C25K changed my life!: When I started C25K last... - Couch to 5K

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C25K changed my life!

Benben21 profile image
Benben21Graduate
โ€ข19 Replies

When I started C25K last year I was approaching my 69th birthday. I'd been very overweight for many years (20stones!) and had lost some weight over lockdown and decided to work on my general fitness. I'd seen friends talking about C25K. I was extremely doubtful: my first runs were done in places where no-one could see me - I thought people would laugh and point! The dog was definitely very puzzled.

I graduated on time. My week 9 runs covered about 4K, but I was running continuously for 30 mins, and this website convinced me that was fine. I did do a 5K a few weeks later but I wouldn't say it was my finest hour!

Then I saw a post in my local FB feed advertising Ladies Only squash sessions. The picture showed a group of women who were certainly not the stick-thin 20 somethings I expected to see, and I thought "why not?". I'd loved squash at university 45 years ago - maybe I could do this? The squash coach invited me for a 20 minute hit at my local club five minutes walk away and I loved it. He was encouraging: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

18 months on, I'm in the Ladies Squash team. I'm still not very good but I do love it and my serve has improved *a lot*. Three weeks ago, all our good players were injured so I was pressed into service. I didn't win (obv) but I played well and I was by no means a walkover. And our youngest player was exactly 60 years younger. So thanks C25K, thanks everyone here for persuading me not to give up. I feel like a completely new person.

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Benben21 profile image
Benben21
Graduate
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19 Replies
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MissUnderstanding profile image
MissUnderstandingAdministratorOn a breakGraduate

This is such a brilliant post to read. Massive congratulations to you and all youโ€™ve achieved. C25k really can be life changing and youโ€™re a superb example of that โค๏ธ

SueAppleRun profile image
SueAppleRunGraduate

What an amazing story, thank you so much for sharing it here, you must be so proud of yourself

Benben21 profile image
Benben21Graduateโ€ข in reply toSueAppleRun

Thanks WillowandSola! I'm not sure "proud" is the right word really. I'm just amazed and I do want to share a success story. I do feel incredibly lucky. I know, for sure, that there will be others like I was 20 months ago, doubting themselves and thinking "this isn't for me". I did follow the plan pretty much to the letter, not overdoing it, not hurrying but crucially not giving up either. And I think that's the message really: go on, have a go and see what happens.

SueAppleRun profile image
SueAppleRunGraduateโ€ข in reply toBenben21

I'm still in awe, you are 3 yes older than me and have changed your fitness around so well, I work a full-time busy job so don't run as much as I'd like but mulling over retiring next year,

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate

Fantastic!Well done you ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

Frenc profile image
FrencGraduate

This is so great to read! C25K has so many positive benefits doesnโ€™t it ๐Ÿ˜. Iโ€™ve tried squash a few times but would always end up getting cross ๐Ÿคฃ! Well done Benben21 you are a โญ๏ธ ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š.

clarys profile image
clarysGraduate

Inspirational! We get written off as we get older (at least that is how it feels) so it's great when we can prove that we are still capable and determined - squash looks so energetic, it must really improve your strength :-)

Benben21 profile image
Benben21Graduateโ€ข in reply toclarys

We do, Clarys. Or worse, we write ourselves off. I think I probably had. So here I am, six stones lighter and loving life and feeling very very lucky.

Squash can be wild, but it's also a game of cunning and strategy so you can play effectively without hurling yourself around the court. And as it's a club you quickly suss out the ones who are happy to play at a different pace!

Solor profile image
SolorGraduate

Love this story. Well done you.

GoogleMe profile image
GoogleMeGraduate

Glorious! That's the thing about C25K, it opens so many doors and many of them unexpected ones.

CBDB profile image
CBDBGraduate

๐Ÿงก๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿงก๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’œ๐ŸคŽ๐Ÿงก

๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

JeremiahObadiah profile image
JeremiahObadiahGraduate

This is such a great post-I really enjoyed reading it.

Fabulous.

Mummycav profile image
MummycavAdministratorGraduate

absolutely fabulousโ€ฆsuch an inspiring postโ€ฆthank you for sharing this, this is what itโ€™s all about ๐Ÿ˜‰

TimeInNature profile image
TimeInNatureGraduate

what a fantastic post. Thanks for sharing

MutleyShuffle profile image
MutleyShuffleGraduate

Yay! Go you! โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ

Dendev75 profile image
Dendev75Graduate

Absolutely brilliant! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป what a great post to read and hopefully inspire others. Well done!

MrsLydiaWickham profile image
MrsLydiaWickhamGraduate

Fantastic!! You all look great. Well done, you are an inspiration!

Freecloud profile image
FreecloudGraduate

Absolutely fantastic story and I can wholeheartedly agree. Running and this forum with the fantastic people posting positive and encouraging stories and also offering support has lifted my spirit and made me a more positive happier person.

Benben21 profile image
Benben21Graduateโ€ข in reply toFreecloud

Me too, Freecloud. (What a lovely name: sadly my autocorrect keeps changing it to Freeload, which really isn't the same AT ALL!)

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