So ive done my run 2 week one and im really looking forward to run 3 tomo.
So far my other half think im out walking with the dog. I wondered if anyone else had kept the initial staged to themselves?
Also what sort of reaction did you get off people when you told them? I guess been overweight im conscious ppl will mock me.
Hi!! It's so great you've started this programme, it's fab and the forum is so good for advice and support. Totally get why you might want to keep it secret, whatever works for you I'd say! I told pals I was doing it, and to ask me often how it was going, as in the early stages it encouraged me to go out when I could've happily not as I knew they would be asking. I initially worried what people would think when they saw me, but now I couldn't give two hoots! I'm out and improving and that's more important. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable enough to keep going. Go get 'em!
Lots of people here have kept the fact that they were doing C25K secret........why, I have no idea.
Hold your head up, be proud and if anyone mocks then don't count them as your friends.......or even family.
Keep running, keep smiling.
Well done to you....leave the dog at home where he can find it, then come back to a huge round of applause. Enjoy...
Well done for starting 😁👍Did you do your run today ?
If so take tomorrow off as a rest day
The first time I did it, I didn’t tell my family until about week 3 I think. Mr R was always the sporty one, not me, and I thought he’d fall about laughing at the idea of me running. He didn’t, of course, and has never been anything less than supportive in all the intervening years and my numerous restarts.
When I started, I used to run quite early in the day so no one could see me 👀, insecurities, but I had also put on quite a bit of weight in 2019/2020. C25K helped me build confidence and begin to face my own fears; every week, as I got better and discovered this forum, I realised that this was a war with myself and what 👨💼 👩💼 🧑💼 think of me is none of my business!!!!
First and foremost, you got this, do it for yourself, tell only the people you want to...
🏃♂️🏃♀️🏃
Well done to you Sammie137 on doing the course, I think you should tell your 'other half' sooner than later, if not tell him once you have completed run 3 of week5/I didn't tell anyone that I was running until I was 'caught' by my neighbour when he was walking the dog when he saw me running, I thought he would call me mad when I saw him the next day but he congratulated me on my running and now supports me with every run.
When I was in my teens; young and fit and a 20 minute 3 mile run was slow. I used to regulally run with my dog for hours.Happy memories.
Good luck with your runs with your dog.
I have only told my husband. Hoping for a big ‘reveal’ when I’ve completed the 6 weeks. We’ve got this!!!
I did the first week and then started telling people. It’s such a great programme I hope people would be supportive of you looking after your health. Also it’s great to be able to talk to people about your progress and keeps you accountable. Maybe your husband could do with you and walk the dog while you start your short runs?
People can always be judgey but I always think nobody should be mocked for getting out there and doing the work. You’re doing it for you not anyone else xx
Good luck!
I got to the week before graduation before my neighbours noticed I was running, my immediate family knew, and one friend and my physio I see regularly, I think mostly due to the pandemic I haven't seen anyone to say, I am not sure I will ever run in park runs etc, the virtual thing really works for me 🤣
I didn’t tell anyone at first, mainly because I didn’t believe I would actually be able to do it and didn’t want to fail publicly! I work with a lot of people who are “runners” and my husband can also do 10km without batting an eyelid so I thought they would think it ridiculous that I was struggling to run for 60 seconds. I told my husband first and he has been soooo supportive and has encouraged me to keep going. You’ll be surprised how encouraging people will be and those who are not are not worth worrying about anyway. This is your journey so invite people into it in your own time. Completing each week will give you such a sense of achievement. You got this 💪
I think that telling 'proper' runners is the hardest bit. Non runners you can feel smug because you suspect they would also struggle. Runners though I felt like I'd have to justify only running 90s, 3 mins etc. After graduating I still feel like that about not having reached 5k (I'm sticking at 30 min for now) but actually they don't care, they remember that it's a progression and tell me I'll get there.
I planned to keep it a secret and then surprise my superrunner sister by going on a parkrun with her. But I caved early because I needed her advice. I’m glad I did, she saved me from blisters. My husband and the son at home knew, of course.
I didn’t tell the rest of my family or any of my friends until I’d done an actual 5k run, three weeks or so after I’d finished the c25k. (You may already know this, but for most people the programme ends at about 3 – 4.5k and it’s down to us to get the rest of the way, but that’s okay.)
Nobody mocked me, even though I was overweight. I did have that fear, but I ran early in the morning – like really early, like 5:20 – to make it less likely anyone would notice me. But by the time I was five or six weeks into the programme I was running at 7:00 or later and feeling fine, nobody noticed me or made me feel uncomfortable.
When I did tell my family they were very congratulatory. I did sense a bit of surprise that M, of all people, would be doing this. But they were tactful enough not to express that aloud. (Mostly. My other son said, “With breaks for walking though. No, really? Are you sure? Did you muddle your distances, it’s 5000m not 500m. And this happened, it wasn’t a dream? Are you sure you haven’t accidentally had someone else’s memory?” But he’s a little ratbag who says stuff like “How did it fit in the cave?” or “Was that before or during the Roman invasion?” whenever I reminisce about my childhood, so I didn’t expect much else.)
If you do keep it secret it might be fun to surprise them. If you don’t, I bet they will be supportive and even enthusiastic. Either way, I hope you keep on enjoying it.
No way I could have kept it secret from my partner as I go red just at the thought of exercise! 🤣 Other than that I told a friend who had inspired me to do it and it was great to have somebody to talk through the weeks with as she understood what I was feeling.
Since graduating I've told a few people and friends have been impressed and pleased for me. Perhaps more importantly though colleagues have just taken the news with a 'why shouldn't you be running' type attitude rather than the falling about the floor laughing saying 'you, running? ' that I might have feared a few months ago. Our running really isn't as interesting to anyone else as it is to us. That goes for being self conscious about it and for the talking about it constantly - hence the need for this forum!
Yep- that was me. I was overweight, had never run and had a sporty teenage son, running daughter in her twenties, and fit husband. I used to run before they woke up for the first few weeks. Then I told my husband at about 3 weeks and he was totally supportive. My children both realised when they rang me and I was running and my breathing gave it away. I told one local friend who had also recently done C25K (fir advice/support) and kept it secret from everyone else until I had finished. Everyone locally has seen me running now - I graduated nearly six months ago and I am known as a runner.... it never ceases to amaze me.
Why did I keep it a secret? I guess because I thought that I would fail and didn’t want to admit defeat to too many people. I also worried that people would laugh at a pile of jelly wobbling round the place. I love running now, no-one ever laughs, and if they did I would have plenty of things to say to them. I’ve lost weight and I feel far more confident in my appearance.
Do whatever works for you Sammie - you are doing this for yourself. You will probably be delighted by people’s reactions though when you do tell them. Good luck with your journey.
Huge well done to you!! It’s up to you whether you tell anyone or not. I only told my husband and one other when I was thinking of starting it as I didn’t want to have anyone following up on me if I found I didn’t keep doing it.Three weeks in and I’m loving it and so I’ve started quietly mentioning it to more people. Some friends have been super encouraging, others just haven’t batted much of an eye lid. I’ve not had a sniff of a negative reaction and I expect it would be the same for you.
I’m overweight too and I remember feeling very self conscious at the start as to what people might think - but since starting it I’ve realised no one gives me a second glance and have had friendly smiles from other more established runners!
You do you, but be proud of yourself for starting - I think that’s the hardest part. And you’re in control of who you tell and when so you decide. I’d tell your other half though - only so they can high five you when you get home, or run you a bath when you need 😉 I’d also recommend telling them so you can start doing the post run stretches - they're on the NHS website and in the ‘getting started’ post that’s shared on here.
Keep it up! Hope you enjoy your w1r3 run - I remember noticing the difference from the start of the week.
Good for you for starting! I totally get keeping it quiet as I only told my immediate family - I decided I wanted to complete week 5 before telling friends, wider family etc. Unfortunately I broke a bone in my ankle (stress fracture) during the first run of week 5 so have had to tell people as although not in plaster, I do have to rest it. Hi Now I’ll have to start all over again....but am determined I will get there, it’ll just take a lot longer! Keep going and do what’s right for you! Good luck!
I used to always go out for an hours walk nearly every day then decided to secretly switch to c25k. I so surprised my self at getting to the end of week 5 I had to tell my wife in the end. Why not keep it as your own personal challenge at first as that’s what it really is. You’ll be bursting to tell as you start to achieve!
Well done for starting this programme! I hope you enjoyed third run. You can feel proud of your achievement. 👍
As the others replying here, I've kept my running secret as well. When I got literally off the couch on February 21 this year to do my first run, I just told my better half. Apart from him only an American friend and runner knows plus the guy from the local runner shop who'll see me this Friday because by now I need proper shoes.
Why did I not tell anyone so far? I was and still am afraid that I will not make it as far as W9r3. The cat will be let out of the bag in 3.5 weeks. 😀
Please keep us updated on how you are doing and enjoy your future runs.
Thanks everyone i did it! In the snow ❄️
Wow well done you! Its reassuring to know ppl are in same place as me and a little agead and still going strong!
I didn't tell anyone at all. But ... nobody was here (before lockdown). My neighbours saw me, and I thought they would dob me in to my family (not realising that they didn't know. I just wanted to surprise them, I suppose, but yes.. got to week 9 before coming clean. Good luck - enjoy the journey (and the sense of achievement).
I did!! I was 49 when I started. I told my hubby after a couple of weeks, but didn’t tell my daughters as I wanted to surprise them when I had finished. I didn’t want the eldest dragging me out, telling me I wasn’t doing it right etc. Almost got caught out a couple of times and ended up telling porkies!! Had to apologise to one school Mum over text, who said that her husband had seen me running, this was in front of my daughter, I said it was mistaken identity and then had to apologise afterwards!! My intention was to suggest a family park run and surprise them, which they were up for. So I got to the end of the program, did my first park run with the intention of the family one the following weekend. Then the following Monday damaged my tendon!! And couldn’t run. I sent my daughters my time from the park run, to start with they couldn’t figure it out, but when the penny dropped, they were very proud of me. Since then I have been out with my daughter and to be honest, put her to shame!! Well done to you for starting this I hope you enjoy it as much as I have and still continue to do so, tendon allowing. Good luck xx
Wow so many amazing inspiring stories! Thanks so much for all the contributions! Small steps and lets see what happens!
Well that’s week 6 completed 😀 Probably could have done the full 30 but decided no and really upped the pace for the last minute. As long as I stay from injury I should crack this....... hopefully
Are there any Couch to 5k graduates out there?
One You are looking for *new* Couch to 5k-ers!
And Couch to 5k is DONE!
C25K DONE 🎉🎉🎉 W9R3✅ and I even kept going until I reached the 5k mark 😁
Couch to 5k done 👊🏻
