Advice please for new graduate

[SPrunning]

Hello, I've got three questions please:

1. How do I get my graduation badge please? I completed Week 9 yesterday. (Yay!)

2. Are there some good stretches or exercises please for before/after running? I'm managing the running just about, but legs quite stiff the next day. I've started a bit of yoga, is that a good idea?

3. Is there a link please to a gentle moving on programme? I'm not interested in moving up to 10k, but did someone mention a speed /strength/stamina programme? Or could someone share what they have been doing since graduation?

Many thanks in advance.

[Berksrover Graduate]

First of all, many congratulations on your graduation, a fantastic achievement.

To get your graduation badge you have to let the Admins know, there is a pinned post from ju-ju- telling you what to do.

I am no expert on stretches, I go through a series if stretches that were in a treadmill manual I got years ago, but plenty of advice online.

There are three further NHS podcasts the C25K+ series, narrated by Laura, called speed, stepping stones and stamina, many folk use them.

The general advice post graduation is to consolidate, I ran 5k, 3 times a week for 3 weeks before moving on to the Bridge to 10k programme, all of which6tiij more than 30 minutes.

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy your running.

[SPrunning Graduate in reply to Berksrover]

Thank you very much, I will check out those podcasts. Not quite ready yet to stride out without some guidance so those sound great! I did C25K with Sarah Millican so will have to get to know Laura now! 👍 👍

[Equi-geek Graduate]

SPrunning - you little devil - I love your post.... ‘ahem, I finished... hello?’ WELL DONE!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏😁😁😁🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓

You get your badge by commenting in one of the Admin’s pinned post. On my computer, these are on the right of my screen. It’ll say about July graduation

Yoga is a great idea but there are some specific stretches on the NHS Choices website and many of us use a physio roller -

Painful but ‘nice’ pain and they work!

Moving on, there are other strength programmes also on NHS Choices . I would link but I don’t have the tech savvy to do it yet 🤣

[SPrunning Graduate in reply to Equi-geek]

Thanks Equi-geek (great name by the way and loved your Park Run post, many congratulations!). Will check out the physio roller, hadn't heard of those, and will look up those links, thank you. Can't believe I really did it!

[LookNannyruns Graduate]

Very well done to you. The programme is excellent but at graduation many of us felt the what now? experience.

If it is of any help to you I set myself a few small goals of my own to keep me motivated.

To still be running in a year from my first run

To try whenever possible to keep to 3 runs a week

To do park run so that I was with other runners and got a validation of my hard work

Not to worry about speed or distance too much, I try to either run for 30mins or 5k each time (never yet both at the same time!!)

Varying routes, music, and playing lots of mind games

Also to keep reading other people’s stories on this forum - it is like being a member of a club and that makes me feel I really am a runner

Good luck in your onward journey. Those achy legs of yours will stronger every week from now on

[Millsie-J Graduate]

Well done SP.... leave a request here for a badge 👍🏼

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[SPrunning Graduate in reply to Millsie-J]

Thank you! I actually finished in July and have managed to find that thread and leave my request x

[SPrunning Graduate]

Oh yay, I got my badge!!!! Thank you!