Yay! Mr Mutley has started C25K!!! 😁🏃🎉

[MutleyShuffle]

Finally my partner has started C25K, I'm so excited! I started in March last year and have been gently encouraging him to join me ever since! A bit too gently perhaps 😁 I'm quite glad I got a head start on him because he is much fitter - and younger - than me and used to be a cross country champion at school, so I know he will end up running much faster than me. But hopefully there will be a point during his journey when we can run together for a bit, before he shoots off leaving me in the dust!

Since I started Couch last year I have been enthusing about the programme to anyone who will listen, but this is the first time I have inspired someone else to start. Well there was one friend but he didn't make it to the end of week one, so I don't count that! Mr M has already gone out and bought running shoes so he must be serious! How lovely, a running family - me, Mr M and little mutley 🐾 We can be like those families you see at Park Run, all jogging along together - bliss! 🤗🏃🏃🐕

[cheekychipmunks Graduate]

Aww how lovely MS! That sounds like it’ll be so much fun. ❤️

Mr cheekychipmunks is 100% fitter than me - he’s a competitive rower - and whereas he’s proud of what I’ve achieved zero-10k, he’d never run with me, nor would I encourage it as it would show up my true 🐌-ness!!! I’d like him to do parkrun one day, but he rows on Saturday mornings, and that’s his priority. 🚣🏿‍♀️

Can’t wait to hear Mr Mutley’s exploits. Will he come on here and introduce himself? You can tell him how friendly we all are! 😀🏃‍♀️🏃👍

[MutleyShuffle Graduate in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I doubt somehow that he will come on here as he thinks I spend too much time on here and he would be scared of getting hooked! I will see if I can persuade him to join just for the advice!

[cheekychipmunks Graduate in reply to MutleyShuffle]

We’ll be happy to help obviously. 😀😀

[MutleyShuffle Graduate in reply to cheekychipmunks]

😁👍

[linda9389 Graduate]

That's brilliant. A great interest to share. My daughter did C25K with me, but hasn't run another step since My middle son runs a little bit and has agreed to do the LLHM with me, but he's way faster than me. No one else in the family is in the least bit interested!

I did inspire a friend though and she is still running - this morning is a year since her father died and she just msgd me to say she has had a very satisfying run this morning and let the floodgates open! It's a great feeling to have inspired someone else to take up such an amazing hobby.

Here's to you and your OH having many happy runs together

[MutleyShuffle Graduate in reply to linda9389]

Thanks Linda 😊 That's lovely you inspired your friend and running is proving so helpful to her. Nice your son runs too even if you don't see him for dust!

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Way to go Mr Mutley! Now he may end up faster, but you have a huge head start on endurance!

[MutleyShuffle Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Absolutely 😁

[pianoteacher Graduate]

Wow that's brilliant!

My 13 year old son took up running after I started couch25k and we've had lots of fun running together. He was beginning to challenge me with his parkrun times but hasn't really trained since the clocks changed so I'm safe for a few more months 🤣 Mind you he's pretty speedy at junior parkrun so I'm glad I don't have to race him there!

Unfortunately I can't persuade my boyfriend to run ☹️ He's an all or nothing type of person. The one and only time he did parkrun he ran flat out for as far as he could then walked to get his breathe back, ran flat out, walked, ran flat out.... for the whole 5k. I tried to explain pacing to him but apparently running slower is boring 😂

My ex-husband also started at the same time as our son - not sure I can take credit for that one as his girlfriend has been running for years! Quite often we can all be found pootling round parkrun on a Saturday morning.

None of us are ever going to challenge the real speedies but we all get so much out of running x

[MutleyShuffle Graduate in reply to pianoteacher]

That's lovely you all do park run - at the same time if not all together! Great your son is enjoying running too - yes, treasure those moments you can spend running together before he picks up speed and zooms off into the distance! I know that's what Mr M will do before long. Despite my wise counsel he did initially go jogging with his friend around the park - for an hour!! The next day he could hardly walk for the pain down the back of his leg - I tried not to say "I told you so" too many times! He rested up and did stretches for a few days and then yesterday started C25K like a good boy - albeit jumping straight in at week 3! He said the first run was "easy peasy". Grrr! 🤐

[pianoteacher Graduate in reply to MutleyShuffle]

Glad he's seen the light about following the programme! 😁

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to pianoteacher]

It’s great that you guys can all parkrun together. I read an article on C25K where the author ran it just like we do and her boyfriend ran it “like a guy” he picked up a few injuries and she got faster than him... think he’s probably learned from that, maybe yours will too!

[pianoteacher Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

I ran a 5k race in the summer where two boys of about 8 ran it flat out/walk style. They came in with me in under 27 and a half minutes😂 much less chance of injury at that age though!

The "like a guy" bit is very interesting. It's a bit of a generalisation but it does seem a lot of men are not so willing to allow themselves to go slower (everyone on this site excepted!) they would rather just not do it at all. I parkrun every week and there are a lot less slower male runners than there are women x

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to pianoteacher]

I used the quotes as they weren’t my own words... but yes, thinking about it it’s the same when I’ve marshalled... the odd male walker but I only remember a couple of male run/walkers, lots of women have/do. We also tend to have a lot less women in total, which is a shame... parkrun were researching why this is a while back, looking at wether they were inclusive enough but I didn’t hear the outcome. Juniors has the same issue, sadly.

[pianoteacher Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

That's really interesting UNM. I've just had a quick look at some recent stats for my parkrun (Hastings) and and we have a pretty even split of male/female runners. I wonder if it's partly the course - along the seafront so flat and good terrain whatever the weather.

Juniors (Eastbourne) have significantly less girls taking part and most of them tend to be littlies. Come to think of it there aren't that many boys in the older age category (11-14) that do it either. My son was 4th finisher last time out - the three infront of him were all 10 and under. He's 13 and towers above most of the other kids but he loves the distance and isn't bothered about coming in behind kids younger than him.

It would be interesting to see the findings of parkrun's inclusivity research x

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to pianoteacher]

Yes, we have a lack of teenager girls... some 11 and 12s keep the stats up, and we lost one to her 15th birthday recently. Think we have 2/3 teenage boys. The teens do tend to run parkrun on Saturdays and then juniors on Sunday, so maybe they’re just moving on up? My parkrun has the same girl (15-17) first female finisher on a regular basis, really hope she keeps it up as she’s got perfect form and she’s so fast... could go places.

I guess there’s a few things going on, girls have different things going on body wise while boys just get stronger. Maybe the numbers of women are just a progression from that? Also the demand for women’s only swimming sessions may be related... all things we need to change of course... I’m sure parkrun will come up with some plans to get more women involved.

[ktsok Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

It’s interesting, isn’t it? Back to the old nature nurture conversation. When I’m picking up my 8 year old son from school I notice that the boys are often racing around playing ‘it’ far more than the girls, who tend to be chatting more. I think it’s inclination rather than societal pressure, these days. But we still tend to compliment little girls on how they look (what a pretty dress, what a lovely smile) and compliment little boys on their actions (what a strong boy, carrying that bag!). It feels completely natural to do so, but when you think about it, it doesn’t seem quite so healthy.

I have several female friends that would like to swim, but find the exposure daunting. It’s easy to find excuses not to exercise at the best of times. Swimming is often quite an effort not just in terms of the actual exercise, but the time and logistics of getting to the pool. Add the feeling of embarrassment about wobbly bits being on display and it just doesn’t happen. We don’t look our best (generally) in a swimsuit, swim hat and goggles!

By the way, I have recently bought some Prana swim leggings and they are brilliant! I’m back in the pool and concentrating on swimming and enjoying myself, rather than feeling cross that I care about my bum hanging out. I’m spreading the word to all self conscious ladies 🙂

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to ktsok]

Good on ya. I don’t mind women only swim sessions... just that they’re needed.

Little miss UNM has never been given any gender stereotypes, but has fallen into some... she loves running though and the fact she can outrun even the sporty boys... they may be fast, but she can just keep going!