Yesterday was the six month anniversary from the day I started C25K, it seems to have passed pretty quickly! When I started I genuinely felt that I would never be able to run for 30 minutes but that I was really going to give it a go. I had stopped smoking the month before and although I wasn't terribly unfit I was overweight with a BMI of 34.4. I started reading the posts in here and was particularly interested in people doing the program who were overweight and how they were getting on and reading some of those posts inspired me to really continue and complete the program, I graduated in January whilst I was on holiday in Florida (remember travel!) and had found each weeks progression to graduation reasonably achievable and tremendously fulfilling. I must admit that after the course was completed I felt a little bit lost as to what to do next and I'll share some advice on that later.
At Graduation, the biggest and most unexpected benefit for me personally was the sense of pride and achievement in what I had done for myself, I had done this over Christmas and kept going to completion without a single wobble or missed run other than a couple of rescheduling issues while I was travelling. I felt really great about myself in a very positive way that I realised had been missing for some time.
My biggest error after graduation was that I didn't really take enough time to consolidate, I think I may have missed it but I didn't really see enough emphasis on how important this is and just dived in to the magic 10 plan before I was ready, this really set me up for failure and I gave up the magic 10 after I had run for 50 minutes a couple of times, this was entirely my fault and me trying to go faster than my body was ready for. This lead me to, I think, wasting a bit of time. I feel that If I had really focused on this for another month I would be further along my fitness journey today.
Anyway I'm back to doing 30 minute runs and it's great, every single week I see improvements in pace and distance covered but more than that I feel much stronger. When I graduated I could run for 30 minutes but got progressively slower towards the end of the run, now my pace is much more consistent and although I do get slower its much improved on where it used to be, I would put that down to losing weight and improving my stamina.
This morning I did my benchmark run and got further than I ever have before and got another couple of PB's along the way, doing this every week really helps me to see how my body is improving and it really works for me.
After 6 months I can run relatively hard for 30 minutes without feeling shattered, I'm still seeing real improvement and will carry on doing this for a while and then I may try the Magic ten again. I really would like to be able to run for an hour without stopping and eventually be able to do a 10K with the same ease that I can run for 30 minutes now.
My body has changed quite a lot, I'm a lot stronger than I was and have a lot more muscle in my legs and around my hips and waist, I've dropped from a 40 inch waist to a 36 inch waist, my measurements have gone down significantly (I would really recommend you take measurements as you will see a big change here more so than weight lost initially) and I have lost 22 pounds or just over 10 Kilos, I still have a bit to go but it's still coming off week after week and I have no doubt now that I will get to my first target weight and beyond. I'm 54 and can honestly say I feel fitter and healthier now than I have for a long time. I also sleep better than I ever have, something that I have had problems with my entire adult life.
If I could give one piece of advice to people who are graduating it's pay a lot of attention to the consolidation period. Do a benchmark 30 minute run on the same route and use something like Strava to map your progress, Strava will compare runs that are the same and will give you a progress report over time which shows you clear evidence of your improvement. It's hard once you let go of the program, the structure of being told what to do is more important than we realise until it's gone and a lot of us may feel a bit lost. I would suggest repeating week 9 for a couple of weeks and then maybe trying Nike Run Club which has some great guided runs for all levels of runner, there are quite a few 30 minute runs in there which keep you going and keep you motivated. I still use these from time to time but usually just listen to a podcast which I find distracts me and passes the time without me looking at my watch every couple of minutes
Everyone is a bit different, some of us advance a lot quicker than others but this is what has worked for me, above all else, keep going, it really works and has the ability to change you so much for the better than you may expect.
Happy running everybody
Tim
Written by
Rigpig
Graduate
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Nothing wrong with slow, I'm still slow compared to most, you have reached week 8 so you must know by now how great this feels. Once you get that 30 minute run done then you will have a perfect benchmark to see your pace improve, I've improved my pace by nearly 40 seconds per kilometre since graduation and usually get at least a couple of new PB's every week I should have stressed that I'm not really trying to improve it's just happening naturally as I get fitter.
Totally agree - consolidation for a good few weeks after is key. You’ll find then that you can add on a little more time/distance because you are able to! And well find getting to week 9!
Hi 😁 I’m ok, trying to keep myself occupied - currently making face coverings 😷 for various people. I’m not supposed to go out at all, but started going for a 30min walk everyday about a fortnight ago, really to stop myself getting too low. It’s pretty quiet around here, and I’m super “alert” 🤣. Hope you and your family are well and staying safe 😘
Hello Wenderwoo! Glad you've managed ok. I am also developing a small indusyry in making face masks for friends and family! My one has butterflies on it! Take care! Won't be long hopefully before you can go out a bit more!😊
Hello Roxdog! I’m enjoying making the masks - trying all different designs that I’ve found on-line, with nice colourful materials salvaged from old clothes either not worn in a while, or never worn at all! Hope your running’s going ok 😁
Thanks for that Rigpig you've just articulated everything I've experienced since graduation. I was becoming disheartened thinking I should be finding the 30 minutes much easier and like you I was missing a structure. I've now got the Nike running app but haven't attempted any of the guided runs yet. 🥴
This post has helped me gain a little perspective and it's reassuring to know that it's not just me and negative thoughts taking control. 🤔
Keep it up and I'm sure you'll get to 10k when you're ready 🏃
The Nike running club app is good for a bit of structure and a reminder of proper running form every now and then. I don't use it all the time, but it helps.👍
There’s a new 30 minute run on Nike called Run with Charlie Rocket, it’s absolutely brilliant and after doing the run I googled who he was, anything is possible if you set your mind to it 🙂
Really helpful and interesting, I have one more run to go and certainly not feeling completely comfortable with 30 mins, it is hard work and sore and as my husband keeps saying it does take time and don’t get obsessed with speed, I do slow down towards the end so what you say makes complete sense! And like you physically much better in every way but weight does not go down in a way you would expect. Thank you!
Once you have your graduation just focus on your 30 minute runs, they get easier and you will get stronger, watching yourself improve every week is all the motivation you need and when we are ready we will move on to the next stage 😊
Great interesting post and brilliant progress! 👏👏👍🏃♂️🌺🌸🌼
Thanks for your post, it’s really heartening to read. I’m in week 9 and I thought I’d try to get to 5k in the next few weeks. Your post is making me think what to do on a regular basis. Thank you.
I can do a 5k but not in 30 minutes, not many people graduate and do 5k. My best 5k is 36 minutes which isn’t bad but I’m enjoying getting a little bit further every week in 30 minutes right now. It gets easier as you get stronger but it takes time to get stronger.
I was around 3.8k at graduation and tired. I’m now at around 4.2k in 30 minutes and improving every week. Not the best or the fastest but better and faster than most people my age 😁
What a wonderful encouraging post! I'm coming to the end of wk7 and have been wondering what happens at the end of the programme. I want to keep running after all the effort to get this far so thanks for your tips.
I really enjoyed reading your post , thanks for sharing your experience .
it’s definitely spurred me on as like you I initially thought I would never run for a solid 30 mins ! Can I ask besides a all the fitness benefits do you actually enjoy running ? Does it give you a feeling of exhilaration? Do you look forward to running with a sense of positive anticipation?
I don’t mean at the end of the run but during ? I find it quite a hard slog after 10 mins of running ! I’m currently starting week 8 this Thursday but found the progress gradual and challenging.
The answer is sometimes but not always, you may have read about the toxic 10, this used to fill me with dread and I had to just push through it. You will get stronger and it will get easier and the toxic 10 gets less and less, sometimes I can just take off and run and sometimes it takes a few minutes to find that rhythm but the more I do it the better it gets. Ian our wonderful admin once posted that it takes a year to develop our running body’s, I arrogantly thought I knew better but now that I’m half way there I know exactly what he meant because I’m getting stronger and a little bit faster Each and every week, there is a lot of joy to be had from that 😎
Thanks for post I am due to run week9run2 tomorrow. I am running ok now for about 25 mins but the last 5 seems like it takes forever to arrive. I was also a little concerned at what I would do when Laura has finished. Your post has given me hope and some good ideas. Thanks.
Thank you. Great info for me, as I'm in the same postion as you were at the start, age, fitness and weight wise I'll be doing W4R3 tomorrow and I'm actually looking forward to it. I've learnt to slow down and so it all seems much more achievable as a result. Thanks again for your inspiring post.
You’re very welcome, we all want quick results and the program delivers that to a certain extent but then you have to consolidate your gains and it takes a while to realize that. You will get stronger and faster it just takes a bit of time 😊
That's a really inspiring post and shows how important it is not to look too far ahead.
Thanks for the tip about Nike Runners Club too. I'm just starting Week 6 and really appreciate the trainer being there so it's good to know there are still guided runs you can do after graduating and you are not 'on your own'.
Thanks for sharing and I'm really glad you are starting to see such positive results now 😊
Thank you for that I graduated couple of weeks ago and still finding 30 mins hard some days its not to bad others I get 20 mins in and the next 5 just drag. I’m 59 and could do to loose a bit I have few health issues fibromyalgia being the main one so back hip leg issues, poor sleep etc I do feel better it’s trying to work out the “next bit “ that’s difficult so thank you you’re post has helped .
You’re very welcome, it gets easier and the time passes more quickly than you think. I used to really struggle with those last few minutes but pushing through them is what builds our stamina and strength and it really does get easier before you know it 🙂
A lovely post Rigpig and very helpful! I did some consolidation runs and eventually got to a slow 5k, then felt I was a bit aimless so pushed on to juju’s plan. I got to an equally slow 10k last week but now need to focus, probably on speeding up a bit - 10 mins per km down to 8 would, for me, be a major step! The difficulty may be trying to work out what plan to try for next, Nike Run Club, jog/run/sprint etc! . But thanks again for your post; happy running !
Thank you, I think the mistake we make is jumping from one thing to another before we are ready, we are all different and I think if you can find the run you love and work on improving it then that’s half the battle. For me it’s seeing definite improvement over 30 minutes, I feel a bit stronger every week and that really motivates me. 🙂
Love this mate. I was lucky enough to start the same time as you and we supported each other throughout the programme, which I was really grateful for. Your six months have been peppered with so many achievements and milestones and it's always, always inspiring to read your posts. I think the forum needs people like you on it to contribute and give advice. The most important part of it all is that 6 months down the road you are still out there, still battling and still running. I personally believe you will run 10k one day, if that's a goal you look at. Keep on keeping on my friend. It's been awesome to share a part of your journey. Here's to another 6 months buddy.
This is great advice, thank you and well done! I think the biggest thing I’m learning is that previously I’ve been quite faddy with exercise and have pushed too hard too soon and put myself off! Trying to be consistent and gentle this time round. Congratulations on sticking with It for six months that’s a really great achievement and so great your feeling stronger and fitter x
There was a time that I hated running, probably because I was forced to do it at school, I have spent most of my life thinking that I couldn’t do it and really didn’t want to. I tried and failed at many types of exercise and did succeed for quite a while at going to the gym but ultimately gave up because of various circumstances, running is easy you can do it almost anywhere with very little equipment and It makes you feel absolutely amazing. There is no way I’m giving this up 😄
Almost always 3 or sometimes 4, I had a 10 day break with some lower back pain but apart from that and a few missed runs because life got in the way I’m fairly consistent. I do have to force myself sometimes though but it’s always worth the effort 😊
It definitely gets easier as you get stronger, I pushed too hard and was always tired at the end but sticking to 30 minutes you can clearly see and feel the improvement.
I graduated middle of March and was consistently doing 3 runs a week until recently and have to say I only enjoyed a couple of runs but still did it, however with everything going on I am slipping and haven't been running at all this week! Dont want to slip back to residing on the couch with chocolate and crisps!! Great that you can keep yourself motivated!
There’s a coached run in the Nike app called “need a win” run, despite being heavy on American cheesyness it really works 🙂 It only takes one run to break that streak and get back out there 👍
I did at one point get up to 50 minutes a couple of times but that was only because they were the elusive times when I actually enjoyed the run and felt I could keep going, wasnt intentional!! 🤣😂
Thankyou Rigpig, what a great post! So nice to hear about someone’s complete C25K journey - and onwards. I’m on Week 7 at the moment, have my ups and downs (mostly ups, I’m pleased to say), and found your thoughts on the whole journey and everything around the periphery (use of Strava, weight/size, PB’s, etc) really helpful, thankyou again.
Great post, Tim. Live reading about journeys with running. Thank you for posting.
Totally agree with the importance of consolidation after the programme. And possibly the most important time to make all this a change for life. I finished the programme in January and spent a few weeks just repeating w9r3 until one day I felt I could do an extra few minutes. I have now done 5 60 minute runs which I still can barely believe.
Fantastic to read of all your health benefits. Well done!!
Thank you so much for sharing this! I really needed this visa vis the weight situation. I have put on weight (not lost it) since starting this programme, but I do feel as if my close are a bit looser!
I agree that post cto5k can feel odd and it's tempting to push too hard. I consolidated for over a month, adding just a couple of minutes here and there. Then it all fell into place and I was running for longer. My wish is to be able to run for a longer time, without much emphasis on distance. I'm not planning to do park runs or races because I am a lone runner and lije to explore on my runs on my own.
Thing is, if I run a bit faster then I can explore more places while running. So getting faster is in the back of my mind. Need to be careful as I'm 60 with arthritis in my knees, but my knees have been so much better since I started runnjng.
Happy running journey. 🏃♂️We are all different types of runner and that's great!
Great to hear from you Rigpig (and I've now followed you on Strava!). We graduated about the same time didn't we ... my 6 months from Run1 Wk1 is this Sunday.
I echo everything you've said, especially about consolidation, it's so important to just let your body get used to this new found running thing and let it adjust. We're also not as young, fit or agile as we once were!
I started from a different place, I was 13 st (182 lbs) at 5' 11" and after graduating I wanted to be 12 st (168 lbs) so used Garmin plus myFitnessPal integration to lose weight - it fell off. Got to 12 st and started eating like a horse again and it still kept falling off. I'm now 11 st 9lbs (163 lbs) and it seems to have stabilised. I do keep forgetting though that I no longer have to suck in to do up my jeans haha.
I use Myfitnesspal as well and record my measurements in there, I find it really helps you get to know how much you are eating, My measurements went down while my weight stayed the same but now they are both falling again, slowly but surely. I'm 6 ft 3 inches so never looked really fat just a lot of weight around my torso which is gradually melting away
Thanks for the Strava add, there are quite a few of us in here that are also on there, I love statistics and figures so its perfect for me on my measured routes
Brilliant post. I graduated in April, I’m still slow and will only run for 30 mins. I was a little disappointed in lack of progress. This post has really helped. Thank you!
Thanks for this post, I have been doing consolidation runs for a few weeks now but finding my motivation lacking at the moment 🤷♀️ I might go for a run today !
I have motivation issues sometimes as well but Strava has proven to me that I am improving and that keeps me going. I’ve knocked 40 seconds per kilometer off my pace since graduating and wouldn’t have known this without strava, I will get to 5k in 30 minutes this year I’m pretty confident about that 😊
Well done on your achievements so far Rigpig. We are all learning lessons along the way and passing good advice on these forums is what it’s all about. The advice given by the admins on graduation is really important but I think it often gets forgotten in the euphoria. This can be found at any time in pinned posts.
There is also a consolidation club forum run by the lovely Oldfloss where you can gain lots of great advice about running post c25k
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What do you do for post-grad consolidation?
Week 3 - Run 4!!! - long post warning! 
Effort, a plan and this forum can help you go a long way!!
First Park Run (warning long-ish post) 
Considering a park run for my graduation run, but a little unure of what to expect
