[Long post warning] 1 year on from starting C25K

[Achy4days]

I started C25k one year ago and this a summary on how I find running for a year and what impact it has had on me, which I hope will be useful for people who are not sure about running and those who have just started on this journey.

I wrote a jokey (but true) summary after about 3 months of running: healthunlocked.com/couchto5... which you may prefer to read since that one is a bit more fun and I want to be completely open this time.

27 Sep 2018 was the day I decided that I am going to get fit. Sure, weight loss was also on the agenda as I have always been overweight but the main reason was because I wanted to join the Army Reserves and the basic physical requirement was being able to run 1.5 miles within 14’30”. My husband timed my run and it turned out I barely ran 1 mile before stopping because I was convinced that I was dying. The 14’30” requirement then, seemed like an impossible dream, never mind being the starting basic fitness to which harder and harder training lies ahead.

Being a worrywart, I studied the schedule and run times meticulously before I decided to believe all the positive testimonies and start the C25k programme. Here I must confess I did not start on W1 but W5 because I thought I was better than that. The hubris proved to be a mistake as my body kept saying ‘no’, so I had to repeat a lot of runs until 2 months later when I could finally, FINALLY, run for 30mins continuously. At that time, I could not get to the magic 5k yet it felt glorious and gave me a whole new perspective on myself mentally and physically.

Since then I have been working on running longer distances and have been supplementing the distance with other types of running, such as fartlek, hills, trails and have really gotten into weight lifting. I think my body has changed a lot. I stopped having neck & back pains, I feel fitter, I have much more developed leg muscles, I also worry less with what I eat (hence I have not lost weight but have not gained either). The husband comes out cycling to accompany me whilst I run, so he’s getting fitter too. And even the depression gremlin has been kept at bay.

Despite all these great changes, I still find running three times a week too hard on my body and ended up on the sick bed and injury couch for 3 months this year. I see tons of lovely stories of people finishing c25k and then being able to run 10k in another few months. After a year, I can barely run 6k without stopping so I feel like I am still playing catch up. That, on top of my laziness, make me feel like a fraud to call myself a runner.

BUT the most valuable lesson I have learned from a year of running is, the hardest way is most probably the right way. That is to say, there are no shortcuts, cheating, or faking effort in running; you get what you have invested. And because of the amount of time and effort I have invested in myself over the past year, I can do so much more than I have ever been able to. And that in itself is life changing.

P.S. I didn’t get in the Army and still can’t run 1.5 miles in 14’30”

[Buddy34 Graduate]

Well I think you're great. Such an inspirational story and you're still running. Here's to another year. Congratulations 👏👏

[Achy4days Graduate in reply to Buddy34]

Thank you so much! I can’t see running not being a part of me anymore so here’s to more running years!

[Seaside22 Graduate]

Thanks for such a great post - sound like you're doing amazingly after graduating. Will you get another chance to do the army test? Hope so, if that's still what you want.

[Achy4days Graduate in reply to Seaside22]

I still can’t run at the speed the Army required and they’ve changed it to harder recently, so definitely no chance for me 😂

[JanB76 Graduate]

What a lovely honest account of your journey. I also am in awe of the people that are running greater distances and speeds to me, as in 18 months I haven’t really increased my speed past a standard jog by most people’s standards and I haven’t been able to run more than 6.5 / 7 km and definitely nowhere near 30mins for 5k, my avaerage Parkrun time is about 45mins, but the point is, I still do it. I don’t love it but I know it’s doing me the world of good for my heart and my lungs and my knees even though they still feel creeky some days.

Keep up the good work though, you’re doing great xx