At the beginning of March I would not be able to run for five minutes in a row even if my life depended on it. Now I can run for 30, come home and, after showering, be well enough to continue doing the day's chores.
It's very weird. Because at the same time it seems like an immense accomplishment for me, almost nothing for others and a whole new part of my routine. "Now I put on my trainers and go for a run." Wow, but also: yes, that's what I do now. It's bizarre, but it's familiar too. I think it will be a long time before I readjust the stories I tell about myself.
The last workouts went smoothly. Sometime last week I understood that podcasts are better companions than songs for me. I may not have help with the pace, but certainly programs in areas that interest me (literature, arts, science) keep me entertained, even because I have not been able to change my route too much, due to the quarantine. I started this program running in the park, but parks have been closed since mid-March.
I loved to run (well, not exactly run, mostly brisk walk) by the lake or on dirt trails, but since mid-week 3 I had to settle for the asphalt in my neighborhood, which can be pretty boring.
I was happy to have reached the end of week 9, but at the same time I know that the end is also a beginning: starting on Monday I will have to decide what to do next. More 30-minute runs without worrying about results? Slowly increase the time until I reach 5K? Trying to increase the pace to do 5K in 30 minutes? Aside from digital issues: it's time to retire my C25K app. I need to start testing tracking apps. I think I'll start with Strava, as it seems popular here, but there is a big list, it seems.
I started running to better cope with anxiety and depression. It has indeed helped. I think I would be much worse off in these crazy times we live in if I weren't running. Of course: I have good days and not-so-good days. Sometimes I have a real good time, sometimes I have to drag myself out of the house. I did not magically learn to love physical exercise, but I did learn to recognize its importance in my routine.
I came here saying that I was not an athlete, that I had never been one. That hasn't changed. Being able to run for 30 minutes doesn't make me an athlete. There is no major body modification, and I continue to feel somewhat inadequate every time I see myself in the mirror wearing lycra.
But I went further than I thought I would. I was able to maintain discipline for 9 weeks. I go up and down flights of stairs with shopping bags without panting (it's a good idea to avoid the elevator these days, isn't it?) And, above all, I want to keep running. If in just two months I went from 0 to 30 minutes, who knows how far I can go in six months or a year.
Thanks to everyone who has interacted with me here in the past few weeks. Links, tips, words of encouragement, shared stories: without this forum it would have been much more difficult to reach the end of the program, if I really would have ended it at all.
Week Nine Done - The End of the Beginning.
C25K Week 9 Run 1
First run after completing Week 9
Week 9, Run 1 - Running in the light!
WK9 R1 The end of the beginning 
