3 long months ago...

[ellewood7]

... exactly, in fact. 11th July. I started C25K.

Today, 11th October, I graduated!! I can't believe I've done it! It's been a brilliant but bumpy road. I started off well, got to week 5 run 3 without too much mishap. Once I started doing the longer runs, things got a bit more tricky. I seem to be one of the minority who actually prefers doing intervals to the longer runs.

Because of this, I came a cropper a bit during weeks 6, 7 and 8. I started getting breathing and chest pains, so much so that I felt I was losing fitness with every run. I had an ECG done (which was fine) and am currently being monitored for possible Exercise Induced Asthma, with varying results.

All this meant that I dragged myself through week 7, then during week 8 completely lost my confidence after having to stop during run 2. I decided to go back to doing 10 min intervals with a 2 mins walk in between. I did a week of doing 3 x 10... THEN suddenly I decided to tackle week 9...

I'm not sure what changed, but one day I just thought, I can do 30 mins without stopping. And I did. It hurt, and it was hard and my inhaler didn't help much. But I did it. And today I did Run 3. It was also hard and hurt and I only got to 4.7km in the 30mins. But I've done it and I feel very proud of myself.

I've always been a fast, short distance runner (on the county 100m and 200m team at school) but always found long distance running hard. I wonder if I've always had a problem with undiagnosed Exercise Induced Asthma? Maybe. Maybe I'm just more naturally suited to shorter, faster runs and intervals.

I'm going to consolidate now, try and get this breathing/chest problem sorted and then crack 5k in 30mins.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone and also to let anyone else struggling that it's OK, you will break through it. Just be kind to yourself and keep going. It's taken me 3 months instead of 2, and it's definitely NOT been plain sailing. Running is still hard and painful for me, but the feeling of achievement spurs me on.

Right... onto 10k.... (only joking!!)

[BarbieW Graduate]

Well done on graduating after such a slog.

Hope it gets easier in time, but in the meantime sit back and enjoy that sense of achievement!

[ellewood7 Graduate in reply to BarbieW]

Thanks Barbie. There have definitely been euphoric moments, moments during my runs where I've felt everything click (in a good way!) and I've really enjoyed myself. I'm definitely going to keep it up

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Congratulations! Very good inspirational message too. Here’s hoping that it’ll get easier as you go. Enjoy celebrating your huge achievement.

[ellewood7 Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Thank you! I feel I've been a bit negative up there :). I've definitely had some great runs and have enjoyed the program, even when it was getting hard. Can't wait to see where my runs take me next... literally and metaphorically...

[ItstheMarchHare Graduate]

Congratulations that sounds amazing. I also have exercise enduced asthma. I take an inhaler before I go out and make sure I go steadily

[ellewood7 Graduate in reply to ItstheMarchHare]

Thank you thank you! I'm still trying out the inhaler so my doctor and I can suss out whether my problem is exercise induced asthma. I have a feeling it is.

Can I ask your advice? When do you take your inhaler? I've been told 15 mins before a run and also, half way through the run? Any tips you can give me generally would be amazing.

[ItstheMarchHare Graduate in reply to ellewood7]

That’s interesting. For me, it is more important when I go swimming and then I take it about 5 minutes before entering the pool (I find its effects more or less instant). I hadn’t thought about taking it half way, but I think that would definitely help me.

With a blue inhaler, if you take it too much you will go shaky, but up to that point it is fine. 😊

[ellewood7 Graduate in reply to ItstheMarchHare]

That's interesting - yes mine is a blue inhaler and I'm worried of over using it during runs, just in case I get too wobbly! Maybe I'll try taking it just 5 mins before runs... I do find I need to take it half way through although I'm not sure how much difference it makes at that stage. Thanks for your help

[ItstheMarchHare Graduate in reply to ellewood7]

I find it actively works for about 20 minutes 😊

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate]

Congratulations ellewood7 for completing the run and graduating🎓. It's been a struggle for you but worth it in the end. That is a good distance for your final graduation run, 4.7km is just 300 metres short of 5k, I ran 4.2km on my graduation run and finally ran a full 5k last Saturday morning in a time of 34.21. So I am sure you will soon crack 5K in 30 minutes 🏃😊

[ellewood7 Graduate in reply to AlMorr]

That's amazing, well done! How long ago did you graduate? What a brilliant achievement! I don't know why but that 300 metres feels like 300 miles at the moment... heh heh heh

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate in reply to ellewood7]

I began W1R1 of C25K on the 18 April and ran W9R3 on 18 June. After 5/30 minute post graduation runs I decided I would try to run the full 5k distance but I developed a sore hip and that put off any chance of going for the 5K. No running for 6 weeks and after I started running again I couldn't just go out for the 5K immediately but reran some of the weeks of C25K , finally last Saturday 6 October, three and a half months after graduating I ran my first full 5k in a time of 34.21.

[Lisa3009 Graduate]

Congratulations to you, that is serious stamina 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

[ellewood7 Graduate in reply to Lisa3009]

Aw thank you Lisa

[FGB1]

Brilliant really well done and in a months time I hope to get to where you have.

[ellewood7 Graduate in reply to FGB1]

You definitely will. How are you getting on at the moment??

[Nikongirl Graduate]

Hey congratulations! I also graduated on 11th October so we ran together. Great feeling isn't it? Well done on overcoming the hurdles that beset you. You are obviously a very determined person. Good luck in consolidating all the hard work you have put in so far.

[ellewood7 Graduate in reply to Nikongirl]

Ahh brilliant, graduation buddies! It's a wonderful feeling. And I feel really excited about where I'm going next. I never thought that I'd feel that about running...! And good luck to you too and CONGRATULATIONS!! Do you have any thoughts/plans of where you want to take this running lark now?

[BeckySharp1]

Brilliant. What an achievement

[ellewood7 Graduate in reply to BeckySharp1]

Thank you very much *blushes*

[Walshy3]

Very well done to you👏👏

[sHAYM4N Graduate]

Amazing!!! Massive congratulations on graduating, must feel such an achievement!!!

Was also interesting reading about your asthma though too. I had a similar situation a couple of years ago when I first tried CT5K, managed to W5R3 but bombed out on W6R2 at the half way point.

I didn't feel like I had problems breathing during the run, but at the turning point to come back (on a pretty steep hill) it suddenly felt like I had a band wrapped tight across my chest and my breathing then went all out of whack. I walked back feeling nauseous dizzy, sweating like crazy and ended up having a pretty sever panic attack over it. I suffered with similar symptoms for a good few weeks afterwards even just walking, which was worrying and had the paramedics out once and had to go to A&E.

Similarly ECG scans came back fine, and my GP put it down to Acid Reflux. I've since changed my diet which has helped and I'm now back on with the CT5K at last. Just finished W5R3 today but in the last couple of runs have felt my chest tighten a bit suddenly and have had to slow down to recover.

Reading your post was wondering how similar your symptoms had been, & also now wondering if it could be asthma related. I was diagnosed with it as a kid (as I think many were in the 90s), but never had issues with it, and never suffered from an actual asthma attack. My breathing feels generally fine when I run but it does come on suddenly when I get to a certain point.

Do hope the inhaler works for you, and you manage to break whatever it is that's been holding you back. Very inspirational to see you crack it despite the setbacks you have faced! Massive kudos

[Jinty55 Graduate]

Congratulations!