Should I feel insulted or flattered? ๐Ÿ˜ - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

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Should I feel insulted or flattered? ๐Ÿ˜

linda9389 profile image
linda9389Graduate
โ€ข21 Replies

I havenโ€™t posted here in a while but thought this may amuse/help some of you starting out on your own C25K journey. As background, I started in April '17 (age 56) and graduated in June '17. Since then Iโ€™ve kept running (including three half marathons). I remember reading posts like this and thinking โ€ฆ. yes, fine โ€ฆ. but I canโ€™t do that โ€ฆ theyโ€™re different ... they may not have run before but they obviously like exercise, probably already go to the gym regularly โ€ฆ.. but theyโ€™re not like me ... I was most definitely exercise averse, cardiophobic, a committed sofa-dweller ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™€๏ธ.

Iโ€™d spent the last 25 years living my life through and for my lovely children (not regretting a minute of it I should add). But C25K would all be down to me. Eek! Not likely to happen. No way did I didnโ€™t think Iโ€™d get to week 9, let alone go on to run further AND still be running two and a half years later! As for loving it? Whoโ€™d have thought that was even a thing

๐Ÿ™„

Anyway, this week I was out with a good friend of many years. She started C25K after I told her I was doing it and she too is still running. Weโ€™re eating a good dinner and demolishing a bottle of prosecco while talking running (as you do once youโ€™ve somehow become addicted) โ€ฆ and suddenly she says, โ€˜well, I only did it because you were doing it. If it was someone who was fit or interested in any sort of exercise, I wouldnโ€™t have taken any notice. But you? Well, if you could do it so could I!โ€™

๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚

๐Ÿ™‰ Errr? Whatttt??? ๐Ÿ˜œ Thatโ€™s a bit insulting โ€ฆ but sheโ€™s right! Not even my best of friends would ever have thought Iโ€™d be where I am today (a self-confessed addict to this running malarkey). But I am. And it has changed my life for the better in so, so many ways. And itโ€™s very possible you could find the same thing happens to you, however unlikely that may seem right now; yes really it might ๐Ÿ˜€

Iโ€™m currently doing C25K for the second time, coming back after a long period of injury. Iโ€™ve enjoyed every single run this time โ€“ even the ones that have been hard or painful. But I certainly didnโ€™t feel that way first-time round; there are so many things I know now that I wish I'd known then. Iโ€™ll try to gather some of those thoughts and post a series of reflections on C25K second time around, just in case they may help someone else starting out ๐Ÿ‘

In the meantime, if there was just one thing I could tell you it would be โ€˜DITCH THE FEARโ€™. Set out to enjoy what youโ€™re doing, safe in the knowledge that it's one of the best things you could do for yourself. Iโ€™m SO glad I stepped out of my comfort zone for W1R1.

Good luck on your running journey. Happy running and be sure to tell us all about it.

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linda9389 profile image
linda9389
Graduate
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21 Replies
โ€ข
RunningMigster profile image
RunningMigsterGraduate

Great post. Thank you for taking the time.

Most amusing.

Very much looking forward to your reflection posts!

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor

That is a wonderful post Linda!!

I too thought that running was going to be a necessary chore and a lesser evil than going to the gym, simply to try to prevent the seemingly inevitable loss of stamina associated with ageing..........no way was I going to get addicted.

Congratulations on your achievemnets and enjoy all thos ewonderful benefits of running........keep running, keep smiling.

Candy46 profile image
Candy46

This is a fantastic post....and I bet quite a few can relate to it. ๐Ÿ˜Ž I look forward to hearing further reflections from you. โค๏ธ Cx

SueKen profile image
SueKenGraduate

You should definitely be flattered!

I have a similar story - a friend who was a lapsed sporty type who took it up again because I was doing it. She subsequently credits me with helping her pass the fitness tests to become a police special in her 50s๐Ÿ˜Š It still amazes me that I might inspire anybody towards sporty pursuits........

PS April 2017 was a good month for couch potatoes - Iโ€™m still running too, but decided I was bonkers as I ran a very soggy Parkrun this morning!

linda9389 profile image
linda9389Graduateโ€ข in reply toSueKen

Wow, what an amazing thing to have inspired and changed life for your friend so positively :) I volunteered at a soggy parkrun this morning but next week I hope to run it again for the first time since first week of January!!!

Wenderwoo profile image
WenderwooGraduate

Great post and very motivational to those of us who are older and not very fit - thank you ๐Ÿ˜

linda9389 profile image
linda9389Graduateโ€ข in reply toWenderwoo

If I can do it ..... I think I'm now fitter than I have EVER been in my entire life, and it is a great feeling, a great reward for persevering :)

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate

Well done linda. Posts like these are so inspiring to those who have just started the programme . Iโ€™m glad to hear that your recovery is coming along nicely. ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

Grannyhugs profile image
GrannyhugsGraduate

Thank you for sharing- inspiring ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ™†โ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ˜€

RunawayBetty profile image
RunawayBettyGraduate

What a lovely post, so encouraging, thank you! :-) I'm on week 3 now and I still don't believe that I am doing this for real. And there is still that little voice saying ... yes, fine, linda9389 can do it, but she's not like me ... surely she has much more stamina than I have ... ;-) But I must admit that I really seem to begin to ... like running ?!? ๐Ÿ˜ณ

linda9389 profile image
linda9389Graduateโ€ข in reply toRunawayBetty

Don't listen to that voice! That's just coming from someone who doesn't know what they're talking about ๐Ÿคฃ. If you like it now ... even just a tiny bit ... you're going to LOVE it by the time you graduate - I will watch for your graduation post :)

Elfe5 profile image
Elfe5Graduate

Thank you very much for this post! ๐Ÿ˜„

โ€œDITCH THE FEARโ€™ & Set out to enjoyโ€ is the perfect message. ๐Ÿ˜„

Amazing where running can take us previous non runners! ๐Ÿ˜„

linda9389 profile image
linda9389Graduateโ€ข in reply toElfe5

Isn't it just! Shame I didn't realise sooner ๐Ÿ˜

pianoteacher profile image
pianoteacherGraduate

What a wonderful post Linda! I'm sure it will continue to inspire many others xx

Mummycav profile image
MummycavAdministratorGraduate

Great post linda9389 ...made me chuckle!! x

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate

I had the same experience but in my story I was the friend looking at my friend going well geez you just ran a HM and you call yourself a non-runner so why can't I? After a few failed attempts on my own to start running, I came across this lovely program and then found the forum as I got to W5r3 and, like everyone, thought this can't be right ๐Ÿ˜ฐ. And here I am, still running years later. This has got to be the best programme to get runners and non-runners alike into this amazing addiction we call running ๐Ÿ˜

linda9389 profile image
linda9389Graduateโ€ข in reply toSaskAlliecat

Hear, hear!

GoGo_JoJo profile image
GoGo_JoJoGraduate

How very dare she!? ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ doesn't she know you're in competition with Wonder Woman now!? ๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ˜˜ you are an inspiration indeed ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป๐Ÿ˜

linda9389 profile image
linda9389Graduateโ€ข in reply toGoGo_JoJo

๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜

Annieapple profile image
AnnieappleAdministratorGraduate

Excellent inspiring post!!! ๐ŸŽˆ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ’

Lavender1962 profile image
Lavender1962Graduate

This a great post! Itโ€™s inspiring and humorous! And your so right about getting rid of the fear. The fear uses up so much energy. Happy running to you too! ๐Ÿƒ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ˜€

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