Apologies for a long post but I wanted to give some context, and hope this helps people who are reaching the end of C25K.
After graduating C25K last week, I was confident I had a solid plan for the coming weeks. Repeat my Week 9 run 3 times this week, enjoy my holiday next week, repeat that run to ease back in post-holiday for a couple of weeks and then gradually build up my distance. On completing C25K I was running around 3.7k in the 30 minutes so had a long way to go to get to actually completing 5k, but knew I could do it over the course of a few weeks/months. No rush, as long as I get there sometime.
Run 1 this week was completed fairly comfortably. It was the first time I've tracked pace/distance as I didn't when using C25K. I ran 3.7k with a pace of 8:07 per/k. Fine, happy enough with that. Run 2 this week was completed fairly comfortably and as I took my phone out of my pocket I saw my pace was below 8:00 per/k so put my head down and went for it in the last few metres to make sure it stayed there. Ended up doing 3.7k at 7:57 per/k. I don't need to worry about pace but when I saw that near the end, I just wanted to get below the 8.
Run 3 today. Went fine, no issues. I got towards the end and realised I had enough in the tank to go a bit further. If I'd been able to speed up on the previous run, maybe I could go further at a consistent, slower pace this time. Made it up a hill to the entrance to a lane I've often been tempted to use but hadn't yet. It was a nice bit of downhill which gave me a chance to ease off and reset a bit. Did a loop back round to my finishing line but I saw the entrance to the lane in front of me again not far up the hill ahead, so I went for it again. Back in to the lane, down the hill, back round and up to where I finish. Pulled my phone out of the holder and couldn't believe my eyes - 4.96k. I pushed for those last few steps to bring it up to 5k.
Very grateful for the bench outside the Arts Centre where I finished. I sat there and was just writing 'Slower but further' on Strava when I noticed my pace - 7:53 per/k.
I've never run a 5k before. I did a charity one a few years ago but even walked a small section of that. I weigh over 22 stone (thankfully that has come down since starting running earlier this year and will continue to). I went out at 5am before having to wrangle my son in to my car at 7am to drop him off on my way to work. I have absolutely no idea how I have run a sub-40 minute 5k this morning before breakfast. I know it's slow for some people but I don't care. I did it and now I know I can do it.
It's incredible what our bodies can do when our minds are willing to let it.
Help! what happened...advice please
What happened next… nothing… then jeffing! 
2 amazing things happened to me today (but only you wonderful c25kers will understand ) 
What happened there? 
Not sure what graduating means
