Wow, full of admiration.

This time last year our group of unfit Mums were repeating week one again as we were not all 100% confident to progress to week two. We were to repeat week one five times in total before the last of us said she had the confidence to move on. Her reasoning was that she said she carried more excess weight than the rest of us and didn't want to be slowing us down. We had all vowed to keep together and only move on when we were all ready.

Since then we have not looked back and were all delighted when we finished the C25K together. Covid disrupted our group running but not our determination and although we have run in smaller groups at times mostly we have continued on our own. Each or us approached the progression from C25K in our own way.

What has impressed me the most is that our last lady to want to move on from week one was the first to reach the 10K mark. She has maintained a slow steady pace throughout. With her setting the pace I even managed my first 10K which was at least 1-2K further than I had run in one go before.

She has lost a phenomenal amount of weight (nearly 3 stone) through improved diet and exercise. Her motivation has been to lose weight so that she can improve her running, rather than to run to lose weight.

Her technique for running has been to slightly increase the distance, only by a few meters every time she goes for a run.

At the weekend she completed her first 15K run which is absolutely amazing and we are all so proud of her. In the space of a year she has gone from being the one that thought she was holding us back, to the one we are now all trying to catch up with.

All of our group have achieved so much more than we thought possible when we started, I for one in those early weeks never dreamed that I could every run 5K let alone 10K. We all owe a lot to the C25K program but I think we were also very lucky that our group got on so well together and the joint encouragement and enthusiasm pushed us all on. Best of all we have had some good laughs along the way.

For anyone starting out on the C25K program, all I can say is stick with it. It does seem hard at times but the end result is worth it. At some point along the way it does change from something that you think you should do, to something you want to do. The thoughts of 'oh, no not again' change to 'finished that run, now when can I fit another run in?'. It is addictive and life changing and I love it.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

More lives changed by C25K...............it is a long list...........

[Hidden]

Thank you, that is so encouraging to hear your tale of success. Now I dont feel so bad about myself repeating week 1 until I feel ready to move on - though have now got to week 2!! and think I will have to repeat that a few times too! You are the light at the end of the tunnel 😁

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

After we finally moved to week two we made the decision to move on to the next week regardless. If we did it, then all well and good. However, if we failed, we could always go back to the previous week and try again. What we found was that no matter how hard it looked, we always managed to do it. My suggestion wold be to give the next run a go, you never know, you may do it.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the encouragement, my problem is not so much wanting to do it, as fear of the calf pain returning.

[LottieMW Graduate]

How fabulous! Well done to you all!!!

👍🙌🏼👊🐌🐢🏃🏻‍♀️🌟💕

[Seas1de]

Thanks for such an inspirational post. I lost about 3 stone but have put some weight back since I stopped going to a slimming club during lockdown. On a positive note I have completed the couch the 5K plan and like your friend now want to continue to loose weight so that I can run better. That is a better more motivational way to look at weight loss for me too. Well done to you all it sounds lovely to be a part of such a supportive group.