of what's still to come. This is only the beginning!!!
Thank you so much Sutsha!! It has been quite a journey indeed! 😁 It’s a bit like passing your driving test! I now know I’ve got the skills to do this, so I’m looking forward to more great experiences. ❤️
Excited! I hope that I will be doing a one year on post! I need to carry on this amazing adventure to make that happen! My new goal is to claim the name with pride! 😉❤️
Thank you so much oldladyruns! What an amazing day it was! Looking for an app I like for the consolidation runs now. Branching out in my own without MJ! Can’t quite believe I’m saying that yet! 😁❤️
Thank you so much RobW73! I’ve had a lot of good times laughing at myself too! I’ve learned that sometimes there’s stuff that really just doesn’t matter, how you look, your doubts, your fears, it’s all about giving it a go and seeing what happens! And 😱 you find out you can after all! That is truly fabulous! ❤️
Well done, I’m so happy for you, you are amazing. Graduation run for me tomorrow. Keep posting, I will miss all my virtual friends if we vanish after graduation xxx
Thank you Tartiflette! I’ve really appreciated all of the support and encouragement too! Back out tomorrow! Seeing how I do without my MJ! The experiences continue! 😉❤️
Aaah thank you so much Oldfloss! Your guidance to me and others has been tremendous! That go slow snail mantra and have fun, has been a suit of armour over the past 9 weeks! Thank you is not really big enough! You’re brilliant!
I’m still learning and now it’s time for even more fun! 😁😁❤️
Massive congratulations Fabulous! I'm sorry I missed the last few weeks, but I've just been catching up on your runs in all those beautiful places. And how funny that so many of you run in that same park! Happy birthday for yesterday too - you really do look Fabulous already, so goodness knows how much more fabulous you will be by this time next year. Jay is right when he compared you to a gazelle 🌹🌷🌼🌺🌻🌿
P.s. I know what you mean about running shorts - I can never find any that remotely fit. They bunch up in odd places and somehow end up making me look like a puffball...
Oh so nice to see you Eiralas!! Thank you so much! It’s amazing what a photo can do isn’t it?! 😁
Shorts? Well....Eiralas! I had them on today doing a bit of exercise in the living room (Trying to include a bit of tone up on rest days) It confirmed that I was right not to wear the shorts outdoors just yet! 😵 🤣! ❤️
Hey Fabulous450, only just noticed this, been a busy weekend, but many congratulations and it sounded like you enjoyed your first post grad run as well!
A fantastic achievement, well done, see you at 10K...!
Thanks very much Visionon! Not yet sure about the 10k, but a new spark was ignited today, so I’m not discounting that either. Looking forward to 3 weeks of run, just for fun 😁😁😁❤️!
One of the best graduation posts I have read. Sorry to be late to congratulate you, just catching up after a weekend away from things. But as we oldies (which you ain't) say, "better late than never."
Ah Fabulous you are truly fabulous in many many ways and I'm sorry I'm so late in congratulating you! (I was away for a long weekend with little connectivity).
Thank you for sharing your journey, I've laughed alongside you, and felt the total emotion and devotion oozing from every word you write.
I hope you celebrated your birthday in style and had a great day, basking in all the well deserved your glory! 👏👏👍😍
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I did it! I’m a Graduate!
Oh my goodness, I just ran a 5km Park Run....and LOVED it 😃
Woo hoo I am a graduate...so delighted I've actually done it🥂😁
It’s FebRUNary..come and join my CONSOLIDATION CLUB....
I’m a GRADUATE 🙂
