Now that I've completed the program, I wanted to post a bit about my journey as encouragement to others starting out. Really, if I can do it, anyone can.
My motivation goes back to March 2020 on the day I was sent home from work and told to start working from home (it was only my 5th day in the office with a new employer and I haven't been back to the office since, but that's another story).
Because it was about 10am the commuter bus had stopped running and I had to catch a different one which dropped me off about a km from home. As I walked up the road with my laptop bag and heavy winter coat it started to drizzle and I was puffing a bit. A passing car pulled over and offered me a lift up the road and I accepted. I was 54, 18 stone, a former heavy smoker and clearly so unfit that walking up a pretty flat road caused me to look in such distress that someone actually pulled over to help. It ate at me over the next year of lockdown and working from home - where, if anything, I became even more unfit. I have a 4 year old son - and I need to stick around for him.
A year later, my work had a month's challenge - do 30 mins activity every day for a month. That was the spur - but I was worried about the danger of sudden exercise.
I decided that I'd start with some walking just to get the joints moving. I did that for a few months on and off - about 2km on a route that pulled in a couple of hills, and there's no doubt it helped get me moving, and my time did improve, but after a few months or so I'd reached a plateau.
That's when I saw C25K. I knew I needed to do more but it was scary - it looked like it'd take commitment and might involve a bit of pain and effort - maybe even some willpower. However - I kept thinking back to that image of me struggling up an almost flat road and decided to try it. Not to 'do it' because I fully expected to fail, but to try it. In fact, when I started I was already making excuses for why I probably wouldn't complete. Top of my excuse list was that 'the weather will probably stop me doing the last few weeks when it gets colder'.
I was also really embarrassed at the thought of people seeing me - so I found a small park nearby and decided to go at dawn when there was no one around.
And so I was off. I won't give you a week by week account, but suffice to say that I was daunted by each step up, until about week 5 where I realised that the program was really working and started to trust it. I had pains in my knee (bursitis I think) that meant i had to take 3 days recovery instead of 1 which lasted until the middle of week 5 and then miraculously disappeared. There was also some lower back pain in the early weeks.
I had 2 colds that kept me off the trail for 4 or 5 days - BUT - I discovered that I was enjoying it. That was totally unexpected and I even started to become obsessed with when I could get out there next.
Anyway, I completed it. I've lost a bit of weight, I am fitter and can run around with my 4 year old much more easily. My legs have changed shape!! I can actually see the difference in them! My tummy is starting to recede a bit and I can feel more muscle down the sides under the fat. I can take a lungful of air without feeling like there's something restricting how much. I can walk around with ease - I could walk up that road now with a laptop bag without breaking sweat.
So to sum up - I have done it and if I can anyone can. I was unfit, overweight, lacking willpower, uncertain, but I had a reason to try. One other thing - if you're reading this you've already found the forum, and i think it is an essential aide to completing. Read the posts and links that the admins provide - they are billed as being essential reading and I found that they are.
I'm now planning to consolidate over the winter and then do the 10k plan in the spring. Not 'try' this time, but 'do'. I've been empowered by C25K to know that I can and will do it.
Good luck on your journey.
W1R1 failure
C25K Completed!
W1R2: Revisiting my C25k Journey - same but different
💥Aha! moments of my C25K-er to ultramarathoner journey 😊
My journey to 5k
