C25K Complete - My Story

[Yurtle]

Hi all - been lurking here a while but not posting. Tonight I finished W9R3 - did not quite manage the 5k in the 30 mins but as with W9R2 I carried on running a couple of minutes to complete the 5k after noticing on run1 that I had completed 4.85km and still had some energy left.

Hard to believe a few months ago I had never run for any distance - I was one who hated PE at school and skived off. Then one night at in October my 10 year old daughter told me she wanted me to run so I could be fit. We were just out for an evening stroll to burn off a big Sunday dinner I had cooked. To keep her happy I ran for 100 yards or so but that was as far as I could manage .

Told her it was not a good idea for someone in mid 50's to run unless I did it properly and that lead me to the C25K podcasts and here. My daughter ran with me at the start - sometimes we could only get one run in a week but we kept at it. At the end of Week 6 at the end of Jan she gave up . Was not simply not enjoying it any more. So since then I have been on my own but coming here for inspiration. Mostly managing three runs a week apart from a week off to ski and a couple of days off last week because of the weather.

For all those starting up , please believe in this programme - it really works. I remember questioning in the early weeks that I we were going to be running three minutes and thinking it would be impossible. But we could do it and the next time it would be easier. Most of our early runs were in the dark running around the local park with little light - how we managed to avoid twisting our ankles tripping over tree roots and rabbit holes I don’t know. But after a few weeks we started running round the local streets. Anyway I am now looking to consolidate these runs so will take a few weeks running the same distance and hopefully may try a park run soon.

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

Congratulations 🥳 what a happy post and lovely to read

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Congratulations on your graduation, fellow runner.

This guide to post C25k running may be helpful healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Keep running, keep smiling.

[Yurtle Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks - a lot there to get on with. Planning to aim to consolidate the 5k runs for next few weeks. After coming close to the 5k with W9R1 without targeting distance I thought I could increase pace ever so slightly on run 2 but somehow overdid it and ended up slower overall. Heart rate monitor on watch showing that run my heart rate at constant 170 bpm when the run 1 and run3 rate was constant 150 when running at a natural pace and not trying to make the 5k in 30 mins. So for anyone else reading - the quickest way to finish is the slow natural pace and not worry about distance.

[Speedy60 Graduate]

Congratulations. A great achievement. 👏👏👏🥳🥳🥳🥂🍾

Second post I've replied to this evening about people being not made to feel part of school PE lessons. Such a shame. 😞

[Yurtle Graduate in reply to Speedy60]

On a positive note I think things have changed a lot since I was at school in the 70's. We had quite a few sadistic teachers - I know they would never get away with it now. Progressing our running from a slow start and building up like the C25K program does is a lot better than the old methods of just telling kids to run with the emphasis on running fast to win the race. From what I hear now there is no such competition nowadays - everyone who takes part is rewarded. As I have never been competitive that would have suited me.

[Speedy60 Graduate in reply to Yurtle]

I spent many years working in secondary education until I retired nearly three years ago and things have certainly changed (English teacher, by the way). I can remember in my school, if you weren't representing it at some sporting level, you could just do whatever you liked for the lesson - which is a kind of humiliation in itself.

[Phdgranny Graduate in reply to Speedy60]

I remember when I was at school in the late 60’s I broke my big toe, swinging on ropes (stubbed it on end of the balance beam). When I landed and began to limp out of the school hall my PE teacher yelled at me “Ellis, stop limping its weak to limp!!!”. After a visit to A & E my foot was in plaster encased embarrassingly in one of my grams sandals! My PE teacher still made me walk the mile from our school to the playing fields. After school I really didn’t get into anything active until this programme, along with the praise and encouragement from my very fit sons (they are both endurance athletes, Ironman and cycling) I now feel so pleased with myself at sticking to this and just a little bit regretful it took so long to recover from a form of bullying. Thank you C25K and all you lovely people on here! And so very well done Yurtle!

[Speedy60 Graduate in reply to Phdgranny]

Well, bit careless. Fancy breaking your toe!

[limberlou Graduate in reply to Phdgranny]

On wed afternoons at my Grammar school, in the late 60s, we had swimming and then double tennis. I broke my 3rd and 4th toes in my right foot in the swimming pool but my teacher made me do double tennis, then I walked a mile and a half to the bus station, then half a mile home when I got off the bus. Then my mum walked me up to the drs surgery because my foot had swollen so much I cdnt get my plimsol off.

Dr just cut the plimsol off and bandaged my toes together and I was just sent off to school the next day with my dads slipper on over the bandage, walked to the bus stop, caught the bus and then walked the mile and half up to school again.

We were made of tough stuff in those day’s 🤣🤣

[Phdgranny Graduate in reply to limberlou]

Too right!!

[Fiftyfitter in reply to Speedy60]

This was the same in my school (I attended high school in the early 80s). If you weren't on the netball team or doing athletics for county level etc, you got to just faff around on the running track while the teacher coached the 'athletes'. Until I did C25K the first time around about 6years ago, I couldn't run 400m without stopping to catch my breath and I wasn't overweight for most of my life! I'm doing C25K again now to recover after a couple of years of illness as it turned out, despite never being taught to run at school, I did actually enjoy it once I was shown how to build up distance properly

[Phdgranny Graduate in reply to Fiftyfitter]

Yes mine was a girls grammar school and it sounds very like yours, mine was in late 60s early 70s.

[Wenderwoo Graduate]

Many congratulations 🏆👍😁🍾🥂🎉 Go get your shiny badge 🏅

[Hidden]

Congratulations on graduating 🎓 wonderful post and happy running 🏃🏻‍♀️

[Weeble2]

What an inspiring post, thank you & congrats

[Irish-John Graduate]

Wonderful post, inspirational and uplifting Thank you Graduate

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate]

Congratulations on completing C25K, well done

To get your graduation badge and the word GRADUATE 🎓 next to your username leave a message on the March graduate post in the pinned posts on the right side of the healthunlocked C25K home page and tell the administrators that you have ran W9R3 of C25K and graduated 🎓 🏃🏾 👍

[Yurtle Graduate in reply to AlMorr]

thanks - followed that and now have badge

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate in reply to Yurtle]

👍 It's there now 👍 🏃🏾 🎓

[Safely]

Amazing well done I hated running at school and hate sweating with effort.

I am 63 and week 6 run 2

Thank you for your inspiring post.

Great achievement

[Yurtle Graduate in reply to Safely]

Always seemed the summer when we ran at school - I always got a stitch so hated it then.

[greenfairy43]

Awesome post! Congratulations!!

[Hidden]

Thats amazing thank you for sharing your story. I am just about to start week 4 and i am nervous about running 5 minutes, but i am loving it. All the best

[Yurtle Graduate in reply to Hidden]

You’re nearly half way through the programme now. Take it easy and you’ll soon be there.

[Swim18 Graduate]

Welcome . I can’t praise this wonderful programme enough . I was a sporty girl and did PE as a second subject in my B. ED many years ago and went on to teach swimming and RE . However , I was never a runner but this programme has inspired me to run and I will continue to do so . I think what is unique to this is individuals can adapt it to their own goals and abilities. Well done Yurtle .

[Yurtle Graduate in reply to Swim18]

Hmmm - abilities can change . I am now able to run when before I could not even at school. As for swimming I managed to swim a mile ( or was it 1500 yards?) at age 11. I wonder if I would be able to swim 100m now ? At least I know know anything possible with structured practice. Maybe you could adapt c25k to swimming starting off with short intervals then treading water?

[pippkins Graduate]

Congratulations! Isn't it funny how those moments (the October 100 yard run) change the course of life?

Have a rewarding consolidation time! Spring has almost sprung, the weather should be glorious for you and your runs!

[Yurtle Graduate in reply to pippkins]

Thanks - will be interesting seeing how it feels like to run once the weather warms up. I have done one or two runs in daylight but most have been after dark. Warm rain did not bother me - nor the cold dry nights as soon warm up running. But that cold wet spell we had early last week kept me inside so I guess spring will be welcome.

[Suzi73 Graduate]

Well done for getting there I can highly recommend this app... I'm running 7ks now building up to 10ks now. Love this ♥

[Yurtle Graduate in reply to Suzi73]

Thanks - will stick to 5k for a few weeks and decide later whether to go for distance or to speed up a bit. I tried on Sunday to run a little faster - big mistake. First 3k fine but from there got slower and slower and ended up less distance at end of the 30 mins than from Fridays run. Yesterday for the final run3 I took it at a comfortable pace and did not feel tired at all throughout. So could probably build on time easily if I follow the rules. Looking back at the pace set for the last few runs I am slowly increasing in speed anyway from week to week without trying.

[Suzi73 Graduate in reply to Yurtle]

I tend not to worry about pace, but I do every now and then try to aim for a PB. But it doesn't aways happen... So the main thing is your out there running. Have you considered doing a parkrun?

[IanWell]

Well done. I have just started my journey so to hear from someone in similar position to me completing it is a bit of a boost. Best of luck on the future runs

[Yurtle Graduate in reply to IanWell]

Thanks - it took a while. Don't know if it was easier doing it over twice the timescale as I had to. Think at one point I went nearly two weeks between runs as could not do the midweek ones due to getting home too late to run with my daughter and was away for a weekend in between. So my legs got some rest but I don't know if my fitness improved as well as it would have if I had kept to three runs a week for nine weeks total.

[Newyork123]

What an inspiration , your daughter must be so proud of you , this is lovely to read 😉 congratulations

[Yurtle Graduate in reply to Newyork123]

Thanks - had a chat with her tonight - would really like to get her running again. When we started she told me she wanted to be a fitness coach when she grows up. Not that long since she wanted to be an astronaut! One of the messages I had after graduation mentioned other apps and things to look at now I have completed the podcasts. Initial thoughts were to continue with the w9 podcasts but the Zombies Run sounds fun and looks like I'll have my running companion back again soon Running away from the Zombies has her interested again - will be downloading later.

[lehcar70 Graduate]

I can relate to running around the park in the dark & avoiding tree roots. Also entertaining local teenagers who sat on the bench smoking pot! It was weeks before I I got the courage to take the main road. You kept plucking away. Congratulations and well done.

[Yurtle Graduate in reply to lehcar70]

Yes - there are a lot of people hanging about after dark! Take care out there.

[CobbleRunner Graduate]

Brilliant! I’ve just finished week 1 and your post has inspired me. Thank you and well done 👍🏼

[Yurtle Graduate in reply to CobbleRunner]

Week one was a lot of running from what I remember. Tiring but we made it and were proud we both got through. Once you can do that you are ready for the next one and soon you will be amazed at how quick you progress.

[Bizzylissy Graduate]

I recently finished the program but like yourself haven't quite got to the 5k. I keep listening to the last episode and just thinking it will get easier as I found the very first week difficult and now I'm here. I have this overwhelming urge to stop after the first 5 minutes and I think I need to upbeat my music a bit to keep a good pace, but I have so far kept going. Sometimes feel like I cant get enough air in my lungs but at the end despite feeling tired my breathing is better. I'm also using fitbit with tracking and time queue so that if I manage to get past 30 mins I can track extra time and distance. I've never been a runner but now thanks to C25K and Sarah Millican I feel like I could be.

[Not60yet in reply to Bizzylissy]

Isn’t Sarah great,I miss her.She really cheered me up when she said things like”well done flower” and “you’re a proper runner now”

I’d just commented to my daughter that I feel like a proper runner, when Sarah said it!

I run 5K three times a week now and love it.It doesn’t get any easier,just a bit faster😂Still takes me over 30 mins to do 5K but I’m enjoying it and feel the best I’ve felt in years.

[Bizzylissy Graduate in reply to Not60yet]

Yes I loved her, like I said I cant give her up just now and wonder if she'd be willing to do some extra bits just to keep me going?

[Not60yet]

Congratulations on completing the programme.Like you,I didn’t manage to run 5K in 30 mins.My celebration run was also my first park run and it took me 36 mins 52 seconds.That was on 31/8.Ive really taken to running and do 5K three times a week, mostly on my own.Ive done 14 park runs and still only got sub 30mins once.

I turned 60 last year and have never felt fitter.Im eating healthily and feel great.I have arthritis in my foot, so I don’t think I’ll increase to 10k, much as I want to,

I wish I’d done this years ago.

[Yurtle Graduate in reply to Not60yet]

thanks - that's a pretty impressive gain from almost 37mins down to 30. Hope to do a park run soon - trouble is they clash with another activity I do every Saturday morning.