Hi all, I have just done my last run on week 9 having started out in the winds and rain of a very unpleasant January. Like most people on here you start out in complete agony with no belief that you will ever be able to run for 30 minutes. I have just turned 62 and suffered heat failure 4 years ago mainly due to stress and far too much drink. I have been healthy since but can’t seem to lose weight. I take a daily beta blocker and have a very low resting heart rate. Cycling is no good as an exercise as I can’t get my bpm above 80. As such I got my C25k app, chose Laura and a Spotify music list and gave it a go. 1st week was terrible and you start the next week with no belief that you can do what is asked. The jump to 5 minutes was such a difficult one to get your head around. I managed to avoid anyone I knew and definitely kept my running to myself. When I did my first 20 minute run I had the announcement that I had done 5 minutes and should be at a nice pace. You don’t think like that, as you go to a complete panic and all you you can think bout is that have 15 minutes to go. The only way out is to relax, listen to your songs and just concentrate on putting one foot down and then the next and keep on going. Once your half way you will never stop. The last long runs were in lockdown so you do feel even more self conscious and incredibly nervous but having come so far I kept thinking that I needed to keep fit, so I must do it. For me it has been amazing. I am not the quickest but running does get your heart rate up and my knees are ok too. Good luck to anyone who reads this. My journey is not remarkable to anyone apart from me, but when I heard Laura say I was a runner , I did let out a whoop to myself. I might even crack onto 10 k, does anyone know what the best app is for a one paced plodder 👍
Done C25k: Hi all, I have just done my last run... - Couch to 5K
Done C25k
Congratulations 🥳 and very well done! I take my hat off to anyone who starts this in the depths of winter and keeps going! You now have the spring and summer to enjoy the rewards of your efforts!
Yes 2 named storms and a pandemic which tends to take your mind away from the task. I concentrated on the running time so if I was running into the wind, I still did the time but didn’t go so far, yep looking forward to the sunshine,, cheers
Well done your an inspiration ,perhaps have a sneaky drink for medicinal purposes and celebrate 👍🍺
Thank you, I did have a sneaky cava 👍
What a wonderful and inspiring post from you J218, congratulations on completing C25K and graduating 🎓 🏃🏾 👍
To get your graduation badge and the word GRADUATE 🎓 next to your username leave a message on the April 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 🎓 🏃🏾 👍
Well done completing C25K! A great achievement. You’ll get advice on here about what’s next - consolidation, consolidation, consolidation! Well done on the start of a ‘change for life’.
Will get out first thing tomorrow before anyone is about, cheers
What a lovely post! Congratulations and well done you! Enjoy your consolidation runs. 👏🏆🎉🥇🍾
Congratulations on your graduation, fellow runner.
This guide to post C25k running may be helpful healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Keep running, keep smiling
Thank you
👍
Fantastic 😀 well done. You must be super proud of yourself.. I'm just starting wk5.. 1 run in... Totally inspired by you now x
I never felt confident of moving to the next week. You have done week 4 so you are ready for week 5 and you will do it then you won’t believe you can do week 6. But you can and will
Well done you 👏👏👏 I'm about to start week 3 and so far I have found it so incredibly hard but I have this inner grit to keep going. You have encouraged me thanks x
Amazing!! Well done you’re a runner now ✅
Congratulations I bet you feel great 👍🏼
Congratulations! Great effort! 👏👏👏🥳🥳🥳🥂🍾
Just consolidate for a few weeks and enjoy running. There's the bridge to 10k forum here, or the Nike running club app is good - or both!
Hey well done J218 -
remarkable achievements! I’m 66 and fortunately ok health wise but struggle with breathing and the fatigue of running as it does not come naturally to me unlike cycling ! I’m on Week 5 Run 1 ! Can’t imagine week 9 or running 20 mins ! But your comments inspire me , thank you and many whoops/ congratulations!
H
Congratulations J218 you should be very proud of this fantastic achievement. To say your journey is not remarkable to any one but yourself isn’t true. I think it is absolutely amazing. I am on the same journey but only on W8 your post will now drive me on to the finish line. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I did week 8 and really worried about running the full distance even though my phone went off on W8 R3 and the timer paused and I ended up running for 35 minutes. I still worried that I couldn’t do 30 mins in my week 9 runs So much self doubt in us all. You will smash it. Try to enjoy it 😀
Congratulations! I also started in the wind and rain of winter, which is an achievement on its on bit with your health problems, you've done amazingly well. Keep on running
Yes it seems as if there are lots of us out there who went for it. I didn’t mind as not many people were about and I could wear my lucky fleecy hat to look inconspicuous Well done to you too
Brilliant, well done. You say your journey was not remarkable, but I think all our joueneys are remarkable. Most of us started as complete non-runner, so it is sheer magic, oh, and lots of hard work and willpower! Enjoy your consolidation runs, find your comfortable relaxed pace and just run...
Congratulations. Your story is inspiring. I'm impressed you started in winter I started in lock down easily to get out house when its warmer. I think there is a couch to 10km. Not looked into myself as I'm only on week 2!
Thank, I will have a look at that and good luck on your journey and take each week as it comes
Congratulations 🌟you didn’t give up and now you can celebrate every time you go out for a run.
I started in the cold rain , I’m 69 and thought I must be crazy ! My W9R3 was last Friday , yesterday I enjoyed a 6 K run just for the hell of it as a plodder too . I’m sure your make a 10K run 🏃♀️ 🌟you are amazing.
Wow, thats impressive running, I will need to put a shift in to stay with you. Well done and good luck to you too
Brilliant well done I know how you feel I’ve just done w5r2 so I’m not quiet a runner yet, but still chuffed considering i’am 63 so you give me hope ,your right just put some good music on ,in my case Duran Duran and go for it .
I had some real head banging music on and made up playlists for the different runs to keep it fresh. 2 good tracks and you have done 5 minutes and if you run in time to the beat you are in your own little world. When I got to the longer runs I had AC/DC on just after half way so Once that finished I was only 10 minutes from the finish. “Hungry like the wolf “ would be a good running track. In touch with the ground Im on the hunt ........
Congratulations on completion... Have fun with future runs and thank you for sharing... 🤗
You too 👍
I’ve just done the last run of week 4 and really struggled, just got myself some sore shins as well (had gait & trainer check) and actually feel like crying - first two runs of week 4 were fine but today was so hard I can not imagine running longer than 5 mins ever!
Your post was inspiring and gave me the boost I needed to keep going. Thank you & really well done !!
To do week 4 is fantastic and if you think about it you ran for 13 minutes each session last week, which is unbelievable. Don’t think about running more than 5 minutes this week. I think I worried about what was coming up Far too much. We haven’t done it before and it’s scary. Next week is only a little more than you have done already so start of slowly and take it step by step 👍
I think your journey is remarkable! well done. I have also recently finished week9 and am a fellow plodder! I've re-run week 9 again and plan to do that a couple of times before moving onto something new (I think that seems to be the recommendation, basically get a few more 30min runs under your belt) I'll leave others to recommend the next app (as not researched that yet) but just wanted to say a huge congratulations🍾 from one plodder to another. It's such a great achievement, keep on running!!
Well done to you! I have done a run without the app as well. It’s liberating but you also feel a bit lost. I think it will be better when we eventually get out of lockdown as I might head for the many canal towpaths. At the moment I keep to open spaces. Can I congratulate you as well on doing so well. We all have our own story and it is just amazing how everyone on here is a hero in my eyes. Keep it up
Well done! A fantastic achievement.
That is fantasic you made it, at 62 having had heart problems. Thank you for sharing your story good luck with 10k xx
Ha ha, I do have an advantage over lots of you in so much as my beta blockers keep my heart rate down. Shame the leg muscles and knees are not so youthful 👍
Congratulations you did brilliant.I am 60 years of age and I have R3 left of week 9. Quite nervous to be honest! I have no idea why. Hopefully it will be completed by the end of the week.busy painting fences at the minute making good use of this beautiful weather. Using muscles I haven’t used before so aching a little. Also walking miles at the weekends Will let you know 👍
Well done and your journey is remarkable. We all have our motivations and challenges. Congratulations for overcoming yours and turning them into achievements.
Thank you, I only posted because I hadn’t joined the post before and just wanted to say that it can be done. There are so many kind and determined people on this site who are all inspirational, cheers
Incredible work, very well done. Just completed my nine week journey too, what a feeling!
Congratulations! Yay you!!!
This is really inspiring. Thank you for sharing....
Enjoy your running, and keep on keeping on...
Love, light, and glitter
Thanks
Well done. I've just finished my 2nd week and I'm still finding it's the breathing not the legs that'll give up first. I do hope I can complete the whole 8 weeks 🏃♀️🏃♀️
I did a video at the end of each week for myself and could see that at the end of W2 I was completely out of breath as I hadn’t run far enough to do damage to the legs. Needed a couple of burden before bed though.
Fantastic and well done , I am on WK 7 for the second time as a virus got in the way , you have given me focus to keep going , 30 minutes is only 5 more than I am doing now , have to get up early before it gets too warm ! What a change from a few months ago , be super proud 👏👍☀️😊
You will so smash it this time, 👍
I love everything you have said in your post, thank you for sharing.
I am on W3 at the mo, and similarly I can bear the thought of anyone seeing me attempt to run, I currently pound up and down the same length of riverbank, I’ve yet to run on a pavement!
I do take heart from your post and find it encouraging. Good luck with your 10k!
I kept off the pavements as was avoiding people as well and was worried about the knees. Running on your own riverbank sounds great. Once you get a few weeks done you will just get on with it and the pavement are much easier to run on, so that will be a treat !
Well done! 🙂🏃♀️I don't know how many apps for 10k there are, but I have downloaded the Couch to 10k app by Zen labs fitness. It uses the same method up to 5k as you've just done, so should be good 🙂
Well done 👍 I am just at the end of week 8 I haven’t lost any weight but I have lost inches off my waist, great achievement for you 😁
I haven’t lost any weight either. You must have put a shift in though well done, keep it up
Wow what a wonderful story and congratulations you are amazing. You are inspirational.
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