Three years on from graduation

[nowster]

I graduated from Couch to 5K on the morning of Friday 28th August 2020.

I actually did 5km in 30 minutes and 5 seconds. I also twisted my left ankle about 500m from the end trying to avoid the slippery mud in a puddle, and did a long walk home on the injured ankle.

I foolishly ran on the sore ankle on the following Monday, and by the Friday of that week could barely walk without pain. Three weeks and two physio visits (OUCH!) after I was back gently jogging again.

Three years later and on Saturday I ran a parkrun (5km) personal best of 25:55 in my bare feet and a long slow 22km (14 mile) run (in shoes) on the Sunday morning, one of over a dozen half marathon distances I've done in the last couple of years.

But what started me on this? Me who had never ever run more than a few steps before, who got wheezy at the thought of a one mile cross-country at school, who as a child ran with his legs going out sideways behind him, and who took ten minutes to recover from running for a bus?

It's all the fault of that C25K app. I got it on my phone a little after the BBC started to promote it, but it lay there unopened for several years. It would glower at me every time I opened the app list.

Then near the end of March 2020 the world turned upside down. A blond man in a suit who spoke to us on the TV told us we all had to stay at home and we were only allowed out for half an hour a day for exercise.

I wasn't a stranger to working from home. I'd done it for many years before. What I did have was a sudden chance to make a virtue out of a necessity. I decided I'd use that daily half hour profitably.

My first attempt was the day after the announcement. I got through the first week of C25K but got ill with a tummy bug, and that put things back a bit. I started again a couple of weeks later. I got to the end of week 2 by which time I realised something was wrong. What I hadn't remembered was that the leaflet for the medicine I was on (for several months) said I shouldn't do any strenuous exercise. What I suspect was happening is that it was interfering with the muscle repair mechanisms, and I was making things worse for myself with each run I did. Also I wasn't hydrating enough, but I didn't realise that until much much later.

I had about six weeks more of the medicine to take, so I waited until a fortnight after I'd finished. That turned out to be four weeks instead as I got some nastily infected insect bites from red spider mites whilst clearing a corner of the garden. They needed treating with some antibiotics which the GP prescribed after a phone conversation and photo upload.

I then started C25K again in July 2020. I found this forum after week 3 and it was a huge help. There are still some regulars around from that time.

As I said before, I graduated, got injured doing so, healed, then started again. I completed C25K again in the middle of November 2020. I did my first ever 10km run in Feb 2021, 10 miles in late March 2021, strained my hamstring trying to do a Half Marathon distance in April 2021 (saw a physio about the consequences of that). I did my first sub hour 10km at the end of May, my first ever parkrun in late July 2021, and my first HM distance in September 2021.

I've been regularly running ever since. I ran every day in January 2022. This year I ran every day in January, February and all but the last of March (I tripped during the warm up walk). I've been through many pairs of shoes.

I'm not the fastest. I'm not the slowest. I'm usually in the middle of the finishing table at parkruns.

I've run at home. I've run on holiday. I've run to work. I've run in sweltering sun. I've run in hail, snow and rain. I've run in heavy shoes. I've run with no shoes. I've run on streets. I've run on grass. I've run on gravel. I've run on sand.

All it took was that trigger to get me to start: that incentive to take that first step across that bridge and into what lay beyond.

[Vespina Graduate]

Great to see your whole running story (so far) laid out. Some of this I knew from your posts, some was new to me. I love seeing where C25K can take us all and how others have progressed. Looking forward to seeing what’s next.

Also, that bridge in the photo looks cool.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate]

Very interesting post nowster about your running highlights since you started C25K, a big congratulations on your 3 years runniversary on completing the course ✔️✔️✔️🏃🏾

[Jools2020 Graduate]

Great post, summarising your journey (so far!) And it’s a fabulous story, look at all your achievements. Amazing!

I can’t remember when our paths first crossed in 2020 but it must have been soon after you started because most of your story is familiar 😊

Well done on your 3 year Runniversary 👏👏👏👍

[nowster Graduate in reply to Jools2020]

You graduated a few weeks before me. I think you hit 10km on the fens when I was still recovering from that double ankle sprain.

[Jools2020 Graduate in reply to nowster]

Yes, you’re right 😊

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

I hadn't realised your reason for starting and the trials you faced. All because of a blond man on TV who kept saying stay home! I've watched your progress for some time now and have been inspired to try and run faster.

Happy Runniversary nowster, long may you run in shoes or not and in all the places you run.

[Sandie1961 Graduate]

You have come such a long way in 3 years despite the setbacks and it’s clear that running has become an integral part of your life. Running was certainly one of the things that got me through lockdown, especially during that glorious spring weather in 2020. Congratulations on your graduation Runniversary!

[CredenceRainyDay Graduate]

All that in three years! Inspirational. 🏃‍♀️Great running story. I graduated on Sunday and have needed 2 days to recover. Your post has made me fidgety for a run now but just I'll just have to wait till after work now. 😁👌

[JeremiahObadiah Graduate]

That’s a wonderful potted history of your fabulous running career and long may it continue.

How has it made you feel, mentally and physically? For example, do you think you are more relaxed as a person, do you sleep better, have you noticed muscles/leaner toning , do you eat more carefully because of your activity, has it inspired family or friends to join you…? I suppose what I’m trying to get to is what benefits are you aware of over and above the joy of the runs themselves and the satisfaction in achieving them?

[nowster Graduate in reply to JeremiahObadiah]

I'm told that I'm a little easier to get on with. I have lost a little weight: I was starting to develop the middle age spread, including heaviness around the face and neck, and that's all gone. In the first year, people who hadn't seen me for a while (global pandemic and all that) remarked how well I was looking.

My jeans are now tight around the thighs rather than around the waist.

Eating is mostly unchanged, except I don't binge on biscuits as much as I used to. And I don't believe I've inspired any of my family and friends to take up running.

[Frankenfoot23 Graduate]

Massive congratulations, nowster. What a great story. Very inspiring and interesting to see a summary of your progress with all its highs and lows. Well done and keep going

[Annieapple Administrator Graduate]

🍏Awesome testimony that C25K can change your life for the better! I know it changed mine too. I seem to recognise that little bridge in the Fens??

[nowster Graduate in reply to Annieapple]

It's just to the west of the A10, near the village of Chittering.

OS Grid TL492708, 52°18'55.9"N 0°11'17.3"E

[Annieapple Administrator Graduate in reply to nowster]

😊👍⭐️

[limberlou Graduate]

Happy runversary Nowster, from me enviously watching from the IC🥺. It always amazes me when we look back over our running journeys that we actually keep going … sprained ankle here, torn ligaments there, broken bones, operations and illnesses and yet we still keep coming back.

I’m managing walks but another 8 weeks or so before I can start running again so I expect it will be back to C25k again for me then. Oh well I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again.

Well done again on your running journey.